@article { ISI:000227075600029, title = {1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition reaction of D-glucose-derived nitrone with allyl alcohol: synthesis of 2-hydroxy-1-deoxycastanospermine analogues}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1356-1363}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The synthesis and evaluation of glycosidase inhibitory activity of polyhydroxylated indolizidine alkaloids namely 2-hydroxy-1-deoxycastanospermine 3a,b and 2-hydroxy-1-deoxy-8a-epi-castanospermine 3c,d is reported. The key step involves the intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of allyl alcohol to D-glucose-derived nitrone 4, followed by tosylation, that afforded four diastereomeric sugar-substituted isoxazolidines 5a-d with the desired regioselectivity. The one-pot conversion of 5a-d to pyrrolidines 8a-d by hydrogenolysis, removal of 1,2-acetonoide functionality, and hydrogenation afforded corresponding target molecules 3a-d.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo048176x}, author = {Karanjule, Narayan S. and Markad, Shankar D. and Sharma, T. and Sabharwal, Sushma G. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article {42471, title = {1,4-Dipolar cycloaddition in organic synthesis: a facile route to isoquinoline fused heterocycles}, journal = {Arkivoc}, volume = {2005}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {178-188}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The three component condensation reactions involving isoquinoline, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and carbonyl dipolarophiles such as o- and p-benzoquinones and Nsubstituted isatins constitute a one-pot synthesis of a variety of [1,3]oxazino isoquinoline derivatives via 1,4-dipolar cycloaddition.

}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Sreekanth, Anakkalil R. and Abhilash, N. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Varma, Luxmi and Viji, Sreemathi and Mathew, Saumini} } @article { ISI:000226941900008, title = {Absence of food aversion learning in the polyphagous noctuid, spodoptera litura (F.) following intoxication by deleterious chemicals}, journal = {Journal of Insect Behavior}, volume = {18}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {105-114}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The objective of this study was to determine whether the presence of a deleterious chemical in a preferred host plant could alter the feeding preference of a polyphagous insect. The preference of the Asian armyworm, Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for castor, Ricinus communis (L.) (family: Euphorbiaceae) relative to cabbage, Brassica oleracea (L.) (family: Brassicaceae) was quantified by two separate two-way choice tests (without treatment and with treatment of the test chemicals used in the present study) with naive third instar larvae each time. This was followed, by continuous feeding (48 h) on the preferred host treated with the test chemicals and using naive third instar larvae for conditioning. Each treatment consisted of one of nine compounds, including seven naturally occurring allelochemicals (viz. (-)-alpha-pinene, (-)-beta-pinene, beta-myrcene, D-limonene, cineole, rutin, and ajwain oil) and two synthetic insecticides (viz. alphamethrin and malathion). Following this, a two-way choice test was repeated with the same batch of larvae without any test chemical. Larvae continued to maintain preference for castor despite exposure to the deleterious chemicals. Among the test chemicals, D-limonene and alphamethrin caused significant reduction in growth. Preference for castor was not overcome by exposure to novel deleterious chemicals, suggesting that aversion, though experienced is not learned.

}, keywords = {aversion learning, deleterious chemicals, polyphagy, preference, Spodoptera litura}, issn = {0892-7553}, doi = {10.1007/s10905-005-9350-z}, author = {Ghumare, S. S. and Mukherjee, Samindra N.} } @article { ISI:000230123500084, title = {Aromatic polyimides from m-phenylene diamines containing pendant groups: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {97}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1377-1384}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Two diamine monomers, 4-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenyl)phenoxy]-1,3-(diamino benzene and 4-{-[(4-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]phenoxy}-1,3-diamino benzene, were synthesized, and both diamines were polycondensed with three commercial dianhydrides to obtain aromatic polyimides containing pendant groups. The polyimides were characterized by solubility tests, viscosity measurements, IR, H-1-NMR, and C-13- NMR spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction studies, and thermogravimetric analysis. The polymides had inherent viscosities of 0.33-0.58 dL/g in m-cresol at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. All the polyimides were amorphous and were soluble in solvents such as NNdimethylacetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N,N-dimethylformamide, and in-cresol. Thermogravimetric analysis of the polymides indicated no weight loss below 410 degrees C under a nitrogen atmosphere. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {heteroatom-containing polymers, High performance polymers, polyimides}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21859}, author = {Pal, R. R. and Patil, P. S. and Dere, R. T. and Salunkhe, M. M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000232141000038, title = {Assessing the role of FecB mutation in productivity of Indian sheep}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {89}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {887-890}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSN}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

DNA samples from four Indian sheep breeds, viz. Garole, Deccani, Bannur and Madras Red were screened by PCR-RFLP to determine the presence of FecB mutation in these breeds. The Garole was the only breed, which carried the FecB mutation. The FecB mutation was introgressed from Garole sheep into Deccani sheep and Bannur sheep, and the performance of the crossbred sheep is being monitored in subsequent generations. Approximately half of the first backcross ewes (progeny of FecB heterozygote F1 rams) was found to carry one copy of FecB mutation, as expected. The FecB PCR-RFLP test was found to be fast, accurate and useful as a tool for making breeding decisions.

}, keywords = {FecB (Booroola) gene, Garole sheep, PCR-RFLP test, prolificacy}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Pardeshi, V. C. and Sainani, Mohini N. and Maddox, J. F. and Ghalsasi, P. M. and Nimbkar, C. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000228575900016, title = {Asymmetric total synthesis of eicosanoid}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {144-155}, 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 asymmetric total synthesis of eicosanoid 4 starting from 2,2- dimethyl-( R)- 1,3- dioxolane-4- carbaldehyde is described. The key steps involved for the synthesis include modified Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation, stereoselective reduction, ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and Nozaki- Hiyama- Kishi coupling reaction.

}, keywords = {cyclopropanation, eicosanoid, lipoxygenase inhibitors, Ring-closing metathesis, Stereoselective}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Yellol, G. S.} } @article { ISI:000230389700019, title = {Bis(2-[alpha-hydroxyethyl]benzimidazolato)copper(II) anchored onto chloromethylated polystyrene for the biomimetic oxidative coupling of 2-aminophenol to 2-aminophenoxazine-3-one}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A - Chemical}, volume = {236}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {132-138}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

2-(alpha-Hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole (Hhebmz) has been covalently anchored to chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 5\% divinylbenzene. This polymer-anchored chelating resin reacts with cupric acetate in presence of Hhebmz to give polymer-anchored copper(II) complex PS-[Cu(hebmz)(2)]. Elemental analyses, FT-IR, electronic, scanning electron micrographs (SEM) and TGA-DTA pattern have been used to characterize the complex. Oxidative coupling of 2-aminophenol (OAP) to 2-aminophenoxazine-3-one (APX) catalyzed by PS-[Cu(hebmz)(2)] in presence of air at 70 degrees C in DMF gave 62\% substrate conversion over a period of 8 h. Kinetics of the above reaction indicated that the rate of oxidative coupling of OAP has a first order dependence with respect to substrate, catalyst and air pressure (dissolved O-2) concentrations in the range of conditions evaluated. Based on these observations, a plausible mechanism for the above reaction has been proposed. From, the study on the effect of temperature on the rates of oxidative coupling, an activation energy 34.2 kcal/degree mole was evaluated from Arrhenius plot of -ln rate versus 1/T. Enthalpy, entropy and free energy were calculated using standard thermodynamic equations for the above reaction. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-aminophenol, 2-aminophenoxazine-3-one, bis(2-[alpha-hydroxyethyl]benzimidazolato)copper(II), chloromethylated polystyrene, oxidative coupling}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.02.034}, author = {Maurya, Mannar R. and Sikarwar, S. and Joseph, Trissa and Halligudi, Shivappa B.} } @article { ISI:000228226800025, title = {Carbon-free dry reforming of methane to syngas over NdCoO3 perovskite-type mixed metal oxide catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {100}, number = {3-4}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {271-276}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

CoNdOx (Co/Nd = 1) is a highly promising catalyst for the carbon-free CO2 reforming of methane. Influence of the Co/Nd ratio on the catalyst performance in the CO2 reforming and also on the crystalline phases and reduction by temperature programmed reduction (TPR) of the CoNdOx catalyst has also been investigated. The CoNdOx (CoNd = 1.0) catalyst consisted of mainly NdCoO3 perovskite- type mixed metal oxide and it showed not only a high resistance to carbon formation at different process conditions ( viz. temperature = 750 - 900 degrees C and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) = 10000 - 50000 cm(3) g(-1) h(-1)) but also high activity and selectivity in the CO2 reforming process. The high resistance to carbon formation for this catalyst is attributed mostly to strong metal (Co degrees) - support (Nd2O3) interactions.

}, keywords = {CO2 reforming of methane to syngas, CoNdOx catalyst, NdCoO3 perovskite, resistance to carbon formation in CO2 reforming}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-004-3467-0}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Mamman, Ajit Singh and Joshi, Upendra A.} } @article { ISI:000232860300043, title = {Chiral 2-C-methylene glycosides and carbohydrate-derived pyrano[2,3-b][1]benzopyrans: synthesis via InCl3 catalyzed stereoselective ferrier rearrangement of 2-C-acetoxymethyl glycal derivatives}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8047-8051}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

2-C-Acetoxymethyl glycal derivatives react with aliphatic alcohols in the presence of InCl3 (30 mol \%) to furnish the corresponding 2-C-methylene glycosides in excellent yields and with exclusive alpha-selectivity except for the methyl 2-C-methylene glycosides, which are formed in similar to 2:1 anomeric ratio in favour of the alpha-anomer. The reaction of 2-C-acetoxyglycals with phenols, however, produces the corresponding chiral carbohydrate-derived pyranobenzopyran derivatives via initial Ferrier rearrangement followed by tandem cyclization in excellent yields and moderate to high stereoselectivities in favour of the corresponding 10a-R-pyrano[2,3-b][1]benzopyran derivatives. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-C-methylene glycoside, InCl3, pyranobenzopyran, Stereoselective}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.09.059}, author = {Ghosh, R. and Chakraborty, A. and Maiti, D. K. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000228743500063, title = {Comparison of the pervaporation separation of a water-acetonitrile mixture with zeolite-filled sodium alginate and poly(vinyl alcohol)-polyaniline semi-interpenetrating polymer network membranes}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {96}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1968-1978}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The pervaporation (PV) separation performance of ZSM-5- and Na-Y-type zeolite-filled sodium alginate (NaAlg) membranes were compared with those of pure NaAlg and semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with polyaniline (PANI) for the dehydration of acetonitrile. The PV separation characteristics of the zeolite-filled membranes showed a dependence on the nature of the zeolites. The variation of the acidity function of the ZSM-5 zeolite had an influence on the flux and selectivity of the membranes when compared to unfilled membranes. The crosslinked membranes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Increasing the PANI content of the semi-IPN network increased the separation selectivity. Among the NaAlg membranes, the plain NaAlg membrane showed the highest selectivity of 414 at 30 mass \% water in the feed mixture, whereas the Na-Y- and ZSM-5 (40)-filled NaAlg membranes exhibited much lower values of selectivity, that is, 7.3 and 4.3, respectively for 30 mass \% water in the feed. When the flux and selectivity data of ZSM-5 (250)-filled NaAlg membranes were compared with that of Na-Y- or ZSM-5 (40)-filled NaAlg membranes, a noticeable increase in the selectivity for the ZSM-5 (250)filled NaAlg membrane was observed, but a somewhat comparable flux was observed compared to the plain NaAlg membrane. For the first time, PANI was polymerized with PVA to yield a semi-IPN. The total flux and water flux increased systematically, whereas the selectivity decreased greatly from 251.87 to 5.95 with increasing amounts of water in the feed. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Diffusion, interpenetrating network (IPN), zeolites}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21653}, author = {Naidu, B. V. K. and Bhat, S. D. and Sairam, M. and Wali, A. C. and Sawant, D. P. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Mallikarjuna, N. N. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000226714000027, title = {Convenient synthesis of 5-methylene-4-substituted-2(5H)-furanones}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1009-1012}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A synthesis of novel 4-(substituted)benzyl-5-methylene-2(5H)-furanones involving Stobbe condensation of substituted aldehydes with ethyl levulinate followed by treatment with acetic anhydride in the presence of sodium acetate, has been developed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {5-methylene-2(5H)-furanones, acetic anhydride, arylaldehydes, ethyl levulinate, sodium acetate}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.12.040}, author = {Mahajan, Vishal A. and Shinde, Popat D. and Borate, Hanumant B. and Wakharkar, Radhika D.} } @article { ISI:000234092500005, title = {Convenient synthesis of the enantiomerically pure beta-blocker (S)-betaxolol using hydrolytic kinetic resolution}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {16}, number = {23}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3802-3806}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Enantiopure (S)-betaxolol was prepared in an extremely simple and practical way using hydrolytic kinetic resolution of a terminal epoxide by Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s catalyst. High enantiomeric purity (99\% ee) has been achieved and the method is amenable to industrial scale-up. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2005.10.028}, author = {Joshi, Ramesh A. and Garud, Dinesh R. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Joshi, Rohini R. and Gurjar, M. K.} } @conference { ISI:000238284200016, title = {Density functional response approach for electric properties of molecules}, booktitle = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005)}, series = {LECTURE SERIES ON COMPUTER AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES}, volume = {3}, year = {2005}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005), Corinth, GREECE, OCT 21-26, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {142-151}, publisher = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, organization = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, address = {Corinth, Greece}, abstract = {

We review in this paper an implementation of the response approach to the Kohn-Sham (KS) density functional theory (DFT) for obtaining the linear and non-linear electric response properties of molecules using Gaussian type orbital basis centered on atoms. We have made a formulation in which the response of the electron density through the solution of the coupled perturbed Kohn-Sham (CPKS) equations has to be obtained only once, instead of iteratively as in the case of completely analytic procedure. Our method is based on a numerical finite-field solution of derivative KS operator, followed by analytic solution of CPKS equation. Further, using the response of the electron density, the dipole moment, polarizability and first-hyperpolarizability of the molecules are evaluated. The method is particularly useful for large systems. We tested our method using HF, BH, H2O and CO as test molecules, for which, high quality ab initio results are available. Further, our study of possible incorporation of non-dynamical electron correlation by studying BH and HF at several internuclear distances is discussed.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, molecular properties, polarizability, Response approach}, isbn = {90-6764-442-0}, issn = {1573-4196}, author = {Pal, Sourav and Sophy, K. B.}, editor = {Maroulis, G and Simos, T} } @article { ISI:000228797100055, title = {Deposition and characterization of silver nano-films by a novel solid liquid interface reaction technique (SLIRT)}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {14-15}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1958-1961}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Solid-liquid interface reaction technique (SLIRT) is used to deposit silver film on glass substrate. The solid film of silver nitrate is formed by modified spin coating method. This film is subsequently processed by dipping it in a reducing solution so as to initiate a reaction at the interface and ultimately transform it to totally silver film. In situ transformation of silver nitrate to silver is studied with respect to time spectrophotometrically. The characterization of silver film is done by various physicochemical techniques namely XRD, XPS, ED, TEM and UV visible spectroscopy. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, Nano-Particles, solid-liquid interface reaction, thin film}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.02.035}, author = {Godbole, P. D. and Mitra, A. and Pasricha, R. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000228904900011, title = {Deposition of indium nitride films by activated reactive evaporation process - a feasibility study}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {245}, number = {1-4}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {73-78}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Indium nitride (InN) films are deposited by {\textquoteleft}activated reactive evaporation (ARE){\textquoteright} process using parallel plate coupled nitrogen plasma (radio frequency source of 13.56 MHz) and evaporation of pure indium powder by resistive heating. Depositions are carried out by varying RF plasma power, on n-type silicon \&LANGBRAC; 1 0 0\&RANGBRAC; substrate, maintained at room temperature, at a nitrogen gas pressure of 1.06 x 10(-1) Pa (8 x 10 (-4) Torr). The film{\textquoteright}s crystallinity was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and topography by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The diffraction pattern shows polycrystalline nature of the deposited films with characteristics of hexagonal structure. XRD peak intensity increases with increase in power. SEM observations show a smooth and pinhole free surface having improved quality of film with hexagonal structure as the power is increased from 60 to 120 W. Primary X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results show binding energies of the In 3d levels and N 1s level matching well with that of stoichiometric InN. Further, the refractive index of the films, measured by ellipsometry, is in the range of η = 2.79-2.91 with the variation of plasma power, which is in good agreement with the standard value for indium nitride (η = 2.9). These results indicate the feasibility of using, {\textquoteleft}activated reactive evaporation (ARE){\textquoteright} process for indium nitride depositions on silicon \&LANGBRAC; 1 0 0\&RANGBRAC; substrates maintained at room temperature. {\textcopyright} 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {activated reactive evaporation, ellipsometry, indium nitride, SEM, XRD}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.09.119}, author = {Patil, Sheetal J. and Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Mandale, A. B. and Gangal, S. A.} } @article { ISI:000228904900029, title = {Deposition of PTFE thin films by RF plasma sputtering on < 100 > silicon substrates}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {245}, number = {1-4}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {202-207}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Polymers have been studied extensively due to the wonderful array of properties presented by them. Polymer materials can be coated/deposited by various techniques like sputtering (magnetron, ion beam, RF or dc), plasma polymerization, etc. and can be used in coatings, paint industries, etc. The present study deals with the RF sputter deposition of poly(tetrafluoro ethylene) (PTFE), commonly known as Teflon. Depositions were carried out on mirror polished silicon (1 0 0) substrates at different powers in the range of 100-200 W. The deposition time was kept constant at 60 min. The sputtered film shows lower contact angle of 50\&DEG; with water and 44\&DEG; with diiodomethane, a lower interfacial tension value of 0.76 dyne/cm, indicating hydrophilicity and good adhesion of the film with the substrate. FHR indicates presence of C-F, C-F-2 bonding groups in the deposited film. Further, XPS study shows presence of CF3 (292.2 eV), CF2 (290.8 eV), C-F (288.0 eV) and C-CF (286.4 eV) moieties indicating deposition of PTFE films at higher power levels of plasma. {\textcopyright} 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Contact angle measurement, FTIR, PTFE, RF plasma sputtering, XPS}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.10.023}, author = {Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Mandale, A. B. and Gangal, S. A.} } @article { ISI:000229127000022, title = {Effect of 2-(2-pyridyl)azole-based ancillary ligands (L1-4) on the electrophilicity of the nitrosyl function in [Ru-II(trpy)(L1-4)(NO)](3+) [trpy=2,2 {\textquoteleft}: 6 {\textquoteleft},2 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-terpyridine]. synthesis, structures, and spectroscopic, electrochemical, and kinetic aspects}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {10}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3499-3511}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ruthenium nitrosyl complexes [Ru(trpy)(L1-4)(NO)](3+) (13-16) [trpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}:6{\textquoteright},2"-terpyridine, L-1 = 2-(2-pyridyl)-benzoxazole, L-2 = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzthiazole, L-3 = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole, L-4 = 1-methyl-2-(2-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazole] were obtained in a stepwise manner starting from [Ru-II(trpy)(L1-4) (Cl)]ClO4 (1-4) \&RARR; [Ru-II(trpy)(L1-4) (H2O)](ClO4)(2) (5-8) \&RARR; [Ru-II(trpy)(L1-4) (NO2)ClO4 (9-12) \&RARR; [Ru-II(trpy)(L-1,L-2,L-4) (NO)](ClO4)(3) (13, 14, 16)/[Ru-II(trpy)(L-3) (NO)](Cl)(4))(2)(NO3) (15). Crystal structures of 1, 2, 4, 9, 12, 13, 15, and 16 established the stereoretentive nature of the transformation processes. Though the complexes of L1, L3, and L 4 were isolated in the isomeric form A (π-acceptor trpy and azole ring in the equatorial plane and the pyridine and chloride donors in the axial positions), complexes of L 2 preferentially stabilized in form B (trpy and pyridine in the equatorial plane and the azole ring and chloride donors in the axial positions). The v(NO) stretching frequency varied in the range of 1957-1932 cm(-1), 13 \&MGT; 14 \&MGT; 15 \> 16, primarily depending on the electronic aspects of L as well as the isomeric structural forms. The coordinated nitrosyl function underwent successive reductions of [Ru-II-NO+](3+) \&RARR; [Ru-II-NO\&BULL;](2+) and [Ru-II-NO\&BULL;](2+) - [Ru-II-NO-](+), and the first reduction potential follows the order 14 \> 13 \&MGT; 15 \&AP; 16. The nearly axial EPR spectra having nitrogen hyperfine splittings (A \&AP; 26 G) at 77 K of 13(-)-16(-) with (g) \&AP; 2.0 established that the reduction process is largely centered around the nitrosyl function. Despite an appreciably high v(NO), the complexes were found to be unusually stable even in the aqueous medium. They transformed slowly and only partially into the corresponding nitro derivatives in H2O (k \&AP; 10(-4) s(-1) and K = 0.4-3.8). The chloro (1-4), aqua (5-8), and nitro (9-12) derivatives displayed reasonably strong emissions near 700 nm at 77 K (φ = 10(-1)-10(-2)). The aqua derivative 7 was found to interact with the calf thymus and the circular form of p-Bluescript SK DNA.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic048184w}, author = {Chanda, N. and Paul, D. and Kar, S. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Datta, Anindya and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rao, K. K. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000230122900010, title = {Effect of RuO2 in the shape selectivity of submicron-sized SnO2 structures}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {109}, number = {25}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12297-12303}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Several dissimilar types of tin oxide microstructures including bipyramids, cubes, and wires synthesized effectively by means of a simple approach were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry/ differential thermometric analysis (TG-DTA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A possible growth mechanism is proposed using the results of these studies. The texture coefficient values of all the structures, indexed to a tetragonal lattice, exhibit amazing variation in the preferred orientation with respect to their shapes. Although XPS data indicate that wires and cubes have a strong SnO2 type signal, bipyramids interestingly exhibit both SnO and SnO2 signals and a correlation of the binding energy helps in understanding the growth kinetics of such submicron structures. The. results suggest that the bipyramids are formed because of the vapor-solid process (VS) while wires and cubes are formed by the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) progression.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp044677a}, author = {Ramgir, N. S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Vijayamohanan, K. P.} } @article { ISI:000236923500003, title = {Efficient and selective cleavage of the tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group under basic condition}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {20-28}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

A simple, efficient and mild method for the selective cleavage of tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) from dicarbamates and a carbonyl or aromatic ring in conjugation with the nitrogen atom bearing the Boc-group is described under basic condition.

}, keywords = {alpha-amino acids, celogenitins, di-t-butylimidodicarbonate, racemization, Selective deprotection}, issn = {1424-6376}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Durugkar, Kulbhushan A.} } @article { ISI:000227026100019, title = {Electrochemical studies of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT/VS2 nanocomposite as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries}, journal = {Electrochemistry Communications}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {213-218}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Here, we demonstrate the electrochemical characterization of a new type of layered poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT/ VS2 nanocomposite. It has been prepared via flocculation of delaminated VS2 with subsequent in situ oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) with VS2 as a host material in the presence of an external oxidizing agent. The interlayer spacing Of VS2 expands from 5.71 to 14.01 A and this interlayer separation is consistent with the existence of a monolayer of PEDOT in the VS2 framework. X-ray diffraction, XPS and TEM studies have been;shown the change in interlayer separation is consistent with the existence of two phases of organic and inorganic species in the nanocomposites corresponding to the intercalation of PEDOT in the VS2 framework. The application potential of the nanocomposite as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries is also demonstrated by the electrochemical intercalation of lithium into the PEDOT/VS2 nanocomposite, where a significant enhancement in the discharge capacity is observed (similar to130 mAh/g) compared to that (80 mAh/g) for pristine VS2. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {layered nanocomposite, lithium batteries, polythiophene, vanadium disulfide}, issn = {1388-2481}, doi = {10.1016/j.elecom.2004.12.013}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000231714000001, title = {Electronic spectra and ionization potentials of halogen oxides using the fock space coupled-cluster method}, journal = {Collection of Czechoslovac Chemical Communications}, volume = {70}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {851-863}, publisher = {INST ORGANIC CHEM AND BIOCHEM}, type = {Article}, address = {ACAD SCI CZECH REPUBLIC, FLEMINGOVO NAM 2, PRAGUE 6 166 10, CZECH REPUBLIC}, abstract = {

The ionization potentials and excitation energies of halogen monoxides and dihalogen oxides are studied using fully size-extensive Fock space version of multi-reference coupled-cluster theory. The low-lying excited states of ClO-, FO-, Cl2O and F2O are obtained along with the ionization spectra of Cl2O and F2O. The adiabatic electron affinity of ClO, FO and the vertical detachment energy of ClO- and FO- are also presented.

}, issn = {0010-0765}, doi = {10.1135/cccc20050851}, author = {Vaval, N and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, S} } @article { ISI:000227710300073, title = {Enhanced selectivity to decalin in naphthalene hydrogenation under supercritical carbon dioxide}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {424-425}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

A charcoal-supported rhodium catalyst was highly active and selective to decalin for the hydrogenation of naphthalene at very low temperature (333 K) under supercritical carbon dioxide.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2005.424}, author = {Hiyoshi, Norihito and Miura, R. and Rode, C. V. and Sato, O. and Shirai, M.} } @article { ISI:000233825900101, title = {Enhancement of double-layer capacitance behavior and its electrical conductivity in layered poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based nanocomposites}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {87}, number = {24}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {243511}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

In this letter, we report on the enhanced double-layer capacitance of a layered poly (3, 4-ethylene dioxythiophene) PEDOT-MoO3 nanocomposite, which has been synthesized by a novel microwave irradiation method. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows the changes in electron density and the shift in binding energy suggesting charge transfer from sulfur atoms upon PEDOT intercalation between MoO3 layers. The room-temperature conductivity for the PEDOT-MoO3 composite is found to be 1.82x10(-1) S cm(-1), which is four orders of magnitude higher than that of the pristine oxide (3.78x10(-5) S cm(-1)). The enhanced double-layer capacitance of the PEDOT-MoO3 nanocomposite (similar to 300 F g(-1)) compared to that (similar to 40 mF g(-1)) of pristine MoO3 is attributed to higher electronic conductivity, enhanced bidimensionality, and increase in surface area of the nanocomposite.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2140468}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Viswanath, A. K. and Campet, Guy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000226995900011, title = {Entrapment of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) between VS2 layers to form a new organic-inorganic intercalative nanocomposite}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {902-909}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a new class of nanocomposite by direct in situ oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) with VS2 as a host material in the presence of an external oxidizing agent. Upon intercalation, the interlayer spacing of VS2 expands from 5.71 Angstrom to 14.01 Angstrom, followed by exfoliation and a restacking process facilitating expansion of the lattice in a direction perpendicular to the dichalcogenide layers. This change in interlayer separation is consistent with the existence of two phases of organic and inorganic species in the nanocomposites corresponding to the intercalation of PEDOT in the VS2 framework. The resulting nanocomposite is characterized by thermal analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and four-probe electrical conductivity measurements. The application potential of the nanocomposite as a cathode material for rechargeable lithium batteries is also demonstrated by the electrochemical intercalation of lithium into the PEDOT-VS2 nanocomposite, where a significant enhancement in the discharge capacity is observed (similar to130 mA h g(-1)) compared to that (80 mA h g(-1)) for pristine VS2.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b414922j}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Quintin, M. and Delville, M. H. and Campet, Guy and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000229476800007, title = {Facile oxidation of flavanones to flavones using [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene in an ionic liquid}, journal = {Mendeleev Communications}, volume = {15}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {100-101}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A method for the oxidation of flavationes to flavones has been developed using [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo] benzene (HTIB) in the room-temperature ionic liquid 1,3-di-n-butylimidazolium bromide ([bbim]Br-+(-)).

}, issn = {0959-9436}, doi = {10.1070/MC2005v015n03ABEH001997}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Patil, P. S. and More, Shivaji V. and Joshi, Ramesh A.} } @article { ISI:000227170600016, title = {Gradual transitions in morphology of diamond films grown by using N-2 admixtures of CH4+H-2 gas in a hot filament assisted chemical vapour deposition system}, journal = {Diamond and Related Materials}, volume = {14}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {232-242}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A study of the evolution of morphology of diamond films grown as a function of N-2 gas additions to the CH4+H-2 precursor in an HF-CVD system is presented. With the increase of admixture of N2 fraction, in contrast to earlier studies, the morphology was observed first to gradually change from {111}-faceted crystallites texture to that of an intermediate cubo-octahedral crystallite texture and then gradually but finally to transform completely into that of {100}-faceted crystallites. The threshold nitrogen concentration, [N-2](thr), required to bring about the said transition in morphology was much larger than it was reported previously. Moreover, the morphology transition required a larger [N-2](thr) when a large fraction of methane was employed. Further additions of nitrogen, that just exceeded the [N-2](thr), resulted in growth of films containing slightly bigger {100}-multi-layered grains or isolated planar {100}-platelets. For extremely large nitrogen additions, the growth of nanocrystalline or amorphous carbon films was observed. The N-2 additions more than 50 vol.\% did not yield any deposition. Raman scattering and photoluminescence measurements were used respectively for characterizing the quality and nitrogen doping in the films. These results are attributed to the possible catalytic role of atomic nitrogen at the growing surface. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {diamond film, hot filament CVD, morphology transitions, nitrogen}, issn = {0925-9635}, doi = {10.1016/j.diamond.2004.11.042}, author = {Kshirsagar, S. T. and Kshirsagar, R. B. and Patil, P. S. and Kulkarni, A. and Mandate, A. B. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Gokhale, Suresh P.} } @article { ISI:000232864800021, title = {Growth kinetics and thermodynamic stability of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer on Si (100) substrate}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {29-30}, year = {2005}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3890-3895}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We have studied the growth kinetics and thermodynamic stability of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayers on Si (100) substrate in order to understand its role in controlling the adhesion and surface hydrophobicity. Time-dependent contact angle measurements, using water as a function of OTS concentration, show rapid monolayer formation in the initial stage followed by a slow attainment of full coverage and the overall kinetics approximately follows the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The adsorption rate constant (k(a) = 150 M-1 s(-1)) is found to be significantly greater than the desorption rate constant (k(d) = 0.156 s(-1)) while the Gibbs free energy (Delta G(ads)) change amounts to -4.2 kcal/mol suggesting thermodynamic stability of OTS monolayer on a silicon surface. Partial monolayer formation by a {\textquoteleft}uniform{\textquoteright} growth mechanism, even at low coverage, is revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in conjunction with grazing angle FTIR spectroscopy. Analysis of the interfacial adhesion properties using Zisman plot suggests a critical surface tension (gamma(c)) of 20.7 dyn/cm for OTS monolayer on Si (100) surface. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gibbs{\textquoteright}s free energy (AG), growth kinetics, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), Zisman plot}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.07.026}, author = {Kulkarni, S. A. and Mirji, S. A. and Mandale, A. B. and Gupta, R. P. and Vijayamohanan, K. P.} } @article { ISI:000230823200014, title = {Growth of PbS nanopyramidal particulate films for potential applications in quantum-dot photovoltaics and nanoantennas}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin }, volume = {40}, number = {8}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1353-1360}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a simple interfacial process called the liquid-liquid interface reaction technique (LLIRT) that leads to the formation of nanosized PbS particulate films with hitherto unreported pyramidal morphology. The resultant PbS films were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffractometery (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The pyramidal morphology is speculated to originate from the preferred orientation of the 2 2 0 plane of cubic PbS. Our nanopyramidal PbS particulate films display remarkably sharp excitonic peak centered around 656 nm that accounts for a band gap of 1.8 eV suggesting, in turn, their potential application in QD photovoltaics. Interestingly, the feasibility of such nanopyramids to potentially act as nanoantennas (as revealed by the NSOM) is also suggested. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Atomic force microscopy, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Nanostructures, Optical properties}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2005.04.018}, author = {Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Patil, K. and Pasricha, R. and Sathaye, S. and Lewis, A. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000227509900026, title = {Highly active new alpha-diimine nickel catalyst for the polymerization of alpha-olefins}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {690}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1314-1323}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A new silylated alpha-diimine ligand, bis[N,N {\textquoteleft}-(4-tert-butyl-diphenylsilyl-2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene 3, and its corresponding Ni(II) complex, {bis[N,N {\textquoteleft}-(4-tert-butyl-diphenylsilyl-2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]acenaphthene} dibromonickel 4, have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structures of 3 and 4 were determined by X-ray crystallography. In the solid state, complex 4 is a dimer with two bridging Br ligands linking the two nickel centers, which have square pyramidal geometries. Complex 4, activated either by diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC) or methylaluminoxane (MAO) produces very active catalyst systems for the polymerization of ethylene and moderately active for the polymerization of propylene. The activity values are in the order of magnitude of 10(7) g PE (mol Ni [E] h)(-1) for the polymerization of ethylene and of 10(5) g PP (mol Ni [P] h)(-1) for the polymerization of propylene. NMR analysis shows that branched polyethylenes (PE) are obtained at room or higher temperatures and almost linear PE is obtained at 0 degrees C with 4/DEAC. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-diimine nickel complex, Ethylene polymerization, late transition-metal, propylene polymerization}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2004.11.046}, author = {Liu, Hua-Rong and Gomes, P. T. and Costa, S. I. and Duarte, M. T. and Branquinho, R. and Fernandes, A. C. and Chien, J. C. W. and Singh, R. P. and Marques, Maria M.} } @article { ISI:000230122100004, title = {High-temperature stable and highly active/selective supported NiCoMgCeOx catalyst suitable for autothermal reforming of methane to syngas}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {233}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {36-40}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Low-surface-area, macroporous, zirconia-haffnia-supported NiCoMgOx and NiCoMgCeOx (Ni/Co/Mg/Ce = 1/0.2/1.2/0.0 or 1.2) catalysts, precalcined at high temperature ( 1400 degrees C for 4 h), showed both high activity (\> 98\% conversion) and selectivity ( \> 95\%) in the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) to syngas. Their performance remained unchanged even after they were subjected to higher temperature (\> 2000 degrees C for 30 min) or a number of high-temperature (\> 2000 degrees C) shocks, due to their direct exposure to an oxyacetylene flame. The supported NiCoMgCeOx, however, showed superior performance in the steam and CO2 reforming reactions because of its much higher lattice oxygen mobility. Hence it is more suitable for the autothermal reforming of methane. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {autothermal reforming of methane, Catalyst, catalytic partial oxidation of methane, CO2 reforming of methane, high-temperature stable supported NiCoMgCeOx catalyst, steam reforming of methane, zirconia-haffnia-supported NiCoMgCeOx catalysts, zirconia-haffnia-supported NiCoMgOx}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2005.04.019}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Mamman, Ajit Singh} } @article { ISI:000231767400051, title = {Identical molecular strings woven differently by intermolecular interactions in dimorphs of myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1977-1982}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

myo-Inositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate exhibits polymorphic behavior depending upon the solvent and time allowed for crystallization. Long plates (form I, monoclinic P2(1)/n) are produced on crystallization from methanol, while crystallization from ethyl acetate mostly yielded squarish plates (form II, monoclinic P2(1)/c). The latter could also be obtained by achieving rapid nucleation from a supersaturated solution of methanol. Remarkably, the overall conformation of the individual molecules is very similar in both polymorphs, although free rotations were possible for the phenyl ring and for the three O-H groups. O-H center dot center dot center dot O linked one-dimensional isostructural molecular strings in the two forms weave differently by weak intermolecular interactions to produce the dimorphs. Striking difference is seen in the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}zipping{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of molecular layers via phenyl center dot center dot center dot phenyl contacts; thermodynamic crystals of form I utilize a well-recognized {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}edge-to-face{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} herringbone pattern, making C-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, whereas the kinetic crystals of form II show rather uncommon {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}edge-to-edge{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} organization, which makes short Ph-H center dot center dot center dot H-Ph contacts.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg050272j}, author = {Bhosekar, Gaurav V. and Murali, Chebrolu and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Shashidhar, M. S. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @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:000232694100001, title = {Inactive enzymatic mutant proteins (phosphoglycerate mutase and enolase) as sugar binders for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate regeneration reactors}, journal = {Microbial Cell Factories}, volume = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article No. 5}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {MIDDLESEX HOUSE, 34-42 CLEVELAND ST, LONDON W1T 4LB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Carbon dioxide fixation bioprocess in reactors necessitates recycling of D- ribulose1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) for continuous operation. A radically new close loop of RuBP regenerating reactor design has been proposed that will harbor enzyme-complexes instead of purified enzymes. These reactors will need binders enabling selective capture and release of sugar and intermediate metabolites enabling specific conversions during regeneration. In the current manuscript we describe properties of proteins that will act as potential binders in RuBP regeneration reactors. Results: We demonstrate specific binding of 3-phosphoglycerate (3PGA) and 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde ( 3PGAL) from sugar mixtures by inactive mutant of yeast enzymes phosphoglycerate mutase and enolase. The reversibility in binding with respect to pH and EDTA has also been shown. No chemical conversion of incubated sugars or sugar intermediate metabolites were found by the inactive enzymatic proteins. The dissociation constants for sugar metabolites are in the micromolar range, both proteins showed lower dissociation constant (Kd) for 3-phosphoglycerate ( 655 - 796 mu M) compared to 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde ( 822 - 966 mu M) indicating higher affinity for 3PGA. The proteins did not show binding to glucose, sucrose or fructose within the sensitivity limits of detection. Phosphoglycerate mutase showed slightly lower stability on repeated use than enolase mutants. Conclusions: The sugar and their intermediate metabolite binders may have a useful role in RuBP regeneration reactors. The reversibility of binding with respect to changes in physicochemical factors and stability when subjected to repeated changes in these conditions are expected to make the mutant proteins candidates for in-situ removal of sugar intermediate metabolites for forward driving of specific reactions in enzyme-complex reactors.

}, issn = {1475-2859}, doi = {10.1186/1475-2859-4-5}, author = {De, Dinesh and Dutta, D. and Kundu, M. and Mahato, S. and Schiavone, M. T. and Chaudhuri, S. and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya and Bhattacharya, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000226728000011, title = {Increasing the sensitivity of 2D high-resolution NMR methods applied to quadrupolar nuclei}, journal = {Journal of Magnetic Resonance}, volume = {172}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {268-278}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Gan and Kwak recently proposed a soft-pulse added mixing (SPAM) idea in the classical two-pulse multiple-quantum magic-angle spinning scheme. In the SPAM method, a soft pi/2 pulse is added after the second hard-pulse (conversion pulse) and all coherence orders in between them are constructively used to obtain the signal. We, here, further extend this idea to distributed samples where the signal mainly results from echo pathways and that from anti-echo pathways dies Out after a few t(1) increments. We show that, with a combination of SPAM and collection of fewer anti-echoes, an enhancement of the signal to noise ratio by a factor of ca. 3 may be obtained over the z-filtered version. This may prove to be useful even for samples with long T{\textquoteright}(2) relaxation times. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {high-resolution, quadrupolar nuclei, sensitivity, Solid-state NMR}, issn = {1090-7807}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmr.2004.11.001}, author = {Amoureux, J. P. and Delevoye, L. and Steuernagel, S. and Gan, Zhengting and Ganapathy, Subramanian and Montagne, L.} } @article {42819, title = {India: apremier destination for outsourcing}, volume = {42}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, author = {Chorghade, Mukund S. and Chorghade, V. M. and Gurjar, Mukund K. and Ramana, Chepuri V. and Kamerkar, A. V. and Zafran, H. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000231401000008, title = {Influence of silica source in the catalytic activity and heterogenity of mesoporous vanadosilicates}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {239}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {57-63}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Vanadium-substituted ordered mesoporous silicates (V-OMS) were synthesized hydrothermally using two common silica sources, viz. fumed silica and tetraethyl orthosilicate, and their surface properties and catalytic activities were evaluated in the liquid phase oxidation of 1-napthol using aqueous H2O2 as an oxidant. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, N-2, adsorption-desorption, DRUV-vis and TPR to evaluate the mesostructural ordering and the local environment of vanadium in the MCM-41 matrix. Characterization data of the fresh calcined catalysts reveal a more ordered hexagonal structure for the V-MCM-41 catalyst prepared by using tetraethyl orthosilicate as the silica source while spent catalyst showed that the material is less stable than the V-MCM-41 catalyst prepared by using fumed silica as the silica source. Further, the observed differences in the selectivity behavior of extracted and calcined forms of both vanadium catalysts shows that the treatment conditions had a decisive role in the formation of extra framework metal species and further in the mesoscopic structural ordering. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-napthol, MCM-41, Mesoporous, Oxidation, Vanadium}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.05.029}, author = {Shylesh, S. and Mirajkar, Subhash P. and Singh, A. P.} } @article { ISI:000227966600021, title = {Insight into the mechanism of selective mono-N-methylation of aniline on Cu1-xZnxFe2O4: a DRIFTS study}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A - Chemical}, volume = {231}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {169-180}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mechanism of selective mono-N-methylation of aniline with methanol on Cu1-xZn2FeO4 catalysts was investigated in detail. The interaction of reactants (aniline. methanol and methanol: aniline) and possible products (N-methylaniline (NMA), N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) and o-toluidine (OT)) on catalysts surface was studied by temperature-dependent in situ FTIR spectroscopy. Methanol adsorbs dissociatively over catalysts surface at 373 K as methoxy species and is oxidized to formate species at high temperature through dioxymethylene and/or formaldehyde as a surface intermediate species. On the other hand, adsorption of aniline:methanol mixtures shows that methanol oxidation was completely hindered in the presence of aniline. Aniline adsorbs on the Lewis acid sites at \<= 373 K with phenyl ring oriented in a perpendicular manner to the catalyst surfaced however, N-H bond scission occurs above 373 K. A comparison of adsorbed NMA and methanol: am line (3:1) mixture on Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 shows NMA forms from the reaction mixture at 473 K. However, maximum activity at 573 K in catalytic reaction studies suggests that desorption limits the methylation kinetics. FTIR study displays stable aniline and methyl species on ZnFe2O4 even at 573 K; however. no methyl species is detected on Cr0.95Zn0.05Fe2O4 at 473 K due to methanol reforming reaction and that limits the overall reaction and hence low catalytic activity. It is proposed that methanol is protonated on catalysts surface by the labile H+ due to N-H bond scission. Co-adsorption of acidity probes with aniline and methanol indicates that aniline methylation takes place at single acid-base site. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aniline, Cu1-xZnxFe2O4, desorption limited, DRIFT, IR, Methanol, N-methylaniline, N-methylation, reaction mechanism}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.01.014}, author = {Vijayaraj, M. and Murugan, B. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Hegde, S. G. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000227297900050, title = {Integrated fuel cell processor for a 5-kW proton-exchange membrane fuel cell}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1535-1541}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A fuel processor is a combination of a few reactors to generate hydrogen required for a fuel cell. The study deals with the production of hydrogen suitable for a 5-kW proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) for household applications using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as the fuel. The aim is to energy integrate the five reactors in a fuel processor, i.e., desulfurizer, steam reformer, high-temperature shift reactor, low-temperature shift reactor, preferential oxidation reactor, and various heat exchangers. Heat-exchanger network synthesis analysis has been carried out for the entire process to make the process efficient. The results obtained from the studies show that the steam reforming with LPG gives a higher concentration of hydrogen in the product of about 74\%. The fuel cell efficiency is around 34\%, and the thermal efficiency including lean gas is about 93\%. The model developed can serve as the basis for the development of an integrated PEMFC decentralized power pack for household applications.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie0498450}, author = {Ratnamala, G. M. and Shah, N. and Mehta, V. and Rao, P. V. and Devotta, S.} } @article { ISI:000226473300007, title = {Interfacing biology with nanoparticles}, journal = {Current Applied Physics}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {Indo-Japan Workshop on Advanced Molecular Electronics and Bionics, Kyushu Inst Technol, Grad Sch Life Sci \& Syst Engn, Kitakyushu, JAPAN, DEC 11-13, 2003}, month = {FEB}, pages = {118-127}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

New approaches are constantly being developed for both the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials and their surface modification for sensing and electronic applications. Insofar as surface modification of gold nanoparticles is concerned, thiol chemistry is the most popular approach to bind ligands to their surface. We have been pursuing the possibility of using amine functionality to bind ligands to the surface of gold nanoparticles and have found that amine binding is as strong as thiol binding. The advantages of using amine chemistry for surface modification of nanogold are many, the possibility of complexing a large variety of biomolecules such as amino acids and proteins being one of the most important. In this article, we review the work from this laboratory on the stabilization of gold nanoparticles using amino acids as well as using amino acids as reducing agents to obtain stable aqueous solutions of gold nanoparticles of variable size. We also discuss the possibility of forming bioconjugates of enzymes with gold nanoparticles decorating the surface of polymer microspheres and their application as reusable biocatalysts. There is much to be gained by marrying nanomaterials with biology with considerable spin-offs likely in both nanotechnology and biotechnology. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amino acids{\textquoteright} enzyme immobilization, Nanoparticles, Proteins}, issn = {1567-1739}, doi = {10.1016/j.cap.2004.06.006}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Phadtare, S. and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000227578700042, title = {Keggin ion mediated synthesis of hydrophobized pd nanoparticles for multifunctional catalysis}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2408-2413}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Development of simple and reliable protocols for the synthesis of organically soluble catalytically active metal nanoparticles is an important aspect of research in nanomaterials. We demonstrate herein the formation of Pd nanoparticles by reduction of aqueous Pd(NO3)(2) by photoexcited Keggin ions (phosphotungstate anions). This results in the formation of Pd nanoparticles capped with with Keggin ions that render the particles negatively charged. The Keggin ion capped Pd nanoparticles may then be phase transferred into nonpolar organic solvents such as toluene by electrostatic complexation with cationic surfactants such as octadecylamine at the liquid-liquid interface. This results in a new class of catalyst wherein both the Pd core and Keggin ion shell may be used in a range of catalytic reactions leading to a truly multifunctional catalyst dispersible in organic solvents.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la047717a}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Das, Amitava and Srivastava, R. and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000226471300007, title = {Kinetics of the complete combustion of dilute propane and toluene over iron-doped ZrO2 catalyst}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {54-63}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The kinetics of the complete combustion of propane and toluene at very low concentrations in air (0.45 and 0.3 mol \% in air, respectively) over iron-doped ZrO2 (cubic) catalyst (Fe/Zr = 0.25) at different temperatures (598-723 K) in kinetic control regime have been investigated. The combustion rate data could be fitted very well to both the power-law and redox (Mars-Van Krevelen) models. However, the redox model provided a better fit to the kinetic data for the propane combustion. It also showed a better fit to the toluene combustion data at the lower temperatures (623 K). The reaction order (with respect to the hydrocarbon), apparent activation energy, and frequency factor (from the power-law model) for the propane combustion were 0.96 (average), 21.16 kcal/mol, and 4.67 x 10(5) Mol g(-1) h(-1) kPa(-n), respectively, and those for the toluene combustion were 0.77 (average), 26.08 kcal/mol, and 1.48 x 10(7) mol g(-1) h(-1) kPa(-n), respectively.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/ef0498871}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Deshmukh, G. M. and Mishra, D. P.} } @article { ISI:000227161300014, title = {Measuring organizational scientific productivity: a study at NCL}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {88}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {223-230}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSN}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mehta, Neeta} } @article { ISI:000226259100041, title = {Mesityllithium}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {184-185}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2004-837196}, author = {Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000228743500067, title = {Miscibility of chitosan-hydroxyethylcellulose blends in aqueous acetic acid solutions at 35 degrees C}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {96}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1996-1998}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The miscibility of blends of chitosan and hydroxyethylcellulose in a 2\% acetic acid solution was studied by viscometry, densitometry, and refractometry at 35 degrees C. The data suggest that the blends were completely miscible in all proportions. Further, the membranes were fabricated from concentrated blend solutions. The solid-state compatibility of the blends was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {blends, miscibility, refractive index, viscosity}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21421}, author = {Wali, A. C. and Naidu, B. V. K. and Mallikarjuna, N. N. and Sainkar, S. R. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000232103800003, title = {Mitochondrial sequence reveals high levels of gene flow between breeds of domestic sheep from Asia and Europe}, journal = {Journal of Heredity}, volume = {96}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {494-501}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {JOURNALS DEPT, 2001 EVANS RD, CARY, NC 27513 USA}, abstract = {

Sequence variation present within the mitochondrial genome was used to investigate genetic diversity within sheep breeds from Asia and Europe. Comparison of 2027 bp of sequence from 121 animals revealed 44 phylogenetically informative nucleotide positions and a single insertion/deletion. A total of 57 haplotypes were observed which formed two distinct clades. Type A haplotypes were found in breeds from Asia (India, Indonesia, Mongolia, and Tibet), while type B haplotypes were observed at the highest frequency in breeds sourced from Europe (nine breeds from Austria, angstrom land, Finland, Spain, and northwestern Russia). The distribution of haplotypes indicates sheep appear to have the weakest population structure and the highest rate of intercontinental dispersal of any domestic animal reported to date. Only 2.7\% of the sequence variation observed was partitioned between continents, which is lower than both goat (approximately 10\%) and cattle (approximately 50\%). Diagnostic restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) tests which distinguish type A and B haplotypes were used to test an additional 223 animals from 17 breeds of European and Asian origin. A mixture of the two lineages was found in every breed except Suffolk and the Indian Garole, indicating introgression has played a major part during breed development and subsequent selection.

}, issn = {0022-1503}, doi = {10.1093/jhered/esi100}, author = {Meadows, J. R. S. and Li, K. and Kantanen, J. and Tapio, M. and Sipos, W. and Pardeshi, V. and Gupta, V. and Calvo, J. H. and Whan, V. and Norris, B. and Kijas, J. W.} } @article { ISI:000229103900015, title = {Nanostructured tin oxide: synthesis and gas-sensing properties}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {92}, number = {2-3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {384-388}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Pure and Ru-doped nanostructured SnO2 sensing materials were synthesized using a modified Pechini route. Incorporation of Ru in SnO2 results in the reduction of particle size (8.3 nm) compared with that of the pure SnO2 (28.2 nm). Moreover, the sensor exhibited a reasonably good sensitivity towards both H-2 and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). The effect of Ru incorporation, operating temperature, and gas concentration on the structure, morphology, and sensitivity is discussed using the results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with sensing performance. {\textcopyright} 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor, Nanostructure, ruthenium, tin oxide}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.01.050}, author = {Niranjan, R. S. and Hwang, Young Kyu and Kim, D. K. and Jhung, S. H. and Chang, J. S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000230848700026, title = {Nature of manganese species in Ce1-xMnxO2-delta solid solutions synthesized by the solution combustion route}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {17}, number = {15}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3983-3993}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A series of manganese-cerium oxide composites with Mn concentrations in the range of 1-20 mol \% in ceria was prepared by the solution combustion technique using urea as fuel. The nature, type, and oxidation state of Mn species in ceria were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed reduction techniques. The study reveals that the method of preparation significantly influences the type of manganese species in ceria. Wet-impregnation, coprecipitation, and solid-state synthesis techniques lead to clustered MnOx-like species in the ceria matrix, while the present method of preparation (solution combustion route) yields a highly dispersed form of Mn species. In the reported series of samples, Mn is present mainly in +2 and +3 oxidation states and there is no evidence for the presence of Mn 41 species. Powder X-ray diffraction studies at variable temperatures (298-1323 K) indicate the formation of Ce1-xMnxO2-delta Solid solutions. No separate MnOx-type phase was detected even at 1323 K. EPR studies reveal that the isolated Mn2+ and Mn2+ species are present in at least three different structural locations: species A, Mn ions in ceria-lattice defect sites; species B, Mn ions in framework Ce4+ locations; and species C, Mn ions in interstitial locations and at the surface of ceria. The Mn3+ ions in ceria exhibit a facile reduction and reoxidation behavior when exposed to dry hydrogen and subsequently to air at elevated. temperatures. A highly dispersed state of Mn3+ and Mn2+ in ceria, facile redox behavior, and a synergistic Mn-ceria interaction are some of the unique properties of this material prepared by the solution combustion procedure.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm050401j}, author = {Murugan, B. and Ramaswamy, A. V. and Srinivas, D. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Ramaswamy, V.} } @article { ISI:000227577600006, title = {New approach to the synthesis of bromochloromethane as a biocide intermediate}, journal = {Journal of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {34-35}, publisher = {SOC LEATHER TECHNOL CHEMISTS}, address = {38 ROSEHOLME RD, NORTHAMPTON NN1 4TQ, NORTHANTS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Preservatives are essential in the leather industry in particular to protect wet tanned and crust leather against mould damage. Preservative selection is made on the basis of ecological and toxicological aspects, statutory requirements, official regulations and their effectiveness and cost. Until legislation restricted the use of pentachlorophenol (PCP), phenolics were the predominant wet blue fungicides, but afterwards Busan 30L (Buckman Laboratories) was widely adopted in the industry. The active ingredient of Busan 30L is 2-(thiocyanomethyl)-thiobenzothiazole (TCMTB). This paper reports the synthesis of bromochloromethane (BCM) which is an important intermediate for the synthesis of TCMTB. The process which we have developed is simple and offers cleaner, low-waste technology for the synthesis of BCM using non-toxic and non-hazardous raw materials. The BCM was characterized by conventional methods, IR, (HNMR)-H-1 and mass spectra data.

}, issn = {0144-0322}, author = {Muthusubramanian, L. and Mitra, Raiat B.} } @article { ISI:000231247000001, title = {New approaches to the synthesis of anisotropic, core-shell and hollow metal nanostructures}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {31}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3161-3174}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of nanomaterials with control over size, shape and chemical composition continues to be a major challenge in nanoscience. The requirements of nanomaterial synthesis are becoming more sophisticated and, in addition to anisotropic structures, there is much excitement surrounding the development of recipes for the synthesis of core-shell and hollow nanostructures. Much of the motivation for research in this direction stems from the unusual optoelectronic and chemical properties exhibited by such nanostructures. In this article, we review the work from this laboratory on the synthesis of flat gold nanostructures at the air-water interface, either by confining the reductant or the precursor metal ions to the air-water interface. We also describe the synthesis of phase-pure core-shell nanoparticles by immobilizing UV- and pH-dependent reducing agents on the surface of the core nanoparticles as well as the synthesis of organically soluble hollow-shell nanostructures via transmetallation reactions.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b502704g}, author = {Sastry, M. and Swami, A. and Mandal, Sujata and Selvakannan, P. R.} } @article { ISI:000229156500009, title = {New method for the preparation of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-carboxaldehyde}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Research}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {99-100}, publisher = {SCIENCE REVIEWS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 314, ST ALBANS AL1 4ZG, HERTS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Synthesis of 1,2-benzisoxazole-3-carboxaldehyde is achieved from 3-methyl 1,2-benzisoxazole via 3-ethoxymethyl-1,2-benzisoxazole (4).

}, keywords = {1, 2-benzisoxazoles, benzylic bromination, indoxazenes}, issn = {0308-2342}, author = {Kalkote, Uttam R. and Panchgalle, S. R. and Mahakal, K. K. and Choudhary, S. M. and Chavan, Sayalee R.} } @article { ISI:000230866000007, title = {New synthetic approach to a [1.1.6] metapara cyclophane derivative via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling and ring-closing metathesis}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {347}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1215-1218}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of a [1.1.6] metapara cyclophane derivative, 1,5(1,4),3(1,3)-tribenzenacycloun-decaphan-8-ene-6,11-dione, has been achieved via the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of alpha,alpha{\textquoteright}-dibromo-m-xylene with an arylboronic acid derivative followed by an allylation and ring-closing metathesis reaction sequence.

}, keywords = {Cyclophanes, olefin metathesis, Palladium, ruthenium, Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.200404373}, author = {Kotha, S and Mandal, K and Arora, KK and Pedireddi, R} } @article { ISI:000230075800013, title = {Noncovalent and nonspecific molecular interactions of polymers with multiwalled carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {17}, number = {13}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3389-3397}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Polymer composites containing variable amounts of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) have been prepared using solution dispersion and melt-shear mixing. Various polymer composites with 1 wt \% MWNTs have been found to dissolve homogeneously in organic solvents. The amount of polymer coated or wrapped MWNTs dissolved in the solution was quantified using UV-vis absorbance at 500 nm and the concentration ratio of [MWNTs](solution)/[MWNTs](composite) was close to 1. A nonspecific polymer adsorption through multiple-weak molecular interactions of CH groups with MWNTs in the composites has been identified through FTIR spectroscopy. The composites of polybutadiene with different wt \% of MWNTs showed slight changes in the CH bending vibrations, indicating the presence of intermolecular CH-pi interactions. The dissolution of various polymer composites containing low concentration of MWNTs in organic solvents was attributed to polymer coating on the MWNTs via noncovalent and nonspecific CH-pi interactions. The dissolution of MWNTs in organic solvents using common polymers used in this study indicates that the coating or wrapping is a general phenomenon occurring between polymers and carbon nanotubes.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm047866e}, author = {Baskaran, Durairaj and Mays, Jimmy W. and Bratcher, Matthew S.} } @article { ISI:000225750600004, title = {Novel polymer-inorganic solid-state reaction for the synthesis of CdS nanocrystallites}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {59}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {554-559}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We offer a novel polymer-inorganic solid-state reaction route for the in situ generation of nanochalcogenide semiconductor in the network of polymer which itself acts as a chalcogen source. We have exemplified feasibility of this route by reacting CdI2 with engineering thermoplastic polyphenylene sulphide (PPS). These two reactants in 1:1 and 10:1 molar ratios were simply heated at the crystalline melting temperature of PPS. The resultant products were characterized by X-ray diffractometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM, with selected area electron diffraction). The prima facie observations revealed the formation of cubic nanocrystallites of US with the particle size ranging from 6 to 20 nm entrapped in modified (cyclized) PPS matrix when the reactants were taken in 10:1 molar ratio. A tentative mechanism has been suggested for such hitherto unattempted solid-state reaction. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CdS nanocrystallites, Semiconductor, solid-state reaction, Thermoplastic polymer matrix}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2004.10.037}, author = {Kanade, K. G. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Pasricha, R. and Radhakrishnan, S. and Seth, T. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Kale, B. B. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000232612200002, title = {Novel tridentate nitrogen donor as ligand in copper catalyzed ATRP of methyl methacrylate}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4996-5008}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A tridentate ligand, BPIEP: 2,6-bis[1-(2,6-diisopropyl phenylimino) ethyl] pyridine, having central pyridine unit and two peripheral imine coordination sites was effectively employed in controlled/{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}living{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} radical polymerization of MXU at 90 degrees C in toluene as solvent, (CuBr)-Br-I as catalyst, and ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB) as initiator resulting in well-defined polymers with polydispersities M-W/M-n \<= 1.23. The rate of polymerization follows first-order kinetics, k(app) = 3.4 x 10(-5) s(-1), indicating the presence of low radical concentration ([P*] \<= 10(-8)) throughout the reaction. The polymerization rate attains a maximum at a ligand-to-metal ratio of 2:1 in toluene at 90 degrees C. The solvent concentration (v/v, with respect to monomer) has a significant effect on the polymerization kinetics. The polymerization is faster in polar solvents like, diphenylether, and anisole, as compared to toluene. Increasing the monomer concentration in toluene resulted in a better control of polymerization. The molecular weights (M-n,M-SEC) increased linearly with conversion and were found to be higher than predicted molecular (M-n,M-Cal). However, the polydispersity remained narrow, i.e., \<= 1.23. The initiator efficiency at lower monomer concentration approaches a value of 0.7 in 110 min as compared to 0.5 in 330 min at higher monomer concentration. The aging of the copper salt complexed. with BPIEP had a beneficial effect and resulted in polymers with narrow polydispersitities and higher conversion. PMMA obtained at room temperature in toluene (33\%, v/v) gave PDI of 1.22 (Mn = 8500) in 48 h whereas, at 50 degrees C the PDI is 1.18 (Ma = 10,300), which is achieved in 23 h. The plot of In kapp versus 1/T gave an apparent activation energy of polymerization as (Delta E-app(not equal)) 58.29 KJ/mol and enthalpy of equilibrium (Delta H-eq(0)) to 28.8 KJ/mol. Reverse ATRP of MMA was successfully performed using AIBN in bulk as well as solution. The controlled nature of the polymerization reaction was established through kinetic studies and chain extension experiments. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {2, 6-bis [1-(2, 6-diisopropyl phenylimino) ethyl] pyridine (BPIEP), Activation energy, apparent rate constant, Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), diphenylether, ethyl-2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB), methyl methacrylate, polydispersity index (PDI), Toluene}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.20973}, author = {Mittal, A. and Sivaram, S.} } @article { ISI:000233052200016, title = {O-H center dot center dot center dot O-bridged dimers linked via C-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions in 4,6-di-O-benzyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section C-Crystal Structure Communications}, volume = {61}, number = {11}, year = {2005}, month = {NOV}, pages = {O628-O630}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, issn = {0108-2701}, doi = {10.1107/S0108270105029422}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Devaraj, Subramanian and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, M. S.} } @article {42470, title = {One pot four component reaction of isocyanides, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and cyclobutene-1,2-diones: synthesis of spiro heterocycles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1337{\textendash}1339}, abstract = {

Isocyanides, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate, and cyclobutene-1,2-diones react in one-pot to afford novel spirocyclic compounds with double insertion of the isocyanide.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2004.12.117.}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Menon, Rajeev S. and Deepthi, Ani B. and Devi, Rema and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000231841800033, title = {Optimization and scale up of production of alkaline protease from Conidiobolus coronatus}, journal = {Process Biochemistry}, volume = {40}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3152-3158}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Alkaline protease secreted by Conidiobolus coronatus has been evaluated extensively in tanneries and finds application in pre-tanning operations in leather manufacture. It is important to produce the enzyme in inexpensive and optimized media on large scale for the process to be commercially viable. The present paper describes optimization of fermentation conditions in shake flasks and scale up of production to 100 L in fermentors. The production is complete in 2-3 days comparable to bacterial fermentations. The organism utilized several carbon sources such as starch, sucrose, lactose, glucose and fructose for production. Soyabean meal at an optimum concentration of 2-3\% was found to be best inducer. Diammonium hydrogen phosphate, casamino acids and Hi-media peptone gave activities comparable to yeast extract. Preservation and stabilization studies showed that glycerol conferred considerable stabilization at room temperature while ammonium sulphate precipitated enzyme at 0.9 saturation was best with stability up to 2 years even at room temperature. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, Conidiobolus, Fermentation, Optimization, scale up}, issn = {1359-5113}, doi = {10.1016/j.procbio.2005.04.005}, author = {Laxman, Ryali Seeta and Sonawane, A. P. and More, Shivaji V. and Rao, B. S. and Rele, M. V. and Jogdand, Vitthal V. and Deshpande, V. V. and Rao, M. B.} } @article { ISI:000226424000005, title = {Oxidation of norbornene over vanadium-substituted phosphomolybdic acid catalysts and spectroscopic investigations}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {227}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {37-45}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Oxidation of norbornene has been carried out over mono-, di- and tri-vanadium-substituted phosphomolybdic acid catalysts with aqueous hydrogen peroxide (aq. H2O2) as an oxidant in different solvents. Monovanadium-substituted phosphomolybdic acid catalyst was found to be better than other catalysts for the above reaction and acetonitrile was the suitable solvent. At the optimum temperature of 60 degreesC, the norbornene conversion was 70\% and the selectivity for 2,3-epoxy norbornane was 58\%. The side products were norborneols and 2-norbornanone. The lower selectivity of 2,3-epoxy norbornane with aq. H2O2 is attributed to the simultaneous formation of other products, norborneols and 2-norbornanone. The norborneols are formed from norbornene by acid-catalyzed reaction. Other oxidants like urea-hydrogen peroxide adduct (UHP) and tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide (TBHP) were also tested for norbornene oxidation reaction. With UHP, the conversion was almost same (69\%) as that of aq. H2O2 reaction; however, 2,3-epoxy norbornane was the main product with \>97\% selectivity. Thus, the overall yield was 66.9\% at 60 degreesC after 4 h. The high selectivity with UHP is attributed to the controlled release of H2O2, absence of water and less acidic nature of UHP. With TBHP the selectivity for the epoxide was \>96\%; however, the conversion was low (27\%). A mechanism for the norbornene oxidation is believed to be proceeding via V(5+)-peroxo and V(4+)-superoxo intermediates. NMR, EPR and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques were employed to understand the reaction intermediates and reaction pathways. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2, 3-epoxy norbornane, aq. H2O2, epoxidation, EPR, NMR, norbornene, urea-H2O2 adduct, UV-Vis, vanadium-substituted phosphomolybdic acid}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2004.10.005}, author = {Raj, N. K. K. and Ramaswamy, A. and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000227565800022, title = {Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene over vanadia-alumina catalysts in the presence of nitrous oxide: structure-activity relationship}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {230}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {484-492}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

A series of vanadia-alumina catalysts with different vanadia contents were prepared by a wet impregnation method. The influence of the local structure of vanadia in these catalysts on the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene with nitrous oxide was investigated. The use of N2O as a co-feed remarkably enhanced the styrene yield compared with the use of N-2. Characterization of these vanadia catalysts by XRD, FTIR, UV-vis, TPR, XPS, and V-51 NMR techniques suggests that the nature of the VOx species depends on the vanadia loading: the predominant species are monomeric vanadia at lower loadings, two-dimensional polyvanadates at intermediate loadings, and bulk-like V2O5 and AlVO4 at higher loadings. The rate of oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethylbenzene per vanadium atom increases with vanadia loading and reaches a maximum at 10 wt\%, the loading at which the surface predominantly contains polyvanadate species. The observed variation in the selectivity of products with vanadium loading indicates that the monomeric V5+ species favors dehydrogenation, whereas bulk-like V2O5 preferentially participates in the dealkylation of ethylbenzene. The vanadium species remains at a higher oxidation state in the presence of N2O, leading to a higher styrene yield. than in a N-2 atmosphere. The ODH turnover rates increased with decreasing energy of the absorption edge in the UV-vis spectrum, at low VOx coverages of less than one monolayer on the Al2O3 surface. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {absorption edge energy, Alumina, ethylbenzene, Nitrous oxide, oxidative dehydrogenation, polyvanadates, styrene, vanadia}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2005.01.010}, author = {Shiju, N. R. and Anilkumar, Mettu and Mirajkar, Subhash P. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Rao, B. S. and Satyanarayana, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000230232100019, title = {Partial ring hydrogenation of naphthols over supported metal catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {34}, number = {6}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {782-783}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Selective ring hydrogenation of naphthols to tetrahydronaphthols and tetralones proceeded at 323 K over a charcoal supported rhodium catalyst in supercritical carbon dioxide.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2005.782}, author = {Mine, Eiichi and Haryu, E. and Arai, K. and Sato, T. and Sato, O. and Sasaki, A. and Rode, C. V. and Shirai, M.} } @article { ISI:000232341100010, title = {Photodegradation of ethylene/propylene/polar monomers co- and terpolymers. I - Prepared by group 4 catalyst systems}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {A42}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1259-1270}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

The photooxidative degradation behavior of polyethylene, its copolymers (propylene/polar monomers) and terpolymers, synthesized by a group 4 catalyst system, has been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and confirmed with scanning elecrton microscopy for morphological changes. The kinetics of photodegradation has also been studied. Surface damage caused by polychromatic (\>= 290 nm) at 55 degrees C in air is presented in different micrographs. The rate of photodegradation is very fast in terpolymers containing polar monomers as compared with copolymers and polyethylene. Morphological study of these photodegraded samples showed a very good relation with photodegradation results.

}, keywords = {functional polyolefins, Photodegradation, UV irradiation}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601320500189570}, author = {Fernandes, Susete N. and Correia, Sandra and Prasad, A. V. and Reddy, K. R. and Rana, S. and Lonkar, Sunil P. and Marques, Maria M. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000230531100013, title = {Poly(acrylonitrile) ultrafiltration membranes. I. polymer-salt-solvent interactions}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics}, volume = {43}, number = {15}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2061-2073}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to study the interactions among LiCl, ZnCl2, and AlCl3 with NN-dimethylformamide (DMF) and poly (acrylonitrile) (PAN). It was observed that all three salts complex with DMF as well as PAN. The strength of the cation interaction with the \> C=O oxygen of DMF was found to be higher than that with the -CN group of PAN. The \> C=O stretching frequency of DMF with ZnCl2 was red shifted, indicating stronger complex formation compared with other two cations. With the addition of salt, the salt-DMF pseudo solvent was found to become a 0 solvent for PAN compared with neat DMF. This change in PAN solvation power was primarily the result of DMF-salt complexation. As a result of the complexation, Mark-Houwink constant a, was found to reduce from 0.75 (for pure DMF) to similar to 0.6 for DMF-salt solvents, indicating decreased PAN chain expansion. Comparison of intrinsic viscosity [n] values indicated that addition of salts to PAN-DMF solutions resulted in: (i) decrease in the DMF solvation. power, which causes less expanded polymer coils, and (ii) increased interpolymer chain entanglements via salt-promoted chain association. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {activation energy viscosity, Additives, FT-IR, Poly(acrylonitrile), solution properties}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.20493}, author = {Phadke, M. A. and Musale, D. A. and Kulkarni, Sudhir S. and Karode, Sandeep K.} } @article { ISI:000230531100014, title = {Poly(acrylonitrile) ultrafiltration membranes. II. membrane morphology and permeation characteristics}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics}, volume = {43}, number = {15}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2074-2085}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The rheology and phase-boundary characteristics of various solutions comprising three polyacrylonitrile (PAN) grades dissolved in solutions of N,N-dimethylformamide + salt (LiCl, ZnCl2, or AICl(3)) additives were correlated with the resulting membrane morphology as determined by microscopy and permeability measurements. The phase separation characteristics of the dope solution were not markedly affected by the PAN molecular weight (MW); however, they were affected by the salt additive. For higher MW grades, the effect of salt addition can also be masked by the increased self-association tendency of the polymer chains. PAN-B and -C membranes were clearly less asymmetric in structure than the lower MW PAN-Abased membranes. This is attributed to the higher viscosity/lower diffusivity of the PAN-13 and -C solutions, which results in slower solvent-nonsolvent exchange during the phase inversion process. Two factors reduce the incidence of surface defects (increased bubble points): (a) higher solution viscosity dampens surface perturbations during phase inversion, and (b) phase inversion pathways resulting in more homogenous morphology lead to membranes with higher bubble points. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {bubble point, membranes, Morphology, phase inversion, salts, viscosity}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.20494}, author = {Phadke, M. A. and Kulkarni, Sudhir S. and Karode, Sandeep K. and Musale, D. A.} } @article { ISI:000228413800008, title = {Pyrazole-tethered heteroditopic ligands and their transition metal complexes: synthesis, structure, and reactivity}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {1254-1263}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Various pyrazole-based PN (2a-c) and N,N (3a-b) ligands have been synthesized. Using representative ligands, Ni-II, Co-II, Cu-II, and Cu-I complexes have been prepared and structurally characterized by crystallography. During complexation of Co-II and Cu-II salts, the phosphane part of the PN ligand oxidized to phosphane oxide. For N,N donor ligands, a dimeric chloro-bridged Ni-III complex was obtained. Ni-II complex 4 is an active catalyst for ethylene oligomerization. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheirn, Germany, 2005).

}, keywords = {cobalt, Copper, hemilabile ligands, Nickel, oligomerization, Pyrazole}, issn = {1434-1948}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.200400818}, author = {Mukherjee, Anuradha and Subramanyam, U. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Mohandas, T. P. and Sarkar, A.} } @article { ISI:000230522300022, title = {Quantitative method for normalization of transfection efficiency using enhanced green fluorescent protein}, journal = {Analytical Biochemistry}, volume = {342}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {341-344}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, issn = {0003-2697}, doi = {10.1016/j.ab.2005.02.006}, author = {Dandekar, D. H. and Kumar, M. and Ladha, J. S. and Ganesh, Krishna N. and Mitra, Debashis} } @article { ISI:000232337800013, title = {R\&D spending patterns of global firms}, journal = {Research-Technology Management}, volume = {48}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {51-59}, publisher = {INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INST INC}, type = {Article}, address = {1550 M ST., NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 USA}, abstract = {

R\&D spending by the top 320 companies in 2004 was US\$ 331 billion. The R\&D intensity of these globalfirms has decreased marginally, as there was a decrease in R\&D spending by pharmaceutical firms. R\&D spending as a percentage of sales is the highest in the biotechnology industry followed by pharmaceuticals and network communications. At the same time, more firms are seeking to acquire intellectual assets from external sources. Managing intellectual assets will require competence to integrate external and internal knowledge assets so that innovation efficiency can go up while idea-to-market time goes down and product pipelines get richer.

}, keywords = {distributed innovation, globalization, R\&D spending}, issn = {0895-6308}, author = {Bowonder, B. and Racherla, J. K. and Mastakar, N. V. and Krishnan, S.} } @article {42472, title = {Reaction of diaryl-1,2-diones with triphenylphosphine and diethyl azodicarboxylate leading to N, N-dicarboethoxy monohydrazones via a novel rearrangement}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {7}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2121{\textendash}2123}, abstract = {

A mechanistically novel reaction of diaryl-1,2-diones with diethyl azodicarboxylate and triphenylphosphine to afford N,N-dicarboethoxy monohydrazones is described. The reaction proceeds via a nitrogen to nitrogen migration of a carboethoxy group.

}, doi = {10.1021/ol050403+}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Abhilash, K. G. and Menon, Rajeev S. and Eringathodi, Suresh} } @conference { ISI:000238054400287, title = {Reactivity descriptors: conceptual and computational developments}, booktitle = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005)}, series = {LECTURE SERIES ON COMPUTER AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES}, volume = {4A-4B}, year = {2005}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005), Corinth, GREECE, OCT 21-26, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1172-1174}, publisher = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, organization = {Vsp BV-C/o Brill Acad Publ, Po Box 9000, 2300 Pa Leiden, Netherlands}, address = {Corinth, Greece}, isbn = {90-6764-443-9}, issn = {1573-4196}, author = {Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Simos, T. and Maroulis, G.} } @article { ISI:000226290900011, title = {Rearrangement of allyl phenyl ether over Al-MCM-41}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {229}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {105-113}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Claisen rearrangement of allyl phenyl ether to o-allylphenol and a dihydrobenzofuran derivative was investigated over MCM-41 with different Si/Al ratios. Higher aluminum content, higher reaction temperatures, and longer run duration favor the formation of the ring compound 2,3-dihydro-2-methyl benzofuran. There is a close relationship between acidity and conversion, which suggests that the reaction occurs inside the large pores of MCM-41. The influence of temperature and catalyst Si/Al ratio on the reaction are examined by kinetic analysis, under the assumption of a first-order consecutive reaction. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al-MCM-41, allyl phenyl ether, Claisen rearrangement, Mesoporous material, molecular rearrangement, Solid acids}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2004.09.027}, author = {Mathew, Nevin T. and Khaire, S. and Mayadevi, S. and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Sivasanker, S.} } @article { ISI:000229119800001, title = {Recent advances in biodegradable nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {497-526}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

There is growing interest in developing bio-based products and innovative process technologies that can reduce the dependence on fossil fuel and move to a sustainable materials basis. Biodegradable bio-based nanocomposites are the next generation of materials for the future. Renewable resource-based biodegradable polymers including cellulosic plastic (plastic made from wood), corn-derived plastics, and polyhydroxyalkanoates (plastics made from bacterial sources) are some of the potential biopolymers which, in combination with nanoclay reinforcement, can produce nanocomposites for a variety of applications. Nanocomposites of this category are expected to possess improved strength and stiffness with little sacrifice of toughness, reduced gas/water vapor permeability, a lower coefficient of thermal expansion, and an increased heat deflection temperature, opening an opportunity for the use of new, high performance, lightweight green nanocomposite materials to replace conventional petroleum-based composites. The present review addresses this green material, including its technical difficulties and their solutions.

}, keywords = {cellulose, layered silicates and properties, Nanocomposite, poly(caprolactone)s, poly(hydroxy alkanoate)s, polyiactic acid, Starch}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2005.111}, author = {Pandey, J. K. and Kumar, A. P. and Misra, M. and Mohanty, A. K. and Drzal, L. T. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000228575900026, title = {Ring-closing metathesis mediated total synthesis of microcarpalide and herbarumin III}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {237-257}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

Total synthesis of naturally occurring microcarpalide and herbarumin III are described. The ring-closing metathesis (RCM) approach to coin the medium sized rings present in their molecular structures form the basic premise of this investigation.

}, keywords = {herbarumin III, microcarpalide, microfilament, phosphodiesterase, ring-closing metathesis (RCM)}, author = {Gurjar, M. K. and Nagaprasad, R. and Ramana, C. V. and Karmakar, S. and Mohapatra, Debendra K.} } @article { ISI:000229567400027, title = {Room temperature nitric oxide sensor actualized from Ru-doped SnO2 nanowires}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B - Chemical}, volume = {107}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {708-715}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

We report synthesis of the novel Ru-doped SnO2 nanowires and their distinctive response towards NO., and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in air. These nanowires have been prepared by a simple approach of evaporation of metal oxide at elevated temperature, The sensor exhibits three order of magnitude changes in the conductivity on exposure to NO2 in air at room temperature, Furthermore. Ru being one of the excellent sensitizers towards LPG these wires also exhibits sensitivity at 250\&DEG; C. The amount of Ru plays a crucial role in modulating the sensitivity and lowering the operating temperature. {\textcopyright} 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {LPG, Nanowires, NO2, tin oxide ruthenium oxide}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2004.12.073}, author = {Ramgir, N. S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Vijayamohanan, K. P.} } @article { ISI:000228436200035, title = {Self-assembly of nanostructured PbS for solar photovoltaic applications}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {91}, number = {2-3}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {447-453}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In the present communication, the self-assembly of nanocrystalline PbS at the liquid-liquid interface is reported. The PbS nanocrystals were, subsequently, transformed in the form of thin films by dip coating. The resultant Q-PbS films were characterized by SEM-EDAX, TEM-SAED, XRD, XPS and UV-vis Spectroscopy. Pyramidal features at the nanometer scale, preferred orientation along (2 2 0) and (4 0 0) planes of cubic structure and a sharp excitonic peak at 656 run are the salient aspects of this work. The band-gap of the order of 1.8 eV (associated with the excitonic feature) is ideally suited for solar photovoltaic applications. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Liquid-liquid interface, nanopyramid, Nanostructures, PbS}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2004.12.007}, author = {Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Kanade, K. G. and Patil, K. R. and Sathaye, S. D. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000228940600001, title = {Short S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O contacts associate diastereomers of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate in their inclusion complexes}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {833-836}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Diastereomers of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate are linked via short S=O\&BULL;\&BULL;\&BULL; C=O contacts ranging from 2.890 to 3.140 \&ANGS; (sum of the van der Waals radii of O and C atoms 3.22 \&ANGS;) in all the inclusion complexes formed with organic guest solvents having a C2 symmetry. Although a search for S= O\&BULL;\&BULL;\&BULL; C=O interactions in the CSD showed a sizable number of structures, this communication recognizes its significance for the first time in the formation of molecular assemblies. In all the crystals in the present study except the solvent-free form, the S=O bond points almost perpendicularly to the Csp2 atom of the C=O group. This was also the most frequently observed geometrical approach in CSD analysis. The solvent-free form shows dimer formation via C-H\&BULL;\&BULL;\&BULL; O interaction, which has longer S=O\&BULL;\&BULL;\&BULL; C=O contacts.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg049621k}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Sureshan, K. M. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, M. S.} } @article { ISI:000228633100020, title = {Silicotungstate-modified zirconia as an efficient catalyst for phenol tert-butylation}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {233}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {141-146}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The alkylation of phenol with tert-butanol was investigated using zirconia modified with silicotungstic acid (STA) as catalysts. The catalysts with different STA loading (5-25 wt.\% calcined at 750 degrees C) and calcination temperature (15 wt.\% calcined from 350 to 850 degrees C) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction and NH3-TPD measurements. The XRD results indicate that STA stabilizes the tetragonal phase of zirconia. The catalyst with 15\% STA on ZrO2 calcined at 750 degrees C shows the highest acidity and hence highest activity. Under the reaction conditions of 140 degrees C, tert-butanol/phenol molar ratio of 2 and LHSV of 4 h(-1), phenol conversion was 95.4\% with selectivity to 2-tert-butyl phenol 4.3\%, 4-tert-butyl phenol 59.2\% and 2,4-di-tert-butyl phenol 35.8\%. The reaction was studied as a function of time for 50 It without appreciable change in phenol conversion and product selectivity. The deactivated catalyst could be regenerated by calcination with out appreciable lose in catalytic activity and product selectivity. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {phenol, Silicotungstic acid, tert-butylation, Zirconia}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.02.021}, author = {Devassy, Biju M. and Shanbhag, G. V. and Mirajkar, Subhash P. and Bohringer, Walter and Fletcher, Jack C. Q. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B.} } @article { ISI:000231605600022, title = {Silver nanoparticles of variable morphology synthesized in aqueous foams as novel templates}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {28}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {503-510}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we describe the synthesis of silver nanocrystals within aqueous foams as a template More specifically, we show that aqueous Ag+ ions may be electrostatically complexed with the anionic surfactants aerosol OT (sodium bis-2-ethylhexyl-sulfosuccinate, (AOT) and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)) in a highly stable liquid foam. After drainage of the foam, the silver ions are reduced in situ by introducing sodium borohydride into the foam by capillary flow. This leads to the formation of silver nanoparticles of spherical, tape- and sheet-like morphology in the foam. The structure of the foam is extremely complex and presents reaction sites of different spatial extent. The differences in foam reaction-site geometry are believed to be responsible for the morphology variation in the silver nanoparticles observed. The silver nanoparticles are observed to be extremely stable in solution suggesting that the AOT or SDS molecules stabilize them. This approach appears promising for application in large-scale synthesis of nanoparticles and may be readily extended to other chemical compositions.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, composites, foam, Intercalation, Nanoparticles}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/BF02711244}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Arumugam, S. K. and Pasricha, R. and Sastry, M.} } @article {43219, title = {Simple procedure for the synthesis of gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-(E)-alkenoic esters: formal synthesis of (+)-macrosphelides A and B}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2287-2290}, abstract = {A highly trans-selective conjugate reduction of 7-hydroxy-alpha,beta-alkynoic esters to produce gamma-hydroxy-alpha,beta-(E)-alkenoic esters using LiAlH4 is reported. The application of this methodology is demonstrated by a formal synthesis of the potent cell-cell adhesion inhibitors (+)-macrosphelides A and B. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, author = {Rao, K. Srinivasa and Mukkanti, K. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Pal, Manojit and Lqbal, Javed} } @article { ISI:000230521800024, title = {Simultaneous conversion of methane and methanol into gasoline over bifunctional Ga-, Zn-, In-, and/or Mo-modified ZSM-5 zeolites}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {44}, number = {28}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4381-4385}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {gallium, heterogeneuos catalysis, methane activation, Molybdenum, zeolites}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.200500694}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid} } @article { ISI:000232736400034, title = {Sodium methylsulfinylmethylide: a versatile reagent}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {17}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2697-2698}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2005-917075}, author = {Mondal, Mukulesh} } @article { ISI:000231406400013, title = {Stereoselective syntheses of (+)-proto, (-)-gala quercitols and carba-L-rhamnose from D-(-)-quinic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {37}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6235-6238}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Efficient syntheses of (+)-proto, (-)-gala quercitols and carba-L-rhamnose front D-(-)-quinic acid are described. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(+)-proto quercitol, (-)-gala quercitol, carba-L-rhamnose, cyclohexanepentols, D-(-)-quinic acid, stereoselectivity}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.07.052}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Yadav, A. K. and Gurjar, M. K.} } @article { ISI:000230685900019, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of spiroannulated cyclopentenones by the Pauson-Khand reaction on carbohydrate derived enynes}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {46}, number = {32}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5329-5332}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The stereoselective synthesis of spiroannulated cyclopentenones by the Pauson-Khand reactions on hexose and pentose derived enynes was achieved under carbon monoxide free conditions using a stoichiometric quantity of Co-2(CO)(8). The cobalt complex of the alkyne was cleaved using dimethoxyethane-acetonitrile at 85 degrees C to furnish spiroarmulated cyclopentenones in 75-94\% yields. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {carbohydrates, cyclopentenone, diversity oriented synthesis, Pauson-Khand reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2005.06.013}, author = {Hotha, Srinivas and Maurya, S. K. and Gurjar, M. K.} } @article { ISI:000225747800012, title = {Studies on characterization of nano CaCO3 prepared by the in situ deposition technique and its application in PP-nano CaCO3 composites}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {107-113}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The elegant approach of in situ deposition technique was used for the synthesis of nano CaCO3 the nanosize of particles was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used for determination of the enthalpy. The nano CaCO3 polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared by taking 2 and 10 wt \% of different nanosizes (21-39 nm) of CaCO3. Conversion of the alpha phase to beta was observed in the case of 2 wt \% of a 30-nm sized amount of CaCO3 in a PP composite. The decrement in DeltaH and percent. crystallinity, as well as the increment in melt temperature were recorded for 6 wt \% nano CaCO3 with a decrease in nanosize from 39 to 21 nm. The increment in tensile strength with an increase in the amount of nano CaCO3 was observed, and the tower particle size shoved Greater improvement. The improvement in thermal and mechanical properties is because of the formation of a greater number of small spherulites uniformly present in the PP matrix. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Crystallization, DSC, mechanical and thermal properties, nano CaCO3, polypropylene, XRD}, issn = {0887-6266}, doi = {10.1002/polb.20296}, author = {Mishra, Satyendra and Sonawane, S. H. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000230729300026, title = {Study of correlation of structural and surface properties with electrochemical behaviour in carbon aerogels}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {40}, number = {14}, year = {2005}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3777-3782}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Carbon aerogel is a promising material for electrochemical double layer capacitors. In this paper carbon aerogels prepared by subcritical drying method are investigated for the change in the structure and surface properties at different pyrolysis temperatures. The important relations between structure, morphology, surface area and electrical properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area measurement and cyclic voltametry. It is shown that structure and the surface functional groups play important role in enhancement of electrochemical capacitance. The specific capacitance achieved was 114 F/gm which is quite large value for subcritically prepared carbon aerogels without any kind of activation process. (c) 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-005-3318-4}, author = {Hebalkar, Neha and Arabale, G. and Sainkar, S. R. and Pradhan, S. D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Vijayamohanan, K. and Ayyub, P. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000228080800024, title = {Swelling behavior and diffusion studies of high-water-retaining acrylamide/potassium methacrylate hydrogels}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {96}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1153-1164}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Poly(acrylamide-co-potassium methacrylate) hydrogels were prepared by free-radical simultaneous polymerization with aqueous solutions of acrylamide (AAm) and potassium methacrylate (KMA) with a redox initiator. The copolymerization was performed with eight different compositions of KMA at a fixed concentration of oil-soluble crosslinkers, including 1,4-butanediol diacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). For every composition of AAm/KMA copolymer, the percentage swelling, swelling equilibrium, and diffusion characteristics were investigated. The copolymers were further studied for deswelling properties. The power law relationships of the hydrogels were evaluated for variation in terms of saline concentration. The AAm/KMA copolymers were confirmed by IR spectroscopy. Thermal studies of hydrogels were performed with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. EGDMA was found to be a better crosslinker for obtaining higher swelling and deswelling properties for the AAm/KMA hydrogels. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Diffusion, hydrogels, swelling}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21565}, author = {Mohan, Y. M. and Murthy, P. S. K. and Rao, K. M. and Sreeramulu, J. and Raju, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000232886800008, title = {Synthesis and analysis of ZnO and CdSe nanoparticles}, journal = {Pramana-Journal of Physics}, volume = {65}, number = {4, SI}, year = {2005}, note = {1st National Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, Pune, INDIA, MAR 07-08, 2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {615-620}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Zinc oxide and cadmium selenide particles in the nanometer size regime have been synthesized using chemical routes. The particles were capped using thioglycerol in case of ZnO and 2-mercaptoethanol in case of CdSe to achieve the stability and avoid the coalescence. Zinc oxide nanoparticles were doped with europium to study their optical properties. A variety of techniques like UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to carry out structural and spectroscopic characterizations of the nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {chemical capping, Doping, Nanoparticles, photoluminescence}, issn = {0304-4289}, doi = {10.1007/BF03010449}, author = {Ashtaputre, S. S. and Deshpande, Aparna and Marathe, Sayali and Wankhede, M. E. and Chimanpure, J. and Pasricha, R. and Urban, J. and Haram, Santosh K. and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000227403100013, title = {Synthesis and assembly of gold nanoparticles in quasi-linear lysine-keggin-ion colloidal particles}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {273-280}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The formation of fiber-like colloidal particles of the amino acid lysine complexed with Keggin ions is demonstrated. The lysine-phosphotungstic acid (PTA) colloidal particles act as excellent templates for the synthesis and assembly of gold nanoparticles wherein the lysine-PTA complex acts as a UV-switchable reducing agent for gold ions. This novel bio-organic-inorganic template shows excellent potential as a regulated nanoreactor for application in programmed nanoparticle synthesis and assembly in a single step.

}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.200400107}, author = {Sanyal, A. and Mandal, Sujata and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000226787200011, title = {Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyamides containing an s-triazine ring with thiophenoxy linkages}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {54}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {569-575}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of aromatic polyamides containing an s-triazine ring with thiophenoxy linkages was synthesized from two new diacids, namely 2,4-bis-(4-carboxyphenoxy)-6-thiophenoxy-s-triazine and 2,4-bis-(3-carboxyphenoxy)-6-thiophenoxy-s-triazine, and commercially available aromatic diamines by using Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s phosphorylation reaction. The polyamides were obtained in good yields and were characterized by solubility tests, viscosity measurements, FTIR, H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction studies and thermogravimetric analysis. The polyamides were found to have inherent viscosities in the range of 0.35 to 0.56 dl g(-1) in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 30 +/- 0.1 degreesC. All the polyamides were readily soluble in solvents such as DMAc, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and m-cresol. Thermogravimetric analysis of the polyamides indicated no weight loss below 345 degreesC under a nitrogen atmosphere. (C) 2004 Society of Chemical Industry.

}, keywords = {2, 4-bis-(3/4-carboxyphenoxy)-6-thiophenoxy-s-triazine, direct polycondensation, polyamide, s-triazine ring}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.1733}, author = {Pal, R. R. and Patil, P. S. and Salunkhe, M. M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000226567700007, title = {Synthesis and characterization of ferrocenylchalcogenopropargyl complexes [Fe(eta(5)-(C5H4ECH2C)-C-I CH)(2)] (E-I = Se, S) and their reactions to form unusual ferrocenyl-containing metal clusters with eclipsed Cp rings and new five-membered (FeECH)-C-I =}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {24}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {367-372}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{The new bis(chalcogenopropargyl)ferrocene complexes [Fe(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)E(I)CH(2)CdropCH)(2)] (E-I = Se, 1; E-I = S, 2) have been prepared by treatment of the dilithiated [Fe(eta(5)-C5H4Li)(2)] with Se or S powder, followed by reaction with propargyl bromide. Reaction of 1 and 2 with [Fe2M(mu(3)-E)(2)(CO)(9)] (E = S, Se and M = Fe, Ru) forms new clusters which feature an unusual five-membered (FeECH)-C-I=CCH2 ring with a pi bond between the olefinic unit and the Fe atom, and the Cp rings adopt an eclipsed arrangement. The structures of 1 and [Fe(eta(5)-C5H4E(I)-CH(2)CdropCH) (eta(5)-C5H4{Fe2M(CO)(8)(mu-E)((ECHCCH2)-C-I)})] (M = Fe

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/om049226r}, author = {Mathur, P. and Singh, V. K. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Srinivasu, C. and Trivedi, R. and Bhunia, A. K. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000232405500048, title = {Synthesis and intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition of 3,5 {\textquoteleft}-ether-linked pseudooligosaccharide derivatives: an approach to chiral macrooxacycles}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, number = {21}, year = {2005}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8579-8582}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

[GRAPHIC] 3,5{\textquoteright}-Ether-linked pseudooligopentose derivatives were synthesized for the first time from readily available carbohydrate precursors. The 1,2-isopropylidene-protected ether-linked oligopentoses are potentially important as precursors of novel RNA analogues. Intramolecular cycloaddition of the nitrile oxides prepared from these derivatives led to the diastereoselective formation of chiral isoxazolines fused to 10-16-membered oxacycles. The stereochemistry of some of these isoxazolines was established by X-ray diffraction and NOESY analysis.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo050689w}, author = {Sengupta, J. and Mukhopadhyay, R. and Bhattacharjya, A. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Bhosekar, Gaurav V.} } @article { ISI:000228779100008, title = {Synthesis, characterization and catalytic potentials of polymer anchored copper(II), oxovanadium(IV) and dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes of 2-(alpha-hydroxymethyl)benzimidazole}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {63}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {71-83}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{2-(alpha-Hydroxymethyl)benzimidazole (Hhmbmz) has been covalently anchored to chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 5\% divinylbenzene. This chelating resin reacts with cupric acetate, vanadyl sulphate and [MoO(2)-(acac)(2)] (Hacac = acetylacetone) in presence of Hhmbmz to give complexes PS-[Cu(hmbmz)(2)], PS-[VO(hmbmz)(2)] and PS-[MoO(2)(hmbmz)(2)] (where

}, keywords = {2-(alpha-hydroxymethyl)benzimidazole, oxidation of styrene and ethyl benzene, oxidative bromination of salicylaldehyde, polymer anchored-complexes}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2005.02.008}, author = {Maurya, Mannar R. and Sikarwar, S. and Joseph, Trissa and Manikandan, Palanichamy and Halligudi, Shivappa B.} } @article { ISI:000225856600034, title = {Synthesis of Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 at 100 degrees C}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {31}, number = {1}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {211-213}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple gel to crystal conversion route has been used for the preparation of Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 phase at 80-100degreesC under refluxing conditions. Freshly prepared metal hydroxides gel from cerium and zirconium salt solution is allowed to crystallize under refluxing and stirring conditions for 4-10 h. Formation of nano crystallites of Ce0.75Zr0.25O2 is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations revealed the average particle size of these powders to be 5 nm. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd and Techna S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CeO2, chemical preparation, Electron microscopy, powders, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2004.04.009}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Gaikwad, S. R. and Muthukumar, P. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000229243800064, title = {Synthesis of hydroxyapatite crystals using amino acid-capped gold nanoparticles as a scaffold}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {21}, number = {11}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5185-5191}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Inorganic composites are of special interest for biomedical applications such as in dental and bone implants wherein the ability to modulate the morphology and size of the inorganic crystals is important. One interesting possibility to control the size of inorganic crystals is to grow them on nanoparticles. We report here the use of surface-modified gold nanoparticles as templates for the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals. Crystal growth is promoted by a monolayer of aspartic acid bound to the surface of the gold nanoparticles; the carboxylate ions in aspartic acid are excellent hinging sites for Ca2+ ions. Isothermal titration calorimetry studies of Ca2+ ion binding with aspartic acid-capped gold nanoparticles indicates that the process is entropically driven and that screening of the negative charge by the metal ions leads to their aggregation. The aggregates of gold nanopartictes are believed to be responsible for assembly of the platelike hydroxyapatite crystals into quasi-spherical superstructures. Control experiments using uncapped gold nanoparticles and pure aspartic acid indicate that the amino acid bound to the nanogold surface plays a key role in inducing and directing hydroxyapatite crystal growth.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la048541f}, author = {Rautaray, D. and Mandal, Sujata and Sastry, M.} } @article { ISI:000227107500022, title = {Synthesis, structure, electrochemistry and ROMP-activity of new ferrocenyl analog of Grubbs{\textquoteright} metathesis catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {690}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1018-1027}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Treatment of [(PCy3)(2)Cl2Ru=CH-Ph] (1) with vinylferrocene 1 and 1-ferrocenyl-1,3-butadiene 2 yielded solid products. These new complexes were characterized by H-1 NMR, P-31 NMR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystal structures of both the complexes have been solved. The crystal structure of II confirmed the assigned structure and revealed existence of two sets of intermolecular C-H-Cl(M) type interactions, viz. (Ru)Cl-H-C(ferrocene) and (Ru)Cl-H-CHCl2. The air-stable, dark solid II is all efficient catalyst for ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclopentene, norbornene and cycloocta-1,5-diene. Electrochemical behavior of the complexes clearly reflects electronic communication between two metal centers. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electrochemistry, ferrocene, Metathesis, non-covalent interactions, ring-opening metathesis polymerization, ruthenium carbene}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2004.11.012}, author = {Maishal, T. K. and Mondal, Biplab and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar and Sarkar, A.} } @article { ISI:000230123500009, title = {Thermal degradation kinetics of polyesters containing mesogenic aromatic diols}, journal = {Journal Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {97}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {784-792}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A series of polyesters were synthesized by reacting structurally differing aromatic diols with either saturated (flexible) or unsaturated (rigid) dicarboxylic acid halide by a stirred interfacial polycondensation technique. Thermal degradation kinetics of these polyesters were investigated by applying Coats-Redfern and Horowitz-Metzger nonisothermal procedures. The dynamic thermogravimetry experiments were conducted in nitrogen to obtain differential thermogravimetric plots. Thermal stability of these polyesters was discussed on the basis of semiquantitative methods such as differential procedural decomposition temperature, integral procedural decomposition temperature, and fraction decomposition temperature (e.g., 10 \% DT). Degradation proceeded in multiple stages. The thermal degradation patterns and activation energies in these stages were discussed in relation to central bridging moieties of aromatic diol. The activation energies of these polyesters were found to be in the range of 100 to 200 kJ/mol. The effect of spacer type on activation energy was also reported. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Activation energy, Degradation, kinetics (polym.), Polycondensation, polyesters}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.21587}, author = {Mule, Smita Atmaram and Ghadage, R. S. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000230506000008, title = {Thidiazuron-induced morphogenesis in tamarind seedlings}, journal = {In Vitro Cellular \& Developmental Biology-Plant}, volume = {41}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {240-243}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Germination of tamarind seeds in medium containing thidiazuron (TDZ) resulted in induction of nodular protrusions in and around the cotyledonary node meristem. The structures developed radially in well-defined circles and subsequently spread towards the cotyledonary bridge and also in the proximal part of the hypocotyl. The structures developed into shoots on transfer to medium devoid of growth regulators. Histological studies revealed that the protrusions initiated from the nodal meristem and extended to the non-meristematic region between the two meristems and also in the proximal part of the hypocotyl in seedlings germinated in 9.08 mu M TDZ. Newly formed cell layers and less-differentiated meristematic protrusions were also seen. With the increase in the distance from the meristem, the buds were less differentiated; in the proximal part of the hypocotyl only the multiple layers of meristematic cells were noted. With extension of the period of incubation, the TDZ-induced meristematic activity extended laterally in circles towards the neighboring region. The radial spread of the meristematic activity from the center of the nodal meristem was also evident at 18.16 mu M TDZ. From the pattern of the morphogenic development and the histological studies it may be hypothesized that in tamarind, TDZ influences the existing meristems specifically. Subsequently de novo organogenesis is triggered in the neighboring cells.

}, keywords = {Caulogenesis, Histology, morphogenesis, protrusions, thidiazuron}, issn = {1054-5476}, doi = {10.1079/IVP2004611}, author = {Mehta, Urmil J. and Sahasrabudhe, N. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000227346300059, title = {Unusual monodentate binding mode of 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-dipyridylamine (L) in isomeric trans(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)2, trans-[(acac)(2)Ru-III(L)(2)]ClO4, and cis-(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)(2) (acac = acetylacetonate). Synthesis, structures, and spectroscopic, electrochemical, and magn}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, year = {2005}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1571-1579}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{The reaction of cis-Ru(acac)(2)(CH3CN)(2) (acac = acetylacetonate) with 2,2{\textquoteright}-dipyridylamine (L) in ethanolic medium resulted in facile one-pot synthesis of stable [(acac)(2)Ru-III(L)]ClO4 ([1]ClO4), trans-[(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)2] (2), trans[(acac)(2)Ru-III(L)(2)[ClO4 ([2]ClO4), and cis-[(acac)(2)Ru-II(L)(2)] (3). The bivalent congener 1 was generated via electrochemical reduction Of [1]ClO4. Although in [1](+) the dipyridylamine ligand (L) is bonded to the metal ion in usual bidentate fashion, in 2/[2](+) and 3, the unusual monodentate binding mode of L has been preferentially stabilized. Moreover, in 2/[2](+) and 3, two such monodentate L{\textquoteright}s have been oriented in the trans- and cis-configurations, respectively. The binding mode of L and the isomeric geometries of the complexes were established by their single-crystal X-ray structures. The redox stability of the Ru(II) state follows the order 1 \< 2 much less than 3. In contrast to the magnetic moment obtained for [1]ClO4

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic049219v}, author = {Kar, S. and Chanda, N. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Urbanos, F. A. and Niemeyer, M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Jimenez-Aparicio, Reyes and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000229488700008, title = {Vapor phase oxidation of 4-fluorotoluene over vanadia-titania catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A - Chemical}, volume = {234}, number = {1-2}, year = {2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {51-57}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The vapor phase oxidation of 4-fluorotoluene has been carried out over vanadia-titania catalysts with moderate conversion and selectivity for 4-fluorobenzaldehyde. Two series of V2O5/TiO2 catalysts with 1-10 mol\% vanadia were prepared by sol-gel technique using vanadium and titanium peroxide as vanadia and titania precursors respectively and by impregnation technique using vanadium peroxide on anatase titania support. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, NH3-TPD, FT-IR and BET surface area measurements. The XRD of the catalysts prepared by impregnation technique showed retention of the anatase titania whereas the catalysts prepared by sol-gel technique showed the formation of rutile titania with minor amount of anatase phase at lower vanadia content (1-3 \%), which completely transformed into anatase phase at higher vanadia loading. The samples prepared by sol-gel method showed higher acidity and surface area compared to the samples prepared by impregnation. Pyridine adsorption study by FT-IR revealed the presence of Lewis acidity at lower vanadia loading (1-3 \%) and presence of both Lewis as well as Bronsted acidity at higher vanadia loading. The catalytic activity for oxidation of 4-fluorotoluene increased with vanadia loading in the sol-gel catalysts. The catalysts prepared by impregnation technique were found to be less active. However the selectivity for 4-fluorobenzaldehyde decreased with increase in vanadia content. The influence of vanadia loading, reaction temperature and contact time on the catalytic activity for 4-fluorotoluene oxidation has been investigated. The structure of the catalyst and its catalytic activity has been correlated. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalyst, fluorotoluene, Oxidation, vanadia-titania, vapor phase}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2005.02.020}, author = {Maurya, S. K. and Patil, P. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Gurjar, M. K. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Rudiger, S. and Kemnitz, E.} } @article { ISI:000227566200019, title = {Wet-chemical templateless assembly of metal nanowires from nanoparticles}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {11}, year = {2005}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1435-1437}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe a new, simple, room-temperature wet-chemical approach for assembling Au and Ag nanoparticles into nanowire networks, without the use of lithographic templates. Five to 35 nm-diameter nanowires passivated with a thin organic layer were synthesized by mechanically agitating a biphasic liquid mixture of an aqueous hydrosol containing the nanoparticles, and toluene. Nanowire structure and surface chemistry are discussed based on electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b414447n}, author = {Maddanimath, Trupti and Kumar, Anil and D{\textquoteright}Arcy-Galla, J. and Ganesan, P. G. and Vijayamohanan, K. and Ramanath, G.} } @article { ISI:000234811400003, title = {Who patented what in 2004}, journal = {Research-Technology Management}, volume = {48}, number = {3}, year = {2005}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7-11}, publisher = {INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC}, type = {Editorial Material}, address = {2200 CLARENDON BLVD, STE 1102, ARLINGTON, VA 22201 USA}, issn = {0895-6308}, author = {Bowonder, B. and Krishnan, S. and Mastakar, N. V.} } @article { ISI:000232354200011, title = {X-ray crystallographic studies on C-phycocyanins from cyanobacteria from different habitats: marine and freshwater}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {61}, number = {9}, year = {2005}, month = {SEP}, pages = {844-847}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309105025649}, author = {Satyanarayana, L. and Suresh, C. G. and Patel, A. and Mishra, Satyendra and Ghosh, P. K.} } @article { ISI:000228510500016, title = {X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic investigations of Cu2O nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin }, volume = {40}, number = {4}, year = {2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {694-700}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cuprous oxide nanoparticles of five different sizes were obtained by electrochemical as well as chemical routes. Various capping agents were used to passivate the nanoparticles. X-ray diffraction studies show formation of single phased, cubic Cu2O nanoparticles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies indicate formation of CuO phase on the surface of Cu2O nanoparticles for uncapped as well as for those, capped by tetraoctylammonium bromide. On the other hand polyacrylamide and polyvinyl pyrrolidone capped samples did not show presence of CuO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy also indicates formation of a Cu2+ complex with the capping material on the surface of Cu2O nanoparticles. The results were discussed in terms of capability of passivation of various additives. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Nanostructures, Oxides, photoelectron spectroscopy, Surfaces}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2004.12.008}, author = {Nikesh, V. V. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Mahamuni, Shailaja} } @article { ISI:000236119700018, title = {2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tptz)-derived [Ru-II(tptz)(acac)(CH3CN)](+) and mixed-valent [(acac)(2)Ru-III{(mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(CH3CN)](+)}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2413-2423}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mononuclear [Ru-II(tptz)(acac:)(CH3CN)]ClO4 ((ClO4)-Cl-[1]) and mixed-valent dinuclear [(acac)(2)Ru-III{(mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(CH3CN)]ClO4 ([5]ClO4; acac = acetylacetonate) complexes have been synthesized via the reactions of Ru-II(acac)2(CH3CN)(2) and 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (tptz), in 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratios, respectively. In [1]ClO4, tptz binds with the Ru-II ion in a tridentate N,N,N mode (motif A), whereas in [5]ClO4, tptz: bridges the metal ions unsymmetrically via the tridentate neutral N,N,N mode with the Ru-II center and cyclometalated N,C- state with the Ru-III site (motif F). The activation of the coordinated nitrile function in [1]ClO4 and [5]ClO4 in the presence of ethanol and alkylamine leads to the formation of iminoester ([2]ClO4 and [7]ClO4) and amidine ([4]ClO4) derivatives, respectively. Crystal structure analysis of [2]ClO4 reveals the formation of a beautiful eight-membered water cluster having a chair conformation. The cluster is H-bonded to the pendant pyridyl ring N of tptz and also with the O atom of the perchlorate ion, which, in turn, makes short (C-H{\textendash}{\textendash}-O) contacts with the neighboring molecule, leading to a H-bonding network. The redox potentials corresponding to the (RuI)-I-I state in both the mononuclear {[(acac)(tptz)Ru-II-N=-C-CH3]ClO4 ([1]ClO4) \>\> [(acac)(tptz)Ru-II-NH=C(CH3)-OC2H5]ClO4 ([2]ClO4) \> [(acac)(tptz)(RuNH2)-N-II-C6H4(CH3)]ClO4 ([3]ClO4) \> [(acac)(tptz)Ru-II-NH=C(CH3)-NHC2H5]ClO4 ([4]ClO4)} and dinuclear {[(acac)(2)Ru-III-{mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(N equivalent to C-CH3)]ClO4 {(mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(N equivalent to C-CH3)]ClO4 ([5]ClO4), [(acac)(2)Ru-III[(mu-tptz-H+(N-O ([6]ClO4), [(acac)(2)Ru-III{(mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(NH=C(CH3)-OC2H5)]ClO4( [7]ClO4), and [(acac)(2)Ru-III{(mu-tptz-H+)(-)}Ru-II(acac)(NC4H4N)]ClO4 ([8]ClO4), complexes vary systematically depending on the electronic nature of the coordinated sixth ligands. However, potentials involving the Ru-III center in the dinuclear complexes remain more or less invariant. The mixed-valent (RuRuIII)-Ru-II species ([5]ClO4-[8]ClO4) exhibits high comproportionation constant (K-c) values of 1.1 X 10(12)-2 x 109, with substantial contribution from the donor center asymmetry at the two metal sites. Complexes display Ru-II- and Ru-III-based metal-to-ligand and ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transitions, respectively, in the visible region and ligand-based transitions in the UV region. In spite of reasonably high K, values for [5]ClO4[8]ClO4, the expected intervalence charge-transfer transitions did not resolve in the tpical near-IR region up to 2000 nm. The paramagnetic (RuRuIII)-Ru-II species ([5]ClO4-[8]ClO4) displays rhombic electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra at 77 K (\< g \> similar to 2.15 and Delta g similar to 0.5), typical of a low-spin Ru-III ion in a distorted octahedral environment. The one-electron-reduced tptz complexes [RuII(tptz center dot-)(acac)(CH3CN)] (1) and [(acac)(2)Ru-III{mu-tptz-H+)(center dot 2-)}-Ru-II(acac)(CH3CN)] (5), however, show a free-radical-type EPR signal near g = 2.0 with partial metal contribution.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic0514288}, author = {Ghumaan, Sandeep and Kar, S. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Harish, B. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000240521800008, title = {Adsorption of methanol on Si(100)/SiO(2)and mesoporous SBA-15}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {287}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {51-58}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Adsorption of methanol on SiO(100)/SiO2 substrate and mesoporous SBA-15 has been studied by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Contact angle technique is employed to study the adsorption kinetics of methanol on SiO(100)/SiO2 and thermal stability of adlayer. Thermogravimetric (TGA) technique is used to understand the thermal behavior of methanol layer on SBA-15. Adsorption kinetics fit fairly well with Langmuir isotherms giving adsorption rate constant, k(a) = 0.0021 W s(-1). FTIR results show formation of methoxy silicon (SiOCHA silicon polyhydride (SiH2), carboxylate, molecular water and hydroxyl groups on Si(100)/SiO2 surface and only methoxy silicon on SBA-15. XPS results confirm methanol adsorption and support FTIR results. The methanol adlayers are found to be thermally stable up to a temperature of similar to 262 degrees C on both Si(100)/SiO2 and SBA-15 and decompose between 262 and 450 degrees C. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, desorption, kinetics, Methanol, SBA-15, Si(100)/SiO2, thermal stability}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.03.021}, author = {Mirji, S. A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Mathew, Nevin T. and Ravi, V. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000237835100010, title = {Adsorption of octadecyltrichlorosilane on mesoporous SBA-15}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {252}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {4097-4103}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Adsorption of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) on mesoporous SBA-15 has been studied by using Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. BET surface area analysis shows decrease of surface area from 930 to 416 m(2)/g after OTS adsorption. SEM pictures show close attachment of SBA-15 particles. EDAX measurements show increase of carbon weight percentage and decrease of oxygen and silicon weight percentage. XPS results closely support EDAX analysis. FTIR spectra shows presence of methyl (-CH3) and methylene (-CH2) bands and oriented OTS monolayer on SBA-15. Thermo-gravimetric analysis shows that the OTS adsorbed on SBA-15 are stable up to a temperature of 230 degrees C and that the OTS monolayers decompose between 230 and 400 degrees C. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, OTS, SBA-15, Self-assembly, thermal stability}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2005.06.009}, author = {Mirji, S. A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Sawant, Dhanashri P. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Pradhan, S. D.} } @article { ISI:000241976500018, title = {Adsorption of octadecyltrichlorosilane on Si(100)/SiO2 and SBA-15}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {289}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {133-140}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Adsorption of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) on Si(100)/SiO2 substrate and mesoporous SBA-15 has been studied by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Contact angle technique is used to study the adsorption kinetics of OTS on Si(100)/SiO2 and thermal stability of adsorbed OTS layer. Thermogravirnetric (TGA) technique is employed to understand the thermal behavior of OTS adlayer on SBA-15. Langmuir isotherms fit very well with OTS adsorption kinetics data on Si(100)/SiO2 and furnish adsorption rate constant, k(a) = 236 M-1 s(-1), desorption rateconstant, k(d) = 0.0082s(-1) and Gibbs free energy of adsorption, Delta G(ads) = -6.28 kcal mol(-1). EDAX and XPS results both show increased carbon content due to OTS adsorption and decreased oxygen and silicon content due to screening of these elements by OTS adlayer. FTIR data shows methylene (-CH2) and methyl (-CH3) stretching bands, in close agreement with reported data. The OTS layers are found to be thermally. stable up to a temperature of approximate to 260 degrees C on both Si(100)/SiO2 and SBA-15. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Gibbs free energy, OTS, SBA-15, Self-assembly, Si(100)/SiO2, thermal stability}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2006.04.021}, author = {Mirji, S. A.} } @article { ISI:000236979100030, title = {Amino functionalized novel cholic acid derivatives induce HIV-1 replication and syncytia formation in T cells}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {49}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {2652-2655}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of C-11 azido/amino functionalized cholic acid derivatives has been achieved in excellent yields. Contrary to the previous prediction of analogous compounds to be HIV-1 protease inhibitors, in the present study these novel cholic acid derivatives induced host cell fusion during the progress of HIV-1 infection and produced multinucleated giant cells. This is the first report of syncytia induction and enhancement of viral replication in HIV-1 infected T cells by cholic acid derivatives.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/jm051114u}, author = {Salunke, Deepak B. and Ravi, D. S. and Pore, V. S. and Mitra, Debashis and Hazra, Braja G.} } @article { ISI:000240393500018, title = {Analysis of single PEM fuel cell performances based on current density distribution measurement}, journal = {Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, note = {1st Conference on European Fuel Cell Technology and Applications (EFC2005), Rome, ITALY, DEC 14-16, 2005}, month = {AUG}, pages = {351-357}, publisher = {Univ Perugia; Italian Agcy New Technol \& Environm; Amer Soc Mech Engineers}, type = {Article}, address = {THREE PARK AVE, NEW YORK, NY 10016-5990 USA}, abstract = {

A new in situ measurement method of mapping the current density distribution in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFC) is used to analyze the performance of a fuel cell under different operating conditions. The present method is useful in investigating the current density distribution in a single cell as well as a stack, which carries the information about the local reactant activity over the electrode area It was found that the current density close to the gas inlets is strongly influenced by the reactants{\textquoteright} relative humidity. The performance close to the gas outlets is greatly influenced by the inlet gas pressures and the stoichiometry factors of the reactant gases, mainly on the cathode side. It was also observed that the performance of the fuel cell drops with the increase in operating temperature if the reactant gases are not sufficiently humidified.

}, keywords = {current density distribution, fuel cell performance, PEFC}, issn = {1550-624X}, doi = {10.1115/1.2173664}, author = {Ghosh, P. C. and Wuester, T. and Dohle, H. and Kimiaie, N. and Mergel, J. and Stolten, D.} } @article {42761, title = {Bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane: transition metal chemistry, Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and homogeneous hydrogenation of olefins}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1322-1330}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Transition metal complexes of bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane (1) are described. Bis(phosphinite) 1 reacts with Group 6 metal carbonyls, [Rh(CO)2Cl]2, anhydrous NiCl2, [Pd(C3H5)Cl]2/AgBF4 and Pt(COD)I2 to give the corresponding 10-membered chelate complexes 2, 3 and 5{\textendash}8. Reaction of 1 with [Rh(COD)Cl]2 in the presence of AgBF4 affords a cationic complex, [Rh(COD){Ph2P({\textendash}OC10H6)({\textmu}-CH2)(C10H6O{\textendash})PPh2-κP,κP}]BF4 (4). Treatment of 1 with AuCl(SMe2) gives mononuclear chelate complex, [(AuCl){Ph2P({\textendash}OC10H6)({\textmu}-CH2)(C10H6O{\textendash})PPh2-κP,κP}] (9) as well as a binuclear complex, [Au(Cl){{\textmu}-Ph2P({\textendash}OC10H6)({\textmu}-CH2)(C10H6O{\textendash})PPh2-κP,κP}AuCl] (10) with ligand 1 exhibiting both chelating and bridged bidentate modes of coordination respectively. The molecular structures of 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10 are determined by X-ray studies. The mixture of Pd(OAc)2 and 1 effectively catalyzes Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of a range of aryl halides with aryl boronic acid in MeOH at room temperature or at 60 {\textdegree}C, giving generally high yields even under low catalytic loads. The cationic rhodium(I) complex, [Rh(COD){Ph2P({\textendash}OC10H6)({\textmu}-CH2)(C10H6O{\textendash})PPh2-κP,κP}]BF4 (4) catalyzes the hydrogenation of styrenes to afford the corresponding alkyl benzenes in THF at room temperature or at 70 {\textdegree}C with excellent turnover frequencies.

}, doi = {10.1039/b510589g}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000241010400014, title = {Characterization of Cd1-xZnxSe thin films deposited at low temperature by chemical route}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {17}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1055-1063}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Optoelectronic technologically important pseudo-binary Cd1-xZnxSe thin films with a variable composition ( 0 \< x \< 1) has been developed by chemical bath deposition method. The objective to study growth kinetics, physical, microscopic, compositional, optical, electrical and structural changes. Cd1-xZnxSe have been deposited on non-conducting glass substrate in tartarate bath containing Cd+2 and Zn+2 ions with sodium selenosulphate with an aqueous alkaline medium at 278 K. The quality and the thickness of the films are depends upon deposition temperature, deposition time and pH, etc. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic absorption spectroscopy, optical absorption, scanning electron microscopy and thermoelectric technique characterized the films. The XRD study indicates the polycrystalline nature in single cubic phase over whole range of composition. Analysis of absorption spectra gave direct type band gap, the magnitude of which increases non-linearly as zinc content in the film is increased and dc electrical conductivity at room temperature was found to decreases from 10(-7) to 10(-8) (Omega cm)(-1). All the films show n-type conductivity. The promising features observed are the formation of continuous solid solutions in a single cubic phase.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-006-9034-2}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Chate, P. A. and Asabe, M. R. and Delekar, S. D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Garadkar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000235860500029, title = {Chemical methods to synthesize FeTiO3 powders}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1425-1427}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Three different techniques were used to synthesize FeTiO3 powders. The first method is simple coprecipitation of both Fe and Ti ions under basic conditions using standard ammonia solution from aqueous ferric nitrate and titanium oxy chloride. This precipitate on heating at 400 degrees C produces ilmenite phase. The second method is to digest hydroxide precipitates at 100 degrees C to form FeTiO3 phase. The third technique is to make use of citrate process to form FeTiO3 powders. The phase contents and lattice parameters were Studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology were studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All tights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, X-ray methods}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.11.041}, author = {Mona, J. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Murugan, A. Vadivel and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000241064000001, title = {Chemistry of recently isolated naturally occurring quinazolinone alkaloids}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {62}, number = {42}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9787-9826}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present review portrays a concise account of the isolation, bioactivity, and synthesis of bioactive quinazolinone-based natural products for the period 1983-2005 and the recent developments in the area of complex quinazolinone natural products with a special emphasis on new synthetic routes and strategies. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1983-2005, bioactivity, concise account, isolation, natural quinazolinones, synthesis}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.07.098}, author = {Mhaske, Santosh B. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000237850400019, title = {Chemoselective dithioacetalization of aldehydes using silica sulfuric acid as a reusable catalyst}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1291-1295}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Silica sulfuric acid has been found to be an efficient and reusable catalyst for chemoselective dithioacetalization of aldehydes over ketones, in excellent yields.

}, keywords = {Chemoselective, dithioacetalization, silica sulfuric acid}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Pore, D. M. and Desai, Uday V. and Mane, R. B. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000241306300002, title = {Claisen rearrangement of allyl phenyl ether over zeolites beta, mordenite and Y}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {95}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8-16}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The Claisen rearrangement of allyl phenyl ether (APE) to o-allylphenol was investigated over zeolites beta (BEA), mordenite (MOR) and Y (FAU) with different Si/Al ratios. Over the zeolite catalysts, the allylphenol cyclized to produce 2,3-dihydro-2-methyl benzofuran. Larger catalyst loading, higher reaction temperatures and longer run duration favored the formation of the ring compound. Conversion was small over MOR and FAU although they possessed higher acidity (as measured by the temperature programmed desorption of ammonia) compared to BEA. Studies using BEA revealed that the nature of the solvent influenced the reaction rate. The order of reactivity in the solvents was, benzene \> EDC (1,2-dichloroethane) \> toluene \> TCE (1, 1,2,2-tetrachloroethane) \>\> ACN (acetonitrile). The intermediate allylphenol reacted with the aromatic solvents to produce byproducts when benzene and toluene were used as solvents. A kinetic analysis assuming first order series and parallel reactions is presented. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {allyl phenyl ether, allylphenol, Benzofuran, Claisen rearrangement, zeolites}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2006.05.001}, author = {Wagholikar, S. G. and Mayadevi, S. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Sivasanker, S.} } @article { ISI:000239818300010, title = {Clay-mediated selective hydrolysis of 5 {\textquoteleft}-O-acetyl-2 {\textquoteleft},3 {\textquoteleft}-isopropylidene/cyclohexylidene nucleosides}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {36}, number = {16}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2321-2327}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A generalized procedure for the selective hydrolysis of 5{\textquoteright}O-acetyl-2{\textquoteright},3{\textquoteright}-isopropylidene/cyclohexylidene nucleosides with a solid catalyst, Montmorillonite K-10 in refluxing methanol, to furnish 5{\textquoteright}-O-acetyl-nucleosides is described.

}, keywords = {5-O-acetylnucleosides, isopropylidene-nucleoside hydrolysis, montmorillonite K 10}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910600639968}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Mondal, Dhananjoy and Ravindranadh, S. V. and Chorghade, Mukund S.} } @article { ISI:000238812600009, title = {CO2 reforming of methane combined with steam reforming or partial oxidation of methane to syngas over NdCoO3 perovskite-type mixed metal-oxide catalyst}, journal = {Applied Energy}, volume = {83}, number = {9}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1024-1032}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

CO2 reforming with simultaneous steam reforming or partial oxidation of methane to syngas over NdCoO3 perovskite-type mixed metal oxide catalyst (prereduced by H-2) at different process conditions has been investigated. In the simultaneous CO2 and steam reforming, the conversion of methane and H2O and also the H-2/CO product ratio are strongly influenced by the CO2/H2O feed-ratio. In the simultaneous CO2 reforming and partial oxidation of methane, the conversion of methane and CO2, H-2 selectivity and the net heat of reaction are strongly influenced by the process parameters (viz. temperature, space velocity and relative concentration of O-2 in the feed). In both cases, no carbon deposition on the catalyst was observed. The reduced NdCoO3 perovskite-type mixed-oxide catalyst (Co dispersed on Nd2O3) is a highly promising catalyst for carbon-free CO2 reforming combined with steam reforming or partial oxidation of methane to syngas. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Co/Nd2O3 catalyst, methane, NdCoO3 perovskite-type mixed metal-oxide catalyst, Oxy-CO2 reforming of methane, simultaneous CO2 and steam reforming of methane}, issn = {0306-2619}, doi = {10.1016/j.apenergy.2005.09.008}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C.} } @article { ISI:000238258500019, title = {CO2 reforming of methane to syngas over CoOx/MgO supported on low surface area macroporous catalyst carrier: Influence of Co loading and process conditions}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {45}, number = {13}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4597-4602}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The effect of Co loading (5-30 wt \%) and process parameters ( reduction pretreatment, reaction temperature, and space velocity) have been investigated over CoOx/MgO(5\%)/SA-5205 catalyst for the CO2 methane reforming process. The Co loading had a profound effect on the methane conversion and the hydrogen selectivity ( initial and time-on-stream activity) for the unreduced catalysts. While negligible methane conversion was observed for the 5 and 10 wt \% Co loading catalyst, methane conversions \> 95\% were obtained over the high Co loading ( 20 and 30 wt \%) catalysts; hydrogen selectivity followed the same trend as methane conversion. The Co loading level had a relatively smaller influence in the case of the reduced catalysts. While the 5 wt \% Co catalyst showed low methane conversion activity (\< 30\%), the 10 wt \% Co catalyst showed methane conversion levels comparable to those of the high Co loading catalysts. The high Co loading catalysts showed an excellent time-on-stream performance for the CO2 methane reforming reaction. X-ray diffraction and temperature-programmed reduction experiments indicate that the interesting activity behavior exhibited by the catalysts is related to the different phases ( and their reducibility) present in the catalysts at different Co loadings. The hydrogen selectivity was found to decrease with decreasing reaction temperature and increasing space velocity due to the increased simultaneous occurrence of the reverse water-gas shift reaction along with the CO2 reforming reaction.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie060260a}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @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:000241168600010, title = {Constrained variational response to Fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory: Some pilot applications}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure-Theochem}, volume = {768}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {91-96}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Fock space (FS) multi-reference (MR) coupled-cluster (CC) has been established to be state-of-the-art method for energies of open-shell radicals, ionized, electron attached states and excited states. Due to the multi-root nature of the method, the linear response of MRCC, however, is non-trivial. Constrained variation approach (CVA) makes it plausible to calculate response of the MRCC method efficiently. However, the approach is used for only one root of the problem at a time. In the present article, we make first implementation of the approach and present test results of dipole moments of small radicals. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {constrained variation, coupled-cluster, Dipole moment, Multi-reference, response}, issn = {0166-1280}, doi = {10.1016/j.theochem.2006.05.022}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000241508000039, title = {Control of stereoselectivity in 4-tert-butylphenol hydrogenation over a carbon-supported rhodium catalyst by carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {35}, number = {9}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1060-1061}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

cis-4-tert-Butylcyclohexanol was obtained with a high cis ratio (cis/(cis + trans) = 0.9) in the hydrogenation of 4-tert-butylphenol over a carbon-supported rhodium catalyst along with hydrochloric acid in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2006.1060}, author = {Hiyoshi, Norihito and Mine, Eiichi and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Sato, Osamu and Ebina, Takeo and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article { ISI:000238298100027, title = {Co-precipitation technique for the preparation of ferroelectric BaBi2Ta2O9}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {98}, number = {2-3}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {344-346}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique had been successfully applied for the preparation of pure ultrafine single phase BaBi2Ta2O9 (BBT). Ammonium hydroxide and ammonium oxalate were used to precipitate Ba2+, Bi3+ and Ta5+ cations simultaneously. No pyrochlore phase was found while heating powder at 800 degrees C and pure BaBi2Ta2O9 phase was found to be formed by X-ray diffraction. Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is 350. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, ferroelectricity, Oxides}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2005.09.036}, author = {Dhage, S. R. and Pasricha, R. and Murugan, A. Vadivel and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000238866300004, title = {Coprecipitation technique to prepare Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {29}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {221-223}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

An aqueous mixture of ammonium oxalate and ammonium hydroxide was used to coprecipitate barium and strontium ions as oxalates and niobium ions as hydroxide under basic conditions. This precursor on calcining at 750 degrees C yielded Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 phase. This is a much lower temperature than that prepared by traditional solid state method (1000 degrees C) as reported for the formation of Sr0.5Ba0.5Nb2O6 (SBN). Transmission electron microscopic (TEM) investigations revealed that the average particle size was 80 nm for the calcined powders. The room temperature dielectric constant at I kHz was found to be 1100. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Electron microscopy, ferroelectricity, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/BF02706488}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Gaikwad, A. B. and Samuel, V. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000236470000018, title = {Crystallization and preliminary X-ray characterization of a thermostable low-molecular-weight 1,4-beta-D-glucan glucohydrolase from an alkalothermophilic thermomonospora sp.}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {62}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {385-387}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Cellulases catalyze the hydrolysis of beta-1,4-glycosidic linkages within cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on earth. The cellulase (TSC; EC 3.2.1.4) from an alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. has a low molecular weight of 14.2 kDa. It is optimally active at 323 K and stable over the wide pH range of 5 - 9. Moreover, it has bifunctional activity against cellulose and xylan polymers. In this study, TSC was purified from the native source and crystallized by the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals belong to the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), with unit-cell parameters a = 49.9

}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S1744309106007949}, author = {Manikandan, K. and Jagtap, Sharmili and Rao, M. and Ramakumar, S.} } @article { ISI:000236438200026, title = {Cu(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition of constrained azido-alkynes: access to 12- to 17-membered monomeric triazolophanes incorporating furanoside rings}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {16}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {2775-2778}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A strained monomeric 12-membered triazolophane was formed by the Cu(I)-catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition of an azide to an alkyne having a constrained tether incorporating ail aromatic ring and a furanoside ring. Similar cycloadditions of azido-alkynes having ester, furanoside and peptidic tethers led to the formation of monomeric triazolophanes of higher ring sizes. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.02.068}, author = {Ray, A. and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Mukhopadhyay, R. and Bhattacharjya, A.} } @article { ISI:000239289800024, title = {Double intramolecular oxymercuration: stereoselective synthesis of highly substituted bis-tetrahydrofuran}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {33}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5943-5947}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Stereoselective intramolecular oxymercuration has been demonstrated as the key reaction for the efficient preparation of mono- and dihydroxylated unsymmetrical bis-tetrahydrofuran skeletons present in naturally occurring biologically active acetogenins using carbohydrates. These trans- and syn-selective intramolecular oxymercurations were explored in an enantio selective synthesis of the bis-tetrahydrofuran skeleton of mucoxin. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {acetogenins, Barton-McCombie deoxygenation, demercuration, intramolecular oxymercuration, unsymmetrical bis-tetrabydrofuran, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.06.049}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Mohapatra, Seetaram and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000240707800018, title = {Effect of annealing on properties of ZrSe2 thin films}, journal = {Journal of Crystal Growth}, volume = {294}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {254-259}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Thin films of ZrSe2 have been prepared on stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass substrates using electrodeposition technique at potentiostatic mode. Double-distilled water containing precursors Zr and Se with ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid disodium salt as a complexing agent was used to obtain good quality deposits by controlling the rate of reaction. The preparative parameters such as concentration of bath, deposition time, bath temperature, pH of the bath and annealing temperature have been optimized using photoelectrochernical (PEC) technique. The films deposited at optimum preparative parameters are annealed at different temperatures. The film annealed at 200 degrees C shows more photosensitivity. The as-deposited and annealed films at 200 degrees C have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX), optical absorption and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD analysis of the as-deposited and annealed films showed the presence of polycrystalline nature with hexagonal crystal structure. EDAX study reveals that deposited films are almost stoichiometric. Optical absorption study shows the presence of direct transition and band gap energies are found to be 1.5 and 1.38 eV, respectively, for the as-deposited and annealed films. SEM study revels that the grains are uniformly distributed over the surface of substrate for the as-deposited as well as annealed film, which indicates formation of good and compact type of crystal structure. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {band gap, EDAX, Electrodeposition, PEC, SEM, XRD, ZrSe2 thin films}, issn = {0022-0248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.06.018}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Asabe, M. R. and Kokate, A. V. and Delekar, S. D. and Sathe, D. J. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Chougule, B. K.} } @article { ISI:000240781100009, title = {Effect of spacer groups on the performance of MCM-41-supported platinum cluster-derived hydrogenation catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {242}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {332-339}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

MCM-41 was functionalized with (EtO)(3)SiCH2Cl, (MeO)(3)SiCH2CH2CH2Cl, and (CH3)Cl2SiCH2Cl. The functionalized materials were characterized by solid-state NMR (CPMAS, Si-29 and C-13) and XPS. The NMR data indicate that three new silicon environments were created by(EtO)(3)SiCH2Cl and (MeO)(3)SiCH2CH2CH2Cl, whereas with (CH3)Cl2SiCH2Cl, two new silicon environments were obtained. XPS results from Si 2p core level and the valence band from the material functionalized by (MeO)(3)Si(CH2)(3)Cl was found to be the same as that of the corresponding fresh catalyst (1a), in contrast to that of the materials functionalized by the other two silane reagents. After further functionalization with triethylamine, these materials were used as inorganic anion exchangers to support the cluster anion [Pt-12(CO)(24)](2-). Solid-state NMR (29Si, C-13, N-15) was used to establish the presence of the quaternary ammonium group in the cluster-supported species. Analogous materials were also created using fumed silica as the support, and all of the cluster-supported materials were tested as catalysts for the hydrogenation of methyl pyruvate, acetophenone, nitrobenzene, benzonitrile, ethylacetoacetate, 4-nitrotoluene, cyclohexanone, allyl alcohol, and styrene. The best activity was obtained for the catalyst that had MCM-41 as the support and chloropropyl as the spacer group. TEM showed that the supports and the spacer groups had observable effects on the platinum crystallite size of the catalysts. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {functionalized inorganic oxides, hydrogenation catalysts, MCM-41, platinum carbonyl cluster, Solid-state NMR, spacer groups, XPS}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2006.06.016}, author = {Maity, Niladri and Basu, Susmit and Mapa, Maitri and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Ganapathy, Subramanian and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000238030200026, title = {Electrochemical organization of monolayer protected gold nanoclusters on single-walled carbon nanotubes: significantly enhanced double layer capacitance}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {6}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1387-1391}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

This paper reports a novel electrochemical route for anchoring monolayer protected gold nanoclusters (size 8 +/- 0.2 nm) on single-walled carbon nanotube bundles, resulting in the formation of hybrid materials. Monolayer protected gold nanoclusters prepared by modified Brust synthesis route were organized on SWNT bundles by cycling-the potential in dichloromethane between -1 to +1 V at a scan rate of 50 mV/s. Monolayer protected nanoclusters in electrolyte solutions possess ionic space charge around them (double layer charging), making them suitable for organization on nanotube bundles, by tuning the electrostatic interactions. More significantly, analysis of the double layer capacitance of these hybrid materials shows almost ten times increase in capacitance compared to that of bare SWNT bundles. We believe that these hybrid materials are potentially useful in nanoelectronics.

}, keywords = {double layer capacitance, double layer charging, hybrid materials, monolayer protected gold nanoclusters, single-walled carbon nanotubes}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2006.323}, author = {Mahima, Subhramanyam and Chaki, N. K. and Sharma, J. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pasricha, R. and Rao, A. M. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000235860500014, title = {Electron beam induced surface cross-linking of functional monomers coated on silicon substrate}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1360-1365}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A 3: 1 composition of functional monomer: multifunctional acrylate was spin coated and later cross-linked under the influence of keV electron irradiation on the surface of silicon to generate a surface-anchored cross-linked network bearing functional moieties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as wetting angle measurements were used for the analysis of functional monomer cross-linked surfaces. Results of the surface reconstruction of surfaces and electron irradiated on coated silicon wafers reveal that long-term hydrophilic surfaces can be achieved. Thus, the surface architecture can be favorably manipulated by using this remarkable technique with a Suitable combination of functional monomers and cross-linkers. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {electron beam irradiation, FTIR, Polymers, surface modification, XPS}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.11.029}, author = {Mahapatra, S. K. and Bodas, Dhananjay S. and Mandale, A. B. and Gangal, S. A. and Bhoraskar, Vasant N.} } @article {42468, title = {Engaging zwitterions in carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bond- forming reactions: a promising synthetic strategy}, journal = {Accounts of Chemical Research}, volume = {39}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {520{\textendash}530}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An Account of carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bond-forming reactions mediated by zwitterions generated by the addition of organic nucleophiles to activated unsaturated systems highlighting their synthetic potential is presented.

}, doi = {10.1021/ar0502026}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Menon, Rajeev S. and Sreekanth, A. R. and Abhilash, N. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000241767100009, title = {Eu3+ doped lanthanum oxide nanowhiskers: microwave hydrothermal synthesis, characterization and photoluminescence properties}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {39}, number = {18}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3974-3977}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here a straightforward and rapid microwave - hydrothermal route providing an easy synthesis of Eu3+ doped La2O3 nanowhiskers. The nanostructured Eu3+ doped La2O3 is characterized by x-ray diffraction studies, scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence (PL). The emission spectrum shows transitions from the excited 5D(0) state to F-7(J) (J = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) levels of the Eu3+ ion. The most intense peak around 611 nm is due to the D-5(0) -\> F-7(2) transition, expected from the Judd-Ofelt selection rules. PL spectra measurements demonstrate that the lanthanum oxide nanowhisker shows higher PL intensity.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/39/18/008}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Viswanath, Annamraju Kasi and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Ravi, V. and Saaminathan, V.} } @article { ISI:000238412100062, title = {Exfoliation-induced nanoribbon formation of poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) PEDOT between MoS2 layers as cathode material for lithium batteries}, journal = {Journal of Power Sources}, volume = {156}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {615-619}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A new type of layered nanocomposite synthesized by delaminated MoS2 nanosheets and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) are restacked to produce alternate polymer nanoribbons between layers Of MoS2 with an interlayer distance of similar to 1.38 nm. The unique properties of resulting nanocomposite are investigated by powder XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and four-probe conductivity measurements. The obtained nanocomposite can be used as a cathode material for a small power rechargeable lithium battery as demonstrated by the electrochemical insertion of lithium into the PEDOT/MoS2 nanocomposite. A significant enhancement in the discharge capacity (100 mAh g(-1)) is observed compared with that (40 mAh g(-1)) for MoS2. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cathode material, lithium batteries, MoS2, organic-inorganic nanocomposite, PEDOT-nanoribbons}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2005.06.022}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Quintin, M. and Delville, M. H. and Campet, Guy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000238312300038, title = {Facile synthesis of 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone and its regioselective coupling reactions with prenal: simple and efficient access to osajaxanthone and nigrolineaxanthone F}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {71}, number = {13}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4992-4995}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A facile five-step synthesis of naturally occurring 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone has been described starting from 1,3,5-trimethoxybenzene via NBS-induced nuclear bromination, lithiation followed by an in situ benzoylation with methyl 2,5-dibenzyloxybenzoate, selective deprotection of the two benzyl groups, base-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization, and demethylations pathway with 62\% overall yield. The regioselective coupling reactions of 1,3,7-trihydroxyxanthone with prenal in the presence of calcium hydroxide at room temperature and under thermal conditions at 140-150 degrees C have been demonstrated to exclusively obtain the natural products osajaxanthone in 75\% yield and nigrolineaxanthone F in 98\% yield, respectively.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0606655}, author = {Mondal, Mukulesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000242931900034, title = {Field emission from oriented tin oxide rods}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {515}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1450-1454}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Tin oxide (SnO2) films were grown on silicon substrates by a wet chemical route. It was found from scanning electron microscopy investigations that oriented SnO2 rods normal to the substrates were obtained. Field emission studies were carried out in diode configuration in an all metal ultra high vacuum chamber at a base pressure similar to 1.33 x 10(-8) mbar. The {\textquoteleft}onset{\textquoteright} field required to draw 0.1 mu A/cm(2) current density from the emitter cathode was found to be similar to 3.4 V/mu m for SnO2 rods. The field emission current and applied field follows the Folwer-Nordheim relationship in low field regime. The observed results indicate that the field emission characteristics of chemically grown SnO2 structures are comparable to the vapor grown nanostructures. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {field emission, microstructures, scanning electron microscopy, tin oxide}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2006.04.034}, author = {Deshpande, A. C. and Koinkar, Pankaj M. and Ashtaputre, S. S. and More, Mahendra A. and Gosavi, S. W. and Godbole, P. D. and Joag, Dilip S. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000238250300028, title = {Field emission studies of novel ZnO nanostructures in high and low field regions}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2730-2735}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A study of the field emission characteristics of novel structures of ZnO, namely marigolds, multipods and microbelts, has been carried out in both the close proximity configuration and the conventional field emission microscope. The use of a conventional field emission microscope overcomes the drawback of arc formation at high field values. The nonlinearity in the Fowler - Nordheim ( F - N) plot, a characteristic feature of semiconductors has been observed and explained on the basis of electron emission from both the conduction and the valence bands. The current stability exhibited by these structures is also promising for future device applications.

}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/0957-4484/17/11/003}, author = {Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Bhise, Ashok B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000238008900004, title = {Flufenoxuron, an acylurea insect growth regulator, alters development of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera :tenebrionidae) by modulating levels of chitin, soluble protein content, and HSP70 and p34(cdc2) in the larval tissues}, journal = {Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology}, volume = {85}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {84-90}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The effect of sublethal concentrations, 0.00141\% (LC20), 0.00251\% (LC30), and 0.0036\% (LC40) of a dispersible formulation of an acylurea insect growth regulator, flufenoxuron (Cascade) on certain biochemical parameters in the larvae of Tribolium castaneum was investigated. When neonates were fed on diet treated with sublethal concentrations for 24 It, it was observed that at all concentrations tested, there was a significant reduction in chitin content on the 15th day of development. Total soluble protein content at LC20 and LC30 decreased with increasing age of the larvae. At LC20 and LC40 concentrations there was a progressive increase in the protein: chitin ratio as a function of increase in age of the larvae. SDS-PAGE analysis of the larval tissue extracts indicated gross quantitative changes in some of the protein bands (MW 50-97 kDa). Western blot analysis revealed significant increase in the level of HSP70 in the extracts of larvae fed on LC30 treated diet, on the 7th and 10th day of development in the decreasing order. Conversely, a significant decrease in the hyper-phosphorylated form of p34(cdc2) kinase due to flufenoxuron treatment indicating modulation of cell cycle regulation was observed. Thus, sublethal concentrations of flufenoxuron alter expression of developmentally regulated proteins, HSP70 and p34(cdc2) and chitin formation in a stage-specific manner thereby resulting developmental abnormalities in T castaneum. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chitin, Development, flufenoxuron, HSP70, p34(cdc2), phosphotyrosine, sublethal effects, total soluble proteins, Tribolium castaneum}, issn = {0048-3575}, doi = {10.1016/j.pestbp.2005.10.006}, author = {Salokhe, S. and Sarkar, A. and Kulkarni, A. and Mukherjee, Samindra N. and Pal, J. K.} } @article { ISI:000238258000026, title = {Formation of linear polymers with pendant vinyl groups via inclusion complex mediated polymerization of divinyl monomers}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {128}, number = {24}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7752-7753}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja062568z}, author = {Satav, S. S. and Karmalkar, Rohini N. and Kulkarni, M. G. and Mulpuri, Nagaraju and Sastry, G. N.} } @article { ISI:000236648800046, title = {Formation of poly(o-anisidine) coatings on copper from aqueous salicylate solution}, journal = {Surface \& Coatings Technology}, volume = {200}, number = {18-19}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5557-5565}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Poly(o-anisidine) coatings have been electrosynthesized by using cyclic voltammetry on copper from an aqueous salicylate medium. Cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize these coatings, which indicates that the aqueous salicylate solution is a suitable medium for the electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine on copper substrate. Cyclic voltammetry accompanied by the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to characterize the surface modifications induced by polarizing the copper substrate in the aqueous salicylate solution (without monomer). It was shown that the polarization of the copper in the aqueous salicylate medium results into the passivation of its surface via the formation of Cu(2)O and/or copper salicylate complex. It was found that the electrochemical polymerization of o-anisidine takes place after the passivation of the copper substrate via fort-nation of Cu(2)O and/or copper salicylate complex and results into the formation of shiny, uniform and strongly adherent poly(o-anisidine). The optical absorption spectroscopy reveals the formation of emraldine salt form of poly(o-anisidine). This study offers an electrochemical polymerization recipe to synthesize strongly adherent poly(o-anisidine) coating on copper from aqueous media for possible use in corrosion protection application. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Copper, corrosion protective coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-anisidine) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.07.071}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Sainkar, S. R. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000242873400011, title = {General strategy for a short and efficient synthesis of 3-hydroxy-4-methylprolines (HMP)}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {52}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9215-9219}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The non-proteinogenic amino acid 3-hydroxy-4-methylproline (HMP) is an active constituent of some potent antimicrobials including echinocandins, nostopeptins, pneumocandins, sporiofungin and mulundocandins. A synthesis has been achieved in 10 steps with 29\% overall yield; the Evans{\textquoteright} aldol reaction using Crimmins{\textquoteright} modified method was pivotal to the success of the strategy. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3, 4-disubstituted proline, Crimmins{\textquoteright} aldol reaction, Garner{\textquoteright}s aldehyde, non-proteinogenic amino acids, RUO4 mediated oxidation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.10.137}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Mondal, Dhananjoy and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000238418000031, title = {High performance poly(styrene-b-diene-b-styrene) triblock copolymers from a hydrocarbon-soluble and additive-free dicarbanionic initiator}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {128}, number = {25}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {8158-8159}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja062695v}, author = {Matmour, Rachid and More, Arvind S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Gnanou, Yves} } @article { ISI:000241248000088, title = {Highly efficient organic-inorganic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-molybdenum trioxide nanocomposite electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitor}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {100}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article No. 074319}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we report a highly efficient organic-inorganic nanocomposite electrode with enhanced double layer capacitance, which has been synthesized using 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene and crystalline molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) in the presence of an external oxidizing agent. The interlayer spacing of MoO3 upon intercalation expands from 6.93 to 13.46 A and is followed by an exfoliation and restacking process. The resulting nanocomposite is characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and four probe conductivity measurements. The application potential of this nanocomposite as an electrode material for electrochemical supercapacitors has been investigated, highlighting the unusual enhancement of double layer capacitance of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiphene) (PEDOT-MoO3) nanocomposites (similar to 300 F g(-1)) compared to that of pristine MoO3 (similar to 40 mF g(-1)). The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to the intercalation of electronically conducting PEDOT between MoO3 layers with enhanced bidimensionality and an increase in the surface area. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.2356788}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Viswanath, Annamraju Kasi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000239975900022, title = {In situ optical emission spectroscopic investigations during arc plasma synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal plasma}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science}, volume = {34}, number = {4, 1}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1175-1182}, publisher = {IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {445 HOES LANE, PISCATAWAY, NJ 08855 USA}, abstract = {

Investigations using in situ precursor spectroscopy during the growth of nanoparticles of iron oxide by thermal plasma induced gas phase condensation method have been shown to be useful for correlating the size of nanoparticles with existing plasma parameters. The relative abundance of ionized Fe species inside the plasma plume is seen to directly establish the relation between particle size, arc current, arc length, and ambient pressure of the reacting oxygen gas. The argon plasma from a transferred arc reactor is made to impinge on the anode that is allowed to vaporize and react with oxygen. The spectral line profiles of both Ar and Fe along the plasma column during the synthesis of nanoparticles have been proved to be useful in understanding the growth mechanism. Band intensities of FeO molecular states indicated the inverse relation with particle sizes that have been correlated to the two competitive processes in which energy is released, namely: 1) one involving the radiative transition and 2) the other that of the growth by coagulation. Atomic Boltzmann plots are used for estimating the temperatures of the zones, whereas particle sizes have been inferred using transmission electron microscopic measurements.

}, keywords = {plasma arc device, plasma-materials processing applications, spectroscopy}, issn = {0093-3813}, doi = {10.1109/TPS.2006.878430}, author = {Banerjee, Indrani and Joshi, N. K. and Sahasrabudhe, S. N. and Kulkarni, Naveen V. and Karmakar, Soumen and Pasricha, R. and Ghorui, S. and Tak, Atul K. and Murthy, Shri P. S. S. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000238989300008, title = {Irradiation effects of 12 eV oxygen ions on polyimide and fluorinated ethylene propylene}, journal = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids}, volume = {161}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {495-504}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polyimide (PI) and Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) samples (15mm x 15mm x 50 mu m ) were exposed to atomic oxygen ions of average energy similar to 12 eV and flux similar to 5x10(13) ions cm(-2) s(-1) , produced in the Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma. The energy and the flux of the oxygen ions at different positions in the plasma were measured by a retarding field analyzer. The fluence of the oxygen ions was varied from sample to sample in the range of similar to 5x10(16) to 2x10(17) ions cm(-2) by changing the irradiation period. The pre- and the post-irradiated samples were characterized by the weight loss, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) techniques. The weight of the PI and FEP samples decreased with increasing the ion fluence. However, the erosion yield for the PI is found to be higher, by almost a factor five, when compared with that of FEP. On the surface region of irradiated samples, the concentrations of the carbon, fluorine, and oxygen and their corresponding chemical bonds have changed appreciably. Moreover, blisters and nanoglobules were also observed even at a fluence of similar to 10(17) ions cm(-2) . This oxygen ion fluence is almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of the 5 eV atomic oxygen, which a satellite encounters in the space, at the low Earth orbit, during its mission period of about 7 years.

}, keywords = {atomic oxygen, ECR plasma, FEP, FTIR, Polyimide, SEM, weight loss, XPS}, issn = {1042-0150}, doi = {10.1080/10420150600810224}, author = {Majeed, Riyadh M A Abdul and Purohit, V. S. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mandale, A. B. and Bhoraskar, Vasant N.} } @article { ISI:000239793100088, title = {La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 nanoparticles coated with fatty amine}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {89}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article No. 023107}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report on the synthesis of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) nanoparticles having perovskite structure and particle size of the order of 30 rim. The process involves citrate-gel synthesis, size filtering, and; surface coating with a shell of octadecyl amine (ODA) using electrostatic interaction-assisted novel chemical route. Magnetic measurements show the Curie temperature of similar to 360 K establishing the desired stoichiometry and phase. Fourier transform infrared-studies bring out. that the amine group of ODA interacts with the LSMO surface. Refluidization yields uniform redispersion of the coated and dried powder. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2210080}, author = {Rajagopal, Rajashree and Mona, J. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Bala, Tanushree and Pasricha, Rem and Poddar, P. and Sastry, M. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Kundaliya, Darshan C. and Ogale, S. B.} } @article { ISI:000239077500014, title = {Liquid phase alkylation of phenol with 1-octene over large pore zeolites}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {309}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {106-114}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A comparative study is presented of the liquid phase alkylation of phenol with 1-octene over different zeolite catalysts: H-beta (BEA(15)), H-mordenite (MOR(11)) and H-USY (FAU(15)). A wide spectrum of monoalkylated products, identified as isomers of phenyl octyl ether (O-alkylate) and octyl phenol (C-alkylate), was formed in the reaction. The reaction was studied in detail over BEA(15), such studies included the influence of process variables such as temperature, reactant mole ratio, catalyst amount and alkali metal (K) poisoning on its performance in the alkylation reaction. A kinetic analysis of the reaction over BEA(15) was also carried out assuming a second order parallel reaction mechanism. The activity of the different catalysts for the reaction followed the order: BEA(15) \> FAU(15) \> MOR(11). The poisoning of BEA(15) with potassium resulted in a decrease in the catalyst activity concomitant with a decrease in the number of strong acid centres in the catalyst. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-octene, alkyl phenols, Alkylation, phenol, zeolites}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.04.041}, author = {Wagholikar, Smita and Mayadevi, S. and Sivasanker, S.} } @article { ISI:000239869200024, title = {Low temperature hydrogenation of tetralin over supported rhodium catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {310}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {194-198}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Hydrogenation of tetralin was studied over supported rhodium catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent at 333 K. The results were compared with those in an organic solvent and under neat conditions. Higher cis-decalin yield was obtained in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent than under non-supercritical conditions. It was observed that higher hydrogen concentration at the surface in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent led to fast direct hydrogenation of tetralin to cis-decalin; the flipping of the intermediate, octalin, to give trans-decalin could be prevented. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cis-decalin, Hydrogen storage, Hydrogenation, Supercritical carbon dioxide, supported rhodium catalysts, tetralin}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.05.040}, author = {Hiyoshi, Norihito and Mine, Eiichi and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Sato, Osamu and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article { ISI:000236419800016, title = {MCM-41-supported platinum carbonyl cluster-derived catalysts for asymmetric and nonasymmetric hydrogenation reactions}, journal = {Journal of Catalysis}, volume = {239}, number = {1}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {154-161}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Anionic platinum carbonyl Cluster ([Pt-12(CO)(24)](2-)) was ion-paired with the 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilyl-ammonium group chemically bound to the surface of MCM-41. The materials undergo quick decarbonylation and have been characterized before decarbonylation by IR and UV-vis spectroscopy and after decarbonylation by XPS and TEM. They have been used as catalysts for the hydrogenations of methyl pyruvate, acetophenone, nitrobenzene, benzonitrile, and ethylacetoacetate. The support and the quaternary ammonium groups have significant effects on surface platinum concentration, crystallite size, and observed activity. In the hydrogenation of the prochiral substrates methyl pyruvate or acetophenone, the cinchonidine-based catalyst gives significant enantioselectivity under optimum conditions. A kinetic model that includes an enantioselective product-formation step and a hydrogen pressure-dependent step for the deactivation of the enantioselective sites gives reasonable agreement between predicted and observed enantioselectivity. The model is also in accordance with the XPS and TEM data. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {asymmetric/non-asymmetric catalysis, Enantioselectivity, functionalized MCM-41, hydrogenation catalysts, platinum carbonyl cluster}, issn = {0021-9517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcat.2006.01.032}, author = {Basu, Susmit and Mapa, Maitri and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Doble, Mukesh and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article {31}, title = {Metal-induced reductive ring opening of 1,2,4,5-tetrazines: Three resulting coordination alternatives, including the new non-innocent 1,2-diiminohydrazido(2-) bridging ligand system}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1316-1325}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{Reaction of 3,6-diaryl-1,2,4,5-tetrazines (aryl = R = phenyl, 2-furyl or 2-thienyl) with 2 equiv of Ru(acac)(2)(CH3-CN)(2) results in reductive tetrazine ring opening to yield diruthenium complexes [

}, keywords = {crystal engineering, hydrogen bonds, molecular, recocynition, Self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1021/ic051532p}, author = {Maji, Somnath and Sarkar, B. and Patra, S. and Fiedler, Jan and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000239295800003, title = {Methane reforming over a high temperature stable-NiCoMgOx supported on zirconia-hafnia catalyst}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {121}, number = {2-3}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {73-77}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The unusually high temperature stable NiCoMgOx (Ni/Co/Mg: 1:0.2:1.2)/zirconia-hafnia catalyst has been investigated for syngas generation via the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM), oxidative steam reforming of methane (OSRM) and oxidative CO2 reforming of methane (OCRM) processes. The catalyst, even when calcined at 1400 degrees C for 4 h, showed excellent activity/selectivity for the CPOM, OSRM and the OCRM reactions. On account of its high thermal stability, hot spots in the catalyst bed and/or high temperatures prevailing at the catalyst surface during the oxy-reforming processes would have little or no effect on the catalytic activity/selectivity of the NiCoMgOx/zirconia-hafnia catalyst, thus making the catalyst suitable even for operating under adiabatic conditions. While the selectivity for CO increased considerably with increasing reaction temperature for the CPOM process, the selectivity for H-2 was affected to a much lesser extent. The selectivity for CO and H-2 in the CPOM reaction was found to decrease with increasing space velocity; the H-2 selectivity was however affected to a greater extent. For the OSRM process, the H2O/CH4 ratio profoundly influenced the H-2/CO ratio and the heat of the reaction. Depending on the H2O/CH4 ratio, the OSRM process could be operated in a mildly exothermic, thermoneutral or mildly endothermic mode. The CO2 conversion increased rapidly with increasing OCRM temperature and correspondingly the exothermicity of the OCRM reaction was found to decrease with increasing reaction temperature. At 900 degrees C, the OCRM reaction was mildly exothermic and provided high methane conversion and syngas selectivity. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {high temperature stable catalyst, methane, oxy-dry reforming, oxy-steam reforming, Partial oxidation}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2006.05.007}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @article { ISI:000236901300003, title = {Micellar behavior of dodecyldimethylethyl ammonium bromide and dodecyltrimethyl ammonium chloride in aqueous media in the presence of diclofenac sodium}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {278}, number = {1-3}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {17-25}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The micellar properties of cationic surfactants (S) viz. dodecyldimethylethyl ammonium bromide (DDAB) and dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC) in aqueous media in the presence of diclofenac sodium (D) have been investigated by spectroscopic and conductivity measurements. The UV-vis and H-1 NMR studies suggest possible packing of diclofenac sodiurn molecules in the micelles. The conductivity studies were carried out over the temperature range 288.15-308.15 K. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) and degree of counterion binding (beta) of the micelles were determined at different temperatures. Delay in micellisation was observed for both DDAB and DTAC. Thermodynamic parameters (Delta G(m)(0) Delta H-m(0) and Delta S-m(0).) for the micelle system were estimated by applying the charged pseudo-phase separation model. The results of the ternary S/D/W system were analysed in comparison with the reported results of binary SAV system. The Delta G(m)(0) values for the ternary S/D/W system in both the cases show an increase in comparison to the respective binary SAV system. However, Delta S-m(0) decreased with temperature and remained positive in both the systems. At lower temperatures, the micellisation was found to be entropy-driven while at higher temperatures it was enthalpy-dfiven. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {diclofenac sodium, dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammoniurn chloride, Electrical conductivity, spectroscopic measurements}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2005.11.071}, author = {Mehta, S. K. and Bhasin, K. K. and Kumar, Anil and Dham, S.} } @article { ISI:000236715600020, title = {Modeling of rotary cement kilns: applications to reduction in energy consumption}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {45}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2315-2330}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Rotary cement kilns are used for converting calcineous raw meal into cement clinkers. In this paper, we discuss and evaluate possible ways of reducing energy consumption in rotary cement kilns. A comprehensive one-dimensional model was developed to simulate complex processes occurring in rotary cement Kilns. A modeling strategy comprising three submodels. viz. a model for simulating the variation of bed height in the kiln, a model for simulating reactions and heat transfer in the bed region, and a model for simulating coal combustion and heat transfer in the freeboard region, was developed. Melting and formation of coating within the kiln were accounted for. Combustion of coal in the freeboard region was modeled by accounting for devolatilization, finite-rate gas-phase combustion, and char reaction. The simulated results were validated with the available data from three industrial kilns. The model was then used to understand the influence of various design and operating parameters on kiln performance. Several ways of reducing energy consumption in kilns were then computationally investigated. The model was also used to propose and to evaluate a practical solution of using a secondary shell to reduce energy consumption in rotary cement kilns. Simulation results indicate that varying kiln operating variables, viz. solid flow rate or RPM, can result only in small changes in kiln energetics. Use of a secondary shell over the kiln and energy recovery by passing air through the annular gap between the two appears to be a promising way to achieve significant energy savings. The developed model and the presented results will be useful for enhancing the performance of rotary cement kilns.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie050617v}, author = {Mujumdar, Kaustubh S. and Arora, Amit and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000242621800023, title = {Molecular interactions between the specialist herbivore Manduca sexta (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) and its natural host Nicotiana attenuata. VII. changes in the plant{\textquoteright}s proteome}, journal = {Plant Physiology}, volume = {142}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1621-1641}, publisher = {AMER SOC PLANT BIOLOGISTS}, type = {Article}, address = {15501 MONONA DRIVE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20855 USA}, abstract = {

When Manduca sexta attacks Nicotiana attenuata, fatty acid-amino acid conjugates (FACs) in the larvae{\textquoteright}s oral secretions (OS) are introduced into feeding wounds. These FACs trigger a transcriptional response that is similar to the response induced by insect damage. Using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we characterized the proteins in phenolic extracts and in a nuclear fraction of leaves elicited by larval attack, and/or in leaves wounded and treated with OS, FAC-free OS, and synthetic FACs. Phenolic extracts yielded approximately 600 protein spots, many of which were altered by elicitation, whereas nuclear protein fractions yielded approximately 100 spots, most of which were unchanged by elicitation. Reproducible elicitor-induced changes in 90 spots were characterized. In general, proteins that increased were involved in primary metabolism, defense, and transcriptional and translational regulation; those that decreased were involved in photosynthesis. Like the transcriptional defense responses, proteomic changes were strongly elicited by the FACs in OS. A semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR approach based on peptide sequences was used to compare transcript and protein accumulation patterns for 17 candidate proteins. In six cases the patterns of elicited transcript accumulation were consistent with those of elicited protein accumulation. Functional analysis of one of the identified proteins involved in photosynthesis, RuBPCase activase, was accomplished by virus-induced gene silencing. Plants with decreased levels of RuBPCase activase protein had reduced photosynthetic rates and RuBPCase activity, and less biomass, responses consistent with those of herbivore-attacked plants. We conclude that the response of the plant{\textquoteright}s proteome to herbivore elicitation is complex, and integrated transcriptome-proteome-metabolome analysis is required to fully understand this ubiquitous ecological interaction.

}, issn = {0032-0889}, doi = {10.1104/pp.106.088781}, author = {Giri, Ashok P. and Wuensche, Hendrik and Mitra, Sirsha Sribas and Zavala, Jorge A. and Muck, Alexander and Svatos, Ales and Baldwin, Ian T.} } @article { ISI:000238329100023, title = {Nitridation of high speed steel by electron cyclotron resonance plasma}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {39}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2109-2113}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Plasma nitridation of high speed M2 steel is studied using a microwave assisted electron cyclotron resonance plasma source. A mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen with a proportion of 7 : 3 was used as the nitriding gas. The density of plasma for this forming gas was measured to be similar to 10(18) m(-3) as estimated by a double probe method. The M2 steel was nitrided at various temperatures of 400, 450, 500 and 550 degrees C under similar reactor conditions. The nitrided layer was characterized by using various analytical techniques which included structural, morphological, chemical and microhardness measurement. The maximum thickness of the nitrided layer was found to be 48 mu m for samples nitrided at 550 degrees C. No layer corresponding to white/compound layer is seen in our analysis. The hardness is seen to increase from similar to 580HV to similar to 1190HV for samples nitrided at 550 degrees C. Electron cyclotron resonance plasma nitridation is observed to be much faster and a cleaner process as compared with the conventional nitriding process.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/39/10/022}, author = {Majeed, Riyadh M A Abdul and Purohit, Vishwas and Bhide, Rajesh and Mandale, A. B. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Bhoraskar, Vasant N.} } @article { ISI:000238162900006, title = {Non-catalytic pyrolysis of ethane to ethylene in the presence of CO2 with or without limited O-2}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Science}, volume = {118}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {261-267}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Influence of the presence Of CO2, which is a mild oxidant, on the performance of the thermal cracking of ethane to ethylene in the absence or presence of limited O-2 at different temperatures (750-900 degrees C), space velocities (1500-9000 h(-1)) and CO2/C2H6 and O-2/C2H6 mole ratios (0-2.0 and 0-0.3 respectively) has been investigated. In both the presence and absence of limited 02, ethane conversion increases markedly because of the presence Of CO2, indicating its beneficial effect on the ethane to ethylene cracking. The increased ethane conversion is, however, not due to the oxidation of ethane to ethylene by CO2; the formation of carbon monoxide in the presence Of CO2 is found to be very small. It is most probably due to the activation of ethane in the presence Of CO2.

}, keywords = {ethane, ethane cracking in presence Of CO2, ethane cracking in presence of CO2 and limited O-2, Ethylene, thermal cracking of ethane}, issn = {0253-4134}, doi = {10.1007/BF02708286}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid} } @article { ISI:000241849900010, title = {Novel chemical synthetic route and characterization of zinc selenide thin films}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solid}, volume = {67}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2310-2315}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Zinc selenide (ZnSe) thin film have been deposited using chemical bath method on non-conducting glass substrate in a tartarate bath containing zinc sulfate, ammonia, hydrazine hydrate, sodium selenosulfate in an aqueous alkaline medium at 333 K. The deposition parameter of the ZnSe thin film is interpreted in the present investigation. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical absorption, electrical measurements, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The ZnSe thin layers grown with polycrystalline zinc blende system along with some amorphous phase present in ZnSe film. The direct optical band gap {\textquoteleft}E-g{\textquoteright} for the film was found to be 2.81 eV and electrical conductivity in the order of 10(-8)(Omega cm)(-1) with n-type conduction mechanism. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chalcogenides, electronic materials}, issn = {0022-3697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2006.05.001}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Chate, P. A. and Delekar, S. D. and Asabe, M. R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article {42467, title = {Novel synthesis of highly functionalized pyrazolines and pyrazoles by triphenylphosphine mediated reaction of dialkyl azodicarboxylate with allenic esters}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2213{\textendash}2216}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Reaction of the Huisgen zwitterion, derived from triphenylphosphine and dialkyl azodicarboxylate, with allenic esters affords highly functionalized pyrazolines and pyrazoles. The crystal structure of pyrazoline derivative 7a showed extensive C-H{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}O interactions. Pyrazole formation proceeds via a novel nitrogen to carbon migration of the carboalkoxy group.

}, doi = {10.1021/ol0604623}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Mohanan, Kishor and Eringathodi, Suresh} } @article { ISI:000242775600009, title = {Oxovanadium(IV) complex of 2-(alpha-hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole covalently bonded to chloromethylated polystyrene for oxidation of benzoin}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {315}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {74-82}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Vanadyl sulphate reacts with 2-(alpha-hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole covalently bonded to chloromethylated polystyrene (PS-Hhebmz) cross-linked with 5\% divinyl benzene to give PS-[VO(hebmZ)(2)]. Characterisation of the catalyst was carried out by IR, electronic and EPR spectroscopic studies, thermogravimetry, scanning electron micrographs and elemental analyses. Catalytic potential of the complex was tested for the oxidation of benzoin using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant in methanol where benzil, methylbenzoate, benzoic acid and dimethylacetal were obtained as products. Various parameters such as different solvents and concentration of the substrate as well as oxidant have been taken into consideration for the maximum oxidation of the benzoin. Under optimised reaction conditions, a maximum of 98.9\% conversion of the benzoin was achieved after 6 h of reaction time where selectivity of the obtained reaction products varied in the order: methylbenzoate (48.5\%) \> benzil (19.5\%) \> dimethylacetal (17.1\%) \> benzoic acid (11.5\%). Neat complex was also prepared to compare its catalytic property with polymer-anchored one. EPR spectra of neat and polymer anchored catalyst are characteristics of V(IV) complexes with typical axial pattern and possible square pyramidal geometry. The identical EPR spectral patterns of both freshly prepared and recovered anchored catalysts indicate that the complex is stable and the coordination environment is retained at the end of the catalytic reaction. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-(alpha-hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole, oxidation of benzoin, polymer-anchored complex, Polystyrene, vanadium(IV) complex}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.09.003}, author = {Maurya, Mannar R. and Sikarwar, Sweta and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000240615500001, title = {Oxy-CO2 reforming of methane to syngas over CoOx/CeO2/SA-5205 catalyst}, journal = {Energy \& Fuel}, volume = {20}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1753-1756}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The oxy-CO2 methane reforming (OCRM) process has been investigated over the CoOx/CeO2/SA-5205 catalyst at varying reaction temperatures (750-900 degrees C), O-2/CH4 ratios (0.3- 0.45), and space velocities (20 000 - 100 000 cm(3)/g/h). With an increasing OCRM reaction temperature, the contribution from the CO2 methane reforming reaction increased while that from methane combustion reactions decreased. Correspondingly, there was an increase in the H-2/CO ratio and a sharp decrease in reaction exothermicity. At 900 C (gas hourly space velocity = 46 000 cm(3)/g/h and O-2/CH4 = 0.4), the OCRM reaction over the CoOx/CeO2/SA-5205 catalyst was mildly endothermic with \> 90\% CH4 conversion, \> 95\% H-2 selectivity, and a H-2/CO ratio of 1.63. CH4 conversion was relatively unaffected by the O-2/CH4 ratio used in the OCRM reaction; however, CO2 conversion decreased on increasing the O-2/CH4 ratio. While H-2 selectivity was not significantly affected by the O-2/CH4 ratio, the H-2/CO ratio increased linearly with an increasing O-2/CH4 ratio. The endothermicity of the reaction was found to decrease with an increasing CH4/O-2 ratio, which can be explained on the basis of increased contribution from the methane partial oxidation reaction with an increasing O-2/CH4 ratio.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/ef060138o}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @article { ISI:000241929400015, title = {Oxy-CO2 reforming of methane to syngas over CoOx/MgO/SA-5205 catalyst}, journal = {Fuel}, volume = {85}, number = {17-18}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2484-2488}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The OXY-CO2 methane reforming reaction (OCRM) has been investigated over CoOx supported on a MgO precoated highly macroporous silica-alumina catalyst carrier (SA-5205) at different reaction temperatures (700-900 degrees C), O-2/CH4 ratios (0.3-0.45) and space velocites (20,000-100,000cc/g/h). The reaction temperature had a profound influence on the OCRM performance over the CoO/MgO/SA-5205 catalyst; the methane conversion, CO2 conversion and H-2 selectivity increased while the H-2/CO ratio decreased markedly with increasing reaction temperature. While the O-2/CH4 ratio did not strongly affect the CH4 and CO2 conversion and H-2 selectivity, it had an intense influence on the H-2/CO ratio. The CH4 and CO2 conversion and the H-2 selectivity decreased while the H-2/CO increased with increasing space velocity. The O-2/CH4 ratio and the reaction temperature could be used to manipulate the heat of the reaction for the OCRM process. Depending on the O-2/CH4 ratio and temperature the OCRM process could be operated in a mildly exothermic, thermal neutral or mildly endothermic mode. The OCRM reaction became almost thermoneutral at an OCRM reaction temperature of 850 degrees C, O-2/CH4 ratio of 0.45 and space velocity of 46,000 cc/g/h. The CH4 conversion and H-2 selectivity over the CoO/MgO/SA-5205 catalyst corresponding to thermoneutral conditions were excellent: 95\% and 97\%, respectively with a H-2/CO ratio of 1.8. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {methane, oxy-CO2 reforming, Syngas}, issn = {0016-2361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2006.04.013}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @article { ISI:000237651600007, title = {Palladium mediated cycloisomerization of sugar alkynols: synthesis of cyclic enol-ethers and spiroketals}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {22}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3649-3652}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Functionalized bicyclic enol-ethers and spiroketals are prepared by Pd catalyzed cycloisomerization of 3-C-alkynylfuranosyl derivatives. Cycloisomerization of differently substituted alkyne derivatives revealed a preference for 6-endo-dig cyclization over 5-exo-dig if the substituent is not sufficiently electron withdrawing. The scope of these cycloisomerizations has been further extended by integrating with conjugate addition. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {c-alkynylfuranose, cycloisomerization, enol-ether, Palladium, Spiroketal}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.143}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mallik, Rosy and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000238056800007, title = {Partial oxidation of methane to syngas with or without simultaneous steam or CO2 reforming over a high-temperature stable-NiCoMgCeOx supported on zirconia-hafnia catalyst}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {306}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {45-50}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A NiCoMgCeOx (Ni/Co/Mg/Ce: 1:0.2:1.2:1.2)/zirconia-hafnia catalyst with unusually high thermal stability has been investigated for syngas generation via a process that includes the catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM), the oxidative steam reforming of methane (OSRM) and the oxidative CO2 reforming of methane (OCRM). The catalyst calcined at 1400 degrees C (for 4 h) showed excellent activity/selectivity for the CPOM, OSRM and the OCRM reactions; furthermore no catalyst deactivation was observed for a period of 20 h. For the CPOM process, the selectivity for H-2 was \> 95\% at reaction temperatures \> 650 degrees C however temperatures above 800 degrees C were required to achieve \> 95\% CO selectivity. While the reaction temperature had a considerable influence on the CPOM product H-2/CO ratio, the space velocity (at 850 degrees C) did not affect it to any significant extent. For the OSRM process, the H2O/CH4 ratio and the reaction temperature had a strong effect on the product H-2/CO ratio and the heat of the reaction; depending on the H2O/CH4 ratio and reaction temperature, the OSRM process could be operated in a mildly exothermic, thermoneutral or mildly endothermic mode. The CO2 conversion was very strongly affected by the reaction temperature in the OCRM process; reasonably high CO2 conversion ( \> 40\%) could only be obtained at high OCRM reaction temperatures ( \> 850 degrees C). The exothermicity of the OCRM reaction was found to decrease with increasing reaction temperature. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dry (CO2) reforming, high-temperature stable, methane, oxy-steam reforming, Partial oxidation, Steam reforming, Syngas}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.03.032}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @article { ISI:000237158200003, title = {Phase evolution of NiTiO3 prepared by coprecipitation method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {15}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1791-1792}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple coprecipitation technique was used for the preparation of NiTiO3 powders. Ammonium carbonate solution was added to a solution mixture containing stoichiometric amounts of Ni(NO3)(2) and TiOCl2 to precipitate nickel as carbonate and titanium as hydroxide under basic conditions. The precipitate was calcined at different temperatures ranging from 100 to 800 degrees C and phase evolution of NiTiO3 was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. It is observed that nickel titanate was formed at 750 degrees C. For comparison, NiTiO3 was also prepared by standard ceramic process. Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All fights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, NiTiO3, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.12.023}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Samuel, V. and Navale, S. C. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000241849900014, title = {Photoelectrochemical properties of electrochemically deposited CdIn2S4 thin films}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids}, volume = {67}, number = {11}, year = {2006}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2331-2336}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Thin films of CdIn2S4 have been deposited on to stainless steel and fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated glass substrates from aqueous acidic bath using an electrodeposition technique. Ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) disodium salt is used as complexing agent to obtain good-quality deposits by controlling the rate of the reaction. The different preparative parameters like concentration of bath, deposition time, bath temperature, pH of the bath have been optimized by the photoelectrochemical (PEC) technique in order to get good-quality photosensitive material. Different techniques have been used to characterize CdIn2S4 thin films. Optical absorption shows the presence of direct transition with band gap energy 2.17 eV. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the as-deposited and annealed films showed the presence of polycrystalline nature. Energy-dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) study for the sample deposited at optimized preparative parameters shows that the In-to-Cd ratio is almost 2 and S-to-Cd ratio is almost 4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for samples deposited at optimized preparative parameters reveals that spherical grains are uniformly distributed over the surface of the substrate indicates the well-defined growth of polycrystalline CdIn2S4 thin film. PEC characterization of the films is carried out by studying photoresponse, spectral response and photovoltaic output characteristics. The fill factor (ff) and power conversion efficiency (eta) of the cell are 69 and 2.94\%, respectively. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Thin films, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0022-3697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2006.05.022}, author = {Kokate, A. V. and Asabe, M. R. and Delekar, S. D. and Gavali, L. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Hankare, P. P. and Chougule, B. K.} } @article { ISI:000240680300119, title = {Photoluminescence studies of Eu3+ doped Y2O3 nanophosphor prepared by microwave hydrothermal method}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {89}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {123120}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

In this letter, the authors report the photoluminescence studies of Eu3+ doped Y2O3 nanorods, which have been synthesized by rapid microwave hydrothermal route within 6 min. The nanostructured Eu3+ doped Y2O3 is characterized by x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence. The emission spectrum shows transitions from the excited 5D(0) state to F-7(J) (J=0,1,2,3,4) levels of the Eu3+ ion. The most intense peak around 612 nm is due to the D-5(0)-\> F-7(2) transition, expected from the Judd-Ofelt selection rules [B. R. Judd, Phys. Rev. 127, 750 (1962); G. S. Ofelt, J. Chem. Phys. 37, 511 (1962)]. Photoluminescence measurements demonstrated that the nanocrystalline Eu3+:Y2O3 phase shows higher photoluminescence intensity. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2356694}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Viswanath, Annamraju Kasi and Ravi, V. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Saaminathan, V.} } @article { ISI:000243088200025, title = {Photooxidation of vulcanized EPDM/montmorillonite nanocomposites}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {91}, number = {12}, year = {2006}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3033-3039}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The photooxidation of a vulcanized ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM)/montmorillonite nanocomposite as well as EPDM/nanocomposite with stabilizers was studied under accelerated UV-light irradiation (lambda \>= 300 nm, 60 degrees C) for different times. The development of functional groups during oxidation was monitored by infrared spectroscopy. Photodegradation of the neat polymer and composites took place and the increases of absorbance in hydroxyl and carbonyl groups with irradiation times and also the decreases of the EPDM unsaturations were measured. The data indicated that the photooxidation products were not changed in the presence of the nanofiller. However, the presence of MMt was observed to dramatically enhance the rate of photooxidation of EPDM with a shortening of the oxidation induction time, leading to a decrease of the durability of the nanocomposites. On the other hand, it was observed that addition of stabilizers, either Tinuvin P or 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, was efficient in inhibiting the degradative effect of MMt. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {EPDM, Nanocomposite, photooxidation rate, stabilization}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2006.08.026}, author = {Morlat-Therias, Sandrine and Fanton, Elisabeth and Tomer, Namrata S. and Rana, Sravendra and Singh, R. P. and Gardette, Jean Luc} } @article { ISI:000238072500037, title = {Pictet-Spengler cyclization in room temperature ionic liquid: a convenient access to tetrahydro beta-carbolines}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {43}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {767-772}, publisher = {HETERO CORPORATION}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 170, PROVO, UT 84603-0170 USA}, abstract = {

1,2,3,4-Tetrahydro-beta-carbolines have been synthesized in moderate to good yields in short reaction time using the ionic liquid [bbim] BF4 as reaction medium and promoter. There was no need for the use of an additional catalyst normally employed in Pictet-Spengler condensation.

}, issn = {0022-152X}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and More, Shivaji V. and Garud, Dinesh R. and Ramana, C. V. and Joshi, Rohini R. and Joshi, Ramesh A.} } @article { ISI:000238131800003, title = {Plastics materials flow analysis for India}, journal = {Resources Conservation and Recycling}, volume = {47}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {222-244}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Forecasting material flows is essential for sound policy making on issues relating to waste management. This paper presents the results of the plastics materials flow analysis (MFA) for India. In the recent past, India has witnessed a substantial growth in the consumption of plastics and an increased production of plastic waste. Polyolefins account for the major share of 60\% in the total plastics consumption in India. Packaging is the major plastics consuming sector, with 42\% of the total consumption, followed by consumer products and the construction industry. The relationship observed between plastic consumption and the gross domestic product for several countries was used to estimate future plastics consumption (master curve). Elasticities of the individual material growth with respect to GDP were established for the past and for the next three decades estimated for India thereby assuming a development comparable with that of Western Europe. On this basis, the total plastics consumption is projected to grow by a factor of 6 between 2000 and 2030. The consumption of various end products is combined with their corresponding lifetimes to calculate the total waste quantities. The weighted average lifetime of plastics products was calculated as 8 years. Forty-seven percent of the total plastics waste generated is currently recycled in India; this is much higher than the share of recycling in most of the other countries. The recycling sector alone employs as many people as the plastics processing sector, which employs about eight times more people than the plastics manufacturing sector. Due to the increasing share of long-life products in the economy, and consequently in the volume of waste generated, the share of recycling will decrease to 35\% over the next three decades. The total waste available for disposal (excluding recycling) will increase at least 10-fold up to the year 2030 from its current level of 1.3 million tonnes. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {employment, India, material flow analysis (MFA), plastics, plastics consumption, plastics waste, Recycling, reuse}, issn = {0921-3449}, doi = {10.1016/j.resconrec.2005.09.003}, author = {Mutha, N. H. and Patel, M. and Premnath, V.} } @article {KULKARNI, title = {Polymer supported vanadium and molybdenum complexes as potential catalysts for the oxidation and oxidative bromination of organic substrates}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, number = {29}, year = {2006}, note = {Conference on Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics, Calcutta, INDIA, DEC 13-15, 2005}, month = {APR}, pages = {3561-3575}, publisher = {Indian Assoc Cultivat Sci}, type = {Review}, address = {PO BOX 128 FARRER RD, SINGAPORE 9128, SINGAPORE}, abstract = {

{The Schiff base (H(2)fsal-ohyba) derived from 3-formylsalicylic acid and o-hydroxybenzylamine has been covalently bonded to chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 5\% divinylbenzene ( abbreviated as PS-H(2)fsal-ohyba, I). Treatment of [

}, keywords = {Bile acids, bis-steroids, hybrids, Peptides, polyamines, saponins, steroidal conjugates, synthetic ionophores}, doi = {10.1039/b600822d}, author = {Maurya, Mannar R. and Kumar, Umesh and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000236590300058, title = {Poly(o-toluidine) coatings on copper: electrochemical synthesis from aqueous media}, journal = {Surface \& Coating Technology}, volume = {200}, number = {16-17}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {5094-5101}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Poly(o-toluidine) (POT) coatings were synthesized on copper (Cu) by electrochemical polymerization of o-toluidine using aqueous sodium oxalate solution as supporting electrolyte. The resulting coatings were uniform, compact and strongly adherent to the Cu substrate. These coatings were characterized by using cyclic voltammetry, UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of these studies reveal that the sodium oxalate is suitable supporting electrolyte for the electrochemical polymerization of o-toluidine on Cu substrate. It is found that the electrochemical polymerization of o-toluidine takes place after the passivation of the Cu substrate via formation of copper oxalate (CuC2O4, H2O) layer, which is confirmed by XRD and XPS. The optical absorption spectroscopy study reveals the exclusive formation of the pernigraniline base (PB) form of POT. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Conducting polymer coatings, Copper, Corrosion resistant coatings, cyclic voltammetry, poly(o-toluidine) coatings}, issn = {0257-8972}, doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2005.05.026}, author = {Shinde, V. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Patil, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000241106900008, title = {Preparation and characterization of sulfonated syndiotactic polystyrene ionomers/organoclay nanocomposites}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {39}, number = {21}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7199-7203}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma061471u}, author = {Govindaiah, P. and Mallikarjuna, S. R. and Ramesh, C.} } @article { ISI:000234951400008, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric BaBi4Ti4O15 by Pechini method}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {60}, number = {8}, year = {2006}, month = {APR}, pages = {1023-1025}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when an aqueous solution of BaCl2, BiNO3, TiOCl2 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 600 degrees C produced the nano crystallites of ternary oxide, BaBi4Ti4O15 (BBT). The phase contents and lattice parameters were Studied by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at I KHz is 90. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied by a home built Sawyer-tower circuit. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dielectric properties, Electron microscopy, ferroelectric properties, powders chemical preparation}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2005.10.068}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Navale, S. C. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000237725100015, title = {Regioselective nitration of cumene to 4-nitro cumene using nitric acid over solid acid catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {7}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {394-398}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The regioselective nitration of cumene to 4-nitro cumene (4-NC) has been carried out using 70\% nitric acid over MoO3/SiO2 solid acid catalyst with high conversion (62\%) and selectivity (68\%) for 4-NC. A series of MoO3/SiO2 catalysts with different MoO3 loadings (1-20 mol\%) were prepared by sol-gel technique and characterized using different characterization techniques. XRD analysis revealed the amorphous nature of the catalyst up to 10-mol\% MoO3 loading and formation of alpha-MoO3 crystalline phase on amorphous high surface area mesoporous silica support at higher MoO3 loading. Maximum conversion and selectivity has been obtained with slower addition of nitric acid and simultaneous azeotropic removal of water formed during the reaction. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cumene, nitration, ring nitration, side chain nitration, solid acid catalyst}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2005.12.022}, author = {Mathew, Sanyo M. and Biradar, Ankush V. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Dongare, Mohan K.} } @article { ISI:000238416100033, title = {Ring hydrogenation of naphthalene and 1-naphthol over supported metal catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {115}, number = {1-4}, year = {2006}, note = {8th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Univ Oslo, Oslo, NORWAY, JUN 20-23, 2005}, month = {JUN}, pages = {248-253}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Catalytic ring hydrogenations of naphthalene and 1-naphthol were studied over several supported metal catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent at low temperature. Higher concentration of hydrogen in supercritical carbon dioxide and lower reaction temperature were responsible for higher catalyst activity and selectivities to the desired partial ring hydrogenated products as compared with those observed in organic solvent for the same catalyst. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-naphthol, Hydrogenation, Naphthalene, Supercritical carbon dioxide, supported metal catalyst}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2006.02.048}, author = {Shirai, M. and Rode, C. V. and Mine, Eiichi and Sasaki, A. and Sato, O. and Hiyoshi, Norihito} } @article {42758, title = {Ruthenium(II), copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of large bite bisphosphinite, bis(2-diphenylphosphinoxynaphthalen-1-yl)methane: Application of Ru(II) complexes towards the hydrogenation of styrene and phenylacetylene}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {691}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4265{\textendash}4272}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ruthenium(II), copper(I) and silver(I) complexes of large bite bisphosphinite Ph2P{(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)}PPh2 (1) are described. Reactions of bisphosphinite 1 with [Ru(η6-p-cymene)(μ-Cl)Cl]2 and RuCl2(PPh3)3 afford mono- and bis-chelate complexes [RuCl(η6-p-cymene){η2-Ph2P{(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)}PPh2-κP,κP}]Cl (2) and trans-[RuCl2{η2-Ph2P{(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)}PPh2-κP,κP}2] (3), respectively. Treatment of 1 with CuX (X = Cl, Br and I) furnish 10-membered chelate complexes of the type [Cu(X){η2-Ph2P(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)PPh2-κP,κP}] (4, X = Cl; 5, X = Br; 6, X = I), whereas [Cu(MeCN)4]PF6 affords a bis-chelated cationic complex [Cu{η2-Ph2P(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)PPh2-κP,κP}2][PF6] (7). Reaction between 1 and AgOTf produce both mono- and bis-chelated complexes [Ag{η2-Ph2P(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)PPh2-κP,κP}(SO3CF3)] (8) and [Ag{η2-Ph2P(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)PPh2-κP,κP}2][SO3CF3] (9), respectively; whereas the similar reaction of 1 with[Ag(OTf)PPh3] affords chelate complex of the type [Ag{η2-Ph2P(-OC10H6)(μ-CH2)(C10H6O-)PPh2-κP,κP}(PPh3)(SO3CF3)] (10). All the complexes were characterized by 1H NMR, 31P NMR, elemental analysis and mass spectrometry, including low-temperature NMR studies in the case of silver complexes. The molecular structures of 4 and 6 are determined by X-ray diffraction studies. Ruthenium complexes 2 and 3 promote catalytic hydrogenation of styrene and phenylacetylene with good turnover numbers.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2006.06.040}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000240439900043, title = {Selective hydrogenation of naphthols to tetralones over supported palladium catalysts in supercritical carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Chemistry Letters}, volume = {35}, number = {7}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {780-781}, publisher = {CHEMICAL SOC JAPAN}, type = {Article}, address = {1-5 KANDA-SURUGADAI CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-8307, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Naphthols were selectively hydrogenated to the corresponding tetralones over supported palladium metal catalysts in super-critical carbon dioxide solvent.

}, issn = {0366-7022}, doi = {10.1246/cl.2006.780}, author = {Mine, Eiichi and Hiyoshi, Norihito and Sato, Osamu and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article { ISI:000242524100005, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of the polyketide chain of nagahamide A}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {17}, number = {18}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2609-2616}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A carbohydrate based approach for the enantioselective synthesis of the polyketide acid unit present in nagahamide A has been reported. Reductive ring opening of a chiral cyclopropane ketone group to enantioselectively install the methyl and propyl groups, is a salient feature of this synthesis. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2006.09.025}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Chaudhuri, Siddhartha Ray and Sahoo, Gokarneswar and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000238097300041, title = {Subtle crossover from C-H center dot center dot center dot O to S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O short contacts in the association of diastereomers of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate upon format}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1485-1492}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Diastereomers of 2,4(6)- di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate associate via weak interactions to form {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}head-to-head{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} dimers in their crystals. Molecular association through C-H center dot center dot center dot O short contacts do not leave any void for the guest inclusion, while association through S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O bridging produces pseudopolymorphs. Three crystalline modifications are observed for the title compound: form I, monoclinic P2(1), without any guest solvent, and solvated forms II and III, that belong to monoclinic space groups P2(1) and C2, respectively. A majority of solvates, which include pyridine, dichloromethane, benzene, tetrahydrofuran, and cyclohexanone as guests, belong to form III. All these guests have 2-fold symmetry axes ( C2) with their electron count within 40-62 electrons; guest selectivity experiments indicate that planar aromatic guests ( pyridine, benzene) bind better to the host molecules as compared to nonplanar guests ( dioxane, cyclohexanone). The molecular packing that is created thorough channels in the crystal ( avoiding interpenetration of the layers) are of interest because of their potential application in molecular separation by forming selective inclusions. The diastereomeric association via S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O dipolar short contacts, a consistent feature observed in all the solvates, is thought to have relevance in the binding of sulfonyl drugs to the C=O moieties of the receptor proteins.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg060127l}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000238294800037, title = {Suppression of electron-transfer characteristics of ferrocene by OTS monolayer on a silicon/electrolyte interface}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {299}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, month = {JUL}, pages = {777-784}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The passivating behavior of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) on an n-type Si(100) electrode with and without a redox species like ferrocene in a polar non-aqueous medium has been investigated using techniques like contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to understand the role of the monolayer. The electron-transfer behavior of ferrocene is found to be drastically affected by the presence of monolayer and the reasons for these are analyzed as a function of the change in resistance, dielectric thickness and coverage of the monolayer. Electrochemical impedance analysis in the presence of ferrocene gives the monolayer coverage as 0.998 and the apparent rate constant calculated from this gives 4.85 x 10(-12) cm s(-1) in comparison with 4.4 x 10(-8) cm s(-1) for a similar electrode without any monolayer. A positive shift of 200 mV in the flat-band potential after monolayer formation also suggests the covalent coupling of the silane nionolayer offering a protective barrier. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, ferrocene, impedance analysis, octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), rate constant, self-assembled monolayer (SAM)}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2006.03.013}, author = {Kulkarni, S. A. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, V. K.} } @conference { ISI:000238125903326, title = {Surface characterization of diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) and various hydrophobic moieties}, booktitle = {231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society}, volume = {231}, year = {2006}, note = {231st National Meeting of the American-Chemical-Society, Atlanta, GA, MAR 26-30, 2006}, month = {MAR}, pages = {326-COLL}, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society}, organization = {American-Chemical-Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Logan, Jennifer and Marcano, Kyle and Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar and Wadgaonkar, Prakash and Jost, Robert W. and Wudl, Fred and Baker, Shenda M.} } @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 {42762, title = {Synthesis of neutral (PdII, PtII), Cationic (PdII), and water-induced anionic (PdII) complexes containing new mesocyclic thioether-aminophosphonite ligands and their application in the suzuki cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2006}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9454{\textendash}9464}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mesocyclic thioether-aminophosphonite ligands, {-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PNC4H8O (2a, 4-(dinaphtho[2,1-d:1{\textquoteleft},2{\textquoteleft}-g][1,3,6,2]dioxathiaphosphocin-4-yl)morpholine) and {-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PNC4H8NCH3 (2b, 1-(dinaphtho[2,1-d:1{\textquoteleft},2{\textquoteleft}-g][1,3,6,2]dioxathiaphosphocin-4-yl)-4-methylpiperazine) are obtained by reacting {-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PCl (1) with corresponding nucleophiles. The ligands 2a and 2b react with (PhCN)2PdCl2 or M(COD)Cl2 (M = PdII or PtII) to afford P-coordinated cis-complexes, [{(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)PNC4H8X-κP}2MCl2] (3a, M = PdII, X = O; 3b, M = PdII, X = NMe; 4a, M = PtII, X = O; 4b, M = PtII, X = NMe). Compounds 2a and 2b, upon treatment with [Pd(η3-C3H5)Cl]2 in the presence of AgOTf, produce the P,S-chelated cationic complexes, [{(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)PNC4H8X-κP,κS}Pd(η3-C3H5)](CF3SO3) (5a, X = O and 5b, X = NMe). Treatment of 2a and 2b with (PhCN)2PdCl2 in the presence of trace amount of H2O affords P,S-chelated anionic complexes, [{(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)P(O)-κP,κS}PdCl2](H2NC4H8X) (6a, X = O and 6b, X = NMe), via P-N bond cleavage. The crystal structures of compounds 1, 2a, 2b, 4a, and 6a are reported. Compound 6a is a rare example of crystallographically characterized anionic transition metal complex containing a thioether-phosphonate ligand. Most of these palladium complexes proved to be very active catalysts for the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction with excellent turnover number ((TON), up to 9.2 {\texttimes} 104 using complex 6a as a catalyst).

}, doi = {10.1021/ic061419e}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000236986000027, title = {Synthesis of spiroannulated dihydroisobenzofuranylated monosaccharides}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {19}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3307-3310}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of spiroannulated dihydroisobenzofurans is achieved using easily accessible carbohydrate-derived furanyl propargyl ethers via an AuCl3 promoted intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reaction. The scope of the spiroannulation protocol was demonstrated using a diverse range of pentofuranosyl, hexofuransoyl and hexopyranosyl derived substrates in order to synthesize spiroannulated dihydroisobenzofurans. The reaction is high yielding, moisture tolerant, fast and uses only a catalytic amount of AuCl3. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.016}, author = {Maurya, S. K. and Hotha, Srinivas} } @article { ISI:000239885000005, title = {Synthesis of the spiro fused beta-lactone-gamma-lactam segment of oxazolomycin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {34}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6031-6035}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An effective synthetic strategy for construction of the novel spiro-bicyclic beta-lactone-gamma-lactam system present in oxazolomycin has been demonstrated. The 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidine ring system was constructed via an Evans aldol reaction. The spiro-beta-lactone ring was elaborated from a gem-hydroxymethyl moiety that was successfully installed by an aldol followed by a crossed Cannizzaro reaction. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {crossed Cannizzaro reaction, Evans{\textquoteright} aldol reaction, Garner{\textquoteright}s aldehyde, intramolecular Mitsunobu reaction, ruthenium tetroxide oxidation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.06.117}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Mondal, Dhananjoy and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000238012800020, title = {Synthetic studies toward macrocidins: an RCM approach for the construction of the central cyclic core}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {47}, number = {24}, year = {2006}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4061-4064}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The central macrocyclic core of the macrocidins was constructed using RCM as the key reaction. A preliminary investigation dealing with the key reactions, that is, the Dieckmann cyclization and the RCM, revealed that RCM of the beta-ketoamide is better than RCM of the corresponding acyltetramic acid. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {acyltetramic acid, Lacey-Dieckmann cyclization, macrocidins, Ring closing metathesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.03.192}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000236150300039, title = {Thermotropic behavior of lithocholic acid derivative linked hydroxyethyl cellulose}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {100}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1995-2001}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Various mesogenic lithocholic acid (LA) derivatives [3-acetyl LA (LAAC); 3-propionyl LA (LAP), 3-cinnamoyl LA (LACin); 3-benzoyl LA (LAB), 3-(4-nitrobenzoyl) LA (LANB); and methyl-3-(3-carboxypropionyl) LA, i.e., LA methyl ester monosuccinate (LAMeMS)] were reacted with hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) to obtain a series of LA derivatives of HEC. These polymers were characterized by the mesogen content, 1.1, differential scanning calorimetry, and hot-stage coupled polarizing optical microscopy. The degree Of Substitution (DS) ranged from 0.27 to 1.11. Polymers HEC-LAB (DS = 1.11), HEC-LANB (DS = 0.80), HEC-LACin (DS = 0.76), and HEC-LAP (DS = 0.27) exhibited a mesophase on heating whereas HEC-LAB also showed a mesophase on cooling. The other polymers HEC-LAAC (DS = 0.89) and HEC-LAMeMS (DS = 0.36) did not reveal mesophase formation with either heating or cooling. It is observed that the formation of a mesophase is affected by the type of mesogen that is used rather than the mesogen content of the polymer. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {hydroxyethyl cellulose, lithocholic acid, thermotropic}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.22285}, author = {Shaikh, V. A. E. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Lonikar, Shrikant Vitthal and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, S.} } @article { ISI:000240639000014, title = {Transesterification of cyclic carbonates with methanol at ambient conditions over tungstate-based solid catalysts}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {312}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {108-114}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Dimethyl carbonate synthesis with 80 mol\% yield is achieved through transesterification of ethylene carbonate with methanol at ambient conditions (RT and atmospheric pressure) using alkali and alkaline-earth tungstates as solid catalysts. The catalysts are efficient even at the sub-ambient temperatures. Reactions under CO2 pressure indicate that CO2 atmosphere retards the transesterification reaction completely below 100 degrees C. Experimental conditions of 150 degrees C and 3.4 MPa CO2 pressure are required to obtain maximum DMC yield of 71 mol\%. Synthesis of DMC by one-pot synthesis using epoxide, CO2 and methanol is not as effective as that by two-step method with the present catalyst system. Raman and IR spectra of methanol-interacting tungstates indicate the formation of a methoxide ion species adsorbed at the catalyst surface as one possible reaction intermediates. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dimethyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, heterogeneous catalyst, Raman spectroscopy, sodium tungstate, transesterification}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.06.034}, author = {Sankar, M. and Nair, C. Madhavan and Murty, K. V. G. K. and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000238771400023, title = {Treatment of spentwash using chemically modified bagasse and colour removal studies}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {97}, number = {14}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1752-1755}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Studies were carried out on derivatisation of bagasse into an ion exchange material and application of this chemically modified bagasse in the treatment of distillery wastewater. It was found that CHPTAC bagasse with HCl treatment and DEAE-bagasse in its free base form were most effective in colour removal and the mechanism of colour removal indicated significant contribution of both, the conventional ion exchange and the chemical sorption. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

}, keywords = {decolourisation, distillery effluent, modified biomass, vinasse}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2005.10.016}, author = {Mane, Jyoti D. and Modi, Shewta and Nagawade, Swati and Phadnis, S. P. and Bhandari, Vinay M.} } @article { ISI:000239400800053, title = {Unfavorable coordination of copper with methyl vinyl ketone in atom transfer radical polymerization}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {39}, number = {16}, year = {2006}, month = {AUG }, pages = {5555-5558}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma060365p}, author = {Mittal, A. and Sivaram, S. and Baskaran, D.} } @article { ISI:000237524500009, title = {Well-defined poly(4-vinylbenzocyclobutene): synthesis by living anionic polymerization and characterization}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {39}, number = {10}, year = {2006}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3525-3530}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Living anionic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzocylobutene was performed in benzene at room temperature using sec-butyllithium as the initiator. Results of the kinetic studies indicated the termination- and transfer-free nature of the polymerization. Homopolymers with predictable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions were produced, excluding the interference of the cyclobutene rings during initiation and propagation. Thermogravimetric analysis of poly( 4-vinylbenzocyclobutene) in air showed a small weight gain at similar to 200 degrees C, a rapid decomposition at similar to 455 degrees C, and a gradual decomposition at similar to 566 degrees C. This behavior was attributed to the formation of radicals from the pendent benzocyclobutene functionality through o-quinodimethane intermediates and simultaneous decomposition/ cross-linking reactions at high temperature. The living nature of the polymerization was also examined via sequential copolymerization with butadiene to form diblock copolymers.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma060175e}, author = {Sakellariou, G. and Baskaran, D. and Hadjichristidis, Nikos and Mays, Jimmy W.} } @article { ISI:000240496500030, title = {ZnO multipods, submicron wires, and spherical structures and their unique field emission behavior}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {110}, number = {37}, year = {2006}, month = {SEP}, pages = {18236-18242}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A simple method of vapor deposition for the shape selective synthesis of ZnO structures, namely, multipods, submicron wires, and spheres, has been successfully demonstrated. A plausible growth mechanism based on the studies of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is proposed. Our studies suggest that the growth of a multipod structure is governed by the screw dislocation propagation while the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism is responsible for the formation of submicron wires and spheres. Moreover, the flow rate of the carrier gas plays a crucial role in governing the morphology. Further, these structures exhibit an enhanced field emission behavior. The nonlinearity in the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot, a characteristic feature of electron emission from semiconductors, is explained by considering the contributions from both the conduction and the valence bands of ZnO.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp0628131}, author = {Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Bhise, Ashok B. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Joag, Dilip S. and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000243831600015, title = {Acylation of anisole with long-chain carboxylic acids over wide pore zeolites}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {317}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {250-257}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The acylation of anisole with long-chain carboxylic acids (hexanoic, octanoic and decanoic) has been studied over three large pore zeolites-beta (BEA), faujasite (FAU) and mordenite (MOR). The acylation of anisole with the long chain acids produced mainly the ketone (4-methoxy phenyl alkyl ketone) and small amounts of the ester (phenyl alkanoate). The results revealed the reaction to be influenced by the type of zeolite and its Si/Al ratio (acidity) besides the chain length (carbon number) of the carboxylic acid. In the acylation of anisole with hexanoic acid, the activity of the zeolites increased with dealumination as it led to the generation of mesopores that resulted in a decrease in diffusion resistance of the zeolites. The reactivity of the acids in the acylation reaction was found to decrease with increase in the carbon number. The experimental data have been fitted into a pseudo first order kinetic model. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acylation, Anisole, decanoic acid, hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, zeolites}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2006.10.023}, author = {Wagholikar, S. G. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Mayadevi, S. and Sivasanker, S.} } @article { ISI:000242511300022, title = {Adsorption of methanol on mesoporous SBA-15}, journal = {Materials Letter}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {88-92}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The adsorption of methanol onmesoporous SBA-15 has been studiedbyrising Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoclectrom spectroscopy (XPS) and tbennogravimettic analysis (TGA). The BET surface area analysis shows decreases of the surface area from 387 to 383 m(2)/g, pore volume from 0.88 to 0.81 cm(3)/g and pore diameter from 9.07 to 8.4 mm after methanol adsorption. The appearance of strong IR bands at 2862 and 2964cm(-1) due to methyl (-CH3) symmetric and asymmetric stretching demonstrate the presence of methanol and evidence of successful methanol adsorption. XPS results show increase of carbon and oxygen content on the surface of SBA-15. Thermogravirriettic analysis shows that the methanol adsorbed on SBA-15 is stable up to a temperature of 265 degrees C and that the methanol adlayers decompose between 265 and 588 degrees C. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Electron microscopy, Methanol, SBA-15, Surfaces, thermal stability}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2006.04.012}, author = {Mirji, S. A. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Mathew, Nevin T. and Jacob, Nalini E. and Patil, K. R. and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000247759200023, title = {Adsorption of zinc from aqueous solution using chemically treated newspaper pulp}, journal = {Bioresource Technology }, volume = {98}, number = {16}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3136-3141}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Adsorption of zinc was studied using chemically modified newspaper pull) as an adsorbent in the aqueous medium. Quantitative chemical analysis showed the presence of trace quantities of some inorganic elements along with phosphorous in TNP. The experimental adsorption data fitted reasonably well to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm. pHzpc of TNP was 5.1, which indicated that the adsorbent was more potential for cationic adsorption. The adsorption kinetic data followed a pseudo-second order model for zinc. Optimum Zn2+ loading was 9.20 mg/g for 10.31 mg/l initial zinc concentration at pH 5.80. Zn2+ loading on TNP was dependent on initial zinc concentration. TNP was a potential adsorbent for the removal of Zn from the effluent of electroplating industry. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, newspaper pulp, TNP, zinc}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2006.10.040}, author = {Chakravarty, S. and Bhattacharjee, S. and Gupta, K. K. and Singh, M. and Chaturvedi, Hema T. and Maity, S.} } @article { ISI:000250661500014, title = {All-solid-state{\textquoteright} electrochemistry of a protein-confined polymer electrolyte film}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {364}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {86-91}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Interfacial redox behavior of a heme protein (hemoglobin) confined in a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, Nafion (a perfluoro sulfonic acid ionomer) is investigated using a unique {\textquoteleft}all-solid-state{\textquoteright} electrochemical methodology. The supple phase-separated structure of the polymer electrolyte membrane, with hydrophilic pools containing solvated protons and water molecules, is found to preserve the incorporated protein in its active form even in the solid-state, using UV-visible, Fluorescence (of Tryptophan and Tyrosine residues) and DRIFT (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform) spectroscopy. More specifically, solid-state cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance of the protein-incorporated polymer films reveal that the Fe2+-form of the entrapped protein is found to bind molecular oxygen more strongly than the native protein. In the {\textquoteleft}all-solid-state{\textquoteright} methodology, as there is no need to dip the protein-modified electrode in a liquid electrolyte (like the conventional electrochemical methods), it offers an easier means to study a number of proteins in a variety of polymer matrices (even biomimetic assemblies). In addition, the results of the present investigation could find interesting application in a variety of research disciplines, in addition to its fundamental scientific interest, including protein biotechnology, pharmaceutical and biomimetic chemistry. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {all-solid-state, cyclic voltammetry, hemoglobin, Impedance, Nafion, redox behavior}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2007.09.118}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Shabab, Mohammed and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article { ISI:000245334800007, title = {Analysis of a membrane reactor: influence of membrane characteristics and operating conditions}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article No. A5}, publisher = {BERKELEY ELECTRONIC PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {2809 TELEGRAPH AVENUE, STE 202, BERKELEY, CA 94705 USA}, abstract = {

Modeling of an esterification reaction in a batch pervaporation membrane reactor (PVMR), and an analysis of the PVMR performance under different reaction conditions for different membrane characteristics are presented. Esterification of ethyl alcohol with acetic acid was considered as the model reaction. The PVMR performance for this reaction could be represented by a 2-step series model. The PVMR performance was similar to that of the batch reactor when both the reactors were in the kinetic regime. However, the performance of the PVMR was superior to that of the batch reactor when both were in the intermediate/equilibrium regime of the reaction. In these regions, the PVMR performance was influenced/limited by the membrane flux and selectivity. The analysis showed that the membrane flux affected the PVMR performance in the intermediate region and the membrane selectivity affected the performance in the equilibrium regime. Further, the limitations introduced by a low-flux membrane could be overcome by appropriate selection of the membrane area and that due to poor selectivity could be compensated to a certain extent by adjusting the feed ratio.

}, keywords = {comparison, Esterification, membrane reactor, performance, pervaporation membrane}, issn = {1542-6580}, author = {Tanna, Nikunj P. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000245763600001, title = {Anionic vinyl polymerization - 50 years after Michael Szwarc}, journal = {Progress in Polymer Science}, volume = {32}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {173-219}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We present a review on the present status of anionic polymerization of important non-polar and polar vinyl monomers. After presenting the historical background-the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}pre-Szwarc{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} era-we discuss the mechanisms of this polymerization, in particular several types of carbanions, their ion-pairs and their aggregates occurring in the initiation and propagation of non-polar and polar monomers, including recent developments. Finally, we discuss some important scientific and industrial applications of anionic polymerization. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anionic polymerization, carbanions, history, ion-pairs, kinetics, mechanisms}, issn = {0079-6700}, doi = {10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2007.01.003}, author = {Baskaran, Durairaj and Mueller, Axel H. E.} } @article { ISI:000249553200007, title = {Bio-milling technique for the size reduction of chemically synthesized BiMnO3 nanoplates}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {37}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3910-3914}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Wet- chemical techniques for the synthesis of complex oxide materials have advanced significantly; however, achieving finely dispersed nanoparticles with sizes less than 10 nm still remains challenging, especially for the perovskite family of compounds. On the other hand, a fungusmediated synthesis technique has recently shown potential to synthesize perovskites such as BaTiO3 with sizes as small as 5 nm. Here we report, for the first time, the use of fungal biomass, at room temperature, to break down chemically synthesized BiMnO3 nanoplates ( size similar to 150 - 200 nm) into very small particles (, 10 nm) while maintaining their crystalline structure and the phase purity. This novel technique that we have named as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft} bio- milling{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} holds immense potential for synergically utilizing both chemical and biological synthesis techniques to synthesize complex oxide nanoparticles with particle sizes less than 10 nm with the proper crystalline phase.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b706154d}, author = {Mazumder, Baishakhi and Uddin, Imran and Khan, Shadab and Ravi, Venkat and Selvraj, Kaliaperumal and Poddar, Pankaj and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000250183300024, title = {Carbohydrate based approach towards the synthesis of aspercyclide C}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letter}, volume = {48}, number = {42}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7524-7527}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A formal total synthesis of aspercyclide C (3) is described in which D-ribose is employed as a chiral pool material. The key step is a ring closing metathesis. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chiron approach, D-ribose, Mukaiyama reagent, ring closing metathesis (RCM), Ullmann coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.08.050}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article {sanjayan, title = {CO2 reforming of methane to syngas over highly active and stable supported CoOx (accompanied with MgO, ZrO2 or CeO2) catalysts}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {316}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {47-52}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{Catalytically inactive CoOx-MgO (calcined at 900 degrees C) becomes highly active and selective in the CO2 reforming of methane to syngas when it is deposited on a commercial low surface-area macro-porous silica-alumina support (SA-5205) or when CoOx is deposited on the support precoated with MgO. Both the supported CoOx and MgO containing catalysts (CoOx -MgO/SA-5205 and CoOx/MgO/SA-5205) show high methane conversion (\> 98\%) activity and H-2 selectivity (\> 94\%) and also high stability against carbon deposition [

}, keywords = {arylboronic acids, diarylmethylidenefluorene, dibromomethylidenefluorene, Pd-mediated coupling, Suzuki reaction}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = { 10.1016/j.apcata.2006.09.016}, author = {Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Vasant R. and Joshi, Upendra A.} } @article { ISI:000244054900016, title = {Concise synthesis of beta-blockers (S)-metoprolol and (S)-betaxolol using hydrolytic kinetic resolution}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1872-1876}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Enantiopure (S)-metoprolol and (S)-betaxolol were prepared in an extremely simple and practical way using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution of terminal epoxides in isopropanol. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {beta-blockers, betaxolol, Hydrolytic kinetic resolution, metoprolol}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2006.12.016}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Garud, Dinesh R. and Joshi, Rohini R. and Joshi, Ramesh A.} } @conference { ISI:000252146200027, title = {Constrained variational response to fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory: formulation for excited-state electronic structure calculations and some pilot applications}, booktitle = {Computational Methods in Science and Engineering Vol 1: Theory and Computation: Old Problems and New Challenges}, series = {AIP CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS}, volume = {963}, year = {2007}, note = {International Conference on Computational Methods in Science and Engineering, Corfu, GREECE, SEP 25-30, 2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {337-344}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci \& Engn; Minist Natl Educ \& Religious Affairs; E4 Comp Engn}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci \& Engn; Minist Natl Educ \& Religious Affairs; E4 Comp Engn}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, Ste 1no1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Fock-space (FS) multi-reference (MR) coupled-cluster (CC) method has emerged as compact tool to account for electronic structure of open-shell systems and molecules in low-lying excited states. Development of linear response (LR) has been one of the challenging problems in FSMRCC due to multiple-root nature of effective Hamiltonian. The recently developed constrained variational approach (CVA) has opened up a promising tool for efficient evaluation of analytic response properties. In this article, we present formulation of the method for excited state calculations. We discuss the decoupling of equations as a result of spin-adaptation and present some preliminary results for analytical dipole moments and polarizabilities of some molecules in low-lying triplet excited states.

}, keywords = {CVA, Dipole moment, excited states, FSMRCC, polarizability}, isbn = {978-0-7354-0477-9}, issn = {0094-243X}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Maroulis, G and Simos, TE} } @article { ISI:000251733600003, title = {Controlled covalent functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes using [4+2] cycloaddition of benzocyclobutenes}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {19}, number = {26}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6370-6372}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm702470x}, author = {Sakellariou, Georgios and Ji, Haining and Mays, Jimmy W. and Hadjichristidis, Nikos and Baskaran, Durairaj} } @article { ISI:000250064100040, title = {Copper phthalocyanine films deposited by liquid-liquid interface recrystallization technique (LLIRCT)}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {315}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {747-752}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

The simple recrystallization process is innovatively used to obtain the nanoparticles of copper phthalocyanine by a simple method. Liquid-liquid interface recrystallization technique (LLIRCT) has been employed successfully to produce small sized copper phthalocyanine nanoparticles with diameter between 3-5 nm. The TEM-SAED studies revealed the formation of 3-5 nm sized with beta-phase dominated mixture of alpha and beta copper phthalocyanine nanoparticles. The XRD, SEM, and the UV-vis studies were further carried out to confirm the formation of copper phthalocyanine thin films. The cyclic voltametry (CV) studies conclude that redox reaction is totally reversible one electron transfer process. The process is attributed to Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox reaction. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Copper phthalocyanine, cyclic voltametry, nanoparticulate films}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2007.07.031}, author = {Patil, K. R. and Sathaye, S. D. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Sathe, B. R. and Mandale, A. B. and Mitra, A.} } @article { ISI:000246158300001, title = {Coprecipitation technique to prepare CoTa2O6 and CoNb2O6}, journal = {Materials Letter}, volume = {61}, number = {11-12}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2127-2129}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide was used to coprecipitate cobalt and tantalum (or niobium) ions from their precursors as hydroxides under basic conditions. This precipitate yielded CoTa2O6 (CT) or CoNb2O6 (CN) ceramics on calcining at 700 degrees C, i.e. at a temperature much lower than 900 degrees C, reported for the formation of these powders prepared by the traditional solid state method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies were employed to investigate phase contents and lattice parameters. The morphology of the synthesized powders was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, electronic materials, Oxides, X-ray methods}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2006.08.024}, author = {Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Natarajan, N. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Samuel, V. and Guptha, U. N. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000246329700015, title = {Cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance and ex situ X-ray diffraction studies of electrochemical insertion and deinsertion of lithium ion into nanostructured organic-inorganic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) based hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {603}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {287-296}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In this work, we discuss the electrochemical insertion and deinsertion of lithium into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT-V(2)O(5) nanohybrids by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and powder ex situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies with special emphasis on their application potential as cathode materials for rechargeable Lithium batteries. The interlayer spacing of crystalline V(2)O(5) expands from 0.43 to 1.41 nm by the intercalation of PEDOT nanoribbons prepared by a microwave irradiation method. Cyclic voltammetry studies of PEDOT-V(2)O(5) hybrid at a slow scan rate of 0.058 mVs(-1) between 2.0-4.3 V vs. Li/ Li(+), demonstrates that structural transitions Of V(2)O(5) are suppressed and more facile intercalation features appear in terms of well-defined reversible cathodic and anodic peaks when compared to that at higher scan rate. Electrochemical Impedance studies of PEDOT-V(2)O(5) hybrid as cathode at ambient temperature with lithium metal foil as both counter and reference electrodes in 1 M LiPF(6) in a mixture of ethylene and diethylcarbonate (50:50 by volume) between the range 2.0-4.3 V reveals the usefulness of these materials. The observed capacity fading during cycling in terms of surface passivation and structural transformations is also investigated by CV, EIS and XRD analysis. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, ex situ XRD studies, high capacity lithium batteries, impedance studies, nanostructured hybrid materials}, issn = {1572-6657}, doi = {10.1016/j.jelechem.2007.02.013}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Reddy, M. V. and Campet, Guy and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article { ISI:000244119200031, title = {Designing a self-associated cationic polymer for enhanced compatibility, palatability, and gastric release of cefuroxime axetil}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {532-542}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Cefuroxime axetil (CA) has exhibited interactions with the polymers hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate, cellulose acetate trimellitate, and Eudragit E resulting in the generation of unacceptable amounts of impurities and degradation. Formulations, which mask the bitter taste of CA and release it immediately in the stomach, have therefore not been possible. In an attempt to overcome the interaction with CA, we report a self-associated cationic polymer (NREP) containing methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-hydroxy ethylmethacrylate (HEMA), and 4-vinyl pyridine (4-VP). The hydrogen bonding between the pyridine nitrogen and the hydroxyl groups of HEMA results in strong intrachain associations, prevents interactions between NREP and CA, and inhibits degradation of CA. This has been validated by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. These self-associations restrict polymer chain motions, enhance biocompatibility, and lead to a higher T-g, which ensures that NREP does not become tacky in processes involving heat. The judicious choice of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers renders the polymer hydrophobic enough as to mask the bitter taste of CA at near neutral pH. Incorporation of the basic monomer 4-VP ensures rapid dissolution of the polymer and release of CA at the acidic pH prevalent in the stomach. The work indicates an approach to design pH-sensitive polymers for dosage forms that meet the pharmacokinetic requirements of the drug.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/bm060673v}, author = {Menjoge, Anupa R. and Kulkarni, Mohan G.} } @article {AYC:AYCHJ3047, title = {Different interaction motifs of dipolar S = O center dot center dot center dot C = O contacts that associate diastereomers of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-{[(1S)-7,7-dimethyl-2-oxo-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-1-ylmethyl]-sulfonyl}-myo-inositol 1,3,5-ortho-acetate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section C-Structural Chemistry}, volume = {63}, number = {9}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = { O555-O558}, publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diastereomeric mixtures of 2,4(6)-di-O-benzoyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphorsulfonyl]-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters associate in their crystal structures via different geometries of S=O...C=O short contacts, depending upon the substitution. A comparison of the dimeric association in the orthoacetate and orthoformate (solvated) derivatives shows a sheared parallel motif of dipolar S=O...C=O contacts bridging the former, whereas perpendicular S=O...C=O contacts occur in the latter. The title compound, C32H34O11S, is chiral, owing to the presence of the camphor moiety.

}, issn = {1600-5759}, doi = {10.1107/S0108270107035858}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, R. G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, M. S.} } @article { ISI:000246060000033, title = {Dipole moments and polarizabilities of some small radicals using constrained variational response to fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster theory}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {438}, number = {4-6}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {321-325}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this Letter, we present dipole moments and polarizabilities of some open-shell doublet radicals, obtained analytically using constrained variational response to Fock-space (FS) multi-reference (MR) coupled cluster (CC) theory. These radicals can be treated as electron attached (EA) states of the corresponding closed-shell cations. Additionally, we also report analytical polarizabilities of some doublet radicals, which can be considered as ionized (IP) states of the corresponding anions. We compare our results with finite field FSMRCC response and the available benchmark results. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2007.02.075}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000246978800037, title = {DMFC at low air flow operation: study of parasitic hydrogen generation}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {19}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6060-6067}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this paper, the effect of hydrogen generation in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) is described. Under certain operating conditions hydrogen generation occurs in DMFC causing an additional methanol consumption and a decrease of the cell voltage. For the present experiments a segmented cell with an active area of 244 cm 2 is used. The cell has 196 segments which are regularly distributed on the whole area. By this experimental setup hydrogen generation was found in regions with insufficient air supply. Hydrogen generation was analyzed by systematically applying different air flow rates and detecting the local current densities. The theory for hydrogen generation is confirmed by the results obtained from the segmented cell. A correlation between open circuit voltage (OCV), air flow rate and hydrogen generation was observed. Furthermore, half-cell measurements with different methanol concentrations were performed and used for analyzing the processes during hydrogen generation. The work clearly indicates the importance of sufficient cathode air supply for DMFC. Starved cathode areas not only do not contribute to the overall current generation but in addition reduce the power and efficiency by the parasitic generation of hydrogen. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DMFC, Efficiency, electrolytic hydrogen evolution, oxygen depletion, side-effects}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2007.03.067}, author = {Dohle, H. and Mergel, J. and Ghosh, P. C.} } @article { ISI:000251244900038, title = {Eco-friendly, selective hydroxylation of C-7 aromatic compounds catalyzed by TS-1/H2O2 system under solvent-free solid-liquid-liquid-type triphase conditions}, 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 = {8657-8664}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Direct ring hydroxylation of aromatics, namely, anisole, toluene, and benzylchloride, using TS-1 catalyst, a MFI-type titanium silicate molecular sieve, dilute H2O2 as oxidizing agent, and water as reaction medium, was investigated under solid-liquid-liquid (SLL)-type triphase conditions. The aim was to study the relative influence of commonly used organic solvents, under solid-liquid (SL)-type biphase reaction conditions, as compared to that of water, on the conversion and product selectivity. Under solvent-free triphase conditions, the ring hydroxylation of anisole, toluene, and benzylchloride leads to significant enhancement in the conversion, turn-over frequency, and para-selectivity. However, in the case of benzyl chloride, no ring hydroxylation took place under biphase conditions (using acetone as solvent) contrary to significant ring hydroxylation (ca. 60\% H2O2 efficiency) under triphase aqueous medium conditions. The simple product recovery (phase separation of organic and aqueous layers) and use of water as reaction medium are other advantages. Since TS-1 is relatively hydrophobic, the reaction is hindered in the presence of organic solvents as they compete favorably with the substrate for diffusion inside the TS-1 channels. However, in the presence of water, the organic substrate competes favorably with water, leading to increased conversion and para-selectivity.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie070088q}, author = {Mukherjee, P. and Bhaumik, Asim and Kumar, Rajiv} } @article { ISI:000245870400056, title = {Energy analysis of field emitted electrons from a ZnO tetrapod}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {90}, number = {16}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article No. 162102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The experimental total energy distribution (TED) of the field emitted electrons from a single pod of a ZnO tetrapod has been obtained, exhibiting a two-peak feature. The energy difference between the two peaks in the TED is found to be nearly equal to the band gap of the bulk ZnO. The results show that field emitted electrons originate from both the conduction and valence bands. The peak position dependence on the applied voltage has also been observed. In the present case, the size of the ZnO tetrapod is not small enough to reflect the quantum confinement effects.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2723199}, author = {Al-Tabbakh, Ahmed A. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000244773600022, title = {Facile phenol-driven intramolecular diastereoselective thermal/base-catalyzed dipolar [2+2] annulation reactions: an easy access to complex bioactive natural and unnatural benzopyran congeners}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2068-2076}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The complex bioactive natural and unnatural benzopyran congeners have been synthesized using one-/two-step approaches in very good yields from the reactions of two different dihydroxyphthalides, natural resorcyclic acid derivative, and trihydroxybenzophenone with citral and/or farnesal, via the phenol-driven intramolecular diastereoselective thermal/base-catalyzed dipolar [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions and three different thermal intramolecular cyclization reactions. The effects of the nature and the position of phenolic groups in the starting materials on the course of these cycloaddition reactions have also been described. Depending upon the absence or presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding of the phenolic group with the carbonyl moiety in the starting materials, these phenol-driven intramolecular thermal/base-catalyzed dipolar [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions either furnished the kinetically controlled products or directly formed the thermodynamically controlled rearranged products, respectively.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo0624344}, author = {Mondal, Mukulesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000249834900020, title = {Field emission investigations of RuO2-doped SnO2 wires}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {253}, number = {23}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9159-9163}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Field emission studies of a bunch and a single isolated RuO2:SnO2 wire have been performed. A current density of 5.73 x 10(4) A/cm(2) is drawn from the single wire emitter at an applied field of 8.46 x 10(4) V/mu m. Nonlinearity in the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot has been observed and explained on the basis of electron emission from both the conduction and the valence bands of the semiconductor. The current stability recorded at the preset value of 1.5 LA is observed to be good. Overall the high emission current density, good stability and mechanically robust nature of the RuO2:SnO2 wires offer advantages as field emitters for many potential applications. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {doped semiconductor, field emission, field enhancement factor, RuO2, SnO2}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2007.05.058}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000245291700016, title = {Finite size effects on the electrical properties of sol-gel synthesized CoFe2O4 powders: deviation from Maxwell-Wagner theory and evidence of surface polarization effects}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1593-1602}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fine particles of cobalt ferrite were synthesized by the sol-gel method. Subsequent heat treatment at different temperatures yielded cobalt ferrites having different grain sizes. X-ray diffraction studies were carried out to elucidate the structure of all the samples. Dielectric permittivity and ac conductivity of all the samples were evaluated as a function of frequency, temperature and grain size. The variation of permittivity and ac conductivity with frequency reveals that the dispersion is due to Maxwell-Wagner type interfacial polarization in general, with a noted variation from the expected behaviour for the cold synthesized samples. High permittivity and conductivity for small grains were explained on the basis of the correlated barrier-hopping model.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/40/6/001}, author = {George, Mathew and Nair, Swapna S. and Malini, K. A. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000250820000027, title = {Genetic diversity analysis of mango cultivars using inter simple sequence repeat markers}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {93}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1135-1141}, publisher = {CURRENT SCIENCE ASSOC}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, PO BOX 8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

With 33 polymorphic Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers, genetic diversity among 70 mango cultivars and a distant outgroup was analysed. Clustering was done using Dice and Jaccard coefficients with bootstrapping. Multivariate analysis was conducted using the Euclidean distances. Among the total 420 bands, 408 were polymorphic. Probability that any ISSR fragment is shared by two different cultivars was calculated to be 2.54 x 10(-1). Non-Indian mango cultivars were found genetically diverged from Indian mango germ pool. No separation was observed between North Indian and South Indian cultivars. Twelve different cultivar-specific bands were detected for six cultivars, which approved the effectiveness of ISSR markers in mango genetic diversity analysis.

}, keywords = {DNA finger printing, inter simple sequence repeat, Mangifera indica, principle coordinate analysis}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Pandit, Sagar S. and Mitra, Sirsha Sribas and Giri, Ashok P. and Pujari, Keshav H. and Patil, Bhimarao P. and Jambhale, Narayan D. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article { ISI:000246157400015, title = {Geometrical solution to the sharkskin instability}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {46}, number = {10}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3048-3056}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We study the effect of die exit divergence on the sharkskin behavior, both experimentally as well as through the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Sharkskin or surface fracture is known to occur immediately after the die exit, because of the large elongational deformation that a polymer melt experiences as it exits the die. We show that the diverging taper at the die exit postpones or completely removes the occurrence of sharkskin. The corresponding CFD simulations of an equivalent K-BKZ fluid show that the taper at the die exit significantly reduces the severity of the elongational flow, thereby reducing the normal stresses as the polymer melt leaves the die. We believe that, in an extrusion operation, the provision of a diverging taper at the die exit is one of the potential measures by which sharkskin instability can be eliminated on an industrial scale.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie0610391}, author = {Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Joshi, Yogesh M. and Tapadia, Prashant S. and Lele, Ashish K. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000245142200047, title = {Grafting reactions of living macroanions with multi-walled carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {4-5}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {1560-1567}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

Grafting reactions of living polystyryllithium (PSLi) with acid chloride containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs-COCl) were performed under vacuum in benzene at room temperature. Covalent grafting of polystyrene (PS) was characterized using spectroscopic, microscopic, and thermogravimetric analyses. Grafting at different ratios of macroanion to acylchloride of the carbon nanotubes showed that the grafting efficiency was not dependent on the concentration of the macroanions. The mole percent of PS present in the MWNTs-g-PS samples was inversely proportional to the precursor molecular weight of PSLi. Direct reactions of PSLi, polybutadienyllithium and n-butyllithium with pristine MWNTs without any functional groups were also performed in the presence and in the absence of tetrahydrofuran in benzene. The grafting reactions of living macroanions either with MWNTs-COCl or with pristine MWNTs indicated a partial grafting of polymer on the carbon nanotubes in benzene at room temperature.

}, keywords = {Anionic polymerization, covalent functionalization, grafting, multi-walled carbon nanotubes}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2007.459}, author = {Baskaran, Durairaj and Sakellariou, Georgios and Mays, Jimmy W. and Bratcher, Matthew S.} } @article {42752, title = {Group 11 metal complexes of mesocyclic thioether-aminophosphonites, (-OC10H6)}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {720{\textendash}731}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Group 11 metal complexes of the mesocyclic thioether aminophosphonites [-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8E {2a: E = O; 2b: E = NMe; IUPAC names: 4-(dinaphtho[2,1-d:1',2'-g][1,3,6,2]dioxathiaphosphocin-4-yl)morpholine (2a), 1-(dinaphtho[2,1-d:1',2'-g][1,3,6,2]dioxathiaphosphocin-4-yl)-4-methylpiperazine (2b)} are reported. Thioether aminophosphonites 2a and 2b react with CuX (X = Cl, Br, and I) in a 1:1 molar ratio to give the tricoordinate, dimeric complexes [{[{-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PNC4H8E-κP]Cu(μ-X)}2] (4a: E = O, X = Cl; 4b: E = NMe, X = Cl; 5a: E = O, X = Br; 5b: E = NMe, X = Br; 6a: E = O, X = I; 6b: E = NMe, X = I), whereas with 2:1 molar ratios monomeric complexes of the type[{[-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8O-κP}2CuX] (7a: E = O, X = Cl; 7b: E = NMe, X = Cl; 8a: E = O, X = Br; 8b: E = NMe, X = Br; 9a: E = O, X = I; 9b: E = NMe, X = I) are obtained in excellent yield. The P,S-chelated cationic complexes[{[-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8E-κP,κS}2Cu]BF4 (10a: E = O; 10b: E = NMe) are obtained when 2a and 2b are treated with half an equivalent of [(MeCN)4Cu]BF4. Similarly, thesilver complexes [{[{-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-}PNC4H8E-κP,κS]AgCF3SO3}2] (11a: E = O: 11b: E = NMe) and [{[-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8E-κP,κS}Ag(PPh3)]CF3SO3 (12a: E = O; 12b: E = NMe) are synthesized by the treatment of thioether aminophosphonites 2a and 2b with AgOTf and [Ag(PPh3)][OTf], respectively. Reactions of 2a and 2b with [AuCl(SMe2)] produce the simple monomeric gold(I) complexes [{[-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8E-κP}AuCl] (13a: E = O; 13b: E = NMe). The iodo derivatives [{[-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-]PNC4H8E-κP}AuI] (14a: E = O; 14b: E = NMe) are obtained by the halide-exchange reaction of 13a and 13b with CuI at room temperature. The structures of complexes 5a, 7a, 8a, 13a, 13b, and 14a are confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. In all of these complexes, the sulfur atom in the mesocyclic ring shows coordinative interaction towards the phosphorus atom, and in 5a, 7a, 8a, and 14a towards the metal center as well. ({\textcopyright} Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)

}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.200600913}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000246320900026, title = {Hexamethyldisilazane-iodine induced intramolecular dehydrative cyclization of diamides: a general access to natural and unnatural quinazolinones}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, number = {18}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {3243-3246}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient general approach to various quinazolinone scaffolds, including peptidomimetic examples, has been demonstrated by employing HMDS/I-2 for the intramolecular dehydrative cyclization of diamides. The protecting groups -Boc, -Fmoc and -Cbz tolerated the present reaction conditions and we did not observe any racemization. The present protocol has also been used as a key step for the efficient four-step syntheses of the naturally occurring quinazolinones, sclerotigenin, (-)-circumdatin-F and (-)-fumiquinazoline-F. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {diamides, HMDS/I-2, intramolecular dehydrative cyclizations, natural and unnatural quinazolinones, synthesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.03.032}, author = {Kshirsagar, Umesh A. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and N. P. Argade} } @article {42755, title = {Highly air-stable anionic mononuclear and neutral binuclear palladium(ii) complexes for C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11316{\textendash}11327}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The short-bite aminobis(phosphonite), PhN{P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)}2 (2), containing a mesocyclic thioether backbone is synthesized by either treating PhN(PCl2)2 with 2 equiv of thiobis(2,2{\textquoteleft}-naphthol) or reacting chlorophosphite (-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)PCl (1) with aniline in the presence of a base. Treatment of 2 with an equimolar amount of Pd(COD)Cl2 in the presence of H2O affords a P-N-P-bridged and P,S-metalated binuclear complex, [PhN(P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)-κP)2Pd2Cl2{P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)(O)-κP,κS}2] (3), whereas the same reaction with 2 equiv of Pd(COD)Cl2 in the presence of H2O and Et3N produces the mononuclear anionic complex [{(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)P(O)-κP,κS}PdCl2](Et3NH) (5). By contrast, reaction of 2 with 2 equiv of Pd(COD)Cl2 and H2O in the absence of Et3N gives the hydrogen phosphonate coordinated complex [{(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)P(OH)}PdCl2] (4) which converts to the anionic complex in solution or in the presence of a base. Compound 2 on treatment with Pt(COD)X2 (X = Cl or I) afforded P-coordinated four-membered chelate complexes [PhN(P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)-κP)2PtX2] (6 X = Cl, 7 X = I). The crystal structures of compounds 2, 3, 5, and 7 are reported. Compound 3 is the first example of a crystallographically characterized binuclear palladium complex containing a bidentate bridging ligand and its hydrolyzed fragments forming metallacycles containing a palladium-phosphorus σ bond. All palladium complexes proved to be very good catalysts for the Suzuki-Miyaura and Mizoroki-Heck cross-coupling and amination reactions with excellent turnover numbers (TON up to 1.46 {\texttimes} 105 in the case of the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction).

}, doi = {10.1021/ic701674x}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000244855500011, title = {Hydrogen bonding in trivinyl monomers: implications for inclusion complexation and polymerization}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {40}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1824-1830}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) formed a 1:2 inclusion complex (IC) with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). Polymerization of the complex resulted in a soluble, linear polymer containing two pendant unsaturations per repeat unit since the methacryloyl groups included in the beta-CD cavity did not react with the growing radical chain. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) formed a 1:1 complex with beta-CD. Yet a soluble polymer containing two pendant unsaturations per repeat unit was obtained. Computational analysis confirmed that in TMPTA hydrogen bonding between C-H center dot center dot center dot O=C brings two acryloyl groups in close vicinity of one another. As a result, both acryloyl groups were included in the same beta-CD cavity. Trimethylolpropane diacrylate 4-vinylbenzoate (TMPDAVB) once again formed 1:2 IC as a result of disruption of hydrogen bonds between two acryloyl groups. The study highlights that an understanding of the composition of the IC is more important than its stoichiometry alone.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma062397i}, author = {Satav, Sunita S. and Karmalkar, Rohini N. and Kulkarni, Mohan G. and Mulpuri, Nagaraju and Sastry, G. Narahari} } @article { ISI:000250169800037, title = {Influence of film structure on mobilities of charge carriers in conducting polymers}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {52}, number = {28}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8088-8095}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two sorts of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (PHT) films with the same chemical compositions were prepared, and their electrochemical, spectroscopic, and transport properties were studied with a special interest in a possible influence of film structure on mobilities of charge carriers. One of the PHT films was electrochemically synthesized using 3-hexylthiophene as a monomer (as-grown film) and the other was obtained by dissolving the as-grown film in chloroform and then casting the polymer solution (cast film). A clear difference was observed in the mobility versus doping level plot between the two sorts of PHT films, demonstrating that the difference is caused only by a distinction in film structure. An initial decreasing feature of the mobility plot observed for the cast films was accounted for in terms of swelling of the films at an early stage of doping. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Doping, electrosynthesis, mobility, poly(3-hexylthiophene), swelling}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2007.07.007}, author = {Harima, Yutaka and Jiang, Xiaoqing and Patil, Rahul and Komaguchi, Kenji and Mizota, Haruo} } @article {2}, title = {Investigating organization of molecules that facilitates intermolecular acyl transfer in crystals: reactivity and x-ray structures of O-benzoyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemsitry}, volume = {293}, number = {7}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1153-1159}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{Crystal structure analysis of racemic 2,6-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate reveals helical organization of the molecules, remarkably similar to that observed earlier in crystals of racemic 2,6-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate. Both these dibenzoates are isostructural despite the bulkier phenyl substituent in place of hydrogen. The latter compound shows highly facile intermolecular benzoyl transfer reactivity in its crystals and as anticipated from the crystal structure, the orthobenzoate indeed exhibits facile benzoyl transfer reactivity in its crystals. 2-O-Benzoyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate and the corresponding orthobenzoate also undergo transesterification in their crystals, but the specificity of acyl transfer is very low, and the reaction yields a mixture of products. The parameters of helical molecular assembly that facilitates acyl transfer in crystals have been investigated. A comparison of the molecular assemblies and lattice interactions in crystals of all the four compounds with the observed reactivity patterns show that facile acyl transfer reaction is brought about by a modular {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}reaction tunnel{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}

}, keywords = {AOT, CdS-Ag2S, core-shell, Nanoparticles, w/o microemulsion, XPS}, issn = {0927-7757}, author = {Murali, Chebrolu and Shashidhar, Mysore S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article { ISI:000250178900006, title = {Low temperature synthesis and NOx sensing properties of nanostructured Al-doped ZnO}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {126}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {382-386}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Although ZnO is studied intensively as a sensing material, there are limited reports available on aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) as a NO, sensor. This paper reports selective NO, sensing characteristics of M-doped ZnO synthesized in the form of porous pellets sintered at 350 degrees C. The salient feature of our experimental results is that our sensor can detect small concentrations of NO, at lower operating temperature. It is also observed that as compared to gases such as SOx HCl, LPG, H2S, H-2, ammonia, alcohol and acetone it selectively detects NOx due to Al-doping. The amount of Al in ZnO during synthesis is varied between 1 and 10 wt\%. Our sensor senses NO, concentration as low as 20ppm at 100 degrees C with a \%response of 11 and a \%response of 740 at 300 degrees C for 1 wt\% Al. Of all the compositions with Al-doping, I wt\% is found to give best results. Sensing experiments carried out at 350 C, however. do not show any significant improvement in the gas sensing properties. The phase contents and lattice parameters were determined by XRD and the average particle size was obtained using Scherrer formula. A probable mechanism for sensing NO, involving oxygen ion adsorption and desorption on the surface of sensor has been suggested. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aluminum doping, nanomaterial, NOx, Sensor, ZnO}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2007.03.019}, author = {Navale, S. C. and Ravi, V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000250060600014, title = {Mechanistic investigations of phase behavior in Eudragit (R) blends}, journal = {International Journal of Pharmaceutics}, volume = {343}, number = {1-2}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {106-121}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Blends of Eudragit (R) E (EE) and polymeric excipients using thermal analysis and FTIR spectroscopy were examined. The interactions amongst the blend components were quantified in terms of parameters K-1 and K-2 in Schneider equation and were explained on the basis of interactions between the functional groups of the blend constituents investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. EE formed miscible blends with EC and polyelectrolyte complexes increasing in strength in the order: ES \< HPMCP \< CAP \< EL. From the T-g data the weight fraction of EE in the polyelectrolyte complex was determined. The importance of formulating polyelectrolyte complexes in stoichiometric ratios has been highlighted. The duration over which the release can be sustained by polyelectrolyte complexes has been correlated with equilibrium swelling of the polyelectrolyte complex and parameter K, for the first time. This would help in the choice of blend constituents and composition to tailor drug release. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {degree of swelling, Glass transition temperature, miscibility, polyelectrolyte complex, polymer blends, polymer-polymer interactions}, issn = {0378-5173}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijpharm.2007.05.033}, author = {Menjoge, Anupa R. and Kulkarni, M. G.} } @article { ISI:000249699500005, title = {Mitochondrial haplotypes reveal a strong genetic structure for three Indian sheep breeds}, journal = {Animal Genetics}, volume = {38}, number = {5}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {460-466}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This survey represents the first characterization of mitochondrial DNA diversity within three breeds of Indian sheep (two strains of the Deccani breed, as well as the Bannur and Garole breeds) from different geographic regions and with divergent phenotypic characteristics. A 1061-bp fragment of the mitochondrial genome spanning the control region, a portion of the 12S rRNA gene and the complete phenyl tRNA gene, was sequenced from 73 animals and compared with the corresponding published sequence from European and Asian breeds and the European Mouflon (Ovis musimon). Analysis of all 156 sequences revealed 73 haplotypes, 52 of which belonged to the Indian breeds. The three Indian breeds had no haplotypes in common, but one Indian haplotype was shared with European and other Asian breeds. The highest nucleotide and haplotype diversity was observed in the Bannur breed (0.00355 and 0.981 respectively), while the minimum was in the Sangamneri strain of the Deccani breed (0.00167 and 0.882 respectively). All 52 Indian haplotypes belonged to mitochondrial lineage A. Therefore, these Indian sheep are distinct from other Asian and European breeds studied so far. The relationships among the haplotypes showed strong breed structure and almost no introgression among these Indian breeds, consistent with Indian sheep husbandry, which discourages genetic exchange between breeds. These results have implications for the conservation of India{\textquoteright}s ovine biodiversity and suggest a common origin for the breeds investigated.

}, keywords = {Genetic diversity, Indian sheep, mitochondrial DNA, mitochondrial lineage, phylogeographic distribution, sheep domestication}, issn = {0268-9146}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2052.2007.01636.x}, author = {Pardeshi, V. C. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Sainani, Mohini N. and Meadows, J. R. S. and Kijas, J. W. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {42463, title = {Novel reaction of the {\textquotedblleft}huisgen zwitterion{\textquotedblright} with chalcones and dienones: an efficient strategy for the synthesis of pyrazoline and pyrazolopyridazine derivatives}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {46}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2070{\textendash}2073}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two unexpected transformations: The reaction of the Huisgen zwitterion derived from triphenylphosphane and diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD) with chalcones affords functionalized pyrazolines. In contrast, the reaction with dienones affords pyrazolopyridazines, presumably by Diels{\textendash}Alder reaction of the initially formed pyrazoline with excess DIAD (see scheme).

}, keywords = {chalcones; nitrogen heterocycles; pyrazolines; synthetic methods; zwitterions}, doi = {10.1002/anie.200604025}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Mathew, Smitha C. and Eringathodi, Suresh} } @article { ISI:000243164000035, title = {Novel technique to prepare LiNbO3 at low temperature}, journal = {Materials Letter}, volume = {61}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {765-766}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Fresh niobium hydroxide was first precipitated from NbF5 solution using an aqueous ammonium hydroxide under basic conditions. Then a simple procedure of mixing lithium and niobium hydroxides together and heating at a low temperature (400 degrees C) produced pure ultrafine single phase LiNbO3 (LN). In the literature, this is the lowest temperature so far reported on the formation of LN. The phase content and lattice parameters are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average particle size and morphology were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, LiNbO3, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2006.05.056}, author = {Samuel, V. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Jadhav, A. D. and Mirji, S. A. and Ravi, V.} } @article {42750, title = {O-2-Naphthyl diphenylthiophosphinate}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section E-Crystallographic Communications}, volume = {63}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4644}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The mol-ecule of the title compound, C10H7OP(S)(C6H5)2 or C22H17OPS, exhibits distorted tetra-hedral geometry about the P atom. The P=S bond of 1.9355 (4) {\r A} is shorter than that found in Ph3P=S [1.950 (3) {\r A}] because the replacement of one carbon on phospho-rus by oxygen increases the effective electronegativity of the P atom, thereby enhancing pπ{\textendash}dπ back-donation from a lone-pair orbital of the S atom.

}, doi = {10.1107/S1600536807056127}, author = {Mague, Joel T. and Punji, Benudhar and Ganesamoorthy, Chelladurai and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article {43290, title = {One-step preparation of alpha-chlorostyrenes}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, year = {2007}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4869-4872}, abstract = {alpha-Chlorostyrenes were prepared via a one-step method involving Friedel-Crafts reaction of various aromatic substrates with acid chlorides in the presence of a heterogeneous Si-Fe catalyst. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.05.065}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Galkwad, Abaji G. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Sawargave, Sangmeshwer P. and Kalal, Kamalakar M.} } @article { ISI:000250085300004, title = {One-step preparation of nanosized Ag-PdCo-powder and its alloy formation at low temperature}, journal = {Synthesis and Reactivity in Inorganic Metal-Organic and Nano-Metal Chemistry}, volume = {37}, number = {7}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {531-539}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Nano-sized silver-palladium co-powder has been synthesized from silver nitrate-palladium chloride by wet chemical method. The present experimental conditions are applied for the first time for Ag-Pd co-powders wherein sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (SFS) has been used as an external reducing agent to simultaneously reduce respective metal salts. SFS reduces the metal salts at room temperature thus prevents formation of bigger particles of the respective metals in co-powder. Powder X-ray diffraction measurements ( XRD) and Transmission electron microscopy ( TEM) suggest the formation of nano-sized Ag-Pd co-powder with particle diameter in the range of about 25 nm. SEM shows that the powder morphology changes with temperature. Heat treatment of 90: 10 (Ag:Pd) composition showed shift in XRD peaks indicating alloy formation of Ag/Pd at lower temperature. Thick-films generated by use of the co-powder resulted in Ag/Pd alloy at about 500 degrees C as confirmed by the XRD. Thermal analysis showed that Ag/Pd co-powders initially gain the weight due to oxidation followed by the weight loss.

}, keywords = {alloy, Chemical synthesis, nano-powder, noble metal, Transition Metal}, issn = {1553-3174}, doi = {10.1080/15533170701563707}, author = {Khanna, P. K. and Singh, N. and Kulkarni, D. and Marimuthu, R. and Charan, Shobhit and Patil, K. R. and Jain, G. H.} } @article { ISI:000248918000008, title = {Oxidation of benzylic alcohols and sulfides over LaCoO3 and TBHP}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {70-75}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient methodology has been described for the selective oxidation of secondary benzylic alcohols to the corresponding ketones. In contrast, primary benzylic alcohols afforded dimethyl acetals.

}, keywords = {acetals, benzylic alcohols, Oxidation, perovskite LaCoO3}, issn = {1551-7004}, author = {Patil, Mahesh L. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Borate, Hanumant B. and Uphade, Balu S.} } @article { ISI:000243163000068, title = {Oxy-methane reforming over high temperature stable NiCoMgCeOx and NiCoMgOx supported on zirconia-haffnia catalysts: accelerated sulfur deactivation and regeneration}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {8}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {561-564}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

NiCoMgOx and NiCoMgCeOx on commercial low surface area zirconia-haffnia catalysts have unusually high thermal stability (\>= 2000 degrees C) for syngas generation via the methane partial oxidation process (J. Catal., 233, 36, 2005). Herein we report the results on accelerated sulfur deactivation (0.74 mol\% sulfur in feed) and corresponding regeneration (at 800 degrees C in 1:1 O-2 + N-2 flow) over these catalysts. The NiCoMgCeOx catalyst, due to a larger mobility of lattice oxygen, showed a considerably higher resistance to sulfur poisoning; the higher mobility of the lattice oxygen in case of the NiCoMgCeOx catalyst may be related to the presence of CeO2. During the deactivation process, the selectivity for H-2 was decreased to a much greater extent than that for CO. Regeneration studies showed that even after complete deactivation of the catalysts, the original activity/selectivity of both the catalysts could be completely restored after a simple regeneration process. Based on their exceptionally high thermal stability, high activity/selectivity and easily regenerability, the NiCoMOx, and NiCoMgCeOx catalysts appear to be very promising candidates for the CPOM process. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Deactivation, high temperature stable, methane, Partial oxidation, Regeneration, Sulfur}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.08.007}, author = {Choudhary, Vasant R. and Mondal, Kartick C. and Choudhary, Tushar V.} } @article { ISI:000245141300053, title = {Photodegradation of ethylene/propylene/polar monomers, Co-, and terpolymers. II. prepared by Ni catalyst systems}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {104}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1783-1791}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The copolymers of ethylene/propylene as well as their terpolymers with polar monomers were prepared by Ni-catalyst systems and their photodegradation behavior was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The polar monomers used to synthesize co- and terpolymers of ethylene/propylene/polar monomer were 5-hexen-1-ol, 10-undecen-1-ol, acrylamide, methylmethacrylate, acrylonitrile, and methylvinyl ketone. The morphological changes of the irradiated samples were determined by scanning electron microscopy. The photodegradation kinetics has also been studied. The surface damage caused by polychromatic irradiation (lambda \>= 290 nm) at 55 degrees C in atmospheric air is presented in different micrographs. The rate of photo-oxidative degradation is very fast in terpolymers containing polar monomers as compared with copolymers and homopolymers. The morphological study of the photodegraded samples showed a very good correlation with the photodegraded results. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {copolymerization, Ethylene, Photodegradation, polar monomers, propylene}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.25828}, author = {Fernandes, Susete N. and Correia, Sandra and Matos, Ines and Marques, Maria M. and Rana, Sravendra and Kumar, Bijandra and Gupta, M. K. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000246260000011, title = {Preparation of nanocrystalline ferroelectric CaBi4Ti4O15 by citrate gel method}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {33}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {569-571}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A gel was formed when an aqueous solution of CaCl2, BiNO3, TiOCl2 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 700 degrees C produced nano crystallites of the ternary oxide, CaBi4Ti4O15 (CBT). The phase contents and lattice parameters were studied by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Particle size and morphology was studied by transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM). The room temperature dielectric constant at 1 kHz is 390. The ferroelectric hysteresis loop parameters of these samples were also studied by a home-built Sawyer-tower circuit. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.H. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2005.11.006}, author = {Murugan, A. Vadivel and Gaikwad, A. B. and Samuel, V. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000245563300037, title = {Protecting group directed ring-closing metathesis (RCM): the first total synthesis of an anti-malarial nonenolide}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, number = {14}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {2621-2625}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The first synthesis of a newly found naturally occurring anti-malarial nonenolide is described. A pivotal step in the synthesis is the ring-closing metathesis of a dienoic ester prepared by coupling an acid and alcohol that were stereoselectively synthesized from (S)-alpha-hydroxy-gamma-butyrolactone and 1,2-O-isopropylidene D-glyceraldchyde, respectively. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-O-isopropylidene, anti-malarial agent, D-glyceraldehyde, Nonenolide, Ring-closing metathesis, Yamaguchi esterification}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.02.040}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Ramesh, Dhondi K. and Giardello, Michael A. and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K. and Grubbs, Robert H.} } @article { ISI:000244979700010, title = {Quick method for isolating RNA from raw and ripe fleshy fruits as well as for co-isolating DNA and RNA from polysaccharide- and polyphenol-rich leaf tissues}, journal = {Journal of Plant Biology}, volume = {50}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {60-64}, publisher = {BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF KOREA}, type = {Article}, address = {CATHOLIC UNIV KOREA, DEPT LIFE SCIENCES, PUCHON 420-743, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

Qualitative and quantitative changes in its chemical composition make it difficult to use any single procedure for isolating good-quality RNA from fruits at various ripening stages. Although the CTAB method has eliminated some specific problems, e.g., low pH in raw fruit or high levels of polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and phenolics in raw and ripe fruits, the total time required is long and unsuitable for high throughput. Here, we successfully modified this CTAB protocol to isolate good-quality RNA from (i) fleshy fruits, especially raw and ripe mangos; (ii) the leaves of a succulent air plant; and (iii) an oligosaccharide-rich onion epidermis. This RNA proved useful for downstream transcriptomic applications, where RT-PCR followed by RACE yielded the complete open reading frame of the (mango) terpene synthase gene. We also extended the utility of this protocol to co-isolate good-quality genomic DNA from the supernatant that remained after RNA precipitation. This preparation was useful for the arbitrary primer multilocus amplification of genomic DNA as well as for single locus diversity marker amplifications of the ctDNA and mtDNA.

}, keywords = {DNA-RNA co-isolation, fleshy fruit, Mango, oligosaccharide-rich, Ripening, transcriptomic studies}, issn = {1226-9239}, author = {Pandit, Sagar Subhash and Mitra, Sirsha Sribas and Giri, Ashok P. and Gupta, Vidya Shrikant} } @article {42462, title = {Reaction of huisgen zwitterion with diaryl-1,2-diones and ketones: an efficient protocol for carbon-nitrogen bond formation}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {697-704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The reaction of Huisgen zwitterion, derived from triphenylphosphine and dialkyl azodicarboxylate, with diaryl-1,2-diones afforded N,N-dicarboalkoxy monohydrazones via a mechanistically novel rearrangement. Cyclic and acyclic ketones furnished vinyl hydrazinedicarboxylates under similar conditions.

}, keywords = {betaines - diazo compounds - hydrazones - ketones - rearrangements}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-965910}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Mathew, Smitha C.} } @article {42466, title = {Reaction of tpp-azodicarboxylate zwitterions and aldehydes: unprecedented synthesis of acyl carbamates}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {48}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9018{\textendash}9020}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of acyl carbamates from aryl aldehydes by the reaction of triphenylphosphine and dialkyl azoesters is described.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.10.092}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Mathew, Smitha C. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Eringathodi, Suresh} } @article { ISI:000246492900025, title = {Rotary Cement Kiln Simulator (RoCKS): integrated modeling of pre-heater, calciner, kiln and clinker cooler}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {62}, number = {9}, year = {2007}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2590-2607}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This paper presents an integrated reaction engineering based mathematical model for clinker formation in cement industry. Separate models for pre-heater, calciner, rotary kiln and cooler were initially developed and coupled together to build an integrated simulator. Appropriate models for simulating gas-solid contact and heat transfer in pre-heaters were developed. Calciner was modeled by considering simultaneous combustion of coal particles and calcination of raw meal. Complex heat transfer and reactions (solid-solid, gas-solid and homogeneous reactions in gas phase) in rotary kiln were modeled using three sub-models coupled to each other. Solid-solid reactions in the bed region of the kiln were modeled using pseudo-homogeneous approximation. Melting of solids in the bed and formation of coating within the kiln were accounted. Clinker cooler was simulated by developing a two-dimensional model to capture cross-flow heat transfer between air and hot clinkers. The individual models were coupled with each other via mass and energy communication through common boundaries. The coupled model equations were solved iteratively. The model predictions agree well with the observations and experience from cement industry. The model was used to gain better understanding of influence of operating conditions on energy consumption in cement plant. Several ways for reducing energy consumption were computationally investigated. The integrated model, the developed software RoCKS (for Rotary Cement Kiln Simulator) and results presented here will be useful for enhancing our understanding and for enhancing the performance of clinker manufacturing. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {cement, energy consumption, reaction engineering model}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2007.01.063}, author = {Mujumdar, Kaustubh S. and Ganesh, K. V. and Kulkarni, Sarita B. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @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:000250545100010, title = {Short and efficient synthetic strategy for the total syntheses of (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-Plakolide A}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {30}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5059-5063}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Concise and efficient total syntheses of anticancer agents (S)(+)-Plakolide A and (R)-(-)-Plakolide A were accomplished in eight steps and an overall yield of 39 \% starting from geraniol. The key steps in our strategy are Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, double elimination, and Stille coupling reactions.

}, keywords = {Cross-coupling, epoxidation, inhibitors, olefination}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200700401}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Pramanik, Chintnoy and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article {42464, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of 3,4-trans-disubstituted γ-lactams by cerium(iv) ammonium nitrate mediated radical cyclization of cinnamamides}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1179-1184}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A facile synthesis of 3,4-trans-disubstituted γ-lactams was developed, consisting of the radical cyclization of cinnam-amides mediated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate. The single-electron-transfer (SET) reaction of the methoxystyrenyl moiety mediated by cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate gives rise to a cation radical, whose cyclization followed by reaction with oxygen and methanol generates 3,4-trans-disubstituted γ-lactams.

}, keywords = {cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate - intramolecular cyclization - cinnamamides - single electron transfer - γ-lactams}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-965981}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Mohanan, Kishor and Suja, Tachapully D. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000244765100003, title = {Studies on gas sensing performance of pure and modified barium strontium titanate thick film resistors}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {30}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {FEB}, pages = {9-17}, publisher = {INDIAN ACADEMY SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Barium strontium titanate ((Ba0.87Sr0.13)TiO3-BST) ceramic powder was prepared by mechanochemical process. The thick films of different thicknesses of BST were prepared by screen-printing technique and gas-sensing performance of these films was tested for various gases. The films showed highest response and selectivity to ammonia gas. The effect of film thickness on gas response was also studied. As prepared BST thick films were surface modified by dipping them into an aqueous solution of titanium chloride (TiCl3) for different intervals of time. Surface modification shifted response to H2S gas suppressing the responses to ammonia and other gases. The surface modification, using dipping process, altered the adsorbate-adsorbent interactions, which gave the unusual sensitivity and selectivity effect. Sensitivity, selectivity, thermal stability, response and recovery time of the sensor were measured and presented.

}, keywords = {(Ba0.87Sr0.13)TiO3 thick films, ammonia gas sensor, II2S gas sensor, selectivity, sensitivity}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-007-0003-z}, author = {Jain, G. H. and Patil, L. A. and Patil, P. P. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Patil, K. R.} } @article { ISI:000249169900033, title = {Surface-state-mediated electron transfer at nanostructured ZnO multipod/electrolyte interfaces}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {35}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13092-13102}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Redox kinetics of cyanoferrate(III) species adsorbed at an n-type ZnO multipod/electrolyte interface is explored using electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical impedance results are analyzed using a fluctuating energy level model, assuming isoenergetic tunneling of majority carriers through the Helmholtz layer. A shift in the slope of Mott-Schottky plots (C-sc(-2) versus E) together with evidence from cyclic voltammetry shows that the electron-transfer process is mediated by surface states formed because of the adsorption of ferricyanide ions (as evident from the results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy). More significantly, the pH of zero charge (point of zero zeta potential, pzzp) of ZnO multipods is found to be 4.5 (from capacitance vs pH plots) compared to that of bulk ZnO (pH 9.5), which could be explained on the basis of a lowering in the work function of the nanostructured semiconductor and its consequent susceptibility to the formation of surface states. This is in excellent agreement with our earlier observation of ultralow threshold field emission with this material in the light of the linear dependence of pzzp with work function of the electrode material. The flat-band potential of the nanostructures is found to be 200 mV more negative than that reported for bulk n-type ZnO electrodes, indicating a higher doping density in the former. A three-dimensional mapping of charge distribution in the surface states is attempted by correlating the capacitance response of the system subjected to a sinusoidal potential modulation to the semiconductor electrode with that resulting from a systematic variation of the redox potential of the dissolved acceptor (achieved by varying the pH of the electrolyte) which further reveals the polyenergetic nature of the surface states.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp072695x}, author = {Parthasarathy, Meera and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000253154500023, title = {Syntheis of unusual tricyclic ring systems of biological interest}, journal = {Heterocycles}, volume = {73}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {269+}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe a new synthesis of tricyclic scaffolds that incorporate a fusion of triazole with 1,4-benzodiazepine utilizing intramolecular {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} chemistry.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, 4-benzodiazepine, Click chemistry, nitrogen rich polycyclic hetero-system, privileged structure}, issn = {0385-5414}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Maity, Pradip K. and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article {Bhattacharya, title = {Synthesis and characterisation of polymer-anchored oxidovanadium(IV) complexes and their use for the oxidation of styrene and cumene}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {16}, year = {2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2303-2314}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

{The Schiff bases H(2)fsal-ea (I), H(2)fsal-pa (II) and H(2)fsal-amp (III), derived from 3-formylsalicylic acid and 2-aminoethanol, 3-aminopropanol and 2-amino-2-methylpropanol, respectively, have been connected, by means of covalent bonds, to chloromethylated polystyrene cross-linked with 5\% divinylbenzene. On treatment with [

}, keywords = {dissolution rate, mass transfer coefficient, particle size distribution, polydisperse solid, reactive liquid}, issn = {0930-7575}, author = {Maurya, Mannar R. and Kumar, Umesh and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000243695000025, title = {Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous carbon through inexpensive mesoporous silica as template}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {98}, number = {1-3}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {189-199}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mesoporous silica materials have been synthesized through sol-gel reaction using inexpensive sodium silicate as source of silica and low cost hydroxy carboxylic acid compounds as templates/pore forming agents. The material measured surface area of 1014 m(2)/g, pore diameter of 65 angstrom and pore volume of 1.4 cc/g when parameters like time and temperature of synthesis along with mole ratio of TA/SiO(2) were optimized. Here TA stands for tartaric acid. Carbonization of sucrose inside the pores of above silica material at 900 degrees C followed by removal of silica framework using aqueous ethanoic solution of NaOH gave rise to mesoporous carbon material. The resulting materials were characterized by N(2)-sorption, FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal analysis and cyclic voltammetry. Three dimensional interconnecting wormhole channel arrangement of mesoporous silica template leads to mesoporous carbon replica with surface area of 1200 m(2)/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic study (XPS) of the mesoporous carbon material shows the concentration of carbon atom in the range of 97-98\% with 1-2\% oxygen and negligible amount of silica. The electrochemical double layer capacitance behavior of carbon material with the specific capacitance value of 88.0 F/g at the scan rate of 1 mV/s appears to be promising. (C) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electrochemical properties, hydroxy carboxylic acid, mesoporous carbon, Mesoporous silica, sodium silicate}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2006.09.003}, author = {Karandikar, Prashant R. and Patil, K. R. and Mitra, A. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Chandwadkar, Asha J.} } @article { ISI:000247807900003, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel polyurethanes based on 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-[1,4-phenylenedi-diazene-2,1-dlyl] bis(2-carboxyphenol) and 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-[1,4-phenylenedi-diazene-2,1-diyl] bis(2-chlorophenol) hard segments}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {67}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {JUN}, pages = {503-514}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Eight novel polyurethanes (PUs) based on 4,4{\textquoteright}-[1,4-phenylenedi-diazene-2,1-diyl]bis(2-carboxyphenot) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-[1,4phenylenedi-diazene-2,1-diyl]bis(2-chloro- phenol) as hard segments with four diisocyanates viz., 4,4-diphenyl-methane diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate and hexamethylene diisocyanate were prepared. Structural and thermal characterization of the segmented PUs were determined by FT-IR, UV spectrophotometry, fluoroscence spectroscopy, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR spectroscopy and DTA/TGA analysis. All the PUs contain domains of semi-crystalline and amorphous structures, as indicated by X-ray diffraction. PUs were soluble in polar aprotic solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl formamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DIVISO). (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {azo polymers, fluorescence, hard segments, Morphology, phase separation, polyurethanes, spectroscopy, Thermal properties}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2007.02.003}, author = {Raghu, A. V. and Gadaginamath, G. S. and Mathew, Nevin T. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000245634500005, title = {Synthesis and evaluation of 4/5-hydroxy-2,3-diaryl(substituted)-cyclopent-2-en-1-ones as cis-restricted analogues of combretastatin A-4 as novel anticancer agents}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {8}, year = {2007}, month = {APR}, pages = {1744-1753}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new series of 2,3-diaryl-4/5-hydroxy-cyclopent-2-en-1-one analogues replacing the cis double bond of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) by 4/5-hydroxy cyclopentenone moieties was designed and synthesized. The analogues displayed potent cytotoxic activity (IC50 \< 1 mu g/mL) against a panel of human cancer cell lines and endothelial cells. The most potent analogues 11 and 42 belonging to the 5-hydroxy cyclopentenone class were further evaluated for their mechanism of action. Both of the analogues led to cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and induced apoptosis in endothelial cells. Antitubulin property of 42 was superior to 11 and comparable to CA-4. The compound 42 had better aqueous solubility, metabolic stability, and pharmacokinetic profile than CA-4 and also demonstrated significant tumor regression in the human colon xenograft model. Our data suggests that cis-restricted analogues of CA-4 are a new class of molecules that have the potential to be developed as novel agents for the treatment of cancer.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/jm060938o}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Wakharkar, Radhika D. and Singh, Anu T. and Jaggi, Manu and Borate, Hanumant B. and Shinde, Popat D. and Verma, Ritu and Rajendran, Praveen and Dutt, Sarjana and Singh, Gurvinder and Sanna, Vinod K. and Singh, Manoj K. and Srivastava, Sanjay K. and Mahajan, Vishal A. and Jadhav, Vinod H. and Dutta, Kakali and Krishnan, Karthik and Chaudhary, Anika and Agarwal, Shiv K. and Mukherjee, Rama and Burman, Anand C.} } @article { ISI:000248609900039, title = {Synthesis, characterization, and acoustic properties of new soluble polyurethanes based on 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-[1,4-phenylenebis(nitrilomethylylidene)diphenol and 2,2 {\textquoteleft}-[4,4 {\textquoteleft}-methylene-di-2-methylphenylene-1,1 {\textquoteleft}-bis(nitrilomethylylidene)]diphenol}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {106}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {299-308}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Eight novel polyurethanes based on 2,2{\textquoteright}-[1,4-phenylenebis(nitrilomethylylidene)]diphenol and 2,2-[4,4{\textquoteright}methylene-di-2-methylphenylene-1,1{\textquoteright}-bis(nitrilomethylylidene) ]diphenol acting as hard segments with two aromatic and two aliphatic diisocyanates (4,4{\textquoteright}-diphenytmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, and hexamethylene diisocyanate) were prepared and characterized with Fourier transform infrared, UV spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, H-1-NMR and C-13-NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis. All the polyurethanes contained domains of semicrystalline and amorphous structures, as indicated by X-ray diffraction. The acoustic properties and solubility parameters were calculated with the group contribution method. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {infrared spectroscopy, NMR, phase behavior, polyurethanes, Thermal properties}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.26547}, author = {Raghu, A. V. and Gadaginamath, G. S. and Mathew, Nevin T. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000251574200016, title = {Synthesis, NMR, X-ray crystallography and bioactivity of some alpha-aminophosphonates}, journal = {Arkivoc}, number = {13}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, pages = {133-141}, publisher = {ARKAT USA INC}, type = {Article}, address = {C/O ALAN R KATRITZKY, UNIV FLORIDA, DEPT CHEMISTRY, PO BOX 117200, GAINESVILLE, FL 32611 USA}, abstract = {

The synthesis of some new alpha-aminophosphonates (4a-l) was accomplished by one pot reaction of equimolar quantities of 2-amino-4-chlorophenol (1), various aromatic aldehydes (2a-l) and diethylphosphite (3) in dry toluene at reflux temperature. Products 4a-l were characterized by IR, H-1, C-13, P-31 NMR and in the case of 4g by X-ray crystal diffraction data.

}, keywords = {alpha-Aminophosphonates, Antibacterial}, issn = {1424-6376}, author = {Prasad, Gandavaram Syam and Krishna, Jadaprolu Radha and Manjunath, Manubolu and Reddy, Obulam Vijaya Sarathi and Krishnaiah, Musali and Reddy, Cirandur Suresh and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000250557100030, title = {Synthesis of 1-deoxy-1-hydroxymethyl- and 1-deoxy-1-epi-hydroxymethyl castanospermine as new potential immunomodulating agents}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemsitry}, volume = {50}, number = {22}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5519-5523}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two new C-1 epimeric hydroxymethyl castanospermine congeners 2a and 2b, synthesized by stereocon trolled intramolecular double reductive amination Of D-glucose derived beta-keto ester as a key step, showed impressive immuno-potentiating property. The bioactivity was mediated through up-regulation of T-H1/T-H2 cytokine ratio. The finding suggested that immunmodulatory activity of polyhydroxylated indolizidine alkaloids can be tuned by minor structural/stereochemical alterations.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/jm070660f}, author = {Vyavahare, Vinod P. and Chakraborty, Chaitali and Maity, Biswanath and Chattopadhyay, Subrata and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Dhavale, Dilip D.} } @article {43063, title = {Synthesis of 2-[4-(10H-Substituted Phenothiazine-3-yl)-6-Pyrimidin-2-Phenylthiol/ol/amine/thiol] Pyrroles}, journal = {E-Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-[4-Hydroxy benz-1(propene-1-one)]Pyrrole II on treatment with phenyl thiourea, guanidine carbonate, urea and thiourea in alcoholic KOH yielded compounds III, IV, V, VI which on treatment with different aryl anilines gave compounds VII, VIII, IX, X which under goes cyclisation with sulphur and iodine to give 2-[4-(10H-substituted phenothiazine-3-yl)-6-pyrimidin-2-phenylthiol/-ol/-amine/-thiol] pyrrole XI(a-j), XII(a-j), XIII(a-j) and XIV(a-j) respectively. The structural products were characterized by elemental analysis and spectral data.

}, doi = {10.1155/2007/572543}, author = {Narule, Meghasham and Meshram, Jyotsna S. and Santhakumari, B. and Shanware, A.} } @article { ISI:000252218700032, title = {Synthesis of an indole containing KDR kinase inhibitor by tandem Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization as a key step}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {51}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12786-12790}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient synthesis of the potent KDR kinase inhibitor 3-[5-[[4-(methylsulfonyl)-1-piperazinyl]methyl]-1H-indol-2-yl]quin oline-2-(1H)-one using a Sonogashira coupling-5-eiido-dig-cyclization strategy is described. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.09.075}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and More, Vijaykumar S. and Kumar, P. Harish and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000252176200024, title = {Synthesis of aromatic poly(amide-imide)s from novel diimide-diacid (DIDA) containing sulphone and bulky pendant groups by direct polycondensation with various diamines}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {43}, number = {12}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5047-5054}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel diimide-diacid (DIDA) monomer, 4-{4-[(4-methyl phenyl) sulphonyl]}-1,3-bis-trimellitoimido benzene containing sulphone and bulky pendant groups was successfully synthesized and used to synthesize a series of wholly aromatic poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) by direct polycondensation method. The direct polycondensation of newly synthesized DIDA with different diamines was carried Out via Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s phosphorylation method using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine system. The resulting poly(amide-imide)s were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities 0.36-0.47 dl/g in DMAc at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. The poly(amide-imide)s were amorphous and were readily soluble in various solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), NN-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and pyridine. Tough and flexible films were obtained by casting their DMAc solution. According to thermogravimetric analysis, the polymers were fairly stable up to temperature around 396 degrees C, and 10\% weight losses in the temperature range of 476-511 degrees C that showed good thermal stabilities of these polymers. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {direct polycondensation, poly(amide-imide)s, sulphone and bulky pendant groups, thermally stable polymers}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2007.08.016}, author = {Patil, Prashant S. and Pal, Ravindra R. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000248175000038, title = {Synthesis of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 at 800 degrees C using citrate gel method}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {33}, number = {6}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1129-1132}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Manganite systems have been of considerable interest in the recent past due to their potential to operate in wide property range and also to serve as effective magnetic sensing and storing devices when synthesized using stringent conditions. We report a novel citrate gel method, in which La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 system has been synthesized at temperature 800 degrees C (LSMO800) with the synthesis duration is 6 h. The results have been compared with the sample synthesized at 1050 degrees C (LSMO1050). The synthesized bulk polycrystalline sample shows single-phase nature with the increase in particle size from similar to 50 nm to 300 nm with the increase in the sintering temperature. The magnetization data for LSMO800 shows well-defined hysteresis with saturation magnetization at around 1800 Oe and Curie temperature at 360 K, which is slightly lower than that of LSMO1050, which is 375 K. The results can be well attributed to the grain boundary effects. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Citrate gel method, CMR, Oxides}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2006.02.008}, author = {Ravi, V. and Kulkarni, S. D. and Samuel, V. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Mona, J. and Rajgopal, R. and Daundkar, A. and Lahoti, P. S. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article { ISI:000245142600010, title = {Synthesis of the C19-C34 segment of amphidinolide C}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {567-570}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the C19-C34 segment of amphidinolide C is described. The key steps include the Mioskowski{\textquoteright}s Lewis acid catalyzed epoxide opening with the alcohol, ring-closing metathesis, Wittig reaction, and Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi coupling reaction.

}, keywords = {amphidinolide C, Cytotoxic, Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi coupling, Ring-closing metathesis, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2007-967968}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Rahaman, Hasibur and Chorghade, Mukund S. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000250647000072, title = {Template-assisted synthesis of ruthenium oxide nanoneedles: electrical and electrochemical properties}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {111}, number = {44}, year = {2007}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16593-16600}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We here demonstrate the formation of bundles of RuO2 nanoneedles (ca. 100 nm diameter) by a templateassisted electrodeposition from aqueous RuCl3 solution under potentiostatic conditions at room temperature. Cyclic voltammetric measurements in 0.5 M H2SO4 show significantly higher redox-related charging behavior for the RuO2 nanoneedles compared to that of the commercial sample, which is also supported by the electrochemical impedance data. A comparison of the specific capacitance reveals a higher value for nanoneedles (3 F/g instead of 0.4 F/g for the bulk), which has been explained on the basis of enhanced reactivity. More interestingly, electrical transport measurements reveal a transition from metallic to semiconducting behavior especially at low-temperature caused by an impurity scattering mechanism. We anticipate that the present simple route for the fabrication of RuO2 nanostructures will be useful to exploit their potentials in various fields such as electrocatalysis, nanoelectronics, and more importantly for designing supercapacitors.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp0744836}, author = {Subhramannia, Mahima and Balan, Beena K. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {Manoj, title = {Tethered Pd-complex on solid support: catalyst for acid-free carbonylation reactions}, journal = {Catalysis Communictions}, volume = {8}, number = {9}, year = {2007}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1386-1392}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

{Palladium complex [

}, keywords = {decomposition, direct H2O2 synthesis, halides, Promoter}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2006.11.035}, author = {Sarkar, Bibbas R. and Mukhopadhyay, Kausik and Chaudhari, Raghunath V.} } @article {42754, title = {Thioether-functionalized ferrocenyl-bis(phosphonite), Fe{(C5H4)P(-OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-)}2: synthesis, coordination behavior, and application in suzuki-miyaura cross-coupling reactions}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10268{\textendash}10275}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The thioether-functionalized metalloligand ferrocenyl-bis(phosphonite), Fe(C5H4PR)2 (4, R = -OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O-) is synthesized in three steps starting from ferrocene, and its coordination behavior toward various transition-metal derivatives is described. The reactions of 4 with [Rh(CO)2Cl]2 or M(COD)Cl2 afforded the chelate complexes, cis-[Rh(CO)Cl{Fe(C5H4PR)2-κP,κP}] (5) or cis-[MCl2{Fe(C5H4PR)2-κP,κP}] (6, M = PdII; 7, M = PtII), respectively. However, treatment of 4 with CuX (X = Cl, Br, and I) produces binuclear complexes, [Cu2(μ-X)2(MeCN){Fe(C5H4PR)2-κP,κP}] (8, X = Cl; 9, X = Br; 10, X = I) where the sulfur atom on one side of the ligand is involved in a weak interaction with the copper center. Reaction of 4 with 1 equiv of Ag(PPh3)OTf gives the mononuclear chelate complex [Ag(OTf)PPh3{Fe(C5H4PR)2-κP,κP}] (11), whereas treatment with 2 equiv of AuCl(SMe2) produces the dinuclear gold complex [Au(Cl){Fe(C5H4PR)2-κP,κP}Au(Cl)] (12). The crystal structures of 10 and 12 are reported, where a strong metallophilic interaction is observed between the closed-shell metal centers. The palladium complex 6 catalyzes the Suzuki cross-coupling reactions of aryl bromides with phenylboronic acid with excellent turnover numbers (TON up to 1.36 {\texttimes} 105).

}, doi = {10.1021/ic701537k}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article {42816, title = {Total syntheses of schulzeines B and C}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {72}, year = {2007}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6591-6594}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Schulzeines B (2) and C (3) were synthesized by a convergent strategy using epimeric tricyclic lactam building blocks, 4 and 5, and the C28 fatty acid side chain 6. Syntheses of tricyclic lactams (4/5) were achieved by Bischler-Napieralski reaction. Sharpless asymmetric dihy-droxylation and BINAL-H-mediated asymmetric reduction of an enone was employed to prepare the key fatty acid side chain 6. The spectral as well as analytical data of 2 and 3 were in good agreement with the reported data for the natural products, thus confirming their assigned structures.

}, keywords = {Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors; Asymmetric Dihydroxylation; Adjuvant Activity; Pinellic Acid; Ketones; Reduction; Reagents; Configuration; Imbricatine;Alkaloids}, doi = {10.1021/jo070560h}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Pramanik, Chinmoy and Bhattasali, Debabrata and Ramana, Chepuri V. and Mohapatra, Debendra K.} } @article { ISI:000249308700005, title = {Towards the enantioselective synthesis of anti-HIV agents litseaverticillols C and K from D-glucose}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {63}, number = {12}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2613-2621}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The first enantioselective synthesis towards the litseaverticillols C and K has been achieved, from D-glucose, using the ring closing metathesis (RCM) and Wittig reactions as key steps. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.01.037}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Mondal, Dhananjoy and Guriar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000249949800021, title = {Transesterification of alpha-haloesters and beta-ketoesters over Mg-Al-hydrotalcites (HT)-like anionic clays}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {276}, number = {1-2}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {158-161}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Transesterification of alpha-haloesters was achieved by reaction of alcohols in the presence of Mg-Al-HT-like anionic clays. beta-Ketoesters were also transesterified under similar conditions on reaction with alcohols with a wide variety of functional groups. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-haloesters, beta-ketoesters, heterogeneous catalyst, Hydrotalcites, transesterification}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2007.07.006}, author = {Bulbule, Vivek J. and Borate, Hanumant B. and Munot, Yogesh S. and Deshpande, Vishnu H. and Sawargave, Sangmeshwer P. and Gaikwad, Abaji G.} } @article { ISI:000248609900029, title = {Use of poly(o-toluidine)/ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings for the corrosion protection of mild steel}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {106}, number = {1}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {220-229}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

This study explored the possibility of using poly(o-toluidine) (POT)/ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings for the corrosion protection of mild steel in a chloride environment. POT/ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings were synthesized on steel substrates through an electrochemical route. These coatings were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The performance of POT/ZrO2 nanocomposites as protective coatings against the corrosion of mild steel in aqueous 3 wt \% NaCl was evaluated with the potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results of this study demonstrate that POT/ZrO2 nanocomposite coatings provide better protection for mild steel against corrosion than pure POT coatings. The corrosion potential was about 0.312 V versus a saturated calomel electrode, more positive in aqueous 3 wt \% NaCl for the nanocomposite-coated steel than the uncoated steel, and the corrosion rate of steel was reduced by a factor of almost 51. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Coatings, conjugated polymers, FTIR, Nanocomposites, synthesis}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.26469}, author = {Chaudhari, Sudeshna and Patil, P. P. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Sainkar, S. R.} } @article { ISI:000248860300003, title = {Using pseudo amino acid composition to predict protein subnuclear localization: approached with PSSM}, journal = {Pattern Recognition Letters}, volume = {28}, number = {13}, year = {2007}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1610-1615}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Identification of Nuclear protein localization assumes significance as it can provide in depth insight for genome regulation and function annotation of novel proteins. A multiclass SVM classifier with various input features was employed for nuclear protein compartment identification. The input features include factor solution scores and evolutionary information (position specific scoring matrix (PSSM) score) apart from conventional dipeptide composition and pseudo amino acid composition. All the SVM classifiers with different sets of input features performed better than the previously available prediction classifiers. The jack-knife success rate thus obtained on the benchmark dataset constructed by Shen and Chou [Shen, H.B., Chou, K.C., 2005, Predicting protein subnuclear location with optimized evidence-theoretic K-nearest classifier and pseudo amino acid composition. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 337, 752-756] is 71.23\%, indicating that the novel pseudo amino acid composition approach with PSSM and SVM classifier is very promising and may at least play a complimentary role to the existing methods. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {factor solution score, multiclass SVM, nuclear protein, PSSM, subnuclear localization}, issn = {0167-8655}, doi = {10.1016/j.patrec.2007.04.001}, author = {Mundra, Piyushkumar and Kumar, Madhan and Kumar, K. Krishna and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000250986500008, title = {Using recurrence quantification analysis descriptors for protein sequence classification with support vector machines}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {25}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {289-297}, publisher = {ADENINE PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {2066 CENTRAL AVE, SCHENECTADY, NY 12304 USA}, abstract = {

In this work, we integrate a non-linear signal analysis method, recurrence quantification analysis (RQA), with the well-known machine-learning algorithm, support vector machines for the binary classification of protein sequences. Two different classification problems were selected, discriminating between aggregating and non-aggregating proteins and mostly disordered and completely ordered proteins, respectively. It has also been shown that classification performance of SVM models improve on selection of the most informative RQA descriptors as SVM input features.

}, issn = {0739-1102}, author = {Mitra, Joydeep and Mundra, Piyushkumar and Kulkarni, B. D. and Jayaraman, Valadi K.} } @article { ISI:000244008300031, title = {Varistors based on Ta-doped TiO2}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {33}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {MAR}, pages = {301-303}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The nonlinear current (I)-voltage (V) characteristics of titanium dioxide are examined when doped with small quantities (0.05-0.5 at.\%) of tantalum pentaoxide. For optimum compositions, the nonlinear coefficients are found to be in the range of 25-30 and the breakdown field strength (EB) is similar to 4000 V/cm. The obtained alpha- and E-B-values are higher than the previously reported values for TiO2 ceramics. The acceptor like surface states at the grain boundary adsorb oxygen during sintering and cooling, leading to formation of grain boundary barrier. The grain boundary barrier height (OB) is calculated using Schottky equation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Oxides, Schottky barrier, TiO2, varistor}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2005.07.026}, author = {Navale, S. C. and Murugan, A. Vadivel and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000251868800001, title = {Versatile method for the preparation of conjugates of peptides with DNA/PNA/analog by employing chemo-selective click reaction in water}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {35}, number = {21}, year = {2007}, month = {DEC}, pages = {e139}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, type = {Article}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The specific 1,3 dipolar Hisgen cycloaddition reaction known as {\textquoteleft}click-reaction{\textquoteright} between azide and alkyne groups is employed for the synthesis of peptideoligonucleotide conjugates. The peptide nucleic acids (PNA)/DNA and peptides may be appended either by azide or alkyne groups. The cycloaddition reaction between the azide and alkyne appended substrates allows the synthesis of the desired conjugates in high purity and yields irrespective of the sequence and functional groups on either of the two substrates. The versatile approach could also be employed to generate the conjugates of peptides with thioacetamido nucleic acid (TANA) analog. The click reaction is catalyzed by Cu (I) in either water or in organic medium. In water, similar to 3-fold excess of the peptide-alkyne/azide drives the reaction to completion in 2 h with no side products.

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkm935}, author = {Gogoi, Khirud and Mane, Meenakshi V. and Kunte, Sunita S. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article { ISI:000257172700016, title = {Accumulation of cadmium in growing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) seedlings - its effect on lipid peroxidation and on the antioxidative enzymes catalase and gualacol peroxidase}, journal = {Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science}, volume = {171}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {440-447}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In plants exposed to high metal concentrations, mechanisms to counteract the oxidative burst are crucial for its survival. To investigate the temporal sequence of physiological reactions of peanut seedlings (Arachis hypogaea L.) to cadmium exposure, seeds were cultured in increasing concentrations of CdCl(2), ranging from 50 to 300 mu M. Germination frequency was scored, and the distributions of Cd in root, stem, and leaves were determined after 2 and 4 weeks of culture. Lipid peroxidation and activities of antioxidative enzymes including catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) and guaiacol peroxiclase (GPX; EC 1.11.1.7) were estimated in these three parts of the plant. Germination of seedlings was not affected, but the growth of seedlings was severely suppressed with increasing concentrations of CdCl(2) and incubation period. Pattern of Cd distribution in the three organs varied with concentration and period of exposure to Cd. Increased lipid peroxidation was detected in all parts of the developing seedlings with increasing metal accumulation. Catalase and guaiacol peroxidase activity varied in the three parts of the seedlings with concentration of Cd and incubation period. Guaiacol peroxidase activity appears to be more active in scavenging the reactive oxygen species in developing peanut seedlings. The results of the present experiment demonstrate the advantages of a tissue-culture model system in studying the complex network of interactions of various factors in stress tolerance.

}, keywords = {Abiotic stress, heavy metal, stress tolerance, TBARS, thiobarbituric acid, Tissue culture}, issn = {1436-8730}, doi = {10.1002/jpln.200700083}, author = {Kumar, Sunil and Mehta, Urmil J. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000257637000008, title = {Adsorption of fluoride ions by Zn-Al layered double hydroxides}, journal = {Applied Clay Science}, volume = {40}, number = {1-4}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {54-62}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Zn-Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with different molar ratios Zn/Al (0, 0.17, 0.34, 0.97, 3.47, proportional to) were prepared by the co-precipitation of chlorides, characterized and evaluated for their fluoride adsorption at room temperature from aqueous solutions. The fluoride adsorption of the as-synthesized LDHs was influenced by the chemical composition of the LDHs and ZA-11 (Zn/Al = 0.97) had the highest capacity for fluoride adsorption (1.14-4.16 mg/g). The adsorption increased after calcination of the LDH up to 500 degrees C. The equilibrium data were fitted to the Freundlich, Langmuir, and Temkin equations. The kinetics of fluoride adsorption followed the pseudo-second order model. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Anionic clay, Fluoride, Layered double hydroxide}, issn = {0169-1317}, doi = {10.1016/j.clay.2007.07.004}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000258460400012, title = {Adsorption of sulfonated dyes by polyaniline emeraldine salt and its kinetics}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {112}, number = {33}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10153-10157}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A method for the removal of anionic (sulfonated) dyes from aqueous dye solutions using the chemical interaction of dye molecules with polyaniline is reported. Polyaniline (PANI) emeraldine salt was synthesized by chemical oxidation. Sulfonated dyes undergo chemical interactions with the charged backbone of PANI, leading to significant adsorption of the dyes. This phenomenon of selective adsorption of the dyes by PANI is reported for the first time and promises a green method for removal of sulfonated organics from wastewater. The experimental observations from UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and conductivity measurements rule out the possibility of secondary doping of polyaniline salt by sulfonated dye molecules. A possible mechanism for the chemical interaction between the polymer and the sulfortated dye molecules is proposed. The kinetic parameters for the adsorption of sulfonated dyes on PANI are also reported.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp803903x}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Madras, Giridhar and Radhakrishnan, S. and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000252284200102, title = {Anomalous microwave heating effects in Ce-doped La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3): possible role of grain boundary capacitative effects across cerium solubility limit}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {92}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article No. 012512}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Ce-doped manganite bulk nanocompacts [La(0.7-x)Ce(x)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) (0 \< x \< 0.1)] are studied for their microwave heating properties at 2.45 GHz. The heating effect is found to be nonmonotonic as a function of cerium concentration, and anomalously large heating (burning) is observed for a small concentration window near x=0.03. The x-ray diffraction studies show signatures of CeO(2) phase in x\>0.03 samples. The various characterizations collectively point to the key role of the developing grain boundary CeO(2) layer which leads to highest capacitative intergrain-coupling and related charging-discharging effects when it is thinnest near the apparent Ce solubility limit of x similar to 0.03. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2827184}, author = {Kale, Sangeeta N. and Mona, J. and Lofland, S. E. and Kulkarni, S. D. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000252860400082, title = {Au-ZnO: a tunable localized surface plasmonic nanocomposite}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {92}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {043107}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

In this letter, we report the thermal processing controlled tunability of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au nanoparticles embedded in ZnO matrix. Au-ZnO nanocomposite films were prepared by atom beam cosputtering and were annealed from 200 to 600 degrees C in Ar. A regular redshift similar to 110 nm (from 505 to 615 nm) in LSPR peak with increase in annealing temperature up to 600 degrees C is observed. Transmission electron microscopy results confirm the formation of Au nanoparticles supported by ZnO nanorods at annealing temperature of 600 degrees C. The Au-ZnO nanocomposite exhibits significant enhancement in the Raman signal for C(70) molecules. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2838302}, author = {Mishra, Y. K. and Mohapatra, S. and Singhal, R. and Avasthi, D. K. and Agarwal, Dinesh C. and Ogale, S. B.} } @article { ISI:000260756600004, title = {Carbohydrate templates for the synthesis of prototype renin inhibitors}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {19}, number = {18}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2123-2129}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A concise synthesis of a prototype renin inhibitor and its 7-epimer has been accomplished starting from readily available D-glucose. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2008.08.007}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Sahoo, Gokarneswar and Sankar, Kuppusamy and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article {42461, title = {Carbon-nitrogen bond-forming reactions of dialkyl azodicarboxylate: a promising synthetic strategy}, journal = {Chemistry an Asian Journal}, volume = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {810{\textendash}820}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Azodicarboxylates have found applications in electrophilic amination reactions and in pericyclic reactions. The nucleophilic trigger in Mitsunobu reactions, that is, the zwitterion formed from triphenylphosphine and dialkyl azodicarboxylate, has been utilized recently in various heterocyclic constructions. This Focus Review summarizes the potential utility of azodicarboxylates in various carbon{\textendash}nitrogen bond-forming reactions.

}, keywords = {amination reactions; azodicarboxylates; C[BOND]N bond formation; heterocycles; Huisgen zwitterion}, doi = {10.1002/asia.200700341}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Biju, Akkattu T. and Mathew, Smitha C. and Pattoorpadi, Beneesh Babu} } @article { ISI:000257474100021, title = {Cellulose supported layered double hydroxides for the adsorption of fluoride from aqueous solution}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {72}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {995-998}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cellulose supported layered double hydroxides (CSLDHs) were synthesized and tested for adsorption of fluoride in aqueous medium. Three samples of cellulose supported LDHs were synthesized by varying the LDH loading on cellulose. The raw cellulose, unsupported LDH and cellulose supported LDHs were characterized by XRD, SEM and BET surface area. Batch adsorption as well as fixed-bed column experiments were performed for determining the fluoride adsorption characteristics of CSLDHs. The fluoride adsorption properties of CSLDHs were found to be superior to that of reported adsorbents, including activated alumina and carbon nanotubes. Defluoridation capacity of the CSLDHs was 2-4 times higher than that of unsupported LDH. The cellulose supported LDH, CSLDH-50, having an LDH loading of 27\% showed maximum fluoride uptake capacity (5.29 mg g(-1) of CSLDH, 25.18 mg g(-1) of LDH) in fixed-bed column study. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, cellulose, Fluoride, Layered double hydroxide}, issn = {0045-6535}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.03.053}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000207604400003, title = {CFD modeling of rotary cement kilns}, journal = {Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {3}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {106-118}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Rotary cement kilns are widely used to convert calcineous raw meal into cement clinker, and are key components in the cement industry. In this article, we report a comprehensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based model to capture key transport processes in rotary cement kilns. Separate but coupled computational models were developed for the bed and the freeboard regions of the rotary kiln. The complex swirling airflow produced by kiln burners, coal combustion, gas-phase combustion of volatile matter and radiative heat transfer in the freeboard region were modeled. The clinkerization reactions in the bed region were modeled assuming solids as pseudo fluids. Coating formation in cement kilns (for both bed and freeboard regions) was considered. Appropriate source and sink terms were developed to model transfer of CO(2) from the bed to the freeboard region due to calcination reaction in the bed region. The developed bed and freeboard models were coupled by mass and energy communication through common interface. These coupled computational models were able to quite satisfactorily predict the available data from industrial kilns and previously published results. The computational models were also able to capture the intricacies of the burning zones of rotary cement kilns for changing burner-operational parameters like axial to swirl ratio and oxygen enrichment. The developed approach, computational models and simulation results will not only help in developing better understanding of cement kilns but also provide quantitative information about influence of burner design and other design parameters on kiln performance. (C) 2008 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {burner, CFD, coal combustion, rotary cement kiln}, issn = {1932-2143}, doi = {10.1002/apj.123}, author = {Mujumdar, Kaustubh S. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000262796500004, title = {Characterization of MoSe2 thin film deposited at room temperature from solution phase}, journal = {Journal of Crystal Growth}, volume = {311}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15-19}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple, low-temperature method has been developed to synthesis molybdenum diselenide semiconductor thin films, based on the chemical reaction of conlplexed ammonium molybdate, hydrazine hydrate and sodium Selenosulphate in aqueous alkaline medium. The deposition parameter of the MoSe2 thin film is interpreted in the present investigation. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical absorption and electrical measurements. The deposited film was found to be polycrystalline in hexagonal form. The direct band gap {\textquoteleft}E-g{\textquoteright} for the film was found to be 1.43eV and electrical conductivity in the order of 10(-2)(Omega cm)(-1) with n-type conduction mechanism. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Crystal morphology, Growth from solution, Inorganic compound, Polycrystalline deposition, Semiconducting materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0022-0248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2008.09.188}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Patil, A. A. and Chate, P. A. and Garadkar, K. M. and Sathe, D. J. and Manikshete, A. H. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @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} } @conference { ISI:000271775103415, title = {COLL 41-studies in biosurfactants: sophorolipids}, booktitle = { 235th American-Chemical-Society National Meeting}, volume = {235}, year = {2008}, note = {235th American-Chemical-Society National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, APR 06-10, 2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {Meeting Abstract : 41 - Coll}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, organization = {American Chemical Society}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {1155 16th ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, keywords = {Biosurfactants, Candida bombicola ATCC 22214, Fermentation Process, sophorolipids}, issn = {0065-7727}, author = {Momin, Shamim A. and Prabhune, Asmita and Sonchal, Bhushan P. and Shah, Sachin and Kothekar, Shrinivas C.} } @article { ISI:000256603500023, title = {Controlled synthesis of ZnO from nanospheres to micro-rods and its gas sensing studies}, journal = {Talanta}, volume = {75}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1315-1319}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

1D ZnO rods are synthesized using less explored hydrazine method. Here we find, besides being combustible hydrazine can also be used as a structure-directing agent. The ratio of zinc nitrate (ZN) to hydrazine is found to control the morphology of ZnO. At lower concentration of ZN as compared with hydrazine the morphology of ZnO is found to be spherical. As we increase the hydrazine content the morphology changes from spherical (diameter similar to 100 nm) to the elongated structures including shapes like Y, T as well dumbbell (diameter similar to 40 nm and length similar to 150 nm). Interestingly for more than 50\% of hydrazine ZnO micro-rods are formed. Such rods are of diameter similar to 120 mn having length of about 1 mu m for ZN to hydrazine ratio of 1:9, isolated as well as bundle of rods are seen in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals the phase formation with average particle size of 37 nm as calculated using Scherrer{\textquoteright}s formula. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is also done to confirm the d-spacing in ZnO. Gas sensing study for these samples shows high efficiency and selectivity towards LPG at all operating temperatures. Photoluminescence (PL) study for these samples is performed at room temperature to find potential application as photoelectric material. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hydrazine, LPG sensor, Nanostructures, photoluminescence, ZnO}, issn = {0039-9140}, doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2008.01.063}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Gosavi, S. W. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000256822100005, title = {Convenient synthesis of 1-acetyl-2,2-dimethyl-3-arylcyclopropanes}, journal = {Organic Preparations and Procedures International}, volume = {40}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {311-315}, publisher = {ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND}, issn = {0030-4948}, author = {Muthusubramanian, Lakshmi and Mitra, Raiat B.} } @article { ISI:000254698300035, title = {Co-precipitation method for preparation of Bi3TiNbO9 powders}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {675-677}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique has been successfully used for the preparation of pure, ultrafine, single phase Bi3TiNbO9 (BTN). An aqueous ammonium hydroxide solution was used to simultaneously precipitate Bi3+, Ti4+ and Nb5+, cations as hydroxides under basic conditions (pH similar to 9). No pyrochlore phase was found while heating powder at 500 degrees C and pure BTN phase was found to be formed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). For comparison, BTN samples were also synthesized by the traditional solid state method. The sequence of phase formation in both cases were investigated by XRD studies. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, electronic material, Oxides, XRD}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2007.02.002}, author = {Gupta, U. N. and Samuel, V. and Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Patil, S. D. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000257538200034, title = {Co-precipitation technique to prepare BiNbO4 powders}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {34}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1565-1567}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique was successfully used for the preparation of pure ultrafine single phase BiNbO4. A standard ammonium hydroxide solution was used to precipitate Bi3+ and Ta5+ cations as hydroxides simultaneously under basic conditions. For comparison, BN powders were also prepared by the traditional solid-state method. It is observed that the co-precipitation technique produces BiNbO4 on heating at 600 degrees C, whereas complete phase formation occurs only at 800 degrees C in the solid-state method. The phase contents and lattice parameters were Studied by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BiNbO4, Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2007.03.022}, author = {Radha, R. and Gupta, U. N. and Samuel, V. and Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000252408000041, title = {Co-precipitation technique to prepare BiTaO4 powders}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {501-503}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple co-precipitation technique has been successfully used for the preparation of pure ultrafine single phase BiTaO4. A standard ammonium hydroxide solution was used to precipitate Bi3+ and Ta5+ cations as hydroxides simultaneously under basic conditions. This precursor, on heating at 600 degrees C, produced product phase. This is the lowest temperature for the formation of BiTaO4 phase so far reported in the literature. For comparison BiTaO4 powders were also prepared by the traditional solid state method. The phase contents and lattice parameters were studied by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BiTaO4, Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.05.074}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Gupta, U. N. and Rituraj, B. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Pradhan, Sivaram and Radha, R. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000260728300004, title = {Cu-Ce mixed oxides supported on Al-pillared clay: effect of method of preparation on catalytic activity in the preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {84}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {21-29}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The possibility of using Al-pillared montmorillonite (Al-PILC) clay as a high-surface-area support for CuO-CeO2-based catalysts has been investigated. The preparation of the samples was done by three different methods, viz., amorphous citrate route (ACR), deposition precipitation (DP) and wet impregnation method (WIM). Samples with different CuO-CeO2 loadings (10-50 wt.\%) were prepared by each of the three methods. The catalytic activity of these samples was investigated for the preferential oxidation (PROX) of carbon monoxide (CO) in excess of H-2. The samples prepared by DP and WIM methods show better activity than the samples prepared by ACR method. At low Cu content, the samples prepared by DP method have a slight edge over samples prepared by WIM method. The DP-30 sample shows a very high CO conversion of 96.1\% at 423 K. A higher dispersion of CuO-CeO2 on pillared montmorillonite clay and better reducibility of copper oxide species may be responsible for the good activity of these samples even at lower reaction temperatures. A higher O-2/CO ratio increased the CO conversion but led to a reduction in oxidation selectivity. No methanation of CO or CO2 was observed at the reaction temperature. These CuO-CeO2/Al-PILC samples could be considered as comparable in performance with supported noble metal catalysts for the preferential oxidation of CO in excess hydrogen. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alumina-pillared clay, Clay-supported CuO-CeO2, CuO-CeO2, PROX of CO}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2008.02.023}, author = {Ramaswamy, Veda and Malwadkar, Sachin S. and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V.} } @article { ISI:000252569600003, title = {Development and application of a method for analysis of lufenuron in wheat flour by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and confirmation of bio-efficacy against Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae)}, journal = {Journal of Chromatography B-Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences}, volume = {861}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {16-21}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A new analytical method using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the quantitative determination of lufenuron, a benzoylphenylurea (BPU) class of insecticide, from wheat flour has been developed and applied for time-dependant residue monitoring in treated wheat flour. The analyte was extracted from wheat flour by a single step solid-liquid extraction by using ethyl acetate and subsequently cleaned up using the Primary Secondary Amine as a sorbent prior to GC-MS analysis. The present method provides sufficient sensitivity as reflected by the values of limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ), 5 ng/mL (S/N similar to 3) and 50 ng/mL (the lowest validation point on the calibration curve), respectively. The calibration curve showed an excellent linearity in the concentration range of 50-1000 ng/mL (r(2) = 0.998). The average recovery for spiked samples at three concentrations (150, 300, and 450 ng/g) was 98.23 +/- 2.52\% R.S.D. The method was applied for the determination of lufenuron residues in treated wheat flour samples. Simultaneous determination of bio-efficacy of lufenuron residues was also carried out against the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum to correlate the actual residual effect of lufenuron as detected by the analytical method, over a period of 3 months. The findings revealed that the residual concentration of lufenuron were neither uniform nor in descending order over a period of 3 months in wheat flour, possibly because of an uneven dispersal in the treated wheat which was subsequently milled into flour, as confirmed by GC-MS analysis. However, the residues of lufenuron were sufficient to produce 100\% mortality of T. castaneum larvae up to 3 months. The results have been discussed in view of the potential of lufenuron as a candidate molecule for the control of stored product pests. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {bio-efficacy, GC-MS, lufenuron, method development, residue analysis, Tribolium castaneum, Wheat}, issn = {1570-0232}, doi = {10.1016/j.jchromb.2007.11.026}, author = {Ahire, Kedar C. and Arora, Manjit S. and Mukherjee, Samindra N.} } @article { ISI:000254736700028, title = {Differential accumulation of manganese in three mature tree species (Holoptelia, Cassia, Neem) growing on a mine dump}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {94}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {639-643}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Three trees, including Cassia siamea (Cassia), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Holoptelia integrifolia (Holoptelia) belonging to three different families were identified from a manganese mine tailing dump. Manganese content in dump soil and in the stem, green leaves and dry, fallen leaves of the plants was determined. Values were compared with similar samples collected from normal vegetation. Under control condition, manganese content was highest in Cassia. Distribution of metal in samples collected from the dump site revealed that Holoptelia has a special ability to accumulate high amounts of manganese under stress condition followed by Cassia and Neem. There is no literature on metal accumulation in Holoptelia. Mechanism of manganese sequestration in Holoptelia is different from the other two trees growing in the same soil.

}, keywords = {Azadirachta indica, Cassia siamea, Holoptelia integrifolia, hyperaccumulator, manganese, mine dump}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Raju, D. and Kumar, Sunil and Mehta, Urmil J. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article { ISI:000255305200006, title = {Effect of fuel and its concentration on the nature of Mn in Mn/CeO2 solid solutions prepared by solution combustion synthesis}, journal = {Acta Materialia}, volume = {56}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1461-1472}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nano and microcrystalline, Mn/CeO2 solid solutions (5 mol.\% Mn) have been prepared by solution combustion synthesis using urea, glycine or polyethylene glycol (PEG) as fuel. The nature of the fuel and its concentration (fuel to metal mole ratio, F/M have a strong influence on the physical and chemical characteristics of the resulting Mn/CeO2 solid solutions. The variations in the physicochemical properties are attributed to differences in (i) the adiabatic/real flame temperature realized with these fuels at different F/M ratios; (ii) the sustenance of the temperature or the quenching effect of the fuel at higher F/M ratios; (iii) combustion or decomposition of the precursors as the main course of the reaction; and (iv) the generation of gaseous products during combustion. Since the addition of the fuel to the initial precursor solution does not change the pH of the medium, the differences in the type of Mn species formed are mainly attributed to the combustion process. (C) 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Combustion synthesis, Mn-ceria, Nanocomposites, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)}, issn = {1359-6454}, doi = {10.1016/j.actamat.2007.11.035}, author = {Murugan, B. and Ramaswamy, A. V. and Srinivas, D. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Ramaswamy, Veda} } @article { ISI:000260283800018, title = {Effect of hydrodynamic cavitation on zooplankton: a tool for disinfection}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {320-328}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Application of hydrodynamic cavitation for disinfection of water is gaining momentum, as it provides environmentally and economically sound options. In this effort, the effect of cavitating conditions created by differential pump valve opening and that created by flowing through a cavitating element (orifice plates) on the microbes (zooplankton in sea water) is described. The experimental results are compared with modelling of cavitating conditions that includes cavity dynamics, turbulence generated by individual oscillating cavity, cell wall strength and geometrical and operating parameters of cavitation device. Theoretical model for quantifying the cavitationally generated turbulent shear and extent of microbial disinfection has been developed. Experimental results indicated that cavitation and/or turbulent fluid shear dominantly originating from cavitation are effective tools for sea water disinfection as more than 80\% of the zooplankton present in the sea water were killed. It was also observed that shock waves generated due to cavitation is not the sole cause for zooplankton disruption. A correct physical mechanism accounting fluid turbulence and shear, generated from stable oscillation of cavity, significantly contribute towards the disruption. Further refinement of the model presented will serve as a basis for higher degree of disinfection and provide a practical tool for sea water disinfection. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cell disruption, heat transfer, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Modelling, Wastewater treatment, Zooplankton}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2008.08.001}, author = {Sawant, Subhash Shivram and Anil, Arga Chandrashekar and Krishnamurthy, Venkat and Gaonkar, Chetan and Kolwalkar, Janhavi and Khandeparker, Lidita and Desai, Dattesh and Mahulkar, Amit Vinod and Ranade, Vivek Vinayak and Pandit, Aniruddha Balchandra} } @article { ISI:000258437100008, title = {Effect of synthesis procedure on the structure and properties of palladium/polycarbonate nanocomposites}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {49}, number = {16}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3413-3418}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this paper, we compare two procedures for the synthesis of palladium (Pd)/polycarbonate (PC) nanocomposites as well as their morphological, optical, thermal and electrical properties. Pd nanoclusters were produced by the reduction of palladium chloride using a variation of Brust{\textquoteright}s method. Discrete I{\textquoteright}d nanoclusters of similar to 15 nm size were formed in the absence of PC in the reaction mixture (ex situ method) while agglomeration of Pd nanoclusters was noticed in the presence of PC in the reaction mixture (in situ method). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) suggests nanoparticle-polymer interactions and polymer conformational changes in the in situ nanocomposite films. Even after having the same Pd content, the ex situ nanocomposites films were found to transmit more light than the in situ nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature (T-g), decreased by similar to 16 degrees C for both the ex situ and in situ samples. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the presence of Pd nanoclusters significantly improved the thermal stability of the nanocomposites, as evidenced by the enhanced onset of degradation by similar to 20 degrees C and similar to 40 degrees C for the in situ and ex situ nanocomposites, respectively. The electrical conductivity measurement shows a dramatic difference between these nanocomposites with a significantly higher value for the in situ nanocomposite (resistivity = 2.1 X 10(5) Omega m) compared to the ex situ nanocomposite (resistivity = 7.2 x 10(13) Omega m). (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {in situ and ex situ syntheses, Morphology, Nanocomposites}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2008.05.036}, author = {Valmikanathan, O. P. and Ostroverkhova, O. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Vijayamohanan, K. and Atre, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000257834700017, title = {Effective arsenic removal using polyacrylonitrile-based ultrafiltration (UF) membrane}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Science}, volume = {320}, number = {1-2}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {159-166}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Applicability of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based negatively charged ultrafiltration (UF) membrane for effective arsenic removal has been demonstrated, to our knowledge, for the first time. The hydrolysis of PAN-based UF membrane surface by NaOH leading to the formation of carboxylate (-COO-) groups and reduction in initial pore size rendered As-V rejection capability by Donnan exclusion principle. A lowering in pore size was indicated by the reduction in water flux and elevation in rejection of protein and polyethylene glycol (PEG). NaOH treatment leading to formation of carboxylate group on the membrane surface was indicated by FTIR-ATR, while contact angle measurement indicated increased hydrophilicity. This treatment rendered membrane surface smoothening as confirmed by SEM and AFM analyses. The molecular weight cut off after the NaOH treatment was found to be similar to 6 kDa. The rejection of pentavalent arsenic (As-V) by these surface modified membranes was studied with different feed concentration, cross-flow velocity, pressure, temperature and pH. Experiments with 50 ppb As-V in feed showed that arsenic rejection was close to 100\% and remained constant up to 6 h. Feed sample concentration of 1000 ppb and 50 ppm of As-V showed \>95\% rejection at pH 7 and room temperature, but for 1000 ppm feed concentration, the rejection was 40-65\%. For concentrations \<= 50 ppm of arsenic in the feed, the rejection coefficient was not dependent on cross-flow velocity or transmembrame pressure. The rejection for 1000 ppm. concentration of As-V varied from 40 to 65\% with variation in the cross-flow velocity and transmembrane pressure as the concentration polarization was important. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Arsenic rejection, concentration polarization, cross-flow velocity, Polyacrylonitrile, surface modification, Ultrafiltration}, issn = {0376-7388}, doi = {10.1016/j.memsci.2008.03.068}, author = {Lohokare, Harshada R. and Muthu, M. R. and Agarwal, Gopal P. and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000252339100015, title = {Efficient method for the synthesis of acylals from aldehydes under solvent-free conditions catalyzed by antimony trichloride}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {128-134}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A mild and efficient method has been developed for the preparation of acylals from aldehydes catalyzed by antimony trichloride under solvent-free conditions in very good to excellent yields. The easy availability, low cost, and ease of handling of the catalyst make this procedure especially attractive for large-scale synthesis.

}, keywords = {acetic anhydride, Acylals, aldehydes, antimony trichloride, solvent-free conditions}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910701651284}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Mujahid, Mohammad and Natu, Arvind A.} } @article { ISI:000259140200017, title = {Electric field induced, superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic switching in multiwalled carbon nanotube papers}, journal = {Nano Letters}, volume = {8}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2693-2696}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Superhydrophobic multiwalled carbon nanotube bucky paper, fabricated after ozonolysis, shows fascinating electrowetting behavior, which could be remarkably tuned by changing key solution variables like the ionic strength, the nature of the electrolyte, and the pH of the water droplet. More significantly, the droplet behavior can be reversibly switched between superhydrophobic, Cassie-Baxter state to hydrophilic, Wenzel state by the application of an electric field, especially below a threshold value.

}, issn = {1530-6984}, doi = {10.1021/nl801012r}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mehta, Rutvik and Durge, Apurva and Kulkarni, Sneha and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000257271600056, title = {Electrochemical sensing of sulphur dioxide: a comparison using dodecanethiol and citrate capped gold nanoclusters}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3184-3190}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

A comparison of cyclic voltammograms of dodecanethiol (DDT) capped Au nanoclusters (5.0 +/- 0.5 nm) and trisodium citrate (Cit) capped Au nanoclusters (similar to 10-15 nm) modified glassy carbon electrode shows a dramatic variation in the current when exposed to a small amount of sulphur dioxide. This is explained using the electrocatalytic properties of Au nanoclusters towards the oxidation of SO2, thus facilitating the fabrication of electrochemical sensors for the detection of SO2. The intrinsic redox changes observed for gold nanocluster-modified glassy carbon electrodes disappear on passing SO2, despite a dramatic current increase, which indeed scales up with the amount of dissolved SO2. Interestingly, a complete rejuvenation of the redox behavior of gold is also observed on subsequent removal of SO2 from the solution by passing pure nitrogen for 15 minutes. Further, these nanoclusters when characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) after SO2 passage reveal a variety of SO2 adsorption modes on gold surface. XP spectra also show a shift of 1.03 eV towards higher binding energy indicating a strong adsorption of SO2 gas, while FTIR gives conclusive evidence for the interaction of SO2 with gold nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {cyclic voltammetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, monolayer protected gold nanoclusters (Au-MPCs), SO2 sensor, X-ray photoelectron spectra}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2008.094}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Risbud, Mandar S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000261896400061, title = {Enhanced conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells based on ZnO bifunctional nanoflowers loaded with gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {93}, number = {24}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 243108}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The ZnO nanoflowers loaded with gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesized by a hydrothermal route using mixed precursors and controlled conditions. The dye-sensitized solar cells based on the ZnO nanoflowers with Au NPs show power conversion efficiency of 2.5\%, which is considerably higher than that of ZnO nanoflowers without Au NPs. Detailed characterizations are performed, presented, and discussed.

}, keywords = {crystal growth from solution, Gold, II-VI semiconductors, Nanocomposites, Nanoparticles, solar cells, wide band gap semiconductors, zinc compounds}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3049131}, author = {Dhas, Vivek V. and Muduli, Subas and Lee, Wonjoo and Han, Sung-Hwan and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000257231200057, title = {Enhanced field emission from hexagonal rhodium nanostructures}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {92}, number = {25}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {253106}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Shape selective synthesis of nanostructured Rh hexagons has been demonstrated with the help of a modified chemical vapor deposition using rhodium acetate. An ultralow threshold field of 0.72 V/mu m is observed to generate a field emission current density of 4 x 10(-3) mu A/cm(2). The high enhancement factor (9325) indicates that the origin of electron emission is from nanostructured features. The smaller size of emitting area, excellent current density, and stability over a period of more than 3 h are promising characteristics for the development of electron sources. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.2943657}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000261410200003, title = {Environment friendly crosslinked chitosan as a matrix for selective adsorption and purification of lipase of aspergillus niger}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {43}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {422-425}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Chitosan and its derivatives have been used as affinity matrices for purification of lipase from Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207. Trimellitic anhydride (TMA)-crosslinked deacetylated chitin adsorbed lipase selectively, yielding approximately 5-fold purification of the crude lipase with 70\% yield. Further 9-fold purification occurred on eluting through Sephacryl-100. These results suggest that chitosan derivatives can be used as inexpensive biopolymer matrices for the purification of lipases for industrial applications. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Chitosan, Lipase, Matrix, Purification}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2008.08.005}, author = {Trimukhe, K. D. and Mahadik, N. D. and Gokhale, D. V. and Varma, Anjanikumar} } @article { ISI:000255107700017, title = {EPR and DRS evidence for NO2 sensing in Al-doped ZnO}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {130}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {668-673}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a well-known semiconducting multifunctional material wherein properties right from the morphology to gas sensitivity can be tailor-made by doping or surface modification. Aluminum (Al)-incorporated porous zinc oxide (AI:ZnO) exhibits good response towards NO2 at low-operating temperature. The NO2 gas concentration as low as 20 ppm exhibits S = 17\% for 5 wt. \% Al-incorporated ZnO. The NO2 response increases with operating temperature and concentration and reaches to its maximum at 300 degrees C without any interference from other gases such as SO3, HCl, LPG and alcohol. Physico-chemical characterization likes differential thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTA) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) have been used to understand the sensing behavior for pure and A]-incorporated ZnO. The TG-DTA depicts formation of ZnO phase at 287 degrees C. The EPR study reveals distinct variation for O- (g=2.003) and Zn interstitial (g = 1.98) defect sites in pure and Al:ZnO. The DRS studies elucidate signature of adsorbed NO, species in aluminium-incorporated zinc oxide indicating its tendency to adsorb these species even at low temperatures. This paper is an attempt to correlate the gas sensing behavior with the physico-chemical studies such as EPR and DRS. (c) 2007 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {aluminum doping, DRS, EPR, NO2 sensor, ZnO}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2007.10.055}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Ravi, V. and Srinivas, D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Gosavi, S. W. and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article {42610, title = {Erosion of a granular bed driven by laminar fluid flow}, journal = {Journal of Fluid Mechanics}, volume = {605}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {47-58}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Motivated by examples of erosive incision of channels in sand, we investigate the motion of individual grains in a granular bed driven by a laminar fluid to give us new insights into the relationship between hydrodynamic stress and surface granular flow. A closed cell of rectangular cross-section is partially filled with glass beads and a constant fluid flux Q flows through the cell. The refractive indices of the fluid and the glass beads are matched and the cell is illuminated with a laser sheet, allowing us to image individual beads. The bed erodes to a rest height hr which depends on Q. The Shields threshold criterion assumes that the non-dimensional ratio θ of the viscous stress on the bed to the hydrostatic pressure difference across a grain is sufficient to predict the granular flux. Furthermore, the Shields criterion states that the granular flux is non-zero only for θ \> θc. We find that the Shields criterion describes the observed relationship hr ∝ Q1/2 when the bed height is offset by approximately half a grain diameter. Introducing this offset in the estimation of θ yields a collapse of the measured Einstein number q* to a power-law function of θ - θc with exponent 1.75 {\textpm} 0.25. The dynamics of the bed height relaxation are described well by the power-law relationship between the granular flux and the bed stress.

}, doi = {10.1017/S0022112008001389}, author = {Lobkovsky Alexander E. and Orpe, Ashish V. and Molloy, Ryan and Kudrolli, Arshad and Rothman, D. H.} } @article { ISI:000265542500019, title = {Ethyl cyanoacetate - a versatile reagent}, journal = {Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment}, volume = {12}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {102-103}, publisher = {DR JYOTI GARG}, type = {Article}, address = {SECTOR A/80 SCHEME NO 54, VIJAY NAGAR, A B ROAD, INDORE MP, 452 010, INDIA}, abstract = {

Ethyl cyanoacetate is widely used as an active methylene reagent in variety of condensation reactions. It also plays a very important role in organic synthesis as well as in medicinal chemistry due to ease formation of C-C bond formations reactions.

}, issn = {0972-0626}, author = {Mrunali, Kale S.} } @article { ISI:000259420300006, title = {Facile synthesis and gas sensing properties of nanotriangular tin oxide}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {28}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4328-4331}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In the present study we report a simple and convenient chemical route using pentaerythritol as a structure-directing agent for the synthesis of crystalline nanotriangular SnO2. We propose the scheme for the formation of nanotriangular structures wherein the preliminary spherical nanocrystallites are formed due to the low surface energy associated with them. These spherical nanocrystallites grow into the various linear intermediate shapes like Y, bi and tripods, which finally lead to the triangles, pyramids and bipyramids. Such variation in the structure occurs due to the structure directing pentaerythritol. These polycrystalline SnO2 nanomaterials with structural peculiarities were tested for the gas sensing characteristics. Their response towards ethanol vapor, H-2 and LPG were investigated. It was found to exhibit high response towards ethanol vapors at the operating temperature of 250 degrees C. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Nanomaterials, Oxides, Semiconductors, sensors}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2008.07.021}, author = {Deshmukh, Rupali G. and Badadhe, Satish S. and Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000255692100010, title = {Fe-doped SnO(2) nanomaterial: a low temperature hydrogen sulfide gas sensor}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {109}, number = {2-3}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {230-234}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of Fe-doping on the surface chemistry and gas-sensing properties of nanocrystalline tin oxide is analyzed. The pristine and Fe-doped SnO(2) are synthesized by the modified Pechini citrate route that produces around 40 and 18 nm sized nanoparticles, respectively. 1 at.\% Fe-doped SnO(2) shows significantly high selectivity towards hydrogen sulfide gas with capability to detect even 10 ppm of hydrogen sulfide at room temperature, with change of about one order of magnitude in the resistance within 5-15 s. In comparison, pristine SnO(2) shows negligible response towards H(2)S at room temperature. The ideal response and recovery of Fe-doped SnO(2) at low concentration of gas suggests Fe-doped SnO(2) nanomaterial as a potential low cost, low temperature H(2)S gas sensor. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fe-doping, H(2)S, nanomaterial, Sensor, tin oxide}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2007.11.024}, author = {Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Deshmukh, Rupah G. and Walke, Pravin and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000262312300018, title = {First asymmetric total synthesis of penarolide sulfate A(1)}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {36}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6213-6224}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Penarolide sulfate A(1), with three contiguous stereogenic centers on a macrocyclic skeleton, affords promise as an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor. Herein, we describe the first asymmetric total synthesis of this natural product. A stereoselective strategy for rapid assembly of the complete framework of the 30-membered macrocyclic core is delineated herein. Sequential amidation and intramolecular Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions were pivotal to the success of our efforts. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH \& Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)

}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, C-C coupling, Dihydroxylation, epoxidation, Macrocycles, Regioselectivity, Total synthesis}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200800680}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Bhattasali, Debabrata and Gujar, Mukund K. and Khan, Mohammad Islam and Shashidhara, K. S.} } @article { ISI:000261950600017, title = {Furfural: hemicellulose/xylosederived biochemical}, journal = {Biofuels Bioproducts \& Biorefining-Biofpr}, volume = {2}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {438-454}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Review}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hemicellulose, the second, most common polysaccharide in nature constitutes approximately 20-35\% of lignocellulosic biomass. Effective utilization of biomass, hitherto underutilized, is gaining tremendous importance for the production of energy, fuels, and chemicals. Amongst the vast array of chemicals derived from lignocellulosics, furfural is the key chemical that finds wide applications in oil refining, plastics, pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. There is no synthetic route for the production of furfural. A few conventional technologies currently in practice for its separation and subsequent isolation are appropriately reviewed. Major disadvantages associated with processes currently used for the production of furfural based on acid-catalyzed hydrolysis have been discussed. A need to develop a process which is devoid of all the shortcomings associated with conventional process is emphasized. Several important aspects of chemistry underlying the acid hydrolysis of xylose are discussed. The importance of myriad pre-treatment steps involved to surmount the physical and chemical barriers and to liberate xylose from the confines of acid-resistant layer of lignin has been emphasized. New developments in the production of furfural from cyclodehydration of xylose using solid acid catalysts in the recent past have been reviewed appropriately in present communication. Finally, the production of furfural and furfuryl alcohol, their domestic market and export in China deserve some coverage and therefore have appropriately been discussed as well. (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd

}, keywords = {acid hydrolysis, cyclodehydration, furfural, Hemicellulose, pre-treatment of lignocellulosics, Xylose}, issn = {1932-104X}, doi = {10.1002/bbb.95}, author = {Mamman, Ajit Singh and Lee, Jong-Min and Kim, Yeong-Cheol and Hwang, In Taek and Park, No-Joong and Hwang, Young Kyu and Chang, Jong-San and Hwang, Jin-Soo} } @article { ISI:000258379300046, title = {Gas-sensing properties of zinc ferrite nanoparticles synthesized by the molten-salt route}, journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society}, volume = {91}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2724-2726}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, type = {Article}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles have been synthesized at 700 degrees C using sodium chloride as a growth inhibitor. Single-phase formation of spinel zinc ferrite having crystallite size in the range of 15-20 nm was observed by XRD and confirmed by TEM. In the present work, the gas-sensing properties of these zinc ferrite nanoparticles toward ethanol, LPG, H-2, NOx. SOx, and H2S have been studied. It was found that they exhibit excellent selective sensitivity toward 200 ppm of H2S at the operating temperature of 250 degrees C, and thus this nanosized ferrite is expected to be useful in an industrial application as a potential H2S gas sensor.

}, issn = {0002-7820}, doi = {10.1111/j.1551-2916.2008.02475.x}, author = {Darshane, Sonali L. and Deshmukh, Rupali G. and Suryavanshi, Shankar S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000254883500012, title = {Gelation of covalently edge-modified laponites in aqueous media. 1. rheology and nuclear magnetic resonance}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {112}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {4536-4544}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We describe the covalent modification of the edges of laponite with organic groups and the influence of this modification on gelation behavior. We compare three materials: an unmodified laponite, a laponite edge modified with a trimethyl moiety (MLap), and an octyldimethyl moiety (OLap). Gelation is investigated using rheology and NMR T-1 relaxation measurements and nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY). MLap and OLap show qualitatively different gelation. Gelation of MLap is very similar to laponite: MLap gels over the same time scale as laponite and has about the same solid modulus, and the MLap gel is almost as transparent as laponite. In contrast, OLap gels rapidly relative to laponite and forms a weak, turbid gel. We believe that gelation in laponite and MLap results from the formation of a network of well-dispersed platelets (or a few platelets), while in OLap, gelation results from a network of stacks of several platelets. NMR relaxation measurements indicate that gelation does not affect the average relaxation of water protons. However, T, increases marginally for the protons in the organic moieties in MLap and decreases for protons in the organic moieties in OLap. Relaxation measurements, analyses of line width, and NOESY taken together suggest that, in OLap, gelation is a consequence of association of the organic moieties on the laponite edges, and that this association strengthens with time. Thus, the time-dependent changes in NMR suggest a structural origin for the time-dependent changes in the rheological behavior.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp710489n}, author = {Patil, Suhas P. and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Mahesh, T. S. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000259337100008, title = {Heteronuclear dipolar decoupling effects on multiple-quantum and satellite-transition magic-angle spinning NMR spectra}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {10}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {948-954}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We here report on the influence of heteronuclear dipolar decoupling on the Al-27 3QMAS, 5QMAS, and the double-quantum filter-satellite-transition magic-angle spinning (DQF-STMAS) spectra of a strongly dipolar-coupled system, gibbsite. The requirements for heteronuclear dipolar decoupling increase with the order of coherence evolving in the indirect dimension of a two-dimensional (2D) experiment. The isotropic line width of the high-resolution 2D spectra, in samples like gibbsite, is composed of four parts: the distribution of isotropic shifts (delta(ISO), delta(QIS)), the homogeneous broadening related to the proton-proton flip-flop terms, the Al-27-Al-27 homonulcear dipolar couplings, and the H-1-Al-27 heteronuclear dipolar couplings. It is shown that, even in the case of gibbsite, where a strong proton-proton bath exists, the main resolution limiting factor in these experiments resides in the H-1-Al-27 dipolar interaction. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {heteronuclear broadening, heteronuclear decoupling, homogeneous broadening, MQMAS, quadrupolar nuclei, Solid-state NMR, STMAS, TPPM}, issn = {0749-1581}, doi = {10.1002/mrc.2286}, author = {Ganapathy, Subramanian and Delevoye, L. and Arnoureux, J. P. and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K.} } @article { ISI:000258433400008, title = {Highly selective approach for the total synthesis of (+)-heliconol A}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {19}, number = {13}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1568-1571}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of heliconol A, a representative of a new class of polyketide-derived hemiketals containing a reduced furanocyclopentane unit, has been achieved via the stereoselective reduction of a ketone, the face selective dihydroxylation, a Sonogashira coupling reaction, and a cis-selective reduction as the key steps. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2008.05.031}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Chatterjee, Bhaskar and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000255627700001, title = {High-purity synthesis of scrolled mats of multi-walled carbon nanotubes using temperature modulation}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {46}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {567-576}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Felt-like mats (6-7 mu m thick) of multimalled carbon nanotubes wrapped into scrolls have been synthesized by chemical vapor deposition from a toluene-ferrocene mixture using a temperature ramp from 680 degrees C to 550 degrees C in hydrogen-argon atmosphere. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals a very low catalyst content of ca. 1.25 wt\% in the as-synthesized sample while, X-ray photo electron and Raman spectroscopies suggest the results matching with that of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Considering, different time scales of various reactions and the diffusion of different reactants and products a tentative base growth mechanism has been proposed as per the available characterization data in conjunction with possible scrolling effects. Thermal expansion effects could explain a tentative mechanism for rolling action of sheets. Interestingly, electrical conductivity measurements as a function of temperature suggest a semiconducting behavior, despite being governed by different electron transport mechanisms with activation energies of 0.33 and 1.03 meV corresponding to two temperature ranges respectively. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance analysis show a reversible redox behavior due to very low catalyst content and an irreversible etching of the Fe catalyst after acid treatment. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2007.12.020}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Allouche, Hatem and Mahima, Subhramanyam and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000259651700007, title = {Hydrated clay for catalyst removal in copper mediated atom transfer radical polymerization(a)}, journal = {Macromolecular Rapid Communications}, volume = {29}, number = {18}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1538-1543}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A simple method has been described to remove catalyst from the copper mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of benzyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate in anisole at 25 degrees C using hydrated natural clay (sodium montmorillonite, Na-clay). The method consists of (1) addition of hydrated clay (CU(I/)clay approximate to 5 wt.-\%) either during or after the polymerization, (2) oxidation of catalyst complex by exposing the terminated reaction mixture in air, and (3) filtration to obtain catalyst free polymer solution. A strong coordination of CuBr-ligand complex onto hydrated clay (10 wt.-\%

}, keywords = {Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), Catalysts, clay, selectivity, synthesis}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.200800240}, author = {Munirasu, Selvaraj and Deshpande, Ashwini and Baskaran, Durairaj} } @article { ISI:000254901800024, title = {Influence of electronic factors on palladium-mediated cycloisomerization: a systematic investigation of competitive 5-exo-dig versus 6-endo-dig cyclizations of sugar alkynols}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {64}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {219-233}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Pd-mediated cycloisomerization of 3-C-alkynyl-allo- and ribofuranose derivatives was investigated in detail to understand the influence of electronic factors on the regioselectivity in ring closure reaction. The reactions in general are influenced by the electronic nature of the substituent on the alkyne unit. A preference for endo-dig cyclization over exo-dig is noted, if the alkynyl substituent is not sufficiently electron withdrawing, (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {C-alkynyl furanose, cycloisomerization, enol ether, Palladium, Spiroketal}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2007.10.072}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mallik, Rosy and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000256116100044, title = {Influence of Pd doping on morphology and LPG response of SnO2}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {131}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {665-672}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In the present study nanocrystalline pristine and Pd-doped SnO2 (Pd:SnO2) with various mol\% Pd have been synthesized by a modified Pechini citrate route. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction studies were used to characterize the morphology, crystallinity, and structure of the SnO2 and Pd:SnO2. The response of the pristine SnO2 and Pd:SnO2 was studied towards different reducing gases. The 1.5 mol\% Pd doping showed an enhanced response of 75 and 95\% towards LPG at as low as 50 and 100 degrees C, respectively, which were quite large high value as compared with pristine SnO2 (38 and 35\% at 50 and 100 degrees C, respectively). Structural characterization revealed that Pd doping reduced the crystallite size of SnO2 and helps in the formation of distinct spherical nanospheres at a calcinations temperature of 500 degrees C. Thus the increase in LPG response can be correlated with the spherical morphology, a decrease in the crystallite size (11 nm) due to doping with Pd as compared with the pristine SnO2 (26 nm) and main role of Pd as a catalyst. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {LPG sensor, nanospheres, palladium doping, tin oxide}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2007.12.055}, author = {Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Deshmukh, Rupali G. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000259845000014, title = {Inorganic-organic hybrid materials based on functionalized silica and carbon: a comprehensive understanding toward the structural property and catalytic activity difference over mesoporous silica and carbon supports}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {115}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {345-355}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Inorganic-organic hybrid materials based on functionalized silica and carbon were synthesized by anchoring molybdovanadophosphoric acid (H-5[PMo10V2O40]center dot 32.5H(2)O) onto amine-functionalized SBA-15, ethane-bridged SBA-15 and mesoporous carbon, respectively. Small angle X-ray diffraction, N-2 sorption analysis, HRTEM, SEM, IFT-IR, CP-MAS NMR were used to diagnose the mesoporous structure of inorganic-organic hybrid materials. The structural integrity of molybdovanadophosphoric acid has been found to be retained after immobilization over mesoporous materials. These inorganic-organic hybrid materials were tested in the environmentally friendly oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene (2MN) with 30\%, aqueous hydrogen peroxide. Molybdovanadophosphoric acid containing mesoporous organosilica hybrid material (ethane-bridged SBA-15) exhibited higher catalytic activities in the oxidation of 2MN to give a clean product 2-methy-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione vitamin K3 precursor), because of the improved hydrophobicity of the material. The correlation between structural properties and catalytic activities of these hybrid materials has been well addressed in our present studies. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2-Methylnaphthalene, inorganic-organic hybrid materials, mesoporous carbon, mesoporous organosilica, Oxidation}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2008.02.005}, author = {Bordoloi, Ankur and Mathew, Nevin T. and Lefebvre, F. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B.} } @article { ISI:000256743300032, title = {Insight into the micellization of dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB) in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA)}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {323}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {426-434}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

in this work, we report the effect of concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the micellization of a cationic surfactant, doclecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB). Several samples covering a wide range of concentrations of protein and surfactant have been investigated. The interactions between the moieties are investigated by measuring fluorescence quenching of BSA molecules. The aggregation number of DDAB micelles is found to be small in the presence of BSA. The formation of DDAB-BSA complex is confirmed by FTIR. Absorbance spectroscopy indicates that at higher concentration, the conformational stability of BSA in DDAB is higher. The viscosity data for protein-surfactant systems confirm conformational changes in protein chains induced by the surfactant. The cmc values for DDAB increase with increasing concentration of BSA. At higher temperatures the micellization-complexation becomes enthalpy-dominated. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aggregation number, BSA, conductivity, conformational stability, DDAB, FFIR, fluorescence, UV-visible, viscosity}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2008.04.026}, author = {Mehta, S. K. and Bhawna and Bhasin, K. K. and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000253700400019, title = {Integrated process for extraction and purification of alcohol dehydrogenase from Baker{\textquoteright}s yeast involving precipitation and aqueous two phase extraction}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {38}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {414-420}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The potential of aqueous two phase extraction for the purification of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Baker{\textquoteright}s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is demonstrated. An integrated process involving precipitation followed by aqueous two phase extraction (ATPE) is used for effective recovery of the enzyme. This is carried out in two schemes. In the first scheme, ammonium sulphate precipitation is carried out followed by ATPE of the precipitate after suspending it in buffer. While the second scheme involves polyethylene glycol precipitation followed by ATPE of the supernatant. The effect of various process parameters such as molecular weight of polymer, tie line length, phase volume ratio and neutral salt is investigated for enhancing the activity recovery of ADH. First scheme resulted in about 85\% enzyme activity recovery of ADH with purification factor of 4.2 while the second scheme about 90\% enzyme activity recovery with 6.6-fold purification. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alcohol dehydrogenase, aqueous two phase extraction, enzyme extraction, Precipitation, Purification, Yeast}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2007.08.007}, author = {Madhusudhan, M. C. and Raghavarao, K. S. M. S. and Nene, Sanjay} } @article { ISI:000257961500018, title = {Isolation and heterologous expression of PHA synthesising genes from Bacillus thuringiensis R1}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {24}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1769-1774}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis gene locus from Bacillus thuringiensis R1 was isolated, cloned and analyzed at the molecular level. We found that a similar to 5 kb SacI-ClaI digested fragment of genomic DNA from B. thuringiensis R1 encoding the PHA synthesising genes, conferred PHA producing ability to E. coli. The fragment was sequenced and found to be of 4787 bp with five open reading frames. Sequence alignment with closely related species of Bacillus in the existing database revealed that the ORFs correspond to phaP, phaQ, phaR, phaB and phaC genes. However, E. coli harboring phaP, phaQ, phaR, phaB and phaC locus produced very low PHA. Furthermore, complementation of the locus with phaA from Ralstonia eutropha increased the PHA production in the recombinant E. coli from 3.0\% to 24\% of cell dry mass. The putative promoter regions and ribosome binding sites were identified for each of the gene. Conserved domains for PHA synthase and aceto-acetyl-coA reductase were also identified. We hence conclude that the PHA operon of Bacillus thuringiensis R1 consists of phaP, phaQ, phaR, phaB, phaC and complementation of the same with phaA is accountable for its high PHA production.

}, keywords = {aceto-acetyl-coA reductase, Bacillus thuringiensis R1, PHA synthase, polyhydroxyalkanoate}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-008-9669-7}, author = {Desetty, Rohini D. and Mahajan, Vineet S. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Rawal, Shuban K.} } @article { ISI:000254820000016, title = {La0.67Ce0.03Sr0.3MnO3-coupled microwave assisted ultra-fast synthesis of nanocrystalline cobalt oxide and Bismuth oxide}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {10-11}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1511-1513}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Bismuth hydroxide and Cobalt hydroxide gels were freshly prepared by adding aqueous sodium hydroxide to their corresponding nitrates under basic conditions. Then they were oven dried at 373 K and found to be amorphous in X-ray diffraction (XRD) study. They crystallized into their respective oxides by microwave irradiation (2.45 GHz) in merely 2 min using La0.67Ce0.03Sr0.3MnO3 (LCSMO) as couplant in a microwave domestic oven (similar to 100 W). This is the lowest temperature treatment and synthesis time so far reported in the literature for the formation of these systems. Formation of nanocrystallites of Bi2O3 (10 nm) and Co3O4 (15 nm) has been confirmed by XRD. Normally these hydroxides produce oxides only on heating at temperature \>673 K or digesting them at 373 K for 4 - 6 hours as reported by us earlier. Microwave assisted heating proves to be a novel technology whose applications can be carefully harnessed due to its unique effects compared to the conventional heating, such as rapid volumetric heating, shortened reaction time and energy saving. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citrate gel method, Manganites, Microwave, Oxides}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.09.013}, author = {Rajagopal, Rajashree and Mona, J. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Kale, Sangeeta N. and Pradhan, Sivararn and Gaikwad, A. B. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000255706500009, title = {Liquid-phase synthesized mesoporous electrochemical supercapacitors of nickel hydroxide}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {53}, number = {15}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5016-5021}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Electrochemical supercapacitive (ES) properties of liquid-phase synthesized mesoporous (pore size distribution centered similar to 12 nm) and of 120 m(2)/g surface area nickel hydroxide film electrodes onto tin-doped indium oxide substrate are discussed. The amounts of inner and outer charges are calculated to investigate the contribution of mesoporous structure on charge storage where relatively higher contribution of inner charge infers good ion diffusion into matrix of nickel hydroxide. Effect of different electrolytes, electrolyte concentrations, deposit mass and scan rates on the current-voltage profile in terms of the shape and enclosed area is investigated. Specific capacitance of similar to 85 F/g at a constant current density of 0.03 A/g is obtained from the discharge curve. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {electrochemical supercapacitors, mesoporous structure, nickel hydroxide}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2008.01.100}, author = {Chang, Jinho and Park, Mira and Ham, Dukho and Ogale, S. B. and Mane, Rajaram S. and Han, Sung-Hwan} } @article { ISI:000257367100016, title = {Low temperature synthesis and characterization of BiNbO4 powders}, journal = {Materials Characterization}, volume = {59}, number = {8}, year = {2008}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1083-1087}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

BiNbO4 powders, a potential microwave dielectric ceramic were prepared by both coprecipitation and solid state techniques. In the former method, an aqueous ammonium hydroxide was used to precipitate Bi3+ and Ta5+ cations as hydroxides simultaneously under basic conditions. It is observed that the co-precipitation produces BiNbO4 phase on heating at 600 degrees C, whereas complete phase formation occurs only at 800 degrees C in the case of solid state method. The phase contents and lattice parameters were studied by powder X-ray diffraction. The sequence of the reaction and phase evolution of BiNbO4 were also studied by the X-ray diffraction. The samples were characterized by the differential-thermal/thermo-gravimetric analyses and scanning electron microscopy techniques. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BiNbO4, Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {1044-5803}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchar.2007.08.026}, author = {Radha, R. and Muthurajan, H. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Pradhan, Sivaram and Gupta, U. N. and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Mirji, S. A. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000253106100026, title = {Low temperature synthesis of SrNb2O6 and SrTa2O6 using hydroxide precursor}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {6-7}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {892-894}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

SrNb2O6 (SN) or SrTA(2)O(6) (ST) compounds were prepared at low temperatures for the first time from hydroxide precursors. A simple procedure of mixing commercially purchased strontium hydroxide and niobium (or tantalum) hydroxide thoroughly together and heating at a low temperature (\<400 degrees C) produced SrNb2O6 (SN) or SrTa2O6 (ST) powders. This is the lowest temperature so far reported for the formation of these phases. These materials are potential candidates for ferroelectric and electro-optic applications. The reaction sequence and evolution of the phase formation were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The average particle size and morphology of these powders were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.07.006}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Koteswara Rao, N. and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000256920000046, title = {MCM-41-supported organometallic-derived nanopalladium as a selective hydrogenation catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {112}, number = {25}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {9428-9433}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Palladium nanocatalysts have been prepared by anchoring (eta(3)-C(3)H(5))(2)Pd(2)Cl(2) onto dian-tine-functionalized MCM-41 supports followed by reaction with hydrogen under catalytic conditions. The catalyst precursor and used catalyst have been studied by solid-state NMR ((13)C, (29)Si), XPS, and TEM. The organometallic-derived catalyst exhibits the best performance (activity and selectivity) to date toward the selective hydrogenation of industrially relevant o- and m-chloronitrobenzene to the corresponding chloroaniline derivatives and is distinctly superior to 5\% Pd/C. Grazing angle XPS studies reveal that conversion of the tethered molecular species to the nanoparticles of palladium produces a core-shell nanostructure.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp8007656}, author = {Maity, Niladri and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Ganapathy, Subramanian and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000251870400005, title = {Microwave assisted low temperature rapid synthesis of manganite system using La0.67Ce0.03Sr0.3MnO3 mini-cavity furnace}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {191-193}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Amorphous La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) and La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) precursor powders synthesized by the citrate gel method at 673 K, have been found to crystallize by microwave irradiation in just 60 s using La0.67Ce0.03Sr0.3MnO3 (Ce-LSMO) as couplant. This is the lowest temperature treatment and synthesis time so far reported in literature for the fort-nation of manganite systems. Using ceramic route, the same amorphous samples crystallize on heat treatment only at temperatures greater than 1000 K. The microwave heating through this method is novel and has tremendous potential for accelerating the evolution of the product phase in very shorter durations, with just low temperature processing of the precursors, which cannot be realized in normal process. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citrate gel method, LSMO, Manganites, Microwave, Oxides}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.05.002}, author = {Kale, Sangeeta N. and Rajagopal, Rajashree and Mona, J. and Londhe, D. P. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Jagadale, Tushar C. and Satyanarayana, C. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000254672800002, title = {Modeling of a fluidized bed propylene polymerization reactor operated in condensed mode}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {108}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2067-2076}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

The gas-phase polymerization of propylene is one of the most widely accepted and commercially used processes for the manufacture of polypropylene (PP). Because of the highly exothermic nature of polymerization reactions, temperature runaway and subsequent polymer melting and agglomeration may occur, and the reactor has to be operated in a small operating window for safety. The addition of liquid monomer for heat removal (condensed mode) broadens the operating window and can substantially increase (by 50-100\%) the capacity of given reactor hardware. This article describes the extension of a comprehensive mathematical model for the simulation of fluidized bed PP reactors to include the condensed mode of operations. The model is used to determine the influence of the operating parameters on the polymer properties and particle size distribution. The model is also used to determine the effects of two active sites and the reaction kinetics on macroscopic variables. The developed framework is useful for simulating multimonomer, multisite Ziegler-Natta-type olefin fluidized bed polymerization reactors operated under condensed mode. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 108: 2067-2076, 2008.

}, keywords = {Modeling, Polyolefins, Ziegler-Natta polymerization}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.27748}, author = {Utikar, Ranjeet P. and Harshe, Yogesh M. and Mehra, Anurag and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000256043100031, title = {Molecules to supermolecules and self assembly: a study of some cocrystals of cyanuric acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3666-3671}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The preparation and structure elucidation of cocrystals 1a, 1b, 2a- 4a, formed from cyanuric acid (CA) and the aza-donor compounds 4,7-phenanthroline, 1,7-phenanthroline, phenazine and 1, 3 -bis(4-pyridyl) propane, respectively, have been reported. While CA forms different types of self-assembling modes-monomers (la), dimers (1b and 4a) and infinite tapes (2a and 3a)-the recognition of the constituents, however, is through a triple hydrogen-bonding pattern, consisting of an N-H center dot center dot center dot N and two C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, except in 4a. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.03.143}, author = {Marivel, S. and Suresh, E. and Pedireddi, V. R.} } @article {43318, title = {Multipoint anchoring of the [2.2.2.2]metacyclophane motif to a gold surface via self-assembly: coordination chemistry of a cyclic tetraisocyanide revisited}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {47}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3284-91}, abstract = {A one-pot transformation of bis(2-isocyano-3-methylphenyl)ethane affords gram quantities of 8,16,24,32-tetraisocyano[2.2.2.2]metacyclophane ( 3). The solid state structure of 3 is remarkably close to the lowest energy conformation found on the potential energy landscape for 3 by DFT. In solution, the structure of metacyclophane 3 is mobile but can be locked in a rectangular gauche- anti- gauche- anti conformation by coordination of the isocyanide substituents to the [W(CO) 5] units to give [M] 4(mu 4-eta (1):eta (1):eta (1):eta (1)- 3) ( 5). The tetranuclear [M] 4(mu 4-eta (1):eta (1):eta (1):eta (1)- 3) motif featured in crystallographically characterized 5 may be present in several insoluble complexes of 3 previously described as mononuclear eta (4) species. A self-assembled monolayer of metacyclophane 3 is formed upon exposing a solution of 3 to the gold(111) surface with no precautions to exclude air or light. The monolayer nature of the film was confirmed by optical ellipsometry. The isocyanide stretching band for 3 shifts from 2119 cm (-1) in solution to 2175 cm (-1) upon chemisorption to metallic gold. The FTIR spectrum of the film indicates interaction of 3 with the gold surface via all four of its isocyanide anchors. No gold-facilitated oxidation of the -NC junctions was detected under ambient conditions. The energy cost associated with accessing the conformations of 3 suitable for mu 4-eta (1):eta (1):eta (1):eta (1) interaction of the molecule with the Au(111) surface is under 8 kcal/mol, a value that can be easily offset by formation of a gold-isocyanide bond. Two different mu 4-eta (1):eta (1):eta (1):eta (1) coordination arrangements of 3 with respect to gold atoms on the (111) face of the fcc Au lattice are suggested.}, doi = {10.1021/ic702401b}, author = {Toriyama, Masaharu and Maher, Tiffany R. and Holovics, Thomas C. and Vanka, Kumar and Day, Victor W. and Berrie, Cindy L. and Thompson, Ward H. and Barybin, Mikhail V.} } @article { ISI:000257365900027, title = {Novel hydroxide precursors for low temperature synthesis of selected ternary oxides}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {43}, number = {7}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1842-1849}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel method of using hydroxide precursors to reduce the synthesis temperature for few selected ternary oxides has been presented here. This technique is very useful and advantageous when the ternary oxides contain an alkaline earth element. The selected compositions for this method are BaCeO3 (BC), BaBiO3 (BB), La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 (LSCO) and BaBi2Nb2O9 (BBN). Commercially purchased strontium (or barium) hydroxide and freshly prepared lanthanum, cobalt, bismuth and niobium hydroxides were mixed thoroughly in stoichiometric ratio and heated at different temperatures ranging from 100 to 700 degrees C for 10 h for corresponding compositions. The sequence of the reaction and evolution of the product phase were studied by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. The phase purity and lattice parameters were also determined by XRD investigations. All the product phases in each case were formed at relatively low temperature than when they were prepared by co-precipitation or solid state method. The morphology and average particle size of these powders were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2007.07.006}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Gupta, U. N. and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Kumar, H. H. and Mirji, S. A. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000254698300034, title = {Novel hydroxide precursors to prepare NaNbO3 and KNbO3}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {671-673}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Firstly, fresh niobium, hydroxide was precipitated from NbF5 solution using an aqueous ammonium hydroxide under basic conditions. Then a simple procedure of mixing potassium (or sodium) and niobium hydroxides together and heating at a low temperature (\<400 degrees C) produced KNbO3 (KN) or NaNbO3 (NN) powders. This is the lowest temperature so far reported for the formation of these phases. The phase content and lattice parameters are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average particle size and morphology were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemical preparation, niobates, Perovskites, powders, X-ray methods}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2006.12.014}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Samuel, V. and Gupta, U. N. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000253478500012, title = {Novel synthesis of SrBi2Nb2O9 powders from hydroxide precursors}, journal = {International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101-104}, publisher = {BLACKWELL PUBLISHING}, address = {9600 GARSINGTON RD, OXFORD OX4 2DQ, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Simple hydroxide precursors were used for the first time for the synthesis of a typical Aurivillius compound (SrBi2Nb2O9 (SBN)) at a low temperature. This method is very advantageous because it circumvents the use of SrCO3 in the case of conventional ceramics as well in the coprecipitation methods, thereby lowering the formation of the product phase. Commercially purchased strontium hydroxide is mixed thoroughly with freshly precipitated bismuth and niobium hydroxides in a stoichiometric ratio and heated at different temperatures ranging from 100 degrees C to 750 degrees C for 12 h. The sequence of the reaction and evolution of the product phase was monitored by X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies by recording the XRD for samples calcined at different temperatures. The incipient SBN phase begins to form at temperatures as low as 400 degrees C, and phase formation was complete only at 650 degrees C as revealed by the XRD observations. The differential thermal/thermogravimetric analyses) also corroborate this result. The morphology and average particle size of these powders were investigated by transmission electron microscopy studies.

}, issn = {1546-542X}, doi = {10.1111/j.1744-7402.2008.02182.x}, author = {Gupta, Upendra Nath and Rao, Koteswara and Pradhan, Sivaram and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Muthurajan, Harries and Ravi, Venkat} } @article { ISI:000254698300033, title = {Novel technique to prepare LiTaO3 at low temperature}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {669-670}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Firstly, fresh tantalum hydroxide was precipitated from TaF5 solution using an aqueous ammonium hydroxide under basic conditions. Then a simple procedure of mixing lithium and tantalum hydroxides together and heating at a low temperature (450 degrees C) produced pure ultrafine single phase LiTaO3 (LT). This is the lowest temperature so far reported for the formation of LT in the literature. The phase content and lattice parameters are determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average particle size and morphology were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {chemical synthesis X-ray diffraction, Electron microscopy, electronic materials, LiTaO3}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2006.11.003}, author = {Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Natarajan, N. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000254450600014, title = {Novel three dimensional cubic Fm3m mesoporous aluminosilicates with tailored cage type pore structure and high aluminum content}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {640-651}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Novel three dimensional cubic Fm3m mesoporous aluminosilicates (AIKIT-5) with very high structural order and unprecedented loadings of Al in the silica framework have been successfully prepared for the first time by using non ionic surfactant as a template in a highly acidic medium. The obtained materials have been unambiguously characterized in detail by several sophisticated techniques such as XRD, N, adsorption, HRTEM, HRSEM, EDS, elemental mapping, Al-27 MAS NMR, and NH3-TPD. We also demonstrate that the nature, and the amount of Al incorporation in the silica framework can easily be controlled by simply varying the n(H2O)/n(HCl) and the n(Si)/n(Al), ratios, and the Al sources in the synthesis gel. Among the Al sources examined, the Al isopropoxide (AiPr) is superior over other Al sources. Al-27 MAS NMR results reveal that the amount of tetrahedral Al in the framework can be controlled by simply adjusting the nSi/nAl ratio in the synthesis gel, which increases with increasing the Al incorporation. One of the interesting findings in the work is the increase of the specific surface area, specific pore volume and the pore diameter of AIKIT-5 with increasing the Al incorporation in the silica framework (up to n(Si)/n(Al), ratio of 10) while retaining the well-ordered three dimensional cage type porous structure, and the mechanism for the unusual behavior has been discussed in detail. Finally, the acidity and the catalytic activity in the acetylation of veratrole of the AIKIT-5 catalysts have been studied and the results have been compared with the several zeolites catalysts. Among the catalysts examined, AIKIT-5(10) is found to be superior over the zeolites catalysts such as mordenite, zeolite H-Y, zeolite H-beta, and ZSM-5.

}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.200701027}, author = {Srinivasu, Pavuluri and Alam, Sher and Balasubramanian, Veerappan V. and Velmathi, Sivan and Sawant, Dhanashri P. and Boehlmann, Winfred and Mirajkar, Subhash P. and Ariga, Katsuhiko and Halligudi, Shivappa B. and Vinu, Ajayan} } @article { ISI:000257228100019, title = {Optimal xylanase production using Penicilium janthinellum NCIM 1169: a model based approach}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {40}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {348-356}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Xylanases are an industrially important class of hydrolytic enzymes that degrade xylans. Production of xylanase from a fungal culture by submerged fermentation and optimization of the operating conditions for maximum activity are the two aims of the present study. Penicillium janthinellum NCIM 1169 with Mandels-Weber medium, sugarcane bagassse (40\#) as a carbon source and beef extract as a nitrogen source were used in the experiments. We did 41 experiments to see the effect of variations in carbon, nitrogen source, pH, and inoculum on xylanase activity. This data was then used to build an input/output model using multiple linear regression, back propagation neural network and lazy learning algorithm. It was found that lazy learning model correlated well in mapping input/output data. This model was then utilized as an objective function in genetic algorithm to find the optimal combination of the operating conditions to get the maximum xylanase activity. It was observed that with carbon source, 1.63\%, nitrogen source, 0.16\%, pH, 4.1, and inoculum, 5.5\%, maximum xylanase activity of 28.98 +/- 1.73 U/ml was achieved. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Artificial intelligence, Enzyme activity, Fermentation, Modeling, Optimization, Xylanase}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2008.01.003}, author = {Meshram, Mukesh and Kulkarni, Abhijit and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, B. D. and Lele, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000255292000009, title = {Photocatalytic activity and characterization of sol-gel-derived Cr(III)-doped TiO(2)-coated active carbon composites}, journal = {Philosophical Magazine}, volume = {88}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {767-779}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cr(III)-doped, TiO(2)-coated active carbon (Cr-TiO(2)/AC) were prepared by a sol-gel method. The effect of supports, including TiO(2) and active carbon (AC), on the molecular structure and photocatalytic activity of chromium oxide for complete decomposition of EDTA has been examined with respect to the content of Cr on the catalyst surface. The photocatalytic activity of the Cr-TiO(2)/AC composites was evaluated in the decomposition of EDTA solution under UV irradiation. The results indicate that Cr-TiO(2)/AC has a higher efficiency in decomposition of EDTA than TiO(2), TiO(2)/AC or active carbon. This was attributed to the different functions of active carbon and chromate species. (1) Nanosize TiO(2) particles on composites were not reunited, possible because active carbon retards transformation of anatase into rutile and decreases the crystallite size. (2) Production of high concentrations of organic compound near Cr-TiO(2). (3) Carbon in active carbon causes some of the TiO(2) to reduce to Ti(3+) ions, which prevents electron-hole pair recombination. (4) Formation of polychromate species, with a stronger redox capability, on the surface of TiO(2)/AC. It was found that the addition of Cr to TiO(2) sol could suppress the grain growth of TiO(2) crystals and increase the hydroxyl content on the surface of TiO(2)/AC. The photocatalytic efficiency and activity of the composites remained good, even after three cycles.

}, keywords = {EDTA, photoactive, sol-gel, Titanium dioxide, XPS}, issn = {1478-6435}, doi = {10.1080/14786430801955261}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000259886100006, title = {Practical syntheses of 4-fluoroprolines}, journal = {Journal of Fluorine Chemistry}, volume = {129}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {781-784}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

4-Fluoroprolines are among the most useful nonnatural amino acids in chemical biology. Here, practical routes are reported for the synthesis of the 2S, 4R, 2S, 4S, and 2R,4S diastereomers of 4-fluoroproline. Each route starts with (2S,4R)-4-hydroxyproline, which is a prevalent component of collagen and hence readily available, and uses a fluoride salt to install the fluoro group. Hence, the routes provide process-scale access to these useful nonnatural amino acids. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {4-Fluoroproline, 4-Hydroxyproline, collagen, Nonnatural amino acid, Process-scale synthesis}, issn = {0022-1139}, doi = {10.1016/j.jfluchem.2008.06.024}, author = {Chorghade, Mukund S. and Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Sahoo, Gokarneswar and Gurjar, Mukund K. and Mandlecha, Manish V. and Bhoite, Nitin and Moghe, Santosh and Raines, Ronald T.} } @article { ISI:000255612400002, title = {Preparation of ferroelectric CaBi(4)Ti(4)O(15) powders from novel hydroxide precursors}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {12-13}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1751-1753}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric CaBi(4)Ti(4)O(15) (CBT) powders were prepared for the first time from their respective hydroxides. Commercially purchased Ca(OH)(2) is mixed thoroughly with freshly prepared Bi(OH)(3) and Ti(OH)(4) in stoichiometrie ratio and heated at different temperatures ranging from 100 to 600 degrees C. The CBT phase found to be formed at 500 degrees C by the X-ray diffraction studies. This is the lowest temperature so far reported in the literature for the formation of CBT phase. The advantage of this method is that it also avoids the formation of calcium carbonate phase during synthesis. The phase contents and lattice parameters were studied by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) method. The average particle size and morphology were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CaBi(4)Ti(4)O(15), Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Electron microscopy, Oxides, X-ray methods}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.09.080}, author = {Deshmukh, Rupali G. and Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Darshane, Sonali L. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Gaikwad, A. B. and Rao, N. Kotaserwara and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000255803800012, title = {Production and single step purification of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from alkalophilic bacillus firmus by ion exchange chromatography}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {39}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {510-515}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Production and purification of starch digesting cyclodextrin glycosyl transferase (CGTase) from alkalophilic Bacillus firmus was investigated. Fermentation was carried out in 141 bioreactor at 28 degrees C using a medium containing dextrin, yeast extract, peptone, (NH4)H2PO4 and MgSO4.7H(2)O. The extracellular enzyme was concentrated by tangential flow ultrafiltration. The concentrated enzyme was chromatographed using DEAE-sepharose and phenyl sepharose. DEAE-sepharose could be used to purify CGTase in a single step with 23.1 fold purification and 80.6\% recovery. The enzyme obtained had homogeneity and the molecular weight was 76 kDa confirmed by SDS-PAGE. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkalophilic, Bacillus firmus, CGTase, cyclodextrin, Purification}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2007.09.020}, author = {Savergave, Laman S. and Mule, Santosh S. and Jogdand, Vitthal V. and Nene, Sanjay N. and Gadre, Ramchandra V.} } @article { ISI:000255421300007, title = {Rapid liquid-liquid extraction of thallium(III) from succinate media with 2-octylaminopyirdine in chloroform as the extractant}, journal = {Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society}, volume = {73}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {435-451}, publisher = {SERBIAN CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {KARNEGIJEVA 4, PO BOX 462, YU-11001 BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA}, abstract = {

A simple solvent extraction study of thallium(III) was conducted. Selective and quantitative extraction of thallium(III) by 2-octylaminopyridine (2-OAP) in chloroform occurred from aqueous sodium succinate medium (0.0075 M) at pH 3.0. Thallium(III) was back extracted with acetate buffer (pH 4.63). The effect of the concentration of succinate and 2-OAP, the role of various diluents, stripping agents, loading capacity of 2-OAP, equilibrium time and aqueous:organic volume ratio on the extraction of thallium(III) was studied. The stoichiometry of the extracted species was determined based on the slope analysis method and found to be 1: 2: 1 (metal: acid: extractant). The temperature dependence of the extraction equilibrium constant was also examined to estimate the apparent thermodynamic functions Delta H, Delta G and Delta S for the extraction reaction. The method is free from interference of a large number of cations and anions. The method was used for the selective extraction of thallium(III) from its binary mixture with Zn(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Bi(ill), Pb(II), Se(IV), Te(IV), Sb(III), Ga(III), In(III), AI(III), TI(I) and Fe(III). The proposed method was applied to the synthetic mixtures and alloys. It is simple, selective, rapid and eco-friendly.

}, keywords = {2-OAP, liquid-liquid extraction, succinate media, Temperature effect, thallium(III)}, issn = {0352-5139}, doi = {10.2298/JSCO804435M}, author = {Mahamuni, Sandip V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Anuse, Mansing A.} } @article {42460, title = {Reaction of huisgen zwitterion with diaryl ketones leading to the facile synthesis of mono- and bis(alkoxycarbonyl)hydrazones}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1078-1084}, abstract = {

The Huisgen zwitterion, generated from triphenylphosphine and dialkyl azodicarboxylates, afforded upon reaction with diaryl ketones both mono- and bis(alkoxycarbonyl)hydrazones, depending on the reaction conditions.

}, doi = {10.1055/s-2008-1032125}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Mathew, Smitha C. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Eringathodi, Suresh} } @article { ISI:000258037300073, title = {RuO(2) doped SnO(2) nanobipyramids on Si (100) as a field emitter}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {516}, number = {18}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6388-6391}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Thin films of RuO(2): SnO(2) nanobipyramids have been grown on silicon (100) flat substrates, and their field emission behavior has been investigated. The field emission experiments have been performed in parallel plate configuration. In this experiment, the onset field for 0. 1 gA/ cm 2 current density has been found to be 0.2 V/mu m. The Fowler-Nordheim plot shows non-linear nature typical that of a semiconductor. The field enhancement factor has been estimated to be 35,600 cm(-1), indicating that the field emission originates from the nanometric features of the emitter. The current stability recorded at a preset value of I tA is observed to be good. Our field emission results on RuO(2): SnO(2) nanobipyramids indicate that, RuO(2): SnO(2) nanobipyramids are a potential candidate for futuristic field emission based devices. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {doped semiconductor, field emitter, field enhancement factor, ruthenium oxide, tin oxide}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2007.12.160}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Ramgir, Niranjan S. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000260230400034, title = {Scanning tunneling microscopic and field emission microscopic studies of nanostructured molybdenum film synthesized by electron cyclotron resonance plasma}, journal = {Vacuum}, volume = {83}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {435-443}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cathodic sputtering is demonstrated to be effective in synthesizing thin films of molybdenum nanoparticles. An electron cyclotron resonance plasma reactor has been used as the source. The particle size distribution is found to be controllable by proper choice of the cathodic bias potential. Sizes ranging between 20 and 30 nm deposited at the optimum bias potential are found to exhibit a self assembled structure as observed by scanning tunneling microscopy. Field emission microscopic studies on these films supported on W have exhibited very stable emission current over a period of 3 h. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ECR plasma, Field emission microscopy, Hollow cathode chemical sputtering, Mo nanoparticles, Scanning tunneling microscopy}, issn = {0042-207X}, doi = {10.1016/j.vacuum.2008.04.077}, author = {Purohit, Vishwas S. and Bhise, Ashok B. and Dey, Shirshendu and More, Mahendra A. and Dharmadhikari, C. V. and Joag, Dilip S. and Pasricha, Renu and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000261168700002, title = {Second world ayurveda congress (Theme: Ayurveda for the Future) inaugural address: part III}, journal = {Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine}, volume = {5}, number = {4}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {367-369}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORPORATION}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, issn = {1741-427X}, doi = {10.1093/ecam/nen015}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000258961900002, title = {Second world ayurveda congress (Theme: Ayurveda for the Future) - inaugural address: part II}, journal = {Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {243-245}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, issn = {1741-427X}, doi = {10.1093/ecam/nen014}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000256270300003, title = {Second world ayurveda congress (Theme: Ayurveda for the Future) - inaugural address: part I}, journal = {Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine}, volume = {5}, number = {2}, year = {2008}, month = {JUN}, pages = {129-131}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORPORATION}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, issn = {1741-427X}, doi = {10.1093/ecam/nen013}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @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:000252757100013, title = {Sheet-forming abiotic hetero foldamers}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {712-714}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Abiotic hetero oligomers, adopting a well-defined extended self-assembled sheet-like structure, derived from conformationally constrained aliphatic and aromatic amino acid residues repeating at regular intervals are reported.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b713229h}, author = {Baruah, Pranjal K. and Sreedevi, Naduthottiyil K. and Majumdar, Baisakhi and Pasricha, Renu and Poddar, Pankaj and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000254948900017, title = {Simple and efficient one-pot, three-component, solvent-free synthesis of beta-enaminones via sonogashira coupling-Michael addition sequences}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {1456-1469}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A simple, efficient, and environmentally friendly one-pot, three-component synthesis of beta-enaminones via Sonogashira coupling-Michael addition sequences under solvent-free conditions has been reported. Also the synthesis of beta-enaminones has been achieved in high yields by the direct reaction of amines with ynones under solvent-free conditions.

}, keywords = {Alkynes, beta-enaminones, coupling, Michael additions, solvent free, ynones}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910801914343}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and More, Vijaykumar S. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000253170200010, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of the C33-C44 fragment of palau{\textquoteright}amide}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {49}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {786-789}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient stereoselective synthesis of the C33-C44 fragment of palau{\textquoteright}amide is described using a Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, a regioselective nucleophilic ring opening of the epoxide, a Grignard reaction and a Luche stereoselective reduction of a keto compound as the key steps. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cytotoxic, Luche{\textquoteright}s stereoselective reduction, palau{\textquoteright}amide, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Stereoselective}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2007.11.200}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Nayak, Sabita} } @article { ISI:000261163000013, title = {Structural elucidation of propargylated products of 3-substituted-1,2,4-triazole-5-thiols by NMR techniques}, journal = {Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry}, volume = {46}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1168-1174}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Propargylation of 3-substituted-1,2,4-triazole-5-thiols, which predominantly exist as their thione tautomers, was carried out with the view to synthesize different heterocycles and study their biological activity. Three different products namely, a mono S-propargyl and two S,N-dipropargyl regioisomers, arising from N1/N2 substitution, were isolated and characterized. Unambiguous structural elucidation of the regioisomers of S,N-dipropargyl derivatives was achieved by means of (13)C-(1)H HMBC technique. The proportion of the regioisomers was found to vary with the substituent on the 1,2,4-triazole thiols. No product corresponding to N4 substitution was isolated from any of the reactions carried out. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {(1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, (15)N NMR, 1, 2, 4-triazoles, HMBC, NMR, Regioisomers}, issn = {0749-1581}, doi = {10.1002/mrc.2307}, author = {Chaudhary, Preeti M. and Chavan, Sayalee R. and Kavitha, M. and Maybhate, Shailaja P. and Deshpande, Sunita R. and Likhite, Anjali P. and Rajamohanan, P. R.} } @article { ISI:000256183700006, title = {Sulfamic acid: an efficient and cost-effective solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates at ambient temperature}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1822-1826}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Sulfamic acid catalyzed solvent-free protocol has been developed for the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates by three component condensation between aldehydes, amines and diethyl phosphite at ambient temperature. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-Aminophosphonates, diethylphosphite (DEP), solid acid catalyst, Solvent-free, sulfamic acid (SA)}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2008.02.011}, author = {Mitragotri, Satish D. and Pore, D. M. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000258026000010, title = {Synthesis and characterizations of NiTiO(3) nanoparticles prepared by the sol-gel process}, journal = {Philosophical Magazine Letters}, volume = {88}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {467-472}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline nickel titanate (NiTiO(3)) composite powders were prepared by the sol-gel process combined with a surfactant-assisted template method. The resulting powders were calcined at different temperatures ranging from 150 degrees C to 750 degrees C for 2 h in air. The results revealed that a pure hexagonal phase of NiTiO(3) could be obtained at the low temperature of 750 degrees C. The phase evolution of NiTiO(3) was investigated by X-ray diffraction patterns, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Particle size and morphology were studied by transmission electron microscopy.

}, keywords = {Nanoparticles, nickel titanate, sol-gel process}, issn = {0950-0839}, doi = {10.1080/09500830802199709}, author = {Gambhire, A. B. and Lande, Machhindra K. and Kalokhe, S. B. and Mandale, A. B. and Patil, K. R. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Arbad, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000254416300052, title = {Synthesis and magnetic properties of barium-calcium hexaferrite particles prepared by sol-gel and microemulsion techniques}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {320}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1095-1101}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The preparation of W-type hexaferrite particles with the composition BaCa2Fe16O27 by microemulsion and a stearic acid sol - gel method with and without surfactant has been investigated at various sintering temperatures. The structural and magnetic characteristics have been studied by X-ray diffraction ( XRD), a vibrating sample magnetometer ( VSM), scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), thermogravimetric analysis ( TGA), differential scanning calorimetric ( DSC) and Fourier transform infrared ( FTIR) techniques. The effect of sintering temperature on the properties of BaCa2Fe16O27 hexaferrites has been studied. The value of saturation magnetization ( M-s) depends on types of surfactant used. The sample prepared in the presence of polyoxyethylene ( 20) sorbitan monooleat ( Tween 80) shows low saturation magnetization ( M-s 15.10 emu/g), whereas the other sample prepared in the presence of a surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) exhibits high saturation magnetization (M-s = 24.60 emu/g) compared to the normal sample. (C) 2007 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {BaCa2Fe16O27, hexaferrite, magnetic property, Microemulsion, Sol-gel method, surfactant}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2007.10.032}, author = {Jotania, R. B. and Khomane, Ramdas B. and Chauhan, C. C. and Menon, Shamal K. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000259684000003, title = {Synthesis and spectral studies of nitrogen-oxygen donor macrocyclic metal complexes of Mn(II), Cu(II) Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II)}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {85}, number = {9}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {896-900}, publisher = {SCIENTIFIC PUBL-INDIA}, type = {Article}, address = {5-A, NEW PALI RD, PO BOX 91, NEAR HOTEL TAJ HARI MAHAL, JODHPUR, 342 003, INDIA}, abstract = {

The complexes of Mn(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) with a nitrogen-oxygen donor macrocyclic ligand, viz. 5,6,13,14-dibenzo[1,4,8,11]dioxadiaza-5,7,11,13-cyclotetradecin have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility measurements, spectral and electrochemical studies. The molar conductance measurements of the complexes in DMF solution correspond to non electrolytic nature for M(L)X(2) complexes and 1 : 2 electrolytes for M {\textquoteleft}(L)X(2) Complexes [where M = Mn(II), Cu(II); M {\textquoteleft} = Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II); X = Cl(-), NO(3)(-), and L = ligand]. Thus, the complexes may be formulated as [M(L)X(2)] and [M {\textquoteleft}(L)]X(2) respectively. Mn(II), Cu(II) complexes were of the high-spin type whereas the complexes of Zn(II), Pd(II) and Pt(II) were diamagnetic. On the basis of spectral studies an octahedral geometry has been assigned for Mull, tetragonal for Cull, tetrahedral for Zn(II) complexes whereas square planar for Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes.

}, keywords = {Cu(II), macrocyclic, Mu(II), Pd(II), Pt(II), Zn(II)}, issn = {0019-4522}, author = {Chandra, Sulekh and Verma, Shweta and Meera, P.} } @article { ISI:000253181000037, title = {Synthesis, characterization of chemically deposited indium selenide thin films at room temperature}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids}, volume = {69}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {249-254}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polycrystalline In2Se3 semiconducting thin films were prepared by using relatively simple chemical bath deposition method at room temperature by the reaction between indium chloride, tartaric acid, hydrazine hydrate and sodium selenosulphate in an aqueous alkaline medium. Various preparative conditions of thin film deposition are outlined. The as grown films were found to be transparent, uniform, well adherent and red in color. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy and energy dispersive atomic X-ray diffraction (EDAX). The XRD analysis of the film showed the presence of polycrystalline nature with hexagonal crystal structure. SEM study revels that the grains are homogenous, without cracks or pinholes and well covers the glass substrate. The optical absorption and electrical conductivity was measured. The direct optical band gap value for the films was found to be of the order of 2.35eV at room temperature and have specific electrical conductivity of the order of 10(-2) (Omega cm)(-1) showing n-type conduction mechanism. The utility of the adapted technique is discussed from the view-point of applications considering the optoelectric and structural data. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Semiconductor}, issn = {0022-3697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2007.08.070}, author = {Asabe, M. R. and Chate, P. A. and Delekar, S. D. and Garadkar, K. M. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Hankare, P. P.} } @article { ISI:000252408000048, title = {Synthesis of LSMO at low temperature by novel hydroxide precursor technique}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {62}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {527-529}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel technique of mixing individual hydroxide is employed to prepare La0.65Sr0.35MnO3 (LSMO) at low temperature. Freshly prepared lanthanum and manganese hydroxides are mixed thoroughly with strontium hydroxide in stoichiometric ratio and heated at different temperatures ranging from 100 to 500 degrees C for 6 h. At 500 degrees C, formation of La0.65Sr0.35MnO3 was confirmed by the X-ray diffraction studies (XRD). This is the lowest temperature so far reported in the literature. The particle size and morphology were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Electron microscopy, La0.65Sr0.35MnO3, Oxides, Precipitation, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2007.05.077}, author = {Gupta, U. N. and Muthurajan, H. and Kumar, H. H. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Gokhale, Suresh P. and Ravi, V.} } @article { ISI:000252970800002, title = {Synthesis of platinum Y-junction nanostructures using hierarchically designed alumina templates and their enhanced electrocatalytic activity for fuel-cell applications}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, year = {2008}, month = {FEB}, pages = {601-603}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm702102b}, author = {Mahima, Subhramanyam and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Komath, Indulekha and Aslam, Mohammed and Pillai, Vijayarnohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000255342400008, title = {Synthesis of the C14-C29 segment of amphidinolide U utilizing a tandem dihydroxylation-S(N)2 cyclization protocol}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {APR}, pages = {837-840}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the C14-C29 subunit of amphidinolide U is described. The key steps include the trans-2,5-disubstituted tetrahydrofurans via a highly diastereoselective and high yielding tandem dihydroxylation-S(N)2 cyclization, Wittig reaction, and Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi coupling reaction.

}, keywords = {amphidinolide U, Cytotoxic, Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi coupling, tandem dihydroxylation-S(N)2 cyclization, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2008-1042931}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Rahaman, Hasibur} } @article { ISI:000259922200004, title = {Tetranuclear manganese (III) salicylaldoxime ensemble}, journal = {Structural Chemistry }, volume = {19}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {735-740}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Crystal structure of {[Mn(salicylaldoximeH)(salicylaldoxime)](4)} center dot 3CHCl(3) 1 formed by the interaction of MnCl2 center dot 4H(2)O and salicylaldoxime in a 1:1 ratio is described. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca (No 61) with the lattice parameters; a = 27.769 (3), b = 22.672 (2), c = 21.650 (2) angstrom, V = 13630 (2) angstrom(3), Z = 8, R-1 = 0.0776, wR(2) = 0.2356, S = 1.164. The cluster with four Mn (III) centers formed by four terminal and four bridging salicylaldoxime ligands results in a central rotating wheel-like core with the Mn-Mn separation varying from 3.531 to 3.576 angstrom and with the diagonal distances being 4.156-4.165 angstrom. Four intramolecular H-bonds between a terminal oxime (NOH) group and the adjacent phenolate oxygen atom of another ligand stabilize the structure of the cluster. Spectral, magnetic, and cyclic voltammetry studies corroborate a stable Mn (III) tetramer.}, author = {Kumbhar, Avinash S. and Mulay, Mahesh P. and Padhye, Subhash B. and Tavale, Sudam S. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000260210000002, title = {Thallium(III) p-tosylate mediated oxidative 2,3-aryl rearrangement: a new useful route to ipriflavone and its analogs}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {38}, number = {22}, year = {2008}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3875-3883}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A new route for the synthesis of ipriflavone, an antiosteoporotic agent, is described that has four steps and 60\% yields starting from resacetophenone (2). The key step of the present methodology is thallium(III) p-tosylate mediated oxidative 2,3-aryl rearrangement of flavanone to generate the isoflavone ring system of ipriflavone in a highly efficient manner.

}, keywords = {Flavanones, ipriflavone, isoflavones, oxidative rearrangement, thallium(III) p-tosylate}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910802238734}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Singh, Om V.} } @article { ISI:000258030400010, title = {Total synthesis of (S)-(-)-curvularin: a ring-closing-metathesis-based construction of the macrocyclic framework}, journal = {Synlett}, number = {12}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1801-1804}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A convergent, flexible, and efficient approach to the synthesis of curvularin is described. Key step is the high-yielding macrocyclic ring formation by ring-closing metathesis (RCM) using the Grubbs second-generation catalyst.

}, keywords = {curvularin, Cytotoxic, Pinnick oxidation, Ring-closing metathesis, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0936-5214}, doi = {10.1055/s-2008-1078504}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Rahaman, Hasibur and Pal, Rita and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000260119300077, title = {Transverse susceptibility study of the effect of varying dipolar interactions on anisotropy peaks in a three-dimensional assembly of soft ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {104}, number = {6}, year = {2008}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article No. 063901}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Collective magnetization dynamics in nanoparticle assemblies is of current interest as it forms the basis of high density storage media. It is important to understand how interparticle interactions in a three-dimensional (3D) arrangement of superparamagnetic nanoparticles would affect the overall effective magnetic anisotropy of the system. We have studied the influence of varying strengths of dipolar interaction on the static and dynamic magnetic properties of surfactant-coated monodispersed manganese zinc ferrite nanoparticles using reversible transverse susceptibility. We track the evolution of the anisotropy peaks with varying magnetic field, temperature, and interaction strength. The blocking temperature shows an increase from 28 to 32 K and the coercive field (at 10 K) shows an increase from 144 to 192 Oe as the system changes from the case of weakly interacting to strongly interacting 3D assembly of the particles. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.2977592]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.2977592}, author = {Poddar, Pankaj and Morales, Marienette B. and Frey, Natalie A. and Morrison, Shannon A. and Carpenter, Everett E. and Srikanth, Hariharan} } @article { ISI:000255901700030, title = {Ultrasound promoted copper-, ligand- and amine-free synthesis of benzo[b]furans/nitro benzo[b]furans via Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, year = {2008}, month = {JUL}, pages = {853-862}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This method describes the results of the optimized conditions for the one-pot synthesis of benzo[b]furans/nitro benzo[b]furans via Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization under ultrasonic irradiation at ambient temperature in the absence of copper, ligand and amine. The protocol tolerates wide range of functional groups present in both the coupling components, especially base labile nitro group was not affected under these mild conditions giving excellent yields of the nitro benzo[b]furans. The formation of Pd(0) nanoparticles as the active species has been shown by TEM analysis and the unique role of ultrasound in promoting the total sonochemical protocol has been substantiated by way of control experiments. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-alkynes, benzo[b]furans, Sonogashira coupling-5-endo-dig-cyclization}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2007.10.006}, author = {Palimkar, Sanjay S. and More, Vijaykumar S. and Srinivasan, Kumar V.} } @article { ISI:000257971900057, title = {Use of response surface optimization for the production of biosurfactant from rhodococcus spp. MTCC 2574}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {99}, number = {16}, year = {2008}, month = {NOV}, pages = {7875-7880}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The production of biosurfactant from Rhodococcus spp. MTCC 2574 was effectively enhanced by response surface methodology (RSM). Rhodococcus spp. MTCC 2574 was selected through screening of seven different Rhodococcus strains. The preliminary screening experiments (one-factor at a time) suggested that carbon source: mannitol, nitrogen source: yeast extract and meat peptone and inducer: n-hexadecane are the critical medium components. The concentrations of these four media components were optimized by using central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of RSM. The adequately high R-2 value (0.947) and F score 19.11 indicated the statistical significance of the model. The optimum medium composition for biosurfactant production was found to contain mannitol (1.6 g/L), yeast extract (6.92 g/L), meat peptone (19.65 g/L), n-hexadecane (63.8 g/L). The crude biosurfactant was obtained from methyl tert-butyl ether extraction. The yield of biosurfactant before and after optimization was 3.2 g/L of and 10.9 g/L, respectively. Thus, RSM has increased the yield of biosurfactant to 3.4-fold. The crude biosurfactant decreased the surface tension of water from 72 mN/m to 30.8 mN/m (at 120 mg L-1) and achieved a critical, micelle concentration (CMC) value of 120 mg L-1. (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Biosurfactant, Medium optimization, Response surface methodology, Rhodococcus spp.}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2008.02.027}, author = {Mutalik, Snehal R. and Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Joshi, Renuka M. and Desai, Kiran M. and Nene, Sanjay N.} } @article { ISI:000261555200036, title = {Valence-state analysis through spectroelectrochemistry in a series of quinonoid-bridged diruthenium complexes [(acac)(2)Ru(mu-L)Ru(acac)(2)](n) (n =+2,+1, 0,-1,-2)}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {14}, number = {34}, year = {2008}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10816-10828}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The quinonoid ligand-bridged diruthenium compounds [(acac)(2)Ru(mu-L2-)Ru(acac)(2)] (acac(-) = acetylacetonato = 2,4-pentanedionato; L2- = 2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzoquinone, 1; 3,6-dichloro-2,5-dioxido-1,4-benzoquinone, 2; 5,8-dioxido-1,4-naphthoquinone, 3; 2-3-dichloro-5,8-dioxido-1,4-naphthoquinone, 4; 1,5-dioxido-9,10-anthraquinone, 5; and 1,5-diimido-9,10-anthraquinone, 6) were prepared and characterized analytically. The crystal structure analysis of 5 in the rac configuration reveals two tris(2,4-pentanedionato)ruthenium moieties with an extended anthracenedione-derived bis(ketoenolatee) pi-conjugated bridging ligand. The weakly antiferro-magnetically coupled {Ru-III(mu-L2-)Ru{\textendash}(III)} configuration in 1-6 exhibits complicated overall magnetic and EPR responses,. ne simultaneous presence of highly redox-active quinonoid-bridging ligands and of two ruthenium centers capable of adopting the oxidation states +2, +3, and +4 creates a large variety of possible oxidation state combinations. Accordingly. the complexes 1-6 exhibit two reversible one-electron oxidation steps and at least two reversible reduction processes. Shifts to positive potentials were observed on introduction of Cl substituents (1 -\> 2, 3 -\> 4) or through replacement of NH by O (6 -\> 5). The ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) absorptions in the visible region of the neutral molecules become more intense and shifted to lower energies on stepwise reduction with two electrons. On oxidation, the para-substituted systems 1-4 exhibit monocation intermediates with intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) transitions of (RuRuIV)-Ru-III mixed-valent species. In contrast, the differently substituted systems 5 and 6 show no such near infrared (NIR) absorption. While the first reduction steps are thus assigned to largely ligand-centered processes, the oxidation appears to involve metal-ligand delocalized molecular orbitals with variable degrees of mixing.

}, keywords = {magnetic properties, quinones, ruthenium, spectroelectrochemistry, structure elucidation, valence-state distributions}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200800976}, author = {Ghumaan, Sandeep and Sarkar, Biprajit and Maji, Somnath and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Fiedler, Jan and Urbanos, Francisco A. and Jimenez-Aparicio, Reyes and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000252678500008, title = {XPS and AFM investigations on silver-based photoimageable thick film systems}, journal = {Microelectronics International}, volume = {25}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {JAN}, pages = {46-57}, publisher = {EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LIMITED}, type = {Article}, address = {HOWARD HOUSE, WAGON LANE, BINGLEY BD16 1WA, W YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to ascertain chemical changes occurring at various stages involved in processing of silver-based photoimageable thick films; and to determine ensuing topographical features which other wise appeared to be hindered in 2D scanning electron microscopy. Design/methodology/approach - Surface sensitive techniques, viz. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used. Findings - Interfacial adhesion of silver film with substrate (Al(2)O(3)) was specifically looked into with respect to role played by photoimaging (before and after exposure to ultra-violet light). XPS results revealed occurrence of subtle chemical changes in terms of unsaturation to saturation in C-C bonding and also an interesting C-Al bonding which presumably improves mechanical adhesion of unfired film with the alumina substrate. AFM was carried out to examine the surface roughness, particle size, and microstructure of film which are very important from the standpoint of high-frequency applications. Originality/value - Surface sensitive techniques like XPS and AFM were exclusively used in order to characterize silver-based photoimageable thick films.

}, keywords = {microscopy, Silver, thick film circuits, X-rays}, issn = {1356-5362}, doi = {10.1108/13565360810846653}, author = {Umarji, Govind and Ketkar, Supriya and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Patil, Kashinath and Mulik, Uttam P. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000269426900019, title = {Acetalization of glycerol using mesoporous MoO3/SiO2 solid acid catalyst}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {310}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {150-158}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Acetalization of glycerol with various aldehydes has been carried out using mesoporous MoO3/SiO2 as a solid acid catalyst. A series of MoO3/SiO2 catalysts with varying MoO3 loadings(1-20 mol\%) were prepared by sol-gel technique using ethyl silicate-40 and ammonium heptamolybdate as silica and molybdenum source respectively. The sol-gel derived samples were calcined at 500 degrees C and characterized using various physicochemical characterization techniques. The XRD of the calcined samples showed the formation of amorphous phase up to 10 mol\% MoO3 loading and at higher loading of crystalline alpha-MoO3 on amorphous silica support. TEM analyses of the materials showed the uniform distribution of MoO3 nanoparticles on amorphous silica support. Raman spectroscopy showed the formation of silicomolybdic acid at low Mo loading and a mixture of alpha-MoO3 and polymolybdate species at high Mo loadings. Moreover the Raman spectra of intermediate loading samples also suggest the presence of beta-MoO3. Acetalization of glycerol with benzaldehyde was carried out using series of MoO3/SiO2 catalysts with varying MoO3 loadings (1-20 mol\%). Among the series, MoO3/SiO2 With 20 mol\% MoO3 loadings was found to be the most active catalyst in acetalization under mild conditions. Maximum conversion of benzaldehyde (72\%) was obtained in 8 h at 100 degrees C with 60\% selectivity for the six-membered acetal using 20\% MoO3/SiO2. Interestingly with substituted benzaldehydes under same reaction conditions the conversion of aldehydes decreased with increase in selectivity for six-membered acetals. These results indicate the potential of this catalyst for the acetalization of glycerol for an environmentally benign process. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acetalization, Aldehyde, Glycerol, Silicomolybdic acid, solid acid}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2009.06.010}, author = {Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Kotbagi, Trupti V. and Biradar, Ankush V. and Pasricha, Renu and Chanale, Jyoti and Dongare, Mohan K. and Mamede, Anne-Sophie and Lancelot, Christine and Payen, Edmond} } @article { ISI:000271103500014, title = {Activity and selectivity behavior of 1,2-epoxyethylbenzne hydrogenation in carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9457-9460}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Catalytic hydrogenation of 1,2-epoxyethylbenzene to 2-phenylethanol over charcoal-supported noble metal in carbon dioxide was studied, and the results were compared with those in heptane and methanol. Charcoal-supported palladium and platinum (Pd/C and Pt/C) catalysts were active metal species for the hydrogenation in solvents. The order of activities over palladium and platinum was heptane \< carbon dioxide \< methanol; however, the formation of dehydroxylated byproduct was suppressed in carbon dioxide solvent. Negative carbon dioxide pressure effect was observed over the Pd/C and Pt/C catalysts in the carbon dioxide solvent.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie8018559}, author = {Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Hiyoshi, Norihito and Mine, Eiichi and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article { ISI:000268795100001, title = {Acute and subacute toxicity studies of chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles: a novel carrier for therapeutic agents}, journal = {Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {233-239}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {25650 NORTH LEWIS WAY, STEVENSON RANCH, CA 91381-1439 USA}, abstract = {

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the oral toxicity of chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles so as to demonstrate its applicability for drug delivery application. Acute oral toxicity studies in female rats documented no deaths or treatment related complications. The LD(50) value of gold nanoparticles was found to be greater than 2000 mg/kg. In case of sub-acute oral toxicity studies, gold nanoparticles were administered orally to male and female rats for a period of 28-days. At the end of study blood samples were collected for haematology and biochemical analysis. For histopathological analysis, organs of animals were weighed and processed for examination. All animals survived the duration of the study, with no significant changes in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, hematological parameters, organ weights and histopathological findings. These studies establish that chitosan reduced gold nanoparticles produced no treatment related toxicity in rats following oral administration, thus can be exploited for potential therapeutic applications.

}, keywords = {Acute Toxicity, Chitosan, gold nanoparticles, Sub-Acute Toxicity, Wistar Rats}, issn = {1550-7033}, doi = {10.1166/jbn.2009.1027}, author = {Pokharkar, Varsha and Dhar, Sheetal and Bhumkar, Devika and Mali, Vishal and Bodhankar, Subhash L. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000263529500010, title = {Adsorption and desorption kinetics of anionic dyes on doped polyaniline}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {113}, number = {8}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2293-2299}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this study, we report an approach for the adsorption and desorption of anionic (sulfonated) dyes from aqueous solution by doped polyaniline. In this study, we have synthesized PANI with two dopants, namely, p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) and camphorsulfonic acid (CSA), and used these to adsorb various dyes. It was found that the doped PANI selectively adsorbs anionic dyes and does not adsorb cationic dyes. The adsorption of anionic dyes causes the variation in electrical conductivity of PANI, indicating its potential as a conductometric sensor for these dyes at very low concentration. The adsorbed dyes were desorbed from the polymer by using a basic aqueous solution. The adsorption and desorption kinetics of the dye in the presence of doped PANI were also determined.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp809796e}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Madras, Giridhar and Radhakrishnan, S. and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000269197400006, title = {Adsorption of aqueous selenite [Se(IV)] species on synthetic layered double hydroxide materials}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7893-7898}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Layered double hydroxide materials (Zn/Al, Mg/Al, Zn/Fe) with varying composition (M(2+):M(3+) molar ratio

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie900136s}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000265309100005, title = {Application of a stability-indicating thin-layer chromatographic method to the determination of tenatoprazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms}, journal = {Journal of AOAC International}, volume = {92}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {387-393}, publisher = {AOAC INT}, address = {481 N FREDRICK AVE, STE 500, GAITHERSBURG, MD 20877-2504 USA}, abstract = {

A sensitive, selective, precise, and stability-indicating thin-layer chromatographic (TLC) method was developed and validated for the determination of tenatoprazole both as a bulk drug and in formulation. The method uses TLC aluminum plates precoated with Silica Gel 60(F-254) as the stationary phase and the solvent system toluene-ethyl acetate-methanol (6 + 4 + 1, v/v/v). This system gave compact spots for tenatoprazole (R(f) value of 0.34 +/- 0.02). Tenatoprazole was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis, oxidation, and photodegradation. The peaks of the degradation products were well-resolved from that of the pure drug and had significantly different Rf values. Densitometric analysis of tenatoprazole was performed in the absorbance mode at 306 nm. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed a good linear relationship over the concentration range of 100-1500 ng/spot. The mean values of the correlation coefficient, slope, and intercept were 0.9989 +/- 1.42, 10.27 +/- 0.965, and 4894.2 +/- 1.24, respectively. The method was validated for precision, robustness, and recovery. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 50 and 100 ng/spot, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the method is repeatable and selective for estimation of tenatoprazole. Because the method can separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be used to monitor stability.

}, issn = {1060-3271}, author = {Dhaneshwar, Sunil R. and Bhusari, Vidhya K. and Mahadik, Mahadeo V. and Santhakumari, B.} } @article { ISI:000264978500019, title = {Applications of a high performance platinum nanocatalyst for the oxidation of alcohols in water}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {11}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {554-561}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanoparticles of platinum (NP-Pt), have been synthesized by supporting high nuclearity anionic carbonyl cluster (Chini cluster) on a water soluble anion exchanger, and the performance of this material, 1, as an oxidation catalyst for alcohols in water has been studied. The E-factor for the synthesis of NP-Pt by this method has been calculated and compared with that of other NP-Pt recently reported in the literature. With 1 as a catalyst, oxidations of a variety of primary and secondary alcohols by dioxygen are achieved and high turnover numbers and selectivities are obtained. The performances of 1 in the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and 1-phenylethanol are compared with those of three other platinum catalysts. These are platinum nanoparticles 2 prepared by the hydrogen reduction of [PtCl6](2-) supported on the same water soluble polymer, 5\% Pt on carbon, and 5\% Pt on alumina, designated as 3 and 4, respectively. 1 has been found to be considerably more active than 2- 4 and also other reported water soluble platinum nanocatalysts. After many turnovers (similar to 1000 and similar to 165 for benzyl alcohol and 1-phenyl ethanol, respectively) partial deactivation (similar to 40\%) is observed, but the deactivated catalyst can be fully regenerated by treatment with dihydrogen. The TEM data of fresh, deactivated and regenerated 1 show a correlation between the particle size and activity. A mechanism consistent with this and other experimental observations including XPS data is proposed.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/b815948c}, author = {Maity, Prasenjit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000269655000076, title = {Azoic dye hosted in layered double hydroxide: physicochemical characterization of the intercalated materials}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {18}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10980-10986}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Intercalation compounds were obtained by introduction of guest methyl orange (MO) into the interlayer space of host Mg/Al and Ni/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Three synthesis methods of organic anion-LDH intercalation compounds, i.e., coprecipitation, reconstruction of the M(II)(Al)O mixed oxides, and anion exchange of LDH were compared. The former Method gives rise to a highly organized MO-intercalated Mg/Al LDH with an interlayer spacing of 2.43 rim and up to seven (001) reflection orders. Reconstruction or the mixed oxide by intercalation with MO in the restored LDH was only achieved with Mg(Al)O. In this case. a competitive adsorption of MO on the external Surface Of the crystals was also seen. On the other hand, intercalation compounds exhibiting interlayer spacing of 2.43 run were obtained with both Mg- and Ni-containing LDH using the anionic exchange method. The equilibrium and kinetic adsorption properties of the compounds were analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy in anionic exchange experiments. According to the pseudo-second-order adsorption model, the amounts of adsorbed MO reach 3.82 and 2.83 mequiv/g for Mg- and Ni-containing LDHs, respectively, which are close to their respective anionic exchange capacity. The adsorption rates are on the same order of magnitude for the two LDHs (0.10-0.44 g mmol(-1) min(-1)), the equilibrium being reached in less than 60 min. The decomposition of MO by combustion of the organic moieties under an oxidizing atmosphere is delayed in Mg-containing MO-LDH hybrids when compared to the free MO molecule, showing that the thermal stability of MO species is enhanced after intercalation. In Ni-containing LDH, the main decomposition step of MO occurs 300 degrees C below that of Mg-containing LDH. This was rationalized in terms of a catalysis by the Ni-containing oxides formed during the thermal treatment. So these materials exhibit several advantage useful for the development of eco-friendly processes for the removal Of dyes from effluents of textile, plastic, and paper industries.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la901201s}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Tichit, Didier and Lerner, Dan A. and Marcotte, Nathalie} } @article { ISI:000269197400037, title = {CFD Simulation of bubble columns: modeling of nonuniform gas distribution at sparger}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8186-8192}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Most laboratory bubble columns are equipped with sieve plate spargers. The sieve plate spargers are known to lead to nonuniform gas distribution. It is important to account for such nonuniform gas distribution at the sparger in the computational model before experimental data collected from such columns are used to fit the model parameters. In this article, such an attempt is made. A detailed, 3D CFD model was developed to simulate unsteady gas-liquid flows in bubble Columns with sieve plate spargers. The sensitivity of the nonuniformity of gas distribution at the sparger with sparger resistance was examined. The model predictions were compared with the experimental data. The developed model and presented results will be useful for Simulating industrial bubble columns.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie8018593}, author = {Rampure, M. R. and Mahajani, S. M. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article { ISI:000268335600001, title = {Challenges associated with metal chelation therapy in alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimers Disease}, volume = {17}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {457-468}, publisher = {IOS PRESS}, address = {NIEUWE HEMWEG 6B, 1013 BG AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A close association between brain metal dishomeostasis and the onset and/or progression of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease ( AD) has been clearly established in a number of studies, although the underlying biochemical mechanisms remain obscure. This observation renders chelation therapy an attractive pharmacological option for the treatment of this disease. However, a number of requirements must be fulfilled in order to adapt chelation therapy to AD so that the term {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}metal targeted strategies{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} seems now more appropriate. Indeed, brain metal redistribution rather than brain metal scavenging and removal is the major goal of this type of intervention. The most recent developments in metal targeted strategies for AD will be discussed using, as useful examples, clioquinol, curcumin, and epigallocatechin, and the future perspectives will also be outlined.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, clioquinol, cuprizone, metal dishomeostasis, metal ions, nanomedicine, Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease, polyphenols}, issn = {1387-2877}, doi = {10.3233/JAD-2009-1068}, author = {Hegde, Muralidhar L. and Bharathi, P. and Suram, Anitha and Venugopal, Chitra and Jagannathan, Ramya and Poddar, Pankaj and Srinivas, Pullabhatla and Sambamurti, Kumar and Rao, Kosagisharaf Jagannatha and Scancar, Janez and Messori, Luigi and Zecca, Luigi and Zatta, Paolo} } @article { ISI:000271982400003, title = {Characterization of clay intercalated cobalt-salen catalysts for the oxidation of p-cresol}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {370}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16-23}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The intercalation of cobalt-salen complexes into the interlamelar spaces of montmorillonite clay was investigated by various characterization studies. The {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}neat{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} cobalt-salen complex showed a weight loss at 368 degrees C while the weight loss for the corresponding intercalated complex was observed at much higher temperature of 492 degrees C due to decomposition of the complex. The thermal stabilization observed was due to the host-guest interaction of clay and metal complex and thus confirmed the intercalation. The XANES spectrum of Co(salen)-mont sample revealed the change of symmetry from the tetrahedral in plane to the octahedral structure having an axial bonding of oxygen to the cobalt, indicating that cobalt atoms in Co(salen)-mont were coordinated axially with the lattice oxygen of montmorillonite. Both XANES and EXAFS results indicated that cobalt atoms in Co(salen)-mont form two additional Co-O bonds with a bond length of 0.199 nm by the intercalation while retaining the Co-salen structure. Co-salen intercalated into the montmorillonite clay showed the highest activity for the air oxidation of p-cresol, giving 88\% selectivity to the oxidation products. Effects of NaOH concentration and various solvents on the conversion and selectivity patterns also have been studied. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cobalt-oxygen bond, Cobalt-salen, Extended X-ray absorption fine structure, Intercalation, Lattice oxygen, Montmorillonite, X-ray absorption near edge structure}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2009.09.003}, author = {Kshirsagar, V. S. and Garade, Ajit C. and Mane, R. B. and Patil, K. R. and Yamaguchi, A. and Shirai, M. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000263018200028, title = {Chemical bath deposition of CdS quantum dots on vertically aligned ZnO nanorods for quantum dots-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Electrochemistry Communications}, volume = {11}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {103-106}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Formation of US quantum dots (Q dots) on the vertically aligned ZnO nanorods electrode was carried out by chemical bath deposition. The diameter and thickness of ZnO nanorods are similar to 100-150 nm and similar to 1.6 mu m, respectively, and CdS Q dots on ZnO nanorods have a diameter of smaller than 15 nm. In application of the Q dots-sensitized solar cells, composite film exhibited a power conversion efficiency of 0.54\% under air mass 1.5 condition (80 mW/cm(2)), and incident-photon-to-current conversion efficiency showed 18.6\%. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical bath deposition, Photosensitization, quantum dots, solar cells, Wet-chemical process}, issn = {1388-2481}, doi = {10.1016/j.elecom.2008.10.042}, author = {Lee, Wonjoo and Min, Sun Ki and Dhas, Vivek V. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Han, Sung-Hwan} } @article { ISI:000268863800079, title = {Click chemistry based rapid one-pot synthesis and evaluation for protease inhibition of new tetracyclic triazole fused benzodiazepine derivatives}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5241-5245}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe herein a one-pot synthesis of novel tetracyclic scaffolds that incorporate a fusion of a proline, 1,2,3-triazole ring with [1,4]-benzodiazepin-8(4H)-one ring systems following click chemistry. The expected peptide bond formation followed by in situ 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in absence of any catalyst led to the formation of new triazole fused benzodiazepine derivatives. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.06.107}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Maity, Pradip K. and Shabab, M. and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article {BHONDE, title = {Clickable SBA-15 mesoporous materials: synthesis, characterization and their reaction with alkynes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1409-1416}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

SBA-15 mesoporous silica has been functionalized with azidopropyl groups through both one-pot co-condensation and post-synthetic grafting. For both these methodologies, azidopropyltriethoxysilane was used to introduce the azidopropyl groups. The azidopropyl modified SBA-15 material synthesized by one-pot co-condensation had hexagonal crystallographic order, pore diameters up of 50 angstrom, and the content of azidopropyl groups was found to be 1.3 mmol g(-1). The presence of the azidopropyl group was confirmed by multinuclear ((13)C, (29)Si) solid state NMR and IR spectroscopy. Both these materials underwent very efficient Cu(I)-catalyzed azide alkyne {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} reaction (CuAAC) with a variety of alkynes. Nearly 85\% of the azide present in the SBA-15 material was converted to the corresponding triazole when propargyl alcohol was used as the substrate. This methodology was also used to incorporate mannose into SBA-15. Incubation of this mannose labeled SBA-15 with fluorescein labeled Concanavalin-A led to the formation of a fluorescent silica-protein hybrid material. The ease of synthesis for the azide labeled SBA-15 material together with its ability to undergo very efficient chemoselective CuAAC in water would make it a very attractive platform for the development of covalently anchored catalysts, enzymes and sensors.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/b815350g}, author = {Malvi, Bharmana and Sarkar, Bibhas R. and Pati, Debasis and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000271309400016, title = {CNS Depressant activity of ethanol extract of sterculia guttata seeds in mice}, journal = {Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {71}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {445-U167}, publisher = {MEDKNOW PUBLICATIONS}, address = {A-108-109 KANARA BUSINESS CENTRE, GHAKTOPAR, MUMBAI, 400075, INDIA}, abstract = {

Shade dried, powdered seeds of Sterculia guttata were extracted using a Soxhlet extractor with ethanol. Ethanol was removed under reduced pressure and dried to obtained crude extract. This extract was evaluated for its effect on behavioral changes, exploratory activity and barbiturate-sleeping time, using appropriate standard methods in mice. The extract exhibited dose-dependent CNS depressant activity.

}, keywords = {Barbitone sodium, CNS depressant activity, pentobarbitone sodium, Sterculia guttata Roxb., Swiss albino mice}, issn = {0250-474X}, author = {Katade, S. R. and Misar, Ashwini V. and Mujumdar, Arvind M. and Phalgune, U. D. and Wakharkar, R. D. and Deshpande, N. R.} } @article { ISI:000264127100020, title = {Column liquid chromatography-ultraviolet and column liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry evaluation of stress degradation behavior of escitalopram oxalate}, journal = {Journal of AOAC international}, volume = {92}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {138-147}, abstract = {

{The objective of this work was to study the degradation behavior of escitalopram oxalate under different International Conference on Harmonization (ICH)-recommended stress conditions by column liquid chromatography (LC)-UV and LC/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and to establish a validated stability-indicating LC assay method. Escitalopram oxalate was subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis, and thermal decomposition. Extensive degradation was found to occur in alkaline medium. Mild degradation was observed in acidic and oxidative conditions. Escitalopram oxalate was stable to neutral, photolytic, and thermal stress. Successful separation of the drug from degradation products formed under stress conditions was achieved on a PerfectSil-100 ODS-3 column [C(18) (5 mu m, 25 cm x 4.6 mm id)] using methanol-0.01 M acetate buffer pH 3.8 adjusted with acetic acid (45 + 55) as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1 mL/min, and the detection wavelength was 239 nm. The method was validated according to ICH guidelines. Major degradation products formed in hydrolysis and oxidative conditions were isolated, and structural elucidation of degradation products was done by LC/MS and infrared spectrometry studies. The major hydrolysis degradation product was confirmed as 1-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-1-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-1,3dihydroisobenzofuran-5- carboxylic acid, and the major oxidative degradation product was confirmed as 1-{[3-dimethylamino(oxide)-propyl]-1(4-flurophenyl)}-1,3-dihydro-iso benzofuran-5-carbonitrile.

}, author = {Dhaneshwar, Sunil R. and Mahadik, Mahadeo V. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000262605200024, title = {Combustion synthesis of triangular and multifunctional ZnO1-xNx (x <= 0.15) materials}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {21}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {351-359}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The preparation and characterization of multifunctional ZnO1-xNx (x \<= 0.15) via a simple solution combustion method is reported. ZnO1-xNx exhibits visible light absorption, thermal stability, nanometer-/ micrometer-sized triangular particles, and catalytic properties. X-ray diffraction studies of ZnO1-xNx, demonstrate that the lattice oxygen in ZnO is replaced by nitrogen without any major change in the wurtzite structure; however, charge compensation occurs, because of interstitial Zn atoms, as well as oxygen vacancies. Microscopic studies reveal the dominance of nanometer- and micrometer-sized triangles of ZnO1-xNx. UV-visible and Raman spectra indicate a midgap state, derived from N 2p states, and direct Zn-N interaction, respectively. Secondary ion mass spectrometry studies show the presence of N and ZnN species in the bulk and support the direct Zn-N interaction. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies indicate the presence of a small amount of defects. Photocatalytic decomposition of rhodamine B, and anisole acylation at room temperature, highlights the effectiveness of ZnO1-xNx to catalysis applications. The aforementioned multifunctional characteristics suggest that ZnO1-xNx might be used in place of conventional ZnO for better control and that it might be explored for further applications in catalysis and optoelectronics.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm803048h}, author = {Mapa, Maitri and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000271238900017, title = {Concurrent In-situ formation of Ag/Ag2S nanoparticles in polymer matrix by facile polymer-inorganic solid state reaction}, journal = {Journal of Nano Research}, volume = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {143-152}, publisher = {TRANS TECH PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {LAUBISRUTISTR 24, STAFA-ZUERICH, CH-8712, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

We herein report the feasibility of polymer-inorganic solid-state reaction route for simultaneous in situ generation of Ag \& Ag2S nanostructures in polymer network wherein an engineering thermoplastic, polyphenylene sulphide (PPS), itself acts as a chalcogen source as well as a stabilizing matrix for the resultant nanoproducts. Typical solid-state reaction was accomplished by simply heating the physical admixture of the two reactants i.e. AgNO3 and PPS by varying molar ratios mainly 1:1, 1:5, 1:15, 1:20, at the crystalline melting temperature (285 degrees C) of PPS. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by various physico-chemical techniques like X-ray Diffractometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with EDAX, Transmission Electron Microscopy and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The prima facie observations suggest the effective formation and subsequent entrapment of mainly nanocrystalline metallic silver (fcc) in PPS matrix for all the molar ratios chosen for the reaction. Additionally, simultaneous occurrence of nanocrystalline Ag2S (monoclinic phase) is also noticed in case of heated admixture of AgNO3: PPS with equimolar ratio. The TEM analysis reveals nanoscale polydispersity (5nm to 70nm) and prevalence of mainly spherical morphological features in all the cases with occasional indications of triangular and hexagonal morphological features depending upon the reaction molar ratio.

}, keywords = {Ag, Ag2S, Nanoparticles, Polymer inorganic solid -state reaction, Thermoplastic polymer matrix}, issn = {1662-5250}, doi = {10.4028/www.scientific.net/JNanoR.5.143}, author = {Waghmare, Sujata and Shinde, Manish and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Rao, N. Koteswara and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000262810900014, title = {Conducting polyaniline-nano-TiO2 composites for smart corrosion resistant coatings}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {54}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1249-1254}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Coatings prepared from polyaniline-nano-TiO2 particles synthesized by in situ polymerization were found to exhibit excellent corrosion resistance much superior to polyaniline (PANI) in aggressive environments. The corrosion Studies were carried out on steel plates coated with these formulations containing 10 wt\% polyaniline prepared with different concentrations of nano-TiO2. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was studied at periodic intervals during exposure to hot saline (65 degrees C) conditions for prolonged durations over a period of 90 h. The open circuit potential (OCP) was found to shift with time from -0.38 V SCE to more anodic side (-0.2 V SCE) much above that of bare steel (-0.5 VSCE). The presence of nano-TiO2 was found to be vital in the prevention of corrosion and the shift of OCP to anodic side. From these data, one could envisage more than 100 times improvement in the corrosion resistance especially for polyaniline prepared with 4.18 wt\% nano-TiO2. The exceptional improvement of performance of these coatings has been associated with the increase in barrier to diffusion, prevention of charge transport by the nanosize TiO2, redox properties of polyaniline as well as very large surface area available for the liberation of dopant due to nano-size additive. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anticorrosion, Coating, conducting polymer, Nano-composite, Titanium dioxide}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2008.08.069}, author = {Radhakrishnan, S. and Siju, C. R. and Mahanta, Debajyoti and Patil, Satish and Madras, Giridhar} } @article { ISI:000274985000008, title = {Convenient synthesis of enantiomerically pure (R)-mexiletine using hydrolytic kinetic resolution method}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {20}, number = {24}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2814-2817}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Enantiopure (R)-mexiletine was prepared in a simple and practical way using hydrolytic kinetic resolution method of terminal epoxide by Jacobsen catalyst. High enantiomeric purity (98\% ee) was achieved and the method is well amenable to industrial scale-up. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2009.11.014}, author = {Sasikumar, Murugesan and Nikalje, Milind D. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article {42749, title = {Copper (I) complexes of a thioether-functionalized short-bite aminobis(phosphonite)}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {28}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {101{\textendash}106}, abstract = {

Copper(I) complexes of short-bite aminobis(phosphonite), PhN{P({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}2 (1) have been synthesized. Reactions of 1 with an excess of CuX (X = Cl, Br, and I) afforded the ligand-bridged binuclear complexes, [PhN(PR-κP)2{Cu(μ-X)(MeCN)}2] (2, X = Cl; 3, X = Br; 4, X = I; R = {\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash}), whereas treatment with 0.5 equiv. of [Cu(MeCN)4]PF6 produces the mononuclear bischelated cationic complex, [{PhN(PR-κP)2}2Cu](PF6) (5). Single crystal X-ray structures of complexes 3 and 4 are reported. Complex 3 shows strong π{\textendash}π stacking interactions between the naphthyl moieties, whereas complex 4 shows ligand-supported Cu...Cu metallophilic interactions.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2008.10.014}, author = {Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T. and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Balakrishna, Maravanji S.} } @article { ISI:000267267000126, title = {Defluoridation of water using as-synthesized Zn/Al/Cl anionic clay adsorbent: equilibrium and regeneration studies}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {167}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {873-878}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Zn/Al/Cl anionic clay has been synthesized by co-precipitation method and applied for adsorption of fluoride in aqueous medium. Equilibrium adsorption data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Generalized isotherm equations. Thermodynamic parameters like Delta G and Delta H values show the feasibility and exothermic nature of the adsorption process. Influence of solution pH and presence of other anions on fluoride adsorption by the clay has also been studied. Presence of carbonate in water was found to have an adverse effect on fluoride adsorption by the clay. pH(pzc) of the clay has been found to be 8.97. A two-step 1st order kinetic model was used to explain the fluoride adsorption kinetics of the as-synthesized clay. It was possible to regenerate the adsorbent with an aqueous solution of 0.01 M NaOH and the effect of regeneration on fluoride adsorption was reported up to five regeneration cycles. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Anionic clay, Fluoride, Isotherm, kinetics, Regeneration}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.01.069}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000263373600066, title = {Dendritic effect of ligand-coated nanoparticles: enhanced apoptotic activity of silica-berberine nanoconjugates}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2339-2347}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We describe the synthesis and biological characterization of a novel prototype, namely, silica nanoconjugates bearing a covalently linked berberine, a plant alkaloid known to have antiproliferative activity. The effect of synthesized nanoconjugates on cell proliferation, the cell cycle profile, and apoptosis in the human cervical carcinoma cell line (HeLa), human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2), and human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cell line has been studied and compared with the results obtained for free berberine. Our results show that all the nanoconjugates display higher antiproliferative activity than free berberine. The ability of these nanoconjugates to inhibit cellular proliferation is mediated by the cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Moreover, silica nanoconugates caused selective apoptotic arrest with a higher efficiency than free berberine followed by apoptotic cell death as shown by quantitative fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses. Efficiency of the nanoconjugates increases upon an increase in the linker chain length, demonstrating the distinct role of the spacer chain that conjugates nanoparticles and ligands. The actual reason to show enhanced efficiency by the nanoconjugates has not been elucidated in the present study; however, we hypothesize that an increase in local concentration due to the confinement of a ligand on the nanosurface ({\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}dendritic{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} effect) might have led to the observed effect.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la802761b}, author = {Halimani, Mahantappa and Chandran, S. Prathap and Kashyap, Sudhir and Jadhav, V. M. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Hotha, Srinivas and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000269760900028, title = {Design and synthesis of bile acid-based amino sterols as antimicrobial agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {18}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5411-5414}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

New bile acid-based amino sterols were synthesized in good yields from C-3 beta-oxiranes as key intermediates. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial properties against human pathogens. These compounds showed better antibacterial activity as compared to antifungal activity. Compounds 21 and 22 showed comparable antibacterial activity to gentamicin against Staphylococcus aureus with IC(50) values of 5.14 and 4.46 mu g/mL. This is the first report for the synthesis of C-3 beta-oxiranes on the steroids having A/B cis ring junction and these oxiranes have been used for the synthesis of amino sterols 17, 18, 21, and 22. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amino sterols, Antibacterial agent, bile acid, Oxirane}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.07.117}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Mishra, Nripendra N. and Shukla, Praveen K. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000271103500032, title = {Development of correlations for overall gas hold-up, volumetric mass transfer coefficient, and effective interfacial area in bubble column reactors using hybrid genetic algorithm-support vector regression technique: viscous newtonian and non-newtonian liq}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9631-9654}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The objective of this study was to develop hybrid genetic algorithm-support vector regression (GA-SVR)-based correlations for overall gas hold-up (epsilon(G)), volumetric mass-transfer coefficient (kt,a), and effective interfacial area (a) in bubble Column reactors for gas-liquid systems employing Viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian systems as the liquid phase. The hybrid GA-SVR is a novel technique based on the feature 0 generation approach using genetic algorithm (GA). In the present study, GA has been used for nonlinear rescaling of attributes. These, exponentially scaled, are eventually subjected to SVR training The technique is an extension of conventional SVR technique, showing relatively enhanced results For this purpose an extensive literature search was done. From the published literature, 1629 data points for viscous Newtonian and 845 data points for VISCOUS non-Newtonian systems for cc;, 500 data points for viscous Newtonian and 556 data points for viscous non-Newtonian systems for k(L)a, and 208 data points for viscous non-Newtonian systems for a, respectively, were collected These data sets were collected spanning the years 1965-2007 Correlations were developed after taking into account all the parameters affecting epsilon(G), k(1)a, and a such as column and sparger geometry, gas-liquid properties, operating temperature, pressure, and Superficial gas and liquid velocities. The correlations thus developed gave prediction accuracies of 0.994 and 0.999 and average absolute relative errors (AARE) of 3.75 and 1.65\% for viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian systems for epsilon(G), prediction accuracies of 0.983 and 0.998 and AARE of 8 62 and 1.91\% for viscous Newtonian and non-Newtonian systems for k(1)a, and prediction accuracy of 0.999 and AARE of 1\% for viscous non-Newtonian systems for a, respectively. These correlations also showed much improved results when compared with all the existing correlations proposed in literature. To facilitate their usage, all the hybrid GA-SVR-based correlations have been uploaded on the web link http-//wwwesnips.com/web/UICT-NCL.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie801834w}, author = {Gupta, Prashant P. and Merchant, Shamel S. and Bhat, Akshay U. and Gandhi, Ankit B. and Bhagwat, Sunil S. and Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Jayaraman, Valadi K. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000268436500020, title = {Dipolar S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions in the molecular organization of 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-O-tosyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section C-Crystal Structure Communications}, volume = {65}, number = {7}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {O335-O338}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In the absence of conventional hydrogen bonding, the molecules of 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-O-tosyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate, C(18)H(20)O(10)S, (I), and 4,6-di-O-acetyl-2-O-tosyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate, C(24)H(24)O(10)S, (II), are associated via C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. Molecules of (II) are additionally linked via dipolar S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O contacts. It is interesting to note that the sulfonyl O atom involved in the dipolar S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O contacts does not take part in any other interaction, indicating the competitive nature of this contact relative to the weak hydrogen-bonding interactions.

}, issn = {0108-2701}, doi = {10.1107/S0108270109017211}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, M. S.} } @article { ISI:000268138400070, title = {Domain size manipulation of perflouorinated polymer electrolytes by sulfonic acid-functionalized MWCNTs to enhance fuel cell performance}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {25}, number = {14}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8299-8305}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The application of sulfonic acid-functionalized multiwalled (s-MWNT) carbon nanotubes to manipulate the hydrophilic domain size of Nafion membranes is explored here as an option for tuning the proton conductivity of polymer electrolyte membranes for hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells. The electrochemical impedance experiments provide preliminary evidence of increased proton conductivity, while small-angle X-ray scattering measurements line. out enhanced ionic cluster domain size in these composite membranes as the central reason for higher conductivity (70 angstrom for the optimum composite membrane vs 50 angstrom for Nafion 115) values. Scanning electrochemical microscopy indicates synergistic interaction between the sulfonic acid functional groups present in the Nation membrane and those on the nanotube surface. More interestingly, the nanotube-tailored Nafion membranes ameliorate the performance of fuel cells as confirmed by measurements at a sin le-cell level, which reveal a maximum power density of 380 mW cm(-2), higher than those of Nafion 115 (250 mW cm(-2)) and recast Nafion (230 mW cm-2) membranes. Thus, in addition to providing an elegant means of controlling the ionic cluster size, the strategic approach of using CNT both as an anchoring backbone for -SO(3)H groups to enrich proton conductivity and as a blending agent to improve the mechanical characteristics of the Nafion phase might be helpful in alleviating many critical problems associated with the use of commercial Nafion membranes.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la9005218}, author = {Kannan, Ramaiyan and Parthasarathy, Meera and Maraveedu, Sreekuttan U. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000271103500012, title = {Effect of flow structures on heat transfer in single and multiphase jet reactors}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {21}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9428-9440}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

High frequency experimental measurements by hot film anemometry (HFA) of liquid velocities and temperature in the region of vapor-liquid (VL) and solid-liquid (SL) interfaces for two important reactor types, namely, condensation jet and jet loop reactors, have been studied for their heat transfer characteristics. An algorithm for flow structure identification has been devised from velocity data based oil (i) zero crossings and (ii) continuous wavelet transform. The wavelet transform algorithm is especially found to be useful in accurately estimating both the age and size distributions of eddies near interfaces in a multiscale framework Using these distributions, it is shown that the calculated values of heat transfer coefficients (HTC) at the SL and VL interfaces show remarkable correspondence with the HTC values obtained experimentally from instantaneous temperature measurements. For this purpose, a modified capacitance model has been proposed that takes into account the information about both the age and size distributions. The results obtained by the present methodology show the improvement possible for calculating the HTC at interfaces when compared with the earlier surface renewal models. It may therefore be used to study the interaction between flow dynamics and heat transfer behavior in chemical process equipment

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie900052s}, author = {Deshpande, Sagar S. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Gulawani, Sagar S. and Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Kumar, V. Ravi} } @article { ISI:000269206600022, title = {Effect of nickel nanofillers on the dielectric and magnetic properties of composites based on rubber in the X-band}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {97}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {157-165}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Nickel-rubber nanocomposites were synthesized by incorporating ferromagnetic nickel nanoparticles in a natural rubber as well as neoprene rubber matrix. Complex dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability of these composites were evaluated in the X-band microwave frequencies at room temperature using cavity perturbation technique. The dielectric loss in natural rubber is smaller compared to neoprene rubber. A steady increase in the dielectric permittivity is observed with increase in the content of nickel in both the composites. The magnetic permeability exhibits a steady decrease with increase in frequency and magnetic loss shows a relaxation at 8 GHz. The suitability of these composites as microwave absorbers is modeled based on the reflection loss which is dependant on the real and imaginary components of the complex dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability.

}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-009-5284-1}, author = {Jamal, E. Muhammad Abdul and Mohanan, P. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Kurian, Philip and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000262749400001, title = {Effect of relative humidity and sea level pressure on electrical conductivity of air over Indian ocean}, journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres}, volume = {114}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {D02205}, publisher = {AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION}, address = {2000 FLORIDA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 USA}, abstract = {

The electrical conductivity measured over the Indian Ocean (15 degrees N, 77 degrees E to 20 degrees S, 58 degrees E) during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX-1999) from 20 January to 12 March 1999 has been analyzed. The conductivity values over two oceanic regions, one with very low aerosol concentration and another with very high aerosol concentration, are studied in relation with meteorological parameters such as relative humidity and sea level pressure. The average conductivity is as low as 0.295 x 10(-14) Sm-1 in the region of high aerosol concentration and it is 0.783 x 10(-14) Sm-1 in the region of very low aerosol concentration. In both the regions, conductivity shows an inverse relation with relative humidity and this effect is more in the presence of high aerosol concentration. The hydrate growth of aerosol particles in high-humidity condition may be responsible for the inverse relation between conductivity and relative humidity. Size distributions of aerosol particles measured in the same cruise during high-humid conditions are also analyzed to show that sizes, rather than numbers, of aerosol particles increase with an increase in humidity. The relationship between conductivity and sea level pressure in these two regions is also studied and it shows good correlation in the region where the background aerosol concentration is low and no correlation in the region where aerosol concentration is high. The inverse relation between sea level pressure and electrical conductivity is attributed to the possible transportation of ultrafine particles from free troposphere, with subsiding motions associated with high pressure. The positive correlation between ultrafine particles and sea level pressure supports this idea.

}, issn = {2169-897X}, doi = {10.1029/2007JD009716}, author = {Pawar, S. D. and Murugavel, P. and Lal, D. M.} } @article { ISI:000273067400009, title = {Effect of sintering temperature and thermoelectric power studies of the system MgFe2-xCrxO4}, journal = {Solid State Sciences}, volume = {11}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2075-2079}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mixed metal oxides showing the spinel structure exhibit interesting structural and electrical properties. Substances with specific compositions in the system MgFe2-xCrxO4 were synthesized by the simple co-precipitation method and have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to study the effect of temperature on the size of particles and grains. The infrared spectrum shows, two strong bands around 600 and 500 cm(-1). An elemental composition of one of the samples, MgFeCrO4 was found by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The thermoelectric power measurements carried out from room temperature to 500 degrees C, show both n-type and p-type behavior. (C) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {synthesis, Temperature effect, Thermoelectric studies}, issn = {1293-2558}, doi = {10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2009.09.005}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Vader, V. T. and Sankpal, U. B. and Gavali, L. V. and Sasikala, R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000263732700047, title = {Effects for the incorporation of five-atom thioacetamido nucleic acid (TANA) backbone on hybridization thermodynamics and kinetics of DNA duplexes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {113}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2944-2951}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Thermodynamic studies of nucleic acids serve not only to widen our understanding on the nature and strength of forces that stabilize nucleic acids in a myriad of structural states they assume but also to facilitate the development of databases that could be used to predict the stability and selectivity of probe/primer-sets required in a broad range of nucleic acid-based diagnostic and therapeutic protocols. In the current study, we investigated the effect of a novel, backbone-modified {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}thioacetamido linkage{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (TANA) on thermodynamics of hybridization, binding kinetics, and conformation of a DNA duplex. The modification comprises of an extended five-atom amide (N3{\textquoteright}-CO-CH(2)-S-CH(2)) linker, as opposed to four-atom phosphodiester linker backbone present in DNA. One to three TANA-substitutions have been introduced in the linker backbone of two thymidine residues of one of the strand of the DNA duplex. Using spectroscopic and calorimetric techniques, we observed that TANA destabilizes the DNA helix by lowering the favorable enthalpy parameter of duplex formation. TANA center dot DNA duplexes were found to adopt a conformation toward an A-type duplex as shown by circular dichroism spectroscopy studies. Analysis of differential scanning calorimetry data indicated a nonzero heat capacity change, Delta C(p), accompanying the duplex formation. The average Delta C(p) change per duplex was found to be 832.5 cal mol(-1) K(-1), giving an average base-pair change of 59.5 cal (mol of base pairs)(-1) K(-1). Hybridization kinetic measurements using surface plasmon resonance indicated a decrease in binding affinity parameter (K(A)) that originates from higher dissociation rate constants (k(d)). Furthermore, optical melting studies showed that increasing the number of modifications results in a modest change in the number of counterions taken up during duplex formation.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp808747g}, author = {Kaur, Harleen and Arora, Amit and Gogoi, K. and Solanke, P. and Gunjal, Anita D. and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000268138200061, title = {Electronic structure and catalytic study of solid solution of GaN in ZnO}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {21}, number = {13}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2973-2979}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Solid solutions of GaN in ZnO (Zn1-zGaz)(O1-xNx) (x and z \<= 0.15) have been prepared by simple solution combustion method, Except for minor changes in the lattice contraction, no significant change in the Wurtzite structure was observed. Raman and secondary ion mass spectrometry results show the direct Zn-N and Ga-N bonds in (Zn1-zGaz)(O1-xNx). Visible light absorption and XPS results demonstrate that N 2p states of nitride occupy the states above the O 2p valence band, and hence a change in optical band gap reduction occurs to similar to 2.5 eV from 3.37 eV for ZnO. Significant nitrogen fixation catalytic activity through NH3 formation has been observed at ambient pressure oil virgin (Zn1-zGaz)(O1-xNx) material, indicating its potential as a catalyst.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm900682q}, author = {Mapa, Maitri and Thushara, K. S. and Saha, Biswajit and Chakraborty, Purushottam and Janet, C. M. and Viswanath, R. P. and Nair, C. Madhavan and Murty, K. V. G. K. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000270363600029, title = {Enhanced conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells based on hydrothermally synthesized TiO2-MWCNT nanocomposites}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {1}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2030-2035}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A 50 \% enhancement in the conversion efficiency (4.9-7.37 \%) is realized in dye-sensitized solar cells Using hydrothermally synthesized TiO2-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites as compared to hydrothermally synthesized TiO2 without MWCNT and Degussa P25. Several characterizations have been employed to reveal the nature of the modification imparted to the MWCNTs under hydrothermal processing conditions and the resulting TiO2-MWCNT conjugation through -COOH groups. Efficient charge transfer In the nanocomposite and efficient electron transport by MWCNT (significantly higher Incident-photon-to-current conversion efficiency) are suggested to be the possible reasons for the enhancement.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, charge transfer, Dye-sensitized solar cells, Hybrid composite, hydrothermal}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am900396m}, author = {Muduli, Subas and Lee, Wonjoo and Dhas, Vivek V. and Mujawar, Sarfraj and Dubey, Megha and Vijayamohanan, K. and Han, Sung-Hwan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000265398300007, title = {Enhanced production of amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 1526 by medium optimisation using a statistical experimental design}, journal = {Journal of Industrial Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {36}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {671-678}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

In the present work, statistical experimental methodology was used to enhance the production of amidase from Rhodococcus erythropolis MTCC 1526. R. erythropolis MTCC 1526 was selected through screening of seven strains of Rhodococcus species. The Placket-Burman screening experiments suggested that sorbitol as carbon source, yeast extract and meat peptone as nitrogen sources, and acetamide as amidase inducer are the most influential media components. The concentrations of these four media components were optimised using a face-centred design of response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum medium composition for amidase production was found to contain sorbitol (5 g/L), yeast extract (4 g/L), meat peptone (2.5 g/L), and acetamide (12.25 mM). Amidase activities before and after optimisation were 157.85 units/g dry cells and 1,086.57 units/g dry cells, respectively. Thus, use of RSM increased production of amidase from R. erythropolis MTCC 1526 by 6.88-fold.

}, keywords = {Amidase, Medium optimisation, Plackett-Burman screening, Response surface methodology, Rhodococcus erythropolis}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-009-0536-9}, author = {Vaidya, Bhalchandra K. and Mutalik, Snehal R. and Joshi, Renuka M. and Nene, Sanjay N. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000262301900031, title = {Enhancing intermolecular benzoyl-transfer reactivity in crystals by growing a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}reactive{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} metastable polymorph by using a chiral additive}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {15}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {261-269}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Racemic 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoacetate, which normally crystallizes in a monoclinic form (form I, space group P2(1)/n) could be persuaded to crystallize out as a metastable polymorph (form II, space group C2/c) by using a small amount of either D- or L- 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate as an additive in the crystallization medium. The structurally similar enantiomeric additive was chosen by the scrutiny of previous experimental results on the crystallization of racemic 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoacetate. Form II crystals call be thermally transformed to form I crystals at about 145 degrees C. The relative organization of the molecules in these dimorphs vary slightly in terms of the helical assembly of molecules, that is, electrophile (El)center dot center dot center dot nucleophile (Nu) and C-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, but these minor variations have a profound effect on the facility and specificity of benzoyl-group-transfer reactivity in the two crystal forms. While form II crystals undergo a clean intermolecular benzoyl-group-transfer reaction, form I crystals are less reactive and undergo non-specific benzoyl-group transfer leading to a Mixture of products. The role played by the additive in fine-tuning small changes that are required in the molecular packing opens up the possibility of creating new polymorphs that show varied physical and chemical properties. Crystals of D-2.6-di-O-benzoyl-myo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate (additive) did not show facile benzoyl-group-transfer reactivity (in contrast to the corresponding racemic compound) due to the lack of proper juxtaposition and assembly of molecules.

}, keywords = {Acylation, carbohydrates, Crystal growth, cyclitols, solid-state reactions}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.200801484}, author = {Murali, Chebrolu and Shashidhar, Mysore S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article { ISI:000268120200001, title = {Evaluation of repulsive particle swarm method for phase equilibrium and phase stability problems}, journal = {Fluid Phase Equilibria}, volume = {282}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {65-67}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Phase equilibrium and stability problems are of crucial importance in simulation, design and optimization of several separation processes. Recently, these problems have been solved using minimization of Gibbs free energy, using global optimization techniques. In this paper, repulsive particle swarm (RPS), a recent global optimization technique is explored for the Solution of phase stability and phase equilibrium. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Liquid-liquid equilibria, Phase equilibrium, Phase stability analysis, Repulsive particle swarm method}, issn = {0378-3812}, doi = {10.1016/j.fluid.2009.04.014}, author = {Rahman, Imran and Das, Anwesh Kr. and Mankar, Raju B. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article { ISI:000264236700037, title = {Exploration of click reaction for the synthesis of modified nucleosides as chitin synthase inhibitors}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2433-2440}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Click reaction approach toward the synthesis of two sets of novel 1,2,3-triazolyl linked uridine derivatives 19a-19g and 21a-21g was achieved by Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 5{\textquoteright}-azido-5{\textquoteright}-deoxy-2{\textquoteright},3{\textquoteright}-O-(1-methylethylidene) uridine (17) with propargylated ether of phenols 18a-18g and propargylated esters 20a-20g. Structure of one of the representative compound 19d was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Chitin synthase inhibition study of all these compounds 19a-19g and 21a-21g was carried out to develop antifungal strategy. Compounds 19d, 19e, 19f, and 21f were identified as potent chitin synthase inhibitors by comparing with nikkomycin. Compounds 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, 21a, and 21b showed good antifungal activity against human and plant pathogens. Compounds 19a, 19b, 19f, 21c, 21f, and 21g were identified as lead chitin synthase inhibitors for further modi. cations by comparing results of inhibition of growth, \% germ tube formation and chitin synthase activity. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-dipolar cycloaddition, 3-Triazole, 4-Disubstituted-1, 5 {\textquoteleft}-Azidouridine, Antifungal compounds, Chitin synthase activity, Click reaction, Uridine nucleosides}, issn = {0968-0896}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmc.2009.02.019}, author = {Chaudhary, Preeti M. and Chavan, Sayalee R. and Shirazi, Fazal and Razdan, Meenakshi and Nimkar, Prachi and Maybhate, Shailaja P. and Likhite, Anjali P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Hazra, Braja G. and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Deshpande, Sunita R.} } @article { ISI:000271843400019, title = {Ferromagnetic properties of glucose coated Cu2O nanoparticles}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {149}, number = {47-48}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2199-2201}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Magnetic properties of glucose coated cuprous oxide nanoparticles of different sizes have been studied. Unlike bulk Cu2O, which shows diamagnetic behavior, the nanoparticles show superparamagnetic behavior. A superparamagnetic blocking temperature of 21 K is observed for 5 nm particles. A magnetic hysteresis loop with a coercivity of 406 Oe is observed for these particles at 5 K. The magnetization and the coercivity increase with decreasing particle size. The superparamagnetic behavior, along with the increase in magnetization and coercivity with decreasing particle size, is due to the enhanced surface contributions to the magnetism. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Cuprous oxide, magnetic properties, Nanoparticles}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2009.09.013}, author = {Mahajan, Mangesh B. and Pavan, M. S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000267498700010, title = {Field emission investigation of single Fe-doped SnO2 wire}, journal = {Solid State Sciences}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1114-1117}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Tin oxide submicronwires doped with Fe element were prepared by the thermal evaporation method. Morphological and structural characterizations revealed wires with sub micron size and crystalline in nature. The field electron emission from the single Fe:SnO2 wire was carried out in conventional field emission microscope. The Fowler-Nordheim plot obtained from I-V characteristics of the wire showed a linear behavior typical that of metal. The field enhancement factor estimated from the slope of the F-N plot is 7455 cm(-1), indicating that the field emission is from nanometric features of the emitter. A current density of 10 A/cm(2) has been obtained at an applied field of 4.845 x 10(3) V/mu m. The field emission current-time record at a current level of 1 mu A for more than 3 h duration is promising for various field emissions based applications. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

}, keywords = {Current stability, Fe doped, field emission, SnO2}, issn = {1293-2558}, doi = {10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2009.02.011}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sathe, Bhaskar R. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000271238900027, title = {Field emission properties of Al-doped ZnO nanostructures}, journal = {Journal of Nano Research}, volume = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {231-237}, publisher = {TRANS TECH PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {LAUBISRUTISTR 24, STAFA-ZUERICH, CH-8712, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Field emission from Al-doped ZnO nanostrcutures has been investigated in planar diode configuration under ultra high vacuum conditions. The Al-doped ZnO nanostructures were synthesized by co-precipitation method with varying aluminium concentrations. The as- synthesized product was characterized by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The threshold field required to draw a current density of similar to 1 mu A/cm(2) was observed to be similar to 2.0 V/mu m and similar to 2.3 V/mu m for Al-doped ZnO nanostructures synthesized with aluminium concentrations of 1\% and 3\%, respectively. The Fowler- Nordheim (F-N) plots for both the specimens exhibit non-linear behaviour, which is observed to be specimen dependent. The nonlinearity observed in the F-N plots has been interpreted on the basis of the theory of electron emission from semiconductor emitters. The field enhancement factors, estimated from the slope of the F-N plots, are found to be similar to 9.3 x 10(3) and 3.9 x 10(3) for 1\% and 3\% Al-doped ZnO emitters, respectively. The high values of the field enhancement factor Suggest that the emission is from the nanostructures. The emission current stability measured at the preset value of similar to 2 mu A over a period of more than three hours is found to be fairly stable. The results indicate use of Al-doped ZnO nanostructures as promising emitters for field emission based devices.

}, keywords = {field emission, Fowler-Nordheim plots, Nanostructures, ZnO}, issn = {1662-5250}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Sheini, Farid Jamali and Patil, Sandip S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A. and Gosavi, Suresh W.} } @article { ISI:000267983100004, title = {First- and second-order electrical properties computed at the FSMRCCSD level for excited states of closed-shell molecules using the constrained-variational approach}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {131}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {024102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Fock space multireference coupled-cluster (FSMRCC) method emerged as an efficient tool to describe the electronic structure of nearly degenerate cases. Development of linear response has been one of the challenging problems in FSMRCC due to the multiple-root nature of the effective Hamiltonian. A response from any of the roots would span the space for getting the properties. Hence, all roots perturbed by the external field would proliferate the excited states. We recently developed the FSMRCC method for the efficient evaluation of analytic response properties using a constrained variation approach. In this paper, we present analytic dipole moments and polarizabilities of H2O, O-3, and CH+ molecules in low-lying excited states along with brief discussion of singlet triplet decoupling of (1,1) sector of FSMRCC resulting from spin adaptation. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3167796]

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.3167796}, author = {Bag, Arijit and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000265958900008, title = {First ionic liquid-promoted Kabbe condensation reaction for an expeditious synthesis of privileged bis-spirochromanone scaffolds}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {22}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2643-2648}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A variety of privileged bis-spirochromanones were synthesized for the First time from 4,6-diacetyl resorcinol in one-pot by carrying out the Kabbe condensation in loom temperature ionic liquid [bbim]Br. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bis-spirochromanone, Ionic liquid, Kabbe condensation, Morpholine}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.03.104}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Basavanag, U. M. V. and Puranik, Vedavati G.} } @article { ISI:000269988600011, title = {Fullerenol-cytotoxic conjugates for cancer chemotherapy}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {3}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2505-2514}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In the present study, we report the novel application of polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols) in cancer drug delivery. The facile synthetic procedure for generating multiple hydroxyl groups on the fullerene cage offers scope for high drug loading in addition to conferring hydrophilicity. Doxorubicin, a first line cancer chemotherapeutic, was conjugated to fullerenols through a carbamate linker, achieving ultrahigh loading efficiency. The drug-fullerenol conjugate was found to be relatively stable in phosphate buffer saline but temporally released the active drug when incubated with tumor cell lysate. The fullerenol-doxorubicin conjugate suppressed the proliferation of cancer cell-lines in vitro through a G2-M cell cycle block, resulting in apoptosis. Furthermore, in an in vivo murine tumor model, fullerenol-doxorubicin exhibited Comparable antitumor efficacy as free drug without the systemic toxicity of free doxorubicin. Additionally, we demonstrate that the fullerenol platform can be extended to other chemotherapeutic agents, such as the slightly water-soluble cisplatin, and can emerge as a new paradigm in the management of cancer.

}, keywords = {chemotherapy, doxorubicin, drug delivery, fullerenol, nanoparticle}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/nn900318y}, author = {Chaudhuri, Padmaparna and Paraskar, Abhimanyu and Soni, Shivani and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article {42757, title = {Functional delivery of siRNA in mice using dendriworms}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2495-2504}, doi = {10.1021/nn900201e}, author = {Agrawal, Amit C. and Min, Dal-Hee and Singh, Neetu and Zhu, Haihao and Birjiniuk, Alona and von Maltzahn, Geoffrey and Harris, Todd J. and Xing, Deyin and Woolfenden, Stephen D. and Sharp, Phillip A. and Charest, Alain and Bhatia, Sangeeta N.} } @article { ISI:000273709600061, title = {Gas sensing properties of magnesium ferrite prepared by co-precipitation method}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {488}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {270-272}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Polycrystalline magnesium ferrite (MgFe(2)O(4)) was prepared by the co-precipitation method. The synthesized compound was characterized for their phase and morphology by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Conductance responses of the (MgFe(2)O(4)) were measured towards gases like hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol vapors (C(2)H(5)OH), SO(x), H(2), NO(x), NH(3), methanol, acetone and petrol. The gas sensing characterstics were obtained by measuring the sensitivity as a function of various controlling factors like operating temperatures and concentrations of gases. It was found that the sensor exhibited various responses towards these gases at different operating temperatures. Furthermore; the MgFe(2)O(4) based sensor exhibited a fast response and a good recovery towards petrol at temperature 250 degrees C. The results of the response towards petrol reveal that (MgFe(2)O(4)) synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method, would be a suitable material for the fabrication of the petrol sensor. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Ferrites, Gas sensor, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.08.103}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Jadhav, S. D. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Sasikala, R. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000272376800026, title = {H(2)S gas sensitive indium-doped ZnO thin films: preparation and characterization}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {143}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {164-170}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

High quality indium-doped ZnO (IZO) thin films (similar to 100 nm) have been deposited onto the glass substrates by using a conventional spray pyrolysis technique. Precursors such as zinc acetate, indium chloride with Brij-35 (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether) as a non-ionic surfactant were used. The morphology, crystal structure, elemental analysis and the gas response properties were investigated by using SEM, TEM, XRD, AFM and XPS techniques. The films show hexagonal wurtzite structure which reveal variations in (100). (00 2) and (10 1) intensities with indium doping. The crystallite size calculated by Scherrer formula was in the range of 30-50 nm. The SEM and AFM analysis show 50-70 nm sized grains, while the TEM confirms formation of grains by similar to 10nm sized particles. Their response towards various gases was measured at different operating temperatures and different levels of In-dopants. The 3 at\% In-doped ZnO showed response as high as 13,000 for 1000ppm H(2)S at 250 degrees C. It exhibited fast response (similar to 2s) and recovery time (similar to 4 min). The gas response strongly depends on the morphology and indium concentration. The high gas response of IZO is explained on the basis of thickness dependent trap state density. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hydrogen sulfide sensor, Indium oxide, Spray pyrolysis, thin film, Zinc oxide}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2009.08.056}, author = {Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000269877500009, title = {High energy electron irradiation effects on polystyrene films}, journal = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids}, volume = {164}, number = {10}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {PII 914466497}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of an 8MeV electron-beam on the structural, optical and dielectric properties of polystyrene films has been investigated respectively by means of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy and electrical impedance (LCR) analysis over a radiation dose in the range of 50-250kGy using a Microtron accelerator. The FTIR spectral analysis shows no change in the overall structure of the irradiated polystyrene films, except a minor change in the intensity of a few peaks in the FTIR spectrum, indicating that polystyrene is resistant to electron-beam irradiation over the range of radiation doses investigated. The optical band gap analysis using the UV-VIS absorption spectra of the polystyrene shows a small decrease in the optical band gap (Eg) and the activation energy with an increase in electron doses. Further, the dielectric measurements over a frequency range of 100Hz to 1MHz for the electron-beam-irradiated polystyrene films show that both the dielectric constant and the dielectric loss increase with an increase in electron radiation dose, which may be ascribed to the formation of defect sites in the band gap of polystyrene as a consequence of molecular chain scission in the polymer films upon irradiation.

}, keywords = {electrons, optical spectroscopy, Polymers, radiation}, issn = {1042-0150}, doi = {10.1080/10420150903173262}, author = {Mathad, R. D. and Kumar, H. G. Harish and Sannakki, B. and Ganesh, S. and Sarma, K. S. S. and Badiger, Manohar V.} } @article { ISI:000268131400009, title = {Highly efficient recyclable hydrated-clay supported catalytic system for atom transfer radical polymerization}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, number = {30}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4518-4520}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Atom transfer radical polymerization of methacrylates has been performed using hydrated natural clay as a support for a CuBr(2)-ligand complex and the supported clay catalyst has been recycled for 21 batch polymerizations without losing its activity.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/b908118f}, author = {Munirasu, Selvaraj and Aggarwal, Ravi and Baskaran, Durairaj} } @article { ISI:000263319900006, title = {Highly stereoselective approach toward the synthesis of the macrolactone core of amphidinolide W}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {7}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {755-758}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The diastereoselective synthesis of the macrolactone core of amphidinolide W was successfully accomplished using Evans{\textquoteright} asymmetric alkylation, Aldol reaction, Julia-Kocienski olefination, and Kita{\textquoteright}s macrocyclization protocol. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amphidinolide W, Evans aldol, Evans alkylation, Julia-Kocienski olefination, Kita{\textquoteright}s macrocyclization}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2008.11.088}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Chatterjee, Bhaskar and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000278806800025, title = {Identification of defensins employing recurrence quantification analysis and random forest classifiers}, journal = {Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Proceedings}, volume = {5909}, year = {2009}, note = {3rd International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, INDIA, DEC 16-20, 2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {152-157}, publisher = {ISI Kolkata}, address = {HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3, D-14197 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Defensins represent a class of antimicrobial peptides synthesized in the body acting against various microbes. In this paper we study defensins using a non-linear signal analysis method Recurrence Quantication Analysis (RQA). We used the descriptors calculated employing RQA for the classification of defensins with Random Forest Classifier. The RQA descriptors were able to capture patterns peculiar to defensins leading to an accuracy rate of 78.12\% using 10-fold cross validation.

}, isbn = {978-3-642-11163-1}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Karnik, Shreyas and Prasad, Ajay and Diwevedi, Alok and Sundararajan, V. and Jayaraman, Valadi K.}, editor = {Chaudhury, S. and Mitra, S. and Murthy, C. A. and Sastry, P. S. and Pal, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000278806800024, title = {Identification of N-glycosylation sites with sequence and structural features employing random forests}, journal = {Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, Proceedings}, volume = {5909}, year = {2009}, note = {3rd International Conference on Pattern Recognition and Machine Intelligence, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, INDIA, DEC 16-20, 2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {146-151}, publisher = {ISI Kolkata}, address = {HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3, D-14197 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

N-Glycosylation plays a very important role in various processes like quality control of proteins produced in ER, transport of proteins and in disease control. The experimental elucidation of N-Glycosylation sites is expensive and laborious process. In this work we build models for identification of potential N-Glycosylation sites in proteins based on sequence and structural features. The best model has cross validation accuracy rate of 72.81\%.

}, isbn = {978-3-642-11163-1}, issn = {0302-9743}, author = {Karnik, Shreyas and Mitra, Joydeep and Singh, Arunima and Kulkarni, B. D. and Sundarajan, V. and Jayaraman, Valadi K.}, editor = {Chaudhury, S. and Mitra, S. and Murthy, C. A. and Sastry, P. S. and Pal, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000272560400015, title = {Immobilization of phosphotungstic acid (PTA) on imidazole functionalized silica: evidence for the nature of PTA binding by solid state NMR and reaction studies}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {50}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {21114-21122}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) immobilized onto imidazole functionalized fumed silica and was used its an efficient catalyst for epoxidation of a variety of olefins using aqueous H(2)O(2) as all oxidant. Negligible leaching of PTA under the reaction conditions employed indicates a strong interaction between PTA and imidazole The immobilized catalysts Could be separated and reused after the catalytic cycle Evidence for the heterogenization of PTA oil the imidazole functionalized fumed silica has been inferred from different spectroscopic techniques like IR, UV-vis, and NMR. Importantly, the nature of binding of PTA oil the support has been studied in detail by solid state NMR spectroscopy using (15)N labeled imidazole Support. It is clear from the NMR Studies that the effective heterogenization of PTA is mainly due to imidazolium ion Formation oil the support by the acidic protons of PTA and the resultant ion pair

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp906108e}, author = {Sofia, L. T. Aany and Krishnan, Asha and Sankar, M. and Raj, N. K. Kala and Manikandan, Palanichamy and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.} } @article { ISI:000264092400030, title = {Impact of zinc substitution on the structural and magnetic properties of chemically derived nanosized manganese zinc mixed ferrites}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {321}, number = {8}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {1092-1099}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mn(1-x)Zn(x)Fe(2)O(4) nanoparticles (x = 0-1) were synthesized by wet chemical co-precipitation techniques. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy were effectively utilized to investigate the different structural parameters. The elemental analysis was conducted using energy-dispersive spectrum and inductively coupled plasma analysis. The magnetic properties such as magnetization and coercivity were measured using vibrating sample magnetometer. The observed magnetization values of the nanoparticles were found to be lower compared to the bulk counterpart. The magnetization showed a gradual decrease with zinc substitution except for a small increase from x = 0.2 to 0.3. The Curie temperature was found to be enhanced in the case of ferrites in the nanoregime. The variation in lattice constant, reduced magnetization values, variation of magnetization with zinc substitution, the presence of a net magnetic moment for the zinc ferrite and the enhancement in Curie temperature in Mn(1-x)Zn(x)Fe(2)O(4) all provide evidence to the existence of a metastable cation distribution together with possible surface effects at the nanoregime. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Manganese zinc ferrite}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2008.10.031}, author = {Gopalan, E. Veena and Al-Omari, I. A. and Malini, K. A. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Kumar, D. Sakthi and Yoshida, Yasuhiko and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000263733200020, title = {In situ observation of antibiotic mediated concurrent growth of two distinct homogeneous populations of gold nanoparticles in solution phase}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {9}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3478-3486}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the observation of the unusual nucleation and growth kinetics of gold nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of the antibiotic cephalexin using in situ static and dynamic light scattering in conjunction with in situ UV-vis absorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy. Following a brief latency period, two well-separated populations of gold nanoparticles, with average sizes of 1-2 nm versus several tens of nanometer, respectively, nucleate simultaneously. For either size regime, the total number of particles increased rapidly, while their mean size and relative frequency remained essentially constant over a growth period of 5 h. With increasing temperature, the morphology of the larger nanoparticles became increasingly spherical, as indicated by the noticeable blue shift of the plasmon frequency for these particles. The detailed morphology for either particle population was confirmed with TEM. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of simultaneous growth of two distinct populations of crystalline nanoparticles in the solution phase. The coupled growth of two distinct populations of nuclei, their tight control of size but rapid increase in overall numbers present novel and intriguing facets of this antibiotic-mediated solution-growth of gold nanoparticles. The size evolution of the Mie-frequency exhibits a noticeable blue shift as the temperature increases, correlating with the roundness of the particle/bimodal distribution.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp808205y}, author = {Jagannathan, Ramya and Parmar, Avanish Singh and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Prabhune, Asmita and Muschol, Martin and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000269598900010, title = {In situ synthesis of water dispersible bovine serum albumin capped gold and silver nanoparticles and their cytocompatibility studies}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {73}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {224-228}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple and convenient one step room temperature method is described for the synthesis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) capped gold and silver nanoparticles. BSA reduces silver ions to silver nanoparticles but does not directly reduce gold ions to gold nanoparticles at room temperature and varying pH conditions. However, when silver and gold ions are simultaneously added to BSA, silver ions get reduced to metallic silver first and these in turn reduce gold ions to gold nanoparticles through a galvanic exchange reaction. The so synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles are easily water dispersible and can withstand addition of salt even at high concentrations. It is shown that the capped protein retains its secondary structure and the helicity to a large extent on the nanoparticles surface and that the protein capping makes the nanoparticles cytocompatible. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag and Au nanoparticles, Bovine serum albumin, Cytocompatibility, Galvanic exchange reaction, Reductive synthesis}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2009.05.029}, author = {Murawala, Priyanka and Phadnis, S. M. and Bhonde, Ramesh R. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000271252400004, title = {Incorporation of tin in different types of pores in SBA-15: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {126}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {234-244}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mesoporous Sn-SBA-15 has been synthesized by three different methods Such as conventional hydrothermal route, using cocatalyst NH4F and in the presence of organosilane precursor. All the materials are thoroughly characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM. TEM. N-2 sorption and surface area measurements, diffuse-reflectance UV-visible and FTIR spectroscopy. TG-DTA and elemental analysis through ICP. Nitrogen adsorption data, XRD patterns, and TEM observations Suggests that the textural properties are retained during the isomorphous substitution of silicon by tin. ICP chemical analysis indicates that tin can be substituted in the range of S-l/S-n = 69-162. UV-visible spectra of samples synthesized by the cocatalytic approach exhibit unique absorption band at 213 nm characteristics of tin atom substituted in the smaller pores (2-3 nm) located inside the walls of mesopores. Further, an additional band at 224 nm can be assigned to Sri atoms located in the distorted tetrahedral position along the primary mesopores. In contrary, only one absorption band centered at 224 nm is observed for all the samples synthesized by conventional hydrothermal as well as in the presence of organosilane precursor. F-19 NMR spectra confirmed (no signal) the absence of occluded F- ions in the samples made with NH4F. Observed high catalytic activity in Baeyer-Villiger oxidation and Meerwin-Pondorf-Verly reduction under the liquid-phase conditions suggest the incorporation of a portion of tin in the smaller pores for the Sn-SBA-15 materials synthesized through cocatalyst method. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Baeyer-Villiger oxidation, catalysis, Functionalization of mesopores, Meerwin-Pondorf-Verly reduction, Sn-SBA-15}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2009.05.038}, author = {Sasidharan, M. and Kiyozumi, Y. and Mal, N. K. and Paul, M. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Bhaumik, Asim} } @article { ISI:000270410800024, title = {Influence of process variables on growth of ZnO nanowires by cathodic electrodeposition on zinc substrate}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {517}, number = {24}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6605-6611}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Influence of the deposition duration and electrolyte concentration on the structural and morphological features of the ZnO thin films, grown by cathodic electrodeposition on zinc substrate followed by annealing in air at 400 degrees C, have been investigated. The surface morphology of the as-synthesized films shows two distinct features, presence of {\textquoteleft}2-dimensional nanosheets{\textquoteright} on the area near the electrolyte-air interface and {\textquoteleft}granular{\textquoteright} nanostructures, below the interface region. However, upon annealing, the formation of ZnO nanowires, possessing length of several microns and diameter less than 20 nm, on the entire substrate is observed. The X-ray and selected area electron diffraction patterns clearly confirm the polycrystalline nature of the ZnO nanowires. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Annealing, Electrodeposition, Nanowires, photoluminescence, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Zinc oxide}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2009.04.046}, author = {Sheini, Farid Jamali and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000265833600006, title = {On the influence of spatial heterogeneity on an internal boundary layer at a short fetch}, journal = {Journal of Earth System Science}, volume = {118}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {61-70}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Surface layer meteorological data collected at a coastal site, at Vasco-Da-Gama (15A degrees 21{\textquoteright}N, 73A degrees 51{\textquoteright}E, 58.5m MSL) (13-18 July, 2002) with prevailing southwesterly surface winds are analyzed to study the characteristics of internal boundary layer at a short fetch using an instrumented tower (9 m). The spectral and turbulence characteristics of wind are compared with earlier measurements made at a comparatively homogeneous terrain and the standards available in literature. The study show the smaller eddies in the vertical velocity spectrum attains equilibrium with the underlying surface at a short fetch itself and follows spectral similarity. However, this is not followed by longitudinal and transverse velocity spectra under unstable as well as stable conditions.

}, keywords = {heterogeneity, IBL, sea-land interface, wind spectra}, issn = {0253-4126}, doi = {10.1007/s12040-009-0006-9}, author = {Murthy, B. S. and Latha, R. and Sukumaran, Cini and Shivaji, A. and Sivaramakrishnan, S.} } @article { ISI:000267159700033, title = {Investigations on Ru doped ZnO: strain calculations and gas sensing study}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {139}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {466-470}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Pure and ruthenium (Ru) doped nano-crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) powders were synthesized by using well-known citrate gel route. Citric acid acts as a chelating agent and thus helps in the formation of nanoparticles. The detailed X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies using Hall equation reveal that in the nanoscale dimensions, incorporation of Ru modulates the lattice strain. It is interesting to note that on Ru doping, the compressive strain present in the undoped ZnO changes into tensile strain. We have tested the response of these specimens individually for reducing gases like H(2), LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), C(2)H(5)OH (ethanol), CO, acetone and oxidizing gases like NO, and Cl(2). Undoped ZnO responses perceptibly to LPG while Ru doped sample highly senses ethanol vapors. This might be due to either change in composition on Ru doping or/and difference between basicity of LPG and C(2)H(5)OH vapors. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Citrate gel, Ethanol sensor, LPG sensor, Nanomaterials, ruthenium}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2009.03.068}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Ravi, V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000265804300014, title = {Ionization potential and structure relaxation of adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine bases and their base pairs: a quantification of reactive sites}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure-Theochem}, volume = {902}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {96-102}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We present density functional theory (DFT) calculations using B3LYP/6-31++G** method to show relaxation in geometry of base pairs on cation radical formation. The changes in hydrogen bond length and angles show that in the cationic radical form the structure of the base pairs relaxes due to the distribution of charge. According to a recent study. it has been found that, upon excitation hole transfer from base to sugar occurs which results in sugar radical formation and leads to strand breakage 145] [A. Kumar, M.D. Sevilla, J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 24181]. One hydrogen bond increases, while the other decreases in Adenine-Thymine (AT) base pair and in case of Guanine-Cytosine (GC) base pair. one bond increases and other two decrease. Same is the case with bond angles for both the base pairs. Analysis of the electron density map of Singly Occupied Molecular Orbital (SOMO) reveals that electron is transferred mainly from adenine and guanine bases in the cationic radical formation of AT and CC base pair, respectively. The reactive sites of bases have been analyzed using condensed Fukui functions in a relaxed and frozen core approximation. The effects of relaxation on the reactivity indices are also analyzed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Base-pairs, DNA bases, Fukui function, H-bond length, Ionization potential}, issn = {0166-1280}, doi = {10.1016/j.theochem.2009.02.018}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000266411800024, title = {Isostructural molecular strings linked via conserved dipolar (ether) O center dot center dot center dot C=O short contacts in conformational polymorphs of racemic 2,4-di-O-acetyl-6-O-tosyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoesters}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {11}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1022-1029}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conformational dimorphs of racemic 2,4-di-O-acetyl-6-O-tosyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate and its orthoacetate analogue were characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis and hot-stage microscopy techniques. In these polymorphs, the tosyl group adopted different conformations due to the rotation about the O-S bond. A significant variation in the torsion angle for the tosyl group (similar to 56 degrees) was observed for Form II crystal of the orthoformate derivative, which exhibited an intramolecular dipolar S=O center dot center dot center dot C=O (sulfonyl-carbonyl) short contact. An interesting feature in all conformational polymorphs is the formation of an isostructural string (despite the differences in the orientation of the tosyl group) linked via dipolar (ether) O center dot center dot center dot C=O contacts, which is further stitched by other weak interactions to form different layers in their crystal lattice.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/b818888b}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000270759600015, title = {LC-UV and LC-MS evaluation of stress degradation behaviour of tenatoprazole}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis}, volume = {50}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {787-793}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present study, comprehensive stress testing of tenatoprazole was carried out according to ICH guideline Q1A (R2). Tenatoprazole was subjected to stress conditions of hydrolysis, oxidation, photolysis and neutral decomposition. Additionally, the solid drug was subjected to 50 degrees C for 60 days in dry-bath, and to the combined effect of temperature and humidity at 40 degrees C/75\% RH. Extensive degradation was found to occur in acidic, neutral and oxidative conditions. Mild degradation was observed in basic conditions. The drug is relatively stable in the solid-state. The products formed under different stress conditions were investigated by LC and LC-MS. Successful separation of drug from degradation products formed under stress conditions was achieved on a Chemito ODS-3 column [C(18) (5 mu m, 250 mm x 4.6 mm, i.d.)] using methanol: 0.01 M acetate buffer pH 4.5 adjusted with glacial acetic acid (55:45) as the mobile phase at flow rate of 1 mL/min and the peak was detected using a UV detector set at 306 nm. The LC-MS m/z values and fragmentation patterns of degradation products formed under different stress conditions were studied and characterized through LC-MS fragmentation. Based on the results, degradation pathway for drug has been proposed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HPLC, Stability-indicating method, Stress studies, Tenatoprazole, Validation}, issn = {0731-7085}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpba.2009.06.026}, author = {Mahadik, Mahadeo V. and Bhusari, Vidhya K. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Dhaneshwar, Sunil R.} } @article { ISI:000268022700058, title = {Magnetic and dielectric properties of nanophase manganese-substituted lithium ferrite}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {321}, number = {19}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3270-3273}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline manganese-substituted lithium ferrites viz. Li0.5Fe2.5-xMnxO4 (2.5 \<= x \>= 0) were prepared by sol-gel autocombustion method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that as the concentration of manganese increases the cubic phase changes to the tetragonal phase. The variation of saturation magnetization was studied as a function of manganese content. All the compositions indicate that they are ferrimagnetic in nature. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss tangent and ac conductivity of all samples were measured at room temperature as a function of frequency. These parameters decrease with increase in frequency for all of the samples. The substitution of manganese plays an important role in changing the structural and magnetic properties of these ferrites. The compositional variation of dielectric constant and d.c. resistivity shows an inverse trend of variation with each other. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dielectric constant, Ferrite, Magnetization, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2009.05.074}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Patil, R. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Jadhav, S. D. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Jadhav, K. M. and Chougule, B. K.} } @article { ISI:000269638800052, title = {Magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline multiferroic BiFeO3 at low temperatures}, journal = {Physical Review B}, volume = {80}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {064423}, publisher = {AMER PHYSICAL SOC}, address = {ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA}, abstract = {

The magnetic characteristics of nanocrystalline BiFeO3 with average crystallite sizes of similar to 50 and similar to 100 nm are evaluated by studying the temperature and field dependence of magnetization at low temperatures. Different properties such as magnetization, coercivity, and remanence show evidence for changes in the magnetic properties associated with the phase transitions at low temperatures, reported from Raman studies. Detailed field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetization measurements show that the likely origin of the changes in the magnetic characteristics is from the changes in the domain structure.

}, keywords = {bismuth compounds, coercive force, crystallites, magnetic domains, magnetic transitions, Multiferroics, Nanostructured materials, Raman spectra, remanence}, issn = {1098-0121}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.80.064423}, author = {Vijayanand, S. and Mahajan, Mangesh B. and Potdar, H. S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000266093800005, title = {MgCl2 center dot 4(CH3)(2)CHOH: a new molecular adduct and super active polymerization catalyst support}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {113}, number = {20}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8556-8559}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new molecular adduct, MgCl(2 center dot)4(CH3)(2)CHOH, has been synthesized and characterized for structural aspects and demonstrated for super active ethylene polymerization activity with TiCl4 to ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene in high yield.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp9026546}, author = {Thushara, K. S. and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000264969200041, title = {Microwave-assisted synthesis and humidity sensing of nanostructured alpha-Fe2O3}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {44}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1179-1182}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline alpha-Fe2O3 has been prepared on a large-scale by a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal route from a solution of Fe(NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O and pentaerythritol. A systematic study of the morphology, crystallinity and oxidation state of Fe using different characterization techniques. Such as transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was performed It reveals. that nanostructured alpha-Fe2O3 comprises bundles of nanorods with a rhombohedral crystalline Structure. The individual nanorod has 8-10 nm diameter and similar to 50 nm length. The as-prepared nanostructured alpha-Fe2O3 (sensor) gives selective response towards humidity. The sensor shows high sensitivity, fast linear response to change in the humidity with almost 100\% reproducibility. The sensor works at room temperature and rejuvenates without heat treatment. The as-prepared nanostructured alpha-Fe2O3 appears to be a promising humidity sensing material with the potential for commercialization. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Electrical properties, Nanostructures, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2008.09.044}, author = {Deshmukh, Rupali G. and Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000269059100008, title = {Molecular mapping of wilt resistance genes in chickpea}, journal = {Molecular Breeding}, volume = {24}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {177-183}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Fusarium wilt is a widespread and serious chickpea disease caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri (Foc). We evaluated an F(9) recombinant inbred line population of chickpea for resistance to three Foc races (1, 2 and 3) in pot culture experiments and identified flanking and tightly linked DNA markers for the resistance genes. The simple sequence repeat markers H3A12 and TA110 flanked the Foc1 locus at 3.9 and 2.1 cM, respectively, while Foc2 was mapped 0.2 cM from TA96 and 2.7 cM from H3A12. The H1B06y and TA194 markers flanked the Foc3 locus at 0.2 and 0.7 cM, respectively. These markers were also validated using 16 diverse chickpea genotypes. Identification of tightly linked flanking markers for wilt resistance genes will be useful for their exploitation in breeding programs and to understand the mechanism of resistance and evolution of the genes.

}, keywords = {fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium wilt, Genetic mapping, Marker validation, Pathogen races}, issn = {1380-3743}, doi = {10.1007/s11032-009-9282-y}, author = {Gowda, S. J. M. and Radhika, P. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Mhase, L. B. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000262658000018, title = {Montmorillonite for selective hydroxyalkylation of p-cresol}, journal = {Applied Clay Science}, volume = {43}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {113-117}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Performances of montmorillonite titanium silicate (TS-1) and dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP) were compared for the hydroxyalkylation of p-cresol into dihydroxydiarylmethane (DAM). Ammonia TPD studies of various catalysts showed that an appropriate combination of both strong and weak acid sites of montmorillonite was mainly responsible rather than only the stronger acidity of bulk DTP for its highest catalytic activity for selective hydroxyalkylation of p-cresol to DAM. The selectivity to DAM could be enhanced by adjusting reaction conditions like mole ratio of p-cresol to formaldehyde, reaction temperature, catalyst concentration, solvent and reaction time. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ammonia TPD, Dihydroxydiarylmethane, Hydroxyalkylation, Montmorillonite, Solid acids}, issn = {0169-1317}, doi = {10.1016/j.clay.2008.07.015}, author = {Garade, Ajit C. and Mate, Vivek R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000266208900051, title = {Nanoparticle-mediated targeting of MAPK signaling predisposes tumor to chemotherapy}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {106}, number = {19}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7957-7961}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

The MAPK signal transduction cascade is dysregulated in a majority of human tumors. Here we report that a nanoparticle-mediated targeting of this pathway can optimize cancer chemotherapy. We engineered nanoparticles from a unique hexadentate-polyD, L-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid polymer chemically conjugated to PD98059, a selective MAPK inhibitor. The nanoparticles are taken up by cancer cells through endocytosis and demonstrate sustained release of the active agent, resulting in the inhibition of phosphorylation of downstream extracellular signal regulated kinase. We demonstrate that nanoparticle-mediated targeting of MAPK inhibits the proliferation of melanoma and lung carcinoma cells and induces apoptosis in vitro. Administration of the PD98059-nanoparticles in melanoma-bearing mice inhibits tumor growth and enhances the antitumor efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy. Our study shows the nanoparticle-mediated delivery of signal transduction inhibitors can emerge as a unique paradigm in cancer chemotherapy.

}, keywords = {cancer, Signal transduction}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.0902857106}, author = {Basu, Sudipta and Harfouche, Rania and Soni, Shivani and Chimote, Geetanjali and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000266524700010, title = {Nanostructured nickel ferrite: a liquid petroleum gas sensor}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {35}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1793-1797}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present investigation deals with the synthesis of nanostructured nickel ferrite (NiFe(2)O(4)) and their liquid petroleum gas-sensing characteristics. The 15-20 nm size nickel ferrite has been synthesized at 700 degrees C by a simple molten-salt route using sodium chloride as grain growth inhibitor. These nanoparticles exhibit significantly high response towards liquid petroleum gas (LPG) in comparison with ethanol vapor, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and hydrogen. The gas response towards various gases at their 200 ppm concentrations is investigated at 200-450 degrees C. Different characterization techniques have been employed, such as differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to study the crystallite size, structure and morphology. The results suggest possibility of utilization of the nanostructured nickel ferrite, without addition of any precious metal ion, as the LPG detector. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ferrites, nanomaterial, Sensor, Spinels}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2008.10.013}, author = {Darshane, Sonali L. and Suryavanshi, S. S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000271819300006, title = {Natural yeast flora of different varieties of grapes used for wine making in India}, journal = {Food Microbiology}, volume = {26}, number = {8}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {801-808}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {24-28 OVAL RD, LONDON NW1 7DX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The natural Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeast flora present on the grape berries significantly affect wine production. Six grape varieties, Bangalore blue, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz are being used in India for wine making. The yeast diversity was studied on the basis of morphological, colony, physiological characteristics and 5.8S-ITS sequencing of rDNA of the isolates. Eleven different species belonging to seven genera were identified as: Candida azyma, Candida quercitrusa, Debaryomyces hansenii, Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Hanseniaspora viniae, Hanseniaspora uvarum. Issatchenkia orientalis, Issatchenkia terricola, Pichia membranifaciens, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zygoascus steatolyticus. H. guilliermondii was the predominant species while S. cerevisiae was observed occasionally in the six vine varieties. For the first time, C. azyma was isolated from Bangalore blue and Cabernet varieties grown in different localities. This association may be attributed to the change in cropping pattern from sugarcane to viticulture in the vine growing regions and the known association of C. azyma with sugarcane phylloplane. Further analysis of the indigenous strains and the qualitative and quantitative changes in the flora during fermentation will be useful to understand wine quality and to design preservation strategies to control wine spoilage. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {5.8S-ITS sequence, Identification, Physiological, Wine yeasts}, issn = {0740-0020}, doi = {10.1016/j.fm.2009.05.005}, author = {Chavan, Pradnya and Mane, Sarika and Kulkarni, Girish and Shaikh, Shamim and Ghormade, Vandana and Nerkar, Devidas P. and Shouche, Yogesh and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000268508900011, title = {Pd-mediated intramolecular ketalization of alkynediols: construction of the central [3.2.1]-bicyclic ketal core of cyclodidemniserinol trisulfate}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {34}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4844-4847}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A preliminary study dealing with the Pd-mediated alkynediol cycloisomerization to construct the central bicyclic ketal core of cyclodidemniserinol trisulfate is documented. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alkynol cycloisomerization, Bridged bicyclic ketal, Cyclodidemniserinol trisulfate, Yamaguchi oxirane-alkyne coupling}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.06.023}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Mallik, Rosy and Sahoo, Gokarneswar} } @article { ISI:000266094300033, title = {Phase behavior of hydrogenation of 2-tert-butylphenol over a charcoal-supported rhodium catalyst in carbon dioxide solvent}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {54}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1610-1612}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Catalytic hydrogenation of 2-tert-butyl phenol over a charcoal-supported rhodium catalyst in carbon dioxide solvent at 313 K was studied in a batch reactor. To elucidate the effect of carbon dioxide pressure on the initial rate of reaction, the phase behavior of the ternary (2-tert-butylphenol-carbon dioxide-hydrogen) system was separately observed with a view cell, and the calculations of vapor-liquid equilibrium and compositions in the vapor and liquid phases inside the reactor were carried out using the Peng-Robinson equation of state. The hydrogenation behavior in the carbon dioxide solvent is discussed based on the phase behavior of the ternary system.

}, issn = {0021-9568}, doi = {10.1021/je800932w}, author = {Hiyoshi, Norihito and Masuda, Yoshio and Sato, Osamu and Yamaguchi, Aritomo and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article { ISI:000269139900042, title = {Photoluminescence and gas sensing study of nanostructured pure and Sn doped ZnO}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Biomimetic and Supramolecular Systems}, volume = {29}, number = {4}, year = {2009}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1317-1320}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The nanostructured pure and Sn doped ZnO have been synthesized by the thermal evaporation technique. The influence of Sri oil the morphology and structure is investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis techniques, The SEM images indicate change in the growth pattern from nanowires of pure ZnO to tetrapods for Sn doped ZnO. Pure ZnO nanowires exhibit selective response towards acetone vapors while on Sri doping the response decreases. The non-stiochiometry and the morphology of ZnO arc probably responsible for such a difference in gas response. However increase in temperature doesn{\textquoteright}t improve the sensing behavior. The photoluminescence (PL) Studies reveal UV emission in pure ZnO which shifts to green emission oil doping of Sri. All rights reserved. (C) 2008 Elsevier B V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acetone, Gas sensors, Sn doped ZnO}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2008.09.050}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000264647800005, title = {Physico-chemical, photo-catalytic and O-2-adsorption properties of TiO2 nanotubes coated with gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry}, volume = {203}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {24-31}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Gold-containing titania nanotubes (Au/NT) were found to display higher activity for photooxidation of acetaldehyde, as compared to corresponding gold-free nanotubes and also a Degussa P-25 catalyst. Besides CO2 as a major reaction product, small amounts of H-2, CH4, CO, H2O and CH3COOH were also formed, irrespective of the catalyst employed. High-resolution TEM examination showed that most of the gold particles in Au/NT were of 1.5-5 nm size, distributed both within and at outside surface of the nanotubes. Some larger size (10-70 run) clusters were also seen at the external surfaces, particularly in the samples calcined at an elevated temperature. The temperature-programmed desorption measurements revealed that, compared to P-25 TiO2, a significant entrapment of O-2 occurred at two distinct tubular sites of NT samples, corresponding activation energy of desorption (E,) being around 36 and 41 kcal mol(-1). On the other hand, gold nanoparticles in Au/NT served as independent low-energy (E-a = 26 kcal mol(-1)) sites for adsorption/activation of O-2. These adsorptive properties of TiO2 and Au were lost completely on calcination, thus revealing a crucial role played by the particle size. In situ IR spectroscopy results showed that room-temperature exposure to acetaldehyde + air gave rise to a molecularly bound state, i.e. CH3CHOad, over both NT and Au/NTsamples, which in turn transformed quickly to yield certain acetate (CH3COOad-) and formate (HCOOad-) type transient species with the involvement of the surface OH groups. The decomposition and oxidation of these surface species with the help of O-2(-), O-ad and hydroxyl ion radicals (OH-) formed at photo-excited Au/NT interfaces led to the reaction products mentioned above. We conclude that, besides electron-hole charge separation, the adsorptive properties of host matrix and nanosize gold may together play a significant role in deciding the photo-catalytic properties of Au/TiO2. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acetaldehyde oxidation, Gold co-catalyst, O-2-adsorption, Photo-catalytic activity, TiO2 nanotubes}, issn = {1010-6030}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2008.12.013}, author = {Malwadkar, Sachin S. and Gholap, Ramkrishna S. and Awate, Shobhana V. and Korake, Prakash V. and Chaskar, Manohar G. and Gupta, Narendra M.} } @article { ISI:000266520400034, title = {Polymer-embedded stannic oxide nanoparticles as humidity sensors}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Biomimetic and Supramolecular Systems}, volume = {29}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {847-850}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Stannic oxide (SnO(2)) nanoparticles have been suspended in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix in different PVA: SnO(2) molar ratios ranging from 1:1 to 1:5 using simple chemical route. This suspension was deposited on ceramic substrate and upon drying was carefully detached from the substrate. SnO(2)-embedded self-standing, transparent and flexible thin films were hence synthesized. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Xray diffraction (XRD) techniques show the rutile tetragonal structure of SnO(2) with particle size similar to 5 nm. UV-Visible spectroscopy demonstrates the band gap of 3.9 eV, which does not alter when embedded in polymer. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveals that the properties of SnO(2) do not modify due to incorporation in the PVA matrix. The structures work as excellent humidity sensors at room temperature. For a critical PVA:SnO(2) molar ratio of 1:3, the resistance changes to five times of magnitude in 92\% humidity within fraction of second when compared with resistance at 11\% humidity. The sample regains its original resistance almost instantaneously after being removed from humid chamber. Nanodimensions of SnO(2) particles and percolation mechanism related to transport through polymer matrix and water molecule as a carrier has been used to understand the mechanism. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {humidity sensor, Nanoparticles, Polymer, Stannic oxide}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2008.07.039}, author = {Hatamie, Shadie and Dhas, Vivek V. and Kale, B. B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Kale, Sangeeta N.} } @article { ISI:000264434000020, title = {Preparation and nonisothermal crystallization behavior of polypropylene/layered double hydroxide nanocomposites}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {50}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1505-1515}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polypropylene (PP)/layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites were prepared via melt intercalation using dodecyl sulfate anion modified LDH and maleated PP as compatibilizing agent. Evidently the interlayer anions in LDH galleries react with maleic anhydride groups of PP-g-MA and lead to a finer dispersion of individual LDH layers in the PP matrix. The nanostructure was characterized by XRD and TEM; the examinations confirmed the nanocomposite formation with exfoliated/intercalated layered double hydroxides well distributed in the PP matrix. The nonisothermal crystallization behavior of resulting nanocomposites was extensively studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique at various cooling rates. In nonisothermal crystallization kinetics, the Ozawa approach failed to describe the crystallization behavior of nanocomposites, whereas the Avrami analysis and Jeziorny method well define the crystallization behavior of PP/LDH nanocomposite. Combined Avrami and Ozawa analysis (Liu model) also found useful. The results revealed that very small amounts of LDH (1\%) could accelerate the crystallization process relative to the pure PP and increase in the crystallization rates was attributed to the nucleating effect of the nanoparticles. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) observations also support the DSC results. The effective crystallization activation energy was estimated as a function of the relative degree of crystallinity using the isoconversional analysis. Overall, results indicated that the LDH particles in nanometer size might act as nucleating agent and distinctly change the type of nucleation, growth and geometry of PP crystals. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Layered double hydroxide, Nonisothermal crystallization kinetics, Polypropylene nanocomposites}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2009.01.031}, author = {Lonkar, Sunil P. and Morlat-Therias, Sandrine and Caperaa, N. and Leroux, Fabrice and Gardette, Jean Luc and Singh, R. P.} } @article {43344, title = {Process for the preparation of polymeric absorbents }, number = {US 09/537,450}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, chapter = {US6794467 B2}, abstract = {The invention discloses a process for the preparation of polymeric absorbents useful for gelling organic liquids. The process comprises mixing one or more monomers with a cross-linking agent, a free radical initiator, an optional solvent, optionally in the presence of a transition metal source and subjecting the mixture so obtained to a conventional polymerisation method. The polymer is removed, crushed to obtain polymer powder, washed with solvent and dried by conventional methods to remove unreacted monomers, followed by swelling in alcohols to obtain the desired product.}, author = {Lele, Ashish Kishor and Varghese, Shyni and Badiger, Manohar V. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000261569100072, title = {Purification and characterization of acidic lipase from aspergillus niger NCIM 1207}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {100}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1486-1490}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An extracellular lipase from Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207 has been purified to homogeneity using ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by phenyl sepharose and Sephacryl-100 gel chromatography. This protocol resulted in 149 fold purification with 54\% final recovery. The purified enzyme showed a prominent single band on SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme is a monomeric protein of 32.2 kDa molecular weight and exhibits optimal activity at 50 degrees C. One interesting feature of this enzyme is its highly acidic pH optimum. The isoelectric point (pl) of lipase was 8.5. The purified lipase appears to be unique since it cleaved triolein at only 3-position releasing 1,2-diolein. Chemical modification studies revealed that His, Ser, Carboxylate and Trp are involved in catalysis. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acidic lipase, Aspergillus niger, Positional specificity}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2008.08.016}, author = {Mhetras, Nutan and Bastawade, Kulbhushan B. and Gokhale, D. V.} } @article {42455, title = {Reactions of morita-baylis-hillman acetates with huisgen zwitterions: a novel strategy for the synthesis of ?-amino acid derivatives}, journal = {Synthesis}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {1829{\textendash}1833}, abstract = {

The reaction of Huisgen Zwitterion with Morita{\textendash}Baylis{\textendash} Hillman acetates afforded b-amino acid derivatives.

}, keywords = {b-amino acid, Huisgen zwitterion, Morita{\textendash}Baylis{\textendash}Hillman acetate}, doi = {10.1055/s-0028-1088063}, author = {Jose, Anu and Paul, Rony Rajan and Mohan, Resmi and Mathew, Smitha C. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Eringathodi, Suresh and Nair, Vijay} } @article {42778, title = {Responsive assemblies and microgel-based materials}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {38}, year = {2009}, month = {2009}, pages = {865-874}, author = {Lyon, L. Andrew and Meng, Z. and Singh, Neetu and Sorrell, C. D. and John, A.} } @article { ISI:000267239200041, title = {Scolecite as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazoles}, journal = {Central European Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {550-554}, publisher = {VERSITA}, address = {9 DRUGA POPRZECNA ST, 04-604 WARSAW 41, POLAND}, abstract = {

Natural scolecite has been found as an effective catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazole derivatives via a three component reaction using benzil or benzoin, aldehydes and ammonium acetate. This method provides several advantages such as being environmentally benign, reusable, possessing high yields with increased variations of the substituents in the product and preparative simplicity.

}, keywords = {2, 4, 5-Triarylimidazoles, heterogeneous catalyst, Three-component reaction}, issn = {1895-1066}, doi = {10.2478/s11532-009-0050-y}, author = {Gadekar, Lakshman S. and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Katkar, Santosh S. and Arbad, Balasaheb R. and Lande, Machhindra K.} } @article { ISI:000272759400005, title = {Scolecite catalyzed facile and efficient synthesis of polyhydroquinoline derivatives through hantzsch multi-component condensation}, journal = {Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society}, volume = {30}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2532-2534}, publisher = {KOREAN CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {635-4 YEOGSAM-DONG, KANGNAM-GU, SEOUL 135-703, SOUTH KOREA}, abstract = {

A facile and efficient synthetic route has been developed for the polyhydroquinoline via four component reactions of aldehydes, dimedone, ethyl acetoacetate and ammonium acetate in the presence of catalytic amount of scolecite in ethanol at 70 degrees C through Hantzsch reaction. This method gives remarkable advantages such as simple work-up procedure. environmentally friendly, inexpensive, non-toxic and recyclable catalyst, shorter reaction time along with excellent yields

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalyst, Multicomponent reaction, Polyhydroquinoline, Reusable catalyst}, issn = {0253-2964}, author = {Gadekar, Lakshman S. and Katkar, Santosh S. and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Arbad, Balasaheb R. and Lande, Machhindra K.} } @article { ISI:000273100600003, title = {Selective binding of benzoquinone with a Pt-II-cyclophane constructed on the skeleton of N,N {\textquoteleft}-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine: synthesis and spectroscopic studies}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {48}, number = {12}, year = {2009}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1644-1651}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

The Schiff base NN{\textquoteright}-bis(salicylidene)-p-phenylenediamine has been complexed with Pt(en)Cl-2 and the resulting Pt-II-cyclophane, [Pt(en)L](2)center dot 4PF(6), reacted with phenol, resorcinol, hydroquinone or benzoquinone in DMSO solution. Their binding has been monitored by the variation in the corresponding UV-visible and emission spectral patterns. The binding properties are compared with the earlier reported Zn-II-cyclophane [Zn(bpy)L](2) (bpy = 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine). A few solid adducts of phenol and benzoquinone with the Pt-II-cyclophane complex and hydroquinone as well as that of resorcinol with the Zn-cyclophane have also been synthesized and characterized.

}, keywords = {Coordination chemistry, Cyclophanes, Metallocyclophanes, platinum, Schiff bases}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Kumari, Niraj and Prajapati, Rishikesh and Dixit, Mudit and Mishra, Lallan} } @article { ISI:000264111200022, title = {Self-assembly of silica particles in a nonionic surfactant hexagonal mesophase}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {113}, number = {11}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3423-3430}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We investigate the process of self-assembly, and the resultant structures in composites of silica particles with a hexagonal mesophase of a nonionic surfactant and water. We report a systematic transition in behavior when the particle size is increased relative to the characteristic mesophase spacing. Water dispersible cage-like silsesquioxanes that are molecular analogues of silica particles and are smaller than the mesophase spacing swell the space between the surfactant cylinders. Silica particles comparable to the characteristic hexagonal spacing partition into the hexagonal phase and into strandlike particulate aggregates. Even larger particles phase separate from the hexagonal phase to form particulate strands that organize with a mesh size comparable to the wavelength of visible light. This self-assembly is reversible and the particles disperse by breaking up the aggregates on heating the composite into the isotropic phase. On cooling from the isotropic phase into the hexagonal, the particles are expelled from the growing hexagonal domains and finally impinge to form strandlike aggregates. Unusually, the isotropization temperature is increased in the composites as the particles nucleate the formation of the hexagonal phase.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp810769g}, author = {Sharma, Kamendra P. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Ly, Isabelle and Mondain-Monval, Olivier} } @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 { ISI:000269185000035, title = {Sensitivity enhancement of Si-29 double-quantum dipolar recoupling spectroscopy by Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill acquisition method}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {478}, number = {4-6}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {287-291}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An enhancement in the detection sensitivity of dipolar recoupled Si-29 double-quantum magic-angle spinning experiment is shown with a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) train of pi pulses during the acquisition period. Symmetry-adapted pulse schemes, such as POST-C7 and SR26(4)(11), are used for the double-quantum excitation. Application of POST-C7-CPMG method for framework characterisation is demonstrated in the disordered and catalytically important ZSM-5 molecular sieve. Based on the observed double-quantum dipole-dipole correlations and the known T-site Si connectivities, the assignment of all the signals is made for the orthorhombic phase of the as-synthesised (CN form) material. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2009.07.066}, author = {Goswami, M. and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Dittmer, J. and Nielsen, N. C. and Ganapathy, Subramanian} } @article { ISI:000271280200036, title = {Short synthesis of 3,6-disubstituted N-2-thienyl/aryl-indoles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {47}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6562-6566}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A short synthetic strategy for 3,6-disubstituted-N-2-thienyl/aryl-indoles, involving reaction of substituted 2,4-difluoro/dichloro-styrene epoxide with substituted 2-formylaminothiophenes or substitued N-formylanilins in the presence of a base followed by treatment with an acid, has been developed The method was applied for the synthesis of a number of indoles with a variety of substitutents at 1, 3, and 6 positions of the indole moiety. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Formylaminothiophene, Gewald synthesis, Indole, Styrene epoxide}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.09.049}, author = {Borate, Hanumant B. and Sawargave, Sangmeshwer P. and Maujan, Suleman R.} } @article { ISI:000266390000011, title = {Silver fused conducting fiber formation of Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticles mediated by ascorbic acid}, journal = {Plasmonics}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {161-170}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we report the spontaneous formation of fibrous structures consisting of assemblies of Au-Ag core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) from a solution consisting of Au-Ag core-shell NPs and l-ascorbic acid (AA). AA acted both as the reducing agent for the generation of NPs and also as the mediator for the formation of fibers. The process of fiber formation involved three steps-reduction of HAuCl(4) to Au NPs by AA, subsequent formation of Au-Ag core-shell NPs after addition of AgNO(3), and spontaneous formation of fibers from the mixtures in water. It took typically about 30 days to form complete fibers that are of lengths of several hundred micrometers to millimeters, although nanofibers started forming from the first day of solution preparation. The width of each of these fibers was typically about 1-4 A mu m with length of each segment of fiber bundle, on the order of 40 A mu m. Formation of fibers was also observed in absence of AgNO(3). These fibers consisted of Au NPs and polymer of AA degradation products and were not electrically conducting. Also, low concentrations of AgNO(3) produced fibers with low electrical conductivity. However, it was observed that increase in the amount of AgNO(3) leads to the formation of fibers that were electrically conducting with conductivity values in the range of metallic conductivity. Spectroscopic and electron microscopic investigations were carried out to establish the formation of fibers. The details of fiber formation mechanism under different conditions and electrical conductivities of the fibers are discussed in the article.

}, keywords = {Ascorbic acid, core-shell, Fiber, Gold, Nanoparticles, Silver}, issn = {1557-1955}, doi = {10.1007/s11468-009-9091-5}, author = {Murugadoss, A. and Kar, Manoranjan and Pasricha, Renu and Chattopadhyay, Arun} } @article { ISI:000268923200029, title = {Solubilization and conformational behavior of zein in aqueous solution of dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB)}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {346}, number = {1-3}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {195-201}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The solubilization and conformational behavior of Zein in the presence of cationic surfactant, dodecyldimethylethylammonium bromide (DDAB) have been studied. The colloidal properties of DDAB in the absence and presence of Zein have also been investigated using physico-chemical and spectroscopy methods. The surfactant appears to bind to Zein at concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) and the binding becomes weaker at concentrations above the cmc. The interaction between DDAB and Zein depends on the chemical structure and molecular parameters (conformation, molar mass, charge) of the protein. The schematic sketches of the molecular mechanisms of the complex formation between like-charged proteins and surfactants have been proposed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Absorbance spectroscopy, Aggregation number, conductivity, DDAB, FT-IR, Surface tension, viscosity, Zein}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2009.06.016}, author = {Mehta, S. K. and Bhawna and Bhasin, K. K. and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000263939200021, title = {Solvent extraction of trivalent indium from succinate solution by 2-octylaminopyridine in chloroform}, journal = {Journal of the Iranian Chemical Society}, volume = {6}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {200-212}, publisher = {IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {NO 7, MARAGHEH ST, OSTAD NEJATOLLAHI AVE, PO BOX 15875-1169, TEHRAN, 00000, IRAN}, abstract = {

Extraction processes of indium(III) with 2-octylaminopyridine (2-OAP) from media of various complexing ability, succinate and salicylate, in chloroform have been elucidated. The ion-pair complex has also quantitative extraction in xylene and 1,2-dichloroethane. Indium(III) from organic phase was stripped with 1.0 M hydrochloric acid and determined complexometrically with EDTA. The stoichiometry of the extracted species was found out on the basis of slope analysis. The extraction of indium(III) proceeds by an anion exchange mechanism and the extracted species is [RR{\textquoteright}NH(2)(+)In(succinate)(2)(-)]((org)). Temperature dependence of the extraction equilibrium constant was also examined to estimate the apparent thermodynamic functions (Delta H, Delta G and Delta S) for extraction reaction. It is possible to separate indium(III) from Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II), Bi(III), Tl(I), Tl(III), Ga(III), Al(III), Te(IV), Se(IV), Sb(III), Fe(III) and Sn(IV). The method is simple, rapid and reproducible and can be used to determine the indium from samples like alloys.

}, keywords = {2-OAP, Binary separations, Indium(III), liquid-liquid extraction, Sodium succinate}, issn = {1735-207X}, author = {Mahamuni, Sandip V. and Kolekar, S. S. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Anuse, Mansing A.} } @article { ISI:000269197400020, title = {Some mechanistic insights into the gelation of regenerated silk fibroin sol}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {48}, number = {17}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8014-8023}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We provide some new insights into the kinetics and mechanism of sol-gel transition as it pertains to regenerated silk fibroin, which is the principle structural protein of silkworm silk fiber. Silk fibroin was dissolved in lithium bromide and dialyzed against deionized water to prepare a regenerated fibroin solution. This solution was found to be unstable at lower pH and transformed into a colloidal gel. The kinetics and mechanism of the sol-gel transition were investigated using rheology and light scattering. We show that gelation proceeds in two steps. In the first step, a weak gel is formed almost immediately upon lowering the pH, while in the second step further gelation proceeds rapidly after a long induction time to form a self-similar structure.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie801723f}, author = {Nagarkar, Shailesh and Patil, Avinash and Lele, Ashish K. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Bellare, Jayesh R. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000271055100016, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of the densely functionalized C1-C9 fragment of amphidinolides C and F}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {46}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6276-6279}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis of the C1-C9 subunit of amphidinolides C and F is described. Key steps include tandem Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation-S(N)2 cyclization reaction, Lewis acid-mediated epoxide opening, Wittig reaction, and Wacker oxidation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amphidinolide C and F, Cytotoxic, Tandem dihydroxylation-S(N)2, Wacker oxidation, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.09.001}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Dasari, Pavankumar and Rahaman, Hasibur and Pal, Rita} } @article { ISI:000267546200006, title = {Structural characterization of azoic dye hosted layered double hydroxides}, journal = {Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie}, volume = {224}, number = {5-6}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {282-286}, publisher = {OLDENBOURG VERLAG}, address = {LEKTORAT MINT, POSTFACH 80 13 60, D-81613 MUNICH, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The removal of methyl orange (MO) from an aqueous solution was performed using layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in a move to develop cleaning processes of effluents contaminated with dye molecules. The intercalation of the guest anionic MO species into host M(II)/Al(III) LDHs differing by the nature of the divalent cations (M(II) = Mg, Ni or Zn) was achieved by anionic exchange of the initially NO(3)(-) present in the interlayer space and led to MO/LDH intercalation compounds. The exchange process was followed by XRD and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy at different stages. Almost all MO in solution is uptaken by the Mg-containing LDH in the concentration range corresponding to its anionic exchange capacity (AEC). A lower exchange is reached with the Ni- and Zn-containing LDHs, for which the diffusion of MO is limited due to a larger crystallite size. MO-Zn/Al LDH intercalation compounds exhibit the highest crystallinity and display a remarkable stacking of the layers at maximal MO exchange. This behaviour can be assigned to the higher intrinsic charge density of the host layers in agreement with its lower M(II)/Al(III) molar ratio (Zn(II)/Al(III) approximate to 1.5 whereas Mg(II)/Al(III) and Ni(II)/Al(III) = 2). The maximum amount of MO retained by the different LDHs is higher for Mg-containing LDH, than for Ni- and Zn-containing LDH, reaching respectively 1.15, 0.84 and 0.77 g/g.

}, keywords = {Anionic exchange, Depollution, layered double hydroxides, Methyl orange, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0044-2968}, doi = {10.1524/zkri.2009.1150}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Lerner, Dan A. and Marcotte, Nathalie and Tichit, Didier} } @article { ISI:000268042800012, title = {Support modification to improve the sulphur tolerance of Ag/Al2O3 for SCR of NOx with propene under lean-burn conditions}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {90}, number = {3-4}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {416-425}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Ag/Al2O3 catalysts with 1 wt\% SiO2 or TiO2 doping in alumina support have been prepared by wet impregnation method and tested for sulphur tolerance during the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx using propene under lean conditions, Ag/Al2O3 showed 44\% NOx conversion at 623 K, which was drastically reduced to 21\% when exposed to 20 ppm SO2. When Al2O3 support in Ag/Al2O3 Was doped with 1 wt\% SiO2 or TiO2 the NOx conversion remained constant in presence of SO2 showing the improved sulphur tolerance of these catalysts. Subsequent water addition does not induce significant deactivation. On the contrary, a slight promotional effect on the activity of NO conversion to nitrogen is observed after Si and Ti incorporation. FTIR study showed the sulphation of silver and aluminum sites of Ag/Al2O3 catalysts resulting in the decrease in the formation of reactive intermediate species such as -NCO, which in turn decreases NOx conversion to N-2. In the case of Ag/Al2O3 doped with SiO2 or TiO2, formation of silver sulphate and aluminum sulphate was drastically reduced, which was evident in FTIR resulting in remarkable improvement in the sulphur tolerance of Ag/Al2O3 catalyst. These catalysts before and after the reaction have been characterized with various techniques (XRD, BET surface area, transmittance FTIR and pyridine adsorption) for physico-chemical properties. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag/Al2O3, Aluminum sulphate, DRIFTS, Selective catalytic reduction, Silver sulphate, SiO2, Sulphur tolerance, TiO2}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2009.04.001}, author = {Jagtap, Neelam and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Miquel, Pierre and Granger, Pascal and Dongare, Mohan K.} } @article { ISI:000267784200012, title = {Susceptibility of aedes aegypti and culex quinquefasciatus larvae to gedunin-related limonoids}, journal = {Chemistry \& Biodiversity}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, year = {2009}, month = {JUN}, pages = {897-902}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The major non-azadirachtin limonoids such as gedunin (1), epoxyazadiradione (3), nimbocinol (4), and nimolicinol (5) from Azadirachta indica A. Juss ({\textquoteright}neem{\textquoteright}) and their derivatives were evaluated for their toxic action against fourth instar larvae of Aedes aegypti L. and Culex quinquefasciatus SAY. Gedunin exhibited 100\% toxic action against both the mosquito larvae at 50 and 10 ppm. Epoxyazadiradione and epoxynimolicinol also showed significant toxicities (\>= 50\%) against larvae of both mosquito species at 50 ppm. These neem limonoids can have benefits in mosquito-control programs.

}, issn = {1612-1872}, author = {Gurulingappa, Hallur and Tare, Vrushali and Pawar, Pushpa and Tungikar, Vijay and Jorapur, Yogesh R. and Madhavi, Sriram and Bhat, Sujata V.} } @article { ISI:000264490200023, title = {Syntheis of new chiral 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrotetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrazines from alpha-amino acid derivatives following {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} chemistry}, journal = {Heterocycles}, volume = {77}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {865-872}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient and practical synthesis of new chiral fused tetrazoles have been synthesized following [3+2] cycloaddition reaction starting from alpha-amino acid derivatives.

}, keywords = {Amino acid, Click chemistry, Hypertension, Nitrogen Rich System, Tetrazole}, issn = {0385-5414}, doi = {10.3987/COM-08-S(F)121}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Maity, Pradip K. and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000262707000040, title = {Synthesis and antifungal activity of 1,2,3-triazole containing fluconazole analogues}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {759-763}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fluconazole based novel mimics containing 1,2,3-triazole were designed and synthesized as antifungal agents. Their antifungal activities were evaluated in vitro by measuring the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Compounds 12, 15, and 16 were found to be more potent against Candida fungal pathogens than control drugs fluconazole and amphotericin B. The studies presented here provide structural modi. cation of fluconazole to give 1,2,3-trazole containing molecules. Furthermore, these molecules were evaluated in vivo against Candida albicans intravenous challenge in Swiss mice and antiproliferative activities were tested against human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B and human epithelial carcinoma A431. It was found that compound 12 resulted in 97.4\% reduction in fungal load in mice and did not show any profound proliferative effect at lower dose (0.001 mg/ml). (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, Antifungal agent, bile acid, Conjugates, Fluconazole}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2008.12.026}, author = {Aher, Nilkanth G. and Pore, Vandana S. and Mishra, Nripendra N. and Kumar, Awanit and Shukla, Praveen K. and Sharma, Aanchal and Bhat, Manoj K.} } @article { ISI:000271542900165, title = {Synthesis and characterization of CoCrxFe2-xO4 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {485}, number = {1-2}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {798-801}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Spinel-phase nanocrystalline CoCrxFe2-xO4 powders (0.0 \<= x \<= 2.0) were synthesized by citrate-gel precursor method. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM). transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR). The XRD and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns indicated that the synthesized nanoparticles have single-phase spinet structure without the presence of any other impurities. The changes in electrical and magnetic properties of different stiochiometric compositions have also been investigated. It is seen that with increase in chromium contents, the measured magnetic hysteresis loops become narrow with decreasing trend in saturation magnetization. Electrical resistivity indicated that all the compounds are semiconducting nature. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Magnetic measurements, Sintering, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.06.087}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Lokhande, P. D. and Gajbhiye, N. S.} } @article { ISI:000267994500002, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel schiff base polyurethanes}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {113}, number = {5}, year = {2009}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2747-2754}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

Eight different types of novel polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesized through the polyaddition reaction of 4,4{\textquoteright}-(ethane-1,2-diylidenedinitrilo)diphenol and 4,4{\textquoteright}(pentane-1,5-diylidenedinitrilo)diphenol with four different diisocyanates: 4,4{\textquoteright}-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,4-diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, and hexamethylene diisocyanate. The resulting PUs were soluble in polar, aprotic solvents. Structures of the diols and PUs were established with Ultraviolet-visible, fluorescence, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), (1)H-NMR, and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy data. FTIR and NMR spectral data indicated the disappearance of both hydroxyl and isocyanate groups in the PUs. The thermal properties were investigated with thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The weight losses, glass transitions, onset temperatures, and crystalline melting temperatures were measured. All the PUs exhibited semicrystalline and amorphous morphologies, as indicated by X-ray diffraction. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 113: 2747-2754, 2009

}, keywords = {amorphous, Morphology, polyurethanes, synthesis, Thermal properties}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.28257}, author = {Raghu, A. V. and Gadaginamath, G. S. and Jeong, Han Mo and Mathew, Nevin T. and Halligudi, Shivaraj B. and Aminabhavi, Tejraj M.} } @article { ISI:000270106700015, title = {Synthesis and in vitro study of 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a.j]xanthenes as cytotoxic agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {19}, number = {19}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5590-5593}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and expedient method for the synthesis of a series of 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a.j]xanthenes is described through a one-pot condensation of beta-naphthol with aryl aldehydes catalysed by TaCl(5) under solvent-free conventional heating. The major advantages of the present method are: high yields, less reaction time, solvent-free condition and easy purification of the products. The synthesized 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a.j]xanthenes were evaluated against a panel of six human cancer lines of different tissues. Synthesized compound 30 showed IC(50) of 37.9 and 41.3 mu M against Colo-205 and 502713, respectively, whereas 3g showed IC(50) of 41.9 mu M against Colo-205. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aldehyde, beta-Naphthol, condensation, Cytotoxicity, One-pot reaction, Solvent-free, Tantalum(V) chloride, Xanthenes}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.08.033}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Rana, Kalpeshkumar C. and Mujahid, Mohammad and Sehar, Irum and Saxena, Ajit K.} } @article { ISI:000271108500027, title = {Synthesis and thermal properties of soluble silicon containing phenylated aromatic-aliphatic polyamides}, journal = {Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry}, volume = {98}, number = {2}, year = {2009}, month = {NOV}, pages = {539-545}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Aromatic polyamides find many applications in diverse and critical areas due to their high thermal stability coupled with high mechanical properties. However most of such aramides are difficult to fabricate because of their limited solubility and high melting temperature. Improvements in processability have been reported by incorporating bulky pendant groups and aliphatic spacer groups. Similarly to improve the solubility of polymers approaches of incorporating silicon in main polymer chain and co-polymerization techniques were useful. We report the synthesis and characterization of a series of phenylated silicon containing aromatic-aliphatic polyamides from a mixture of 2, 5-bis (4-carboxy methylene phenyl)-3, 4-diphenyl thiophene (CMPDT) and bis-(4-carboxy phenyl) dimethyl silane (BCPDS) in various mole proportions, with commercial aromatic diamine. Thus a series of novel co-polyamides having pendant phenyl groups, methylene spacer and silicon moiety was prepared by judicious combination of (CMPDT); BCPDS and aromatic diamine; bis-(4-aminophenyl) ether (ODA), by direct polycondensation using Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s phosphorylation method. These high molecular mass polyamides were obtained in high (89-98\%) yields and had viscosities in the range of 0.23-0.57 dL/g in DMAc. Polyamides showed improved solubility in polar aprotic solvents, like NMP, DMAc, DMSO and DMF; had high thermal stability; with no mass loss below 335 A degrees C.

}, keywords = {2, 4-diphenyl thiophene, 5-bis (4-carboxy methylene phenyl)-3, bis-(4-amino phenyl) ether, bis-(4-carboxy phenyl) dimethyl silane, Copolyamides, solubility, thermal stability}, issn = {1388-6150}, doi = {10.1007/s10973-009-0286-y}, author = {Ghanwat, A. A. and Sayyed, M. M. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000264232900041, title = {Synthesis, characterization and constitutional isomerism study of new aromatic polyamides containing pendant groups based on asymmetrically substituted meta-phenylene diamines}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {953-959}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Four new aromatic polyamides containing pendant groups were synthesized by low temperature interfacial polycondensation of two asymmetrically substituted diamine monomers, namely, 4-[4-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl) phenoxyl-1,3-diamino benzene and 4-[4-[4-methylphenyl) sulphonyl]phenoxy)-1,3-diamino benzene with two aromatic diacid chlorides, namely isophthaloyl chloride and tereplithaloyl chloride. Inherent viscosities of polyamides were in the range 0.64-0.72 dL/g indicating formation of medium molecular weight polymers. The weight average molecular weights and number average molecular weights, determined by gel permeation chromatography (polystyrene standard), were in the range 54,500-65,000 and 19,750-27,000, respectively. The constitutional isomerism of synthesized polyamides was investigated by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, where as the constitutional order was calculated from (1)H NMR spectroscopy and was found to be in the range 0.35-0.37. Polyamides containing pendant groups were essentially amorphous and were soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N, N-dimethyl acetamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N, N-dimethyl formamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. Polyamides exhibited glass-transition temperature in the range 237-254 degrees C. The initial decomposition temperature, determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of polyamides was in the range 371-410 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Asymmetrically substituted diamines, Constitutional isomerism, interfacial polycondensation, Pendant groups}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2008.11.034}, author = {Pal, Ravindra R. and Patil, Prashant S. and Salunkhe, Manikrao M. and Maldar, Noormahamad N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000286307300007, title = {Synthesis of Sb-doped SnO2 nanowires and hyperbranched structures}, journal = {Science of Advanced Materials}, volume = {1}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {APR}, pages = {38-43}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Branched nanostructures of semiconducting materials are of great interest for their potential applications in optoelectronic, photonic devices and sensors. We herein describe a facile single-step chemical vapor deposition route for the synthesis of Sb-SnO2 hyperbranched nanostructures comprised of elongated nanowires with 30-40 nm diameter and 10-20 Am length. The morphology and structure has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selective area electron diffraction (SAED), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Also, a possible mechanism is proposed for the growth of nanowires into the hyperbranched form on the basis of the substrate effect, the role of Au nanoparticles, and the effect of Sb doping on specific morphology evolution. Interestingly, electrical conductivity measurements as a function of temperature suggest a semiconducting behavior, despite being governed by different electron-transport mechanisms with activation energies of 0.55 and 0.17 eV, which correspond to pure SnO2 and Sb-SnO2 nanowires, respectively. A precise control over the operating parameters not only envisages custom-designed, branched structures by a simple and economical route but also offers an alternative method to the expensive and tedious nanofabrication techniques for industrial applications.

}, keywords = {Au Nanoparticles, chemical vapor deposition, Sb-SnO2 Hyperbranched Nanostructures}, issn = {1947-2935}, doi = {10.1166/sam.2009.1006}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Patil, Mrudula and Walke, Pravin S. and Vivek, J. P. and Lele, Ashish K. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000263073800048, title = {Template free synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 with high wall thickness and nanocrystalline framework}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {9}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, pages = {371-377}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

A simple procedure to prepare nanocrystalline mesoporous titania (meso-TiO2) is reported without any templating agent and it possesses a high BET surface area and a large pore wall thickness (11.3 nm) than that of meso-TiO2 prepared by other methods. Nanocrystalline meso-TiO2 also has been synthesized with hexadecylamine template for comparison through known procedure. The meso-TiO2 materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, UV-Vis absorbance spectra, thermal analysis, SEM, HRTEM and textural properties through N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. Spherical shape particles in a range of few hundred nanometers are obtained in the template free method. Above systematic characterization provides direct indications toward the mechanism of formation of meso-TiO2 in the template free method. A comparison of the physical and textural properties indicates a possibility of coarse-tuning of the textural characteristics of mesoporous TiO2 by adopting different preparation methods.

}, keywords = {Mesopore, Mesopore Formation, Template-Free, Thick Wall, titania}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2009.J019}, author = {Kulkarni, Dhanashree G. and Murugan, A. Vadivel and Viswanath, Annamraju Kasi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000269715600024, title = {Total syntheses and absolute stereochemistry of decarestrictines C-1 and C-2}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {50}, number = {40}, year = {2009}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5636-5639}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total syntheses of decarestrictines C-1 and C-2 have been described. The synthetic strategy involves a practical and flexible approach using esterification and ring-closing metathesis to unite the acid and alcohol fragments. The acid fragments are enantiomers of each other and have been prepared from L-(-)-malic acid via similar transformations; in Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, (+)-DET has been used for decarestrictine C-1 and (-)-DET for decarestrictine C-2. The alcohol fragment is identical for both decarestrictines C-1 and C-2 and has been accessed from D-(+)-mannitol. Comparison of the H-1 and C-13 NMR data combined with the computational studies predicts the presence of two conformations without and with hydrogen bonding (conformational isomers I and II for decarestrictine C-1), respectively. The H-1 and C-13 NMR data for decarestrictine C-2 completely agreed with the analytical data reported by Kibayashi et al. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Decarestrictines, Pinnick oxidation, Ring-closing metathesis, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation, Yamaguchi coupling reaction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2009.07.099}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Sahoo, Gokarneswar and Ramesh, Dhondi K. and Rao, J. Srinivasa and Sastry, G. Narahari} } @article { ISI:000269243000011, title = {Traditional medicine-inspired approaches to drug discovery: can ayurveda show the way forward?}, journal = {Drug Discovery Today}, volume = {14}, number = {15-16}, year = {2009}, month = {AUG}, pages = {804-811}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Drug discovery strategies based on natural products and traditional medicines are re-emerging as attractive options. We suggest that drug discovery and development need not always be confined to new molecular entities. Rationally designed, carefully standardized, synergistic traditional herbal formulations and botanical drug products with robust scientific evidence can also be alternatives. A reverse pharmacology approach, inspired by traditional medicine and Ayurveda, can offer a smart strategy for new drug candidates to facilitate discovery process and also for the development of rational synergistic botanical formulations.

}, issn = {1359-6446}, doi = {10.1016/j.drudis.2009.05.009}, author = {Patwardhan, Bhushan and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article {42800, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of polyimide binder resins}, year = {2009}, month = {JAN}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan. N. N. and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhansekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000262781700012, title = {Ultrasound assisted synthesis of polyacrylic acid-nanoclay nanocomposite and its application in sonosorption studies of malachite green dye}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {16}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {351-355}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Synthesis of nanoclay nanocomposite has been undertaken by using polyacryalic acid (PAA) in aqueous medium and ultrasound environment and its application in dye removal has been investigated. The synthesized product was characterized by using FTIR and XRD techniques. The sonosorption capacity of the product namely PAA-nanoclay composite was determined by choosing malachite green (MG) dye as a model pollutant. The effects of various parameters such as nanocomposite loading, pH, various process conditions etc. have been studied. On comparing the results obtained with that of nanoclay as an adsorbent, it was found for an initial concentration of 500 mg/l, the PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite exhibited higher percentage of pollutant removal (68\%) and for nanoclay it was 54\%. The adsorption data has been correlated using Langmuir and Freundlich models. The fit of the Freundlich isotherm model was found to be good in the entire range of concentration for the experimental sorption data obtained on the nanoclay nanocomposite. A plausible reaction mechanism for use of PAA-nanoclay nanocomposite as ail adsorbent is also proposed. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Malachite Green, Nanocomposite, Polyacrylic acid, Sonosorption, Ultrasound}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2008.10.008}, author = {Sonawane, S. H. and Chaudhari, P. L. and Ghodke, S. A. and Parande, M. G. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Mishra, Satyendra and Kulkarni, R. D.} } @article { ISI:000264558200004, title = {Visible light induced photoreduction of methyl orange by N-doped mesoporous titania}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {357}, number = {1}, year = {2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {26-33}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

N-doped mesoporous titania was synthesized using templating method. Biopolymer chitosan was used as a template and also as a nitrogen source along with ammonium hydroxide. Three different types of N-doped mesoporous titania were synthesized by varying composition of chitosan and titania precursor. These photocatalysts were characterized using XRD, BET-SA, FTIR, UV-DRS, SEM-EDX and XPS analysis. The photocatalytic activity of mesoporous titania was studied by methyl orange (MO) photoreduction reaction. From the experimental results it was observed that the N-doped mesoporous titania (1:2) gives the highest photocatalytic reduction of MO as compared to N-doped mesoporous titania prepared with (1:1) and (1:3) stoichiometry. This could be due to the optimal level of {\textquoteleft}N{\textquoteright} incorporation in the N-doped mesoporous titania (1:2). Photocatalysts reduce the MO dye into derivative of hydrazine. Photoactivity of N-doped mesoporous titania (1:2) is 1.0721 mg of MO reduced per g of TiO2 vis-a-vis 0.508 mg of MO reduced per g of TiO2 for Degussa P25 photocatalyst. The effect of various operating parameters like photocatalyst loading. initial concentration and intensity of light also has been studied. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {biopolymer, Chitosan, MO photoreduction, N-doped mesoporous titania, Visible active photocatalyst}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2008.12.030}, author = {Joshi, Meenal M. and Labhsetwar, Nitin K. and Mangrulkar, Priti A. and Tijare, Saumitra N. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Rayalu, Sadhana S.} } @article { ISI:000262449000038, title = {VLS-like growth and characterizations of dense ZnO nanorods grown by e-beam process}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {035310}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {DIRAC HOUSE, TEMPLE BACK, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We present a new approach to produce ZnO nanorods in a reproducible manner at a temperature lower than other physical vapour deposition techniques, such as the vapour-liquid-solid mechanism. Arrays of well-aligned ZnO nanorods of uniform diameter have been synthesized on the Si substrate precoated with Au, using a simple electron beam evaporation method without the flow of any carrier gas. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy characterizations show that as-grown nanorods are well aligned and uniform in diameter. X-ray diffraction measurements and clear lattice fringes in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy image show the growth of good quality polycrystalline hexagonal ZnO nanorods and a \< 0 0 2 \> growth direction. The polarization-dependent studies of near edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) are performed to investigate the electronic structure of the zinc and oxygen ions. The analysis of NEXAFS spectra at different angles of incidence of photon flux indicates the formation of ZnO nanorods having anisotropic behaviour of O and Zn states. The photoluminescence spectrum exhibits strong ultraviolet emission at 385 nm and the UV-visible spectrum also shows a band-gap transition around 390 nm indicating the good quality of nanorods. The catalytic growth mechanism of the ZnO nanorods is discussed on the basis of experimental results in this work.

}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/42/3/035310}, author = {Agarwal, Dinesh C. and Chauhan, R. S. and Avasthi, D. K. and Sulania, I. and Kabiraj, D. and Thakur, P. and Chae, K. H. and Chawla, Amit and Chandra, Ramesh and Ogale, S. B. and Pellegrini, G. and Mazzoldi, P.} } @article { ISI:000276010700025, title = {Acidity tuning of montmorillonite K10 by impregnation with dodecatungstophosphoric acid and hydroxyalkylation of phenol}, journal = {Applied Clay Science}, volume = {48}, number = {1-2, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {164-170}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Acidity tuning of montmorillonite K10 (mont K10) was achieved by impregnating with dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP). The effect on the hydroxyalkylation of phenol was studied at 353 K with phenol to formaldehyde molar ratio of 5. The nature and strength of acid sites were determined by NH(3)-TPD measurement while the distribution of Brensted and Lewis acid sites expressed as B/L ratio, was determined by pyridine IR technique. Among various loadings of DTP (5-60\%) studied for the hydroxyalkylation of phenol, 20\% DTP/mont K10 showed the highest catalyst activity (90\% selectivity to bisphenol F with 28\% conversion of phenol). Both total concentration of acid sites and the distribution of acid sites in a high temperature region were required for the high bisphenol F selectivity. Our catalyst (20\% DTP/Mont K10) could be recycled three times. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acidity tuning, Dodecatungstophosphoric acid/Montmorillonite K10, Hydroxyalkylation, Impregnation, Temperature programmed desorption}, issn = {0169-1317}, doi = {10.1016/j.clay.2009.11.042}, author = {Garade, Ajit C. and Kshirsagar, V. S. and Mane, R. B. and Ghalwadkar, Ajay A. and Joshi, U. D. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000284342100003, title = {Adsorption of fluoride from aqueous solution by alumina of alkoxide nature: batch and continuous operation}, journal = {Desalination}, volume = {264}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15-23}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this investigation, we report the adsorption potential of alkoxide origin alumina for defluoridation of drinking water using batch and continuous mode of operations. The effects of different operating parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial fluoride concentration, pH of the solution and interfering ions (usually present in groundwater) were studied with a view to understand the adsorption behavior of the material under various conditions. A thermodynamic study shows that the adsorption of fluoride by alkoxide origin alumina is an exothermic and spontaneous process. The kinetic results showed that the fluoride sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. The applicability of adsorbent in the field is also tested through column breakthrough studies. It has been observed that with an increase in the flow rate and initial fluoride concentration, the breakthrough curve becomes sharper and the breakthrough time and adsorbed fluoride ion concentration decrease. The breakthrough curve also becomes steeper as the bed height increases. The alkoxide origin alumina based adsorbent media can be used directly for field applications since it is also commercially available in granular form. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Alkoxide alumina, Breakthrough studies, Fluoride, Kinetic modeling}, issn = {0011-9164}, doi = {10.1016/j.desal.2010.07.001}, author = {Kamble, Sanjay P. and Deshpande, Gunavant and Barve, Prashant P. and Rayalu, Sadhana and Labhsetwar, Nitin K. and Malyshew, Alexander and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {42793, title = {Amino functionalized oligoimides telechelics}, number = {2922/DEL/2010 A}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, type = {India Patents}, abstract = {

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of amino functionalized oligoimide telechelics. More particularly it relates to a process for the preparation of soluble oligoimide prepolymers which can be used as matrix resins that can be rapidly cured to form stable polyimides with amino end functionalities. The amino functionalized oligoimide telechelics are suitable for conversion into three dimensional polymeric systems through condensation chemistry such as reaction with oligo epoxies (epoxy-imide resins), polyacids (polyamide imides) and polyhalogenated compounds (poly amine - imides) to form crosslinked structures having enhanced thermal stability and mechanical strength. The polymers prepared by the process of this invention can be used as materials in advanced composites having high temperature stability.

}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Mohammed Shadbar and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000280253200002, title = {Beyond irreverence}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {99}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000277581100043, title = {Biocatalytic approach for the utilization of hemicellulose for ethanol production from agricultural residue using thermostable xylanase and thermotolerant yeast}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {101}, number = {14}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5366-5373}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A hydrolysis of 62\% and 50\% for OSX (Oat spelt xylan) and WBH (Wheat bran hemicellulose) were obtained in 36 h and 48 h using Accellerase(TM) 1000 at 50 degrees C wherein thermostable xylanase from alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. yielded 67\% (OSX) in 3 h and 58\% (WBH) in 24 h at 60 degrees C, favouring a reduction in process time and enzyme dosage. The rate of hydrolysis with thermostable xylanase was increased by 20\% with the addition of nonionic surfactant tween 80 or biosurfactant sophorolipid. The simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of OSX and WBH using thermostable xylanase and D. hansenii in batch cultures produced 9.1 g/L and 9.5 g/L of ethanol, respectively and had a shorter overall process time than the separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). The immobilized yeast cells in Ca-alginate matrix produced ethanol with a yield of 0.46 g/g from hemicellulosic hydrolysates and were reused six times with 100\% fermentation efficiency. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biosurfactant, Ethanol, Hemicellulose, Thermostable xylanase, Thermotolerant yeast}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2010.01.150}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Prakash, Gyan and Prabhune, Asmita and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000275708600041, title = {Carbon dissolution and segregation in Pd(110)}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5060-5067}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The bulk-surface diffusion of carbon in Pd(110) has been investigated using Molecular beams to examine the clean-off of carbon with gas-phase oxygen. The dominant product of the reaction above 600 K is CO CO, is only produced at much lower temperatures where the lifetime of adsorbed CO is significant. The segregation from the bulk Only Occurs at a measurable rate at \>750 K, while loss of carbon into the bulk call occur at much lower temperatures. The reaction of carbon at high temperatures shows two regimes: (i) a non steady-state evolution of CO due to the clean-off of surface carbon already present on the surface, followed by (ii) a near steady-state reaction due to the continuous diffusion of carbon to the surface.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp9108046}, author = {Bowker, Michael and Counsell, Jonathan and El-Abiary, Kareem and Gilbert, Lee and Morgan, Chris and Nagarajan, Sankaranarayanan and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @conference { ISI:000279938400012, title = {Chemical shielding of closed-shell molecules using extended coupled-cluster theory}, booktitle = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives}, series = {Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings}, year = {2010}, note = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives, Indian Inst Astrophys, Kodaikanal Observatory, Bangalore, INDIA, JAN 28-31, 2009}, month = {MAR}, pages = {111-121}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, United States}, abstract = {

In this paper we report calculation of the nuclear magnetic shielding constant using extended coupled cluster response approach. We present the results for the HF, BH, CO and N(2) molecules. These results show importance of correlation corrections for the shielding constant.

}, isbn = {978-3-642-10321-6}, issn = {1570-6591}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-10322-3_12}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Joshi, Sayali and Vaval, Nayana}, editor = {Chaudhuri, R. K. and Mekkaden, M. V. and Raveendran, A. V. and Narayanan, A. S.} } @article { ISI:000284515800005, title = {Combined experimental and density functional theory study on the Pd-mediated cycloisomerization of o-alkynylnitrobenzenes - synthesis of isatogens and their evaluation as modulators of ROS-mediated cell death}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {31}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5955-5966}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Highly selective cycloisomerization of o-alkynylnitrobenzenes, leading to isatogens, has been achieved by employment of a Pd-II complex. This reaction is very general and functional-group-tolerant. The possible mechanism of this reaction was investigated with the help of DFT calculations. Three possible pathways - namely, the addition of the nitro group either in (i) 5-exo-dig or (ii) 6-endo-dig mode and (iii) halopalladation - and subsequent intramolecular events have been considered and studied in detail. These investigations revealed that pathway (i) is the favored route to isatogen formation. A preliminary screening of the available isatogens reveals the 2-alkylisatogens to be novel ROS scavengers capable of inhibiting cellular necroptosis.

}, keywords = {Anthranil, cyclization, Density functional calculations, isatogens, Nitro-alkyne cycloisomerization, Palladium}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201000769}, author = {Ramana, Chepuri V. and Patel, Pitambar and Vanka, Kumar and Miao, Benchun and Degterev, Alexei} } @article { ISI:000281980600018, title = {Conformational polymorphism in racemic 2,4-Di-o-Benzoyl-6-o-Tosyl myo-Inositol 1,3,5-Orthoacetate}, journal = {Journal of Structural Chemistry}, volume = {51}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {725-730}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The title compound, C(29)H(26)O(10)S, yields two conformational polymorphs concomitantly from dichloromethane-methanol mixture; the major polymorph grows as plates (Form I, monoclinic, P2(1)/n) and the minor polymorph grows as needles (Form II, triclinic, P-1). The two forms differ mainly in orientation of the tosyl group. In Form I, sulfonyl oxygen of the tosyl group makes intermolecular C -HaEuro broken vertical bar O interactions, whereas the same group in Form II is involved in an intramolecular short dipolar S=OaEuro broken vertical bar C=O (sulfonyl-carbonyl) contact. The molecular organization and the influence of various weak non-covalent interactions that stabilize these conformers in the crystal lattices are discussed.

}, keywords = {Conformation, crystal structure, dipolar interactions, Inositol, non-covalent interactions, polymorphism, sulfonyl-carbonyl contact}, issn = {0022-4766}, doi = {10.1007/s10947-010-0107-y}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Shashidhar, M. S.} } @article { ISI:000280605900013, title = {Coupling growth-factor engineering with nanotechnology for therapeutic angiogenesis}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {31}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13608-13613}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Therapeutic angiogenesis is an emerging paradigm for the management of ischemic pathologies. Proangiogenic Therapy is limited, however, by the current inability to deliver angiogenic factors in a sustained manner at the site of pathology. In this study, we investigated a unique nonglycosylated active fragment of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor, 1K1, which acts as a potent angiogenic agent in vitro and in a zebrafish embryo and a murine matrigel implant model. Furthermore, we demonstrate that nanoformulating 1K1 for sustained release temporally alters downstream signaling through the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway, and amplifies the angiogenic outcome. Merging protein engineering and nanotechnology offers exciting possibilities for the treatment of ischemic disease, and furthermore allows the selective targeting of downstream signaling pathways, which translates into discrete phenotypes.

}, keywords = {cardiovascular disease, HGF/SF, ischemic disease, nanoparticle, protein engineering}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1006007107}, author = {Roy, Rituparna Sinha and Soni, Shivani and Harfouche, Rania and Vasudevan, Pooja R. and Holmes, Oliver and de Jonge, Hugo and Rowe, Arthur and Paraskar, Abhimanyu and Hentschel, Dirk M. and Chirgadze, Dimitri and Blundell, Tom L. and Gherardi, Ermanno and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000278165900028, title = {Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of various enzyme-substrate complexes of isopropylmalate dehydrogenase from thermus thermophilus}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology and Crystallization Communications}, volume = {66}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {738-743}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The Thermus thermophilus 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (Tt-IPMDH) enzyme catalyses the penultimate step of the leucine-biosynthesis pathway. It converts (2R,3S)-3-isopropylmalate to (2S)-2-isopropyl-3-oxosuccinate in the presence of divalent Mg(2+) or Mn(2+) and with the help of NAD(+). In order to elucidate the detailed structural and functional mode of the enzymatic reaction, crystals of Tt-IPMDH were grown in the presence of various combinations of substrate and/or cofactors. Here, the crystallization, data collection and preliminary crystallographic analyses of six such complexes are reported.

}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S174430911001626X}, author = {Merli, Angelo and Manikandan, Karuppasamy and Graczer, Eva and Schuldt, Linda and Singh, Rajesh Kumar and Zavodszky, Peter and Vas, Maria and Weiss, Manfred S.} } @article { ISI:000275090400021, title = {Cu:Al Nano catalyst for selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {135}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {141-147}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Non-chromium Cu:Al nano catalyst prepared by simultaneous co-precipitation and digestion method without any template or stabilizer, showed three times higher activity than the bulk Cu-Cr catalyst for hydrogenolysis of glycerol in both isopropanol and water solvents, with the selectivity to 1,2-Propanediol (1,2-PDO) as high as 91\% at 493 K and H(2) pressure of 7 MPa in 5 h. XRD pattern showed the presence of Cu(+) species in the activated Cu: Al nano catalyst. Although Cu(+) is catalytically inactive in glycerol hydrogenolysis reaction, the presence of Cu(+) helps to stabilize the particle size in a narrow range of 7-11 nm by inhibiting the sintering of copper particles under reaction conditions.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Propanediol, Cu:Al nano catalyst, Glycerol, Selective hydrogenolysis}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-010-0276-5}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Hengne, Amol M. and Ghalwadkar, Ajay A. and Vijayanand, Subramanian and Mohite, Pravin H. and Potdar, Hari S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000280527500020, title = {Design, synthesis and DNA/RNA binding studies of nucleic acids comprising stereoregular and acyclic polycarbamate backbone: polycarbamate nucleic acids (PCNA)}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {8}, number = {16}, year = {2010}, month = {Jun}, pages = {3734-3741}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The designed, chiral, acyclic polycarbamate nucleic acids (PCNA) exhibited sequence and orientation specific binding to nucleic acids. Complexes of PCNA with DNA were as stable as PNA:DNA complexes and those with RNA were as stable as natural DNA:RNA complexes.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c003405n}, author = {Madhuri, Vangala and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article {42727, title = {Direct hydrogenation of amides to alcohols and amines under mild conditions}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {132}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {16756{\textendash}16758}, abstract = {

The selective, direct hydrogenation of amides to the corresponding alcohols and amines with cleavage of the C-N bond was discovered. The expected products of C-O cleavage are not formed (except as traces in the case of anilides). The reaction proceeds under mild pressure and neutral, homogeneous conditions using a dearomatized, bipyridyl-based PNN Ru(II) pincer complex as a catalyst. The postulated mechanism involves metal-ligand cooperation by aromatization-dearomatization of the heteroaromatic pincer core and does not involve hydrolytic cleavage of the amide. The simplicity, generality, and efficiency of this environmentally benign process make it attractive for the direct transformations of amides to alcohols and amines in good to excellent yields.

}, doi = {10.1021/ja1080019}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000284101100028, title = {Dynamic study of N {\textquoteleft} N-dimethylparanitroaniline encapsulated in silicalite-1 matrix using neutron spin-echo spectroscopy}, journal = {European Physical Journal-Special Topics}, volume = {189}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {279-284}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The present work focuses on the dynamic studies of N{\textquoteright}N-dimethyl-paranitroaniline (dmpNA) encapsulated in silicalite zeolite. Quasielastic neutron scattering (QENS) experiments are carried out using neutron spin-echo technique. Polarisation of the scattered neutron beam is measured at carefully chosen values of Q = 0.35, 0.9, 1.1 and 1.45 angstrom(-1) at fixed T = 298K and at fixed Q = 0.9 angstrom(-1) at 150, 200, 250 and 298 K. This gives insight into the motion and the related activation energy of the guest dmpNA molecule. The quasielastic signal observed in the present system within the time range considered is due to fast local rotational motions of protons of the end methyl groups. The results are in good agreement with the dynamics of methyl group rotations reported in the literature by back-scattering QENS technique.

}, issn = {1951-6355}, doi = {10.1140/epjst/e2010-01333-9}, author = {Bhange, Deu S. and Dejoie, C. and Porcher, F. and Malikova, N. and Martinetto, P. and Dooryhee, E. and Anne, M.} } @article { ISI:000278592400024, title = {Effect of Fe3O4 on morphology of Fe-SnO2 hyperbranched heterostructures}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {493}, number = {1-3}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {121-125}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A simple modified thermal evaporation technique is employed for the synthesis of microstructured Fe:SnO2 system and their plausible growth mechanism has been proposed based on the results from various characterization techniques. Such structures grow in two steps; initially, growth of Fe core takes place from Fe3O4 source which acts as nucleating site for SnO2 growth on its surface as per the vapor-liquid- solid progression. Moreover, the composition of Fe/Sn source and temperature are found to have key roles in governing their morphology. XPS studies clearly demonstrate the presence of Fe species, which acts as a catalyst along with source for hetero-structure growth with SnO2. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2010.05.019}, author = {Sathe, Bhaskar R. and Walke, Pravin S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000286305100010, title = {Effect of leakage current and dielectric constant on single and double layer oxides in MOS structure}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {519}, number = {5, SI}, year = {2010}, note = {37th International Conference on Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films, San Diego, CA, APR 26-30, 2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1530-1535}, publisher = {Amer Vacuum Soc, Adv Surface Engn Div}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

MOS structure of Al/Al2O3/n-Si, Al/TiO2/n-Si and Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si was obtained by deposition of Al2O3 and TiO2 on silicon substrate by RF Magnetron Sputtering system. The total thickness of the oxide layer similar to 40 +/- 5 nm in the MOS structure was kept constant. Samples were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD). X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Impedance analyzer and Current-voltage (J-V) characteristics. The variations in the dielectric constant and tan 8 of the MOS capacitor in the frequency range of 1000Hz-1MHz were measured by impedance analyzer. The variation in dielectric constant of the Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si multilayer compared to single layer of Al/Al2O3/n-Si and Al/TiO2/n-Si is due to high probability of defects, lattice mismatch and interface interactions. The steep rise of Tan 6 values in the Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si structure is due to the resonance effect of both Al2O3 and TiO2 layers. The leakage current mechanisms of MOS structures were extracted from Schottky coefficient and Poole-Frenkel coefficient. Theoretical values of Schottky coefficients (beta(SC)) and Poole-Frenkel coefficients (beta(PF)) for each sample were estimated using the real part of the dielectric constant. The experimental values were calculated from J-V characteristics and compared with theoretical values. The appropriate model has been proposed. It was found that Schottky and Poole-Frenkel mechanisms are applicable at low and high field respectively for all MOS structures. The combination of Al/Al2O3/TiO2/n-Si is found to be a promising structure with high dielectric constant and low leakage current suitable for MOS devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al2O3, dielectric constant, Leakage current, MOS device, Poole-Frenkel emission, Schottky emission, TiO2}, issn = {0040-6090}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2010.08.089}, author = {Laha, Pinaki and Panda, A. B. and Dahiwale, S. and Date, Kalyani S. and Patil, K. R. and Barhai, P. K. and Das, A. K. and Banerjee, Indrani and Mahapatra, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000284326800032, title = {Effect of sub-lethal concentrations of insect growth regulator, lufenuron on larval growth and development of Aedes aegypti}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {99}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1256-1259}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

The effect of sub-lethal concentrations (LC20 = 0.0002 and 0.001 ppm, and LC40 = 0.002 and 0.02 ppm for II and IV instar larvae respectively) of a dispersible concentrate formulation of the insect growth regulator, lufenuron on larval growth and development of Aedes aegypti was studied. When II and IV instar larvae were subjected to the above-mentioned sub-lethal concentrations of lufenuron through the culture medium, there was a significant increase in the time taken for pupation (17.2 +/- 0.74 and 11.4 +/- 0.8 days for II and IV instar LC20-treated larvae respectively, and 19 +/- 0.89 and 14.6 +/- 1.0 days for II and IV instar LC40-treated larvae respectively). Also, there was increase in the time taken for adult emergence 3.8 +/- 0.83 and 5.4 +/- 0.83 days from pupation of LC40-treated II and IV instar larvae respectively). There was 28.1 +/- 2.06\% and 43.59 +/- 0.87\% reduction in pupation in LC20 of lufenuron-treated II and IV instar A. aegypti larvae respectively. Also, with LC20 of lufenuron-treated II and IV instar larvae there was 43.54 +/- 5.12\% and 43.59 +/- 0.87\% reduction in adult emergence respectively. Further, it was observed that II instar larvae treated with LC20 of lufenuron developed into 25.8 +/- 2.08\% deformed adults. In LC40-treated II instar larvae there was 33.72 +/- 2.38\% reduction in pupation and 63.44 +/- 4.76\% reduction in adult emergence. Also, it was observed that there was 54.84 +/- 3.9\% and 61.3 +/- 5.2\% reduction in pupation and adult emergence respectively, in IV instar larvae treated with LC40 of lufenuron. The reduction in pupation of the IV instar larvae treated with LC40 of lufenuron was due to failure of the larvae to undergo pupation. These studies are fundamental to the use of lufenuron in A. aegypti management.

}, keywords = {Aedes aegypti, larval growth and development, lufenuron, sub-lethal concentration}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Salokhe, S. G. and Mukherjee, Samindra N. and Deshpande, S. G. and Ghule, V. P. and Mathad, J. R.} } @article { ISI:000273038200015, title = {Effect of the allylic substituents on ring closing metathesis: the total synthesis of stagonolide B and 4-epi-stagonolide B}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {398-406}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total syntheses of stagonolide B and its 4-epimer were carried out to probe into how the relative stereochemistry of allylic hydroxy groups and their protecting groups influence the efficiency of the ring closing metathesis.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/b916198h}, author = {Giri, Awadut G. and Mondal, Mohabul A. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000284814600017, title = {Efficient heterogeneous catalytic system for chemoselective hydrogenation of unsaturated ketones in aqueous medium}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {29}, number = {17}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3262-3268}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly chemoselective and green heterogeneous catalytic system of immobilized Ru(II)-phenanthroline complexes on amino functionalised MCM-41 material for the chemoselective hydrogenation of unsaturated ketones to unsaturated alcohols is demonstrated using water as a solvent The XRD and FTIR spectra show the highly ordered hexagonal nature of the MCM-41 even after encapsulation of the ruthenium complex The complex retains its configuration after anchoring as was confirmed by FTIR and UV-Vis analysis The detailed reaction parametric effect was studied for the hydrogenation of 3 methylpent-3-en-2-one to achieve complete conversion up to \>99\% chemoselectivity of 3-methylpent-3-en-2 ol The anchored heterogeneous catalysts were recycled effectively and reused five times with marginal changes in activity and selectivity The use of water as a solvent not only afforded high activity for the hydroge nation reaction compared to organic solvents but also afforded a green process Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

}, keywords = {1 10 Phenanthroline, alpha beta Unsaturated ketone, Chemoselective hydrogenation, mesoporous materials, ruthenium}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2010.09.006}, author = {Deshmukh, Amit A. and Kinage, Anil K. and Kumar, Rajiv and Meijboom, Reinout} } @article { ISI:000282471100001, title = {Enhancement of thermal stability and phase relaxation behavior of chitosan dissolved in aqueous l-lactic acid: using {\textquoteleft}silver nanoparticles{\textquoteright} as nano filler}, journal = {Macromolecular Research}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {713-720}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Chitosan films with various compositions of silver nanoparticles were prepared by solution casting with an aqueous solution of chitosan and l-lactic acid. The chitosan/Ag nanocomposites were characterized by wide angle Xray diffraction (WAXD) and UV-vis spectroscopy. An analysis of the surface topography and size of the Ag nanoparticles (\<= 100 nm) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA) confirmed the increase in thermal stability with increasing Ag nanoparticle content in the nanocomposites. Dynamic thermal analysis (DMA) was used to examine the phase relaxation behavior of chitosan and its nanocomposites. The conductivity of chitosan/Ag nanocomposites was considered with respect to the frequency. Contact angle measurements were used to characterize the surface twistability, surface cleanliness, and hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of the surface.

}, keywords = {Chitosan, conductivity, contact angle, relaxation, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {1598-5032}, doi = {10.1007/s13233-010-0801-9}, author = {Rana, V. K. and Pandey, Asutosh K. and Singh, Raj Pal and Kumar, B. and Mishra, Satyendra and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000280972500010, title = {Enzymatic hydrolysis and ethanol production using xyloglucanase and debaromyces hansenii from tamarind kernel powder: galactoxyloglucan predominant hemicellulose}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {148}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {233-239}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The hydrolysis and ethanol production from tamarind kernel powder (TKP), a rich source of galactoxyloglucan (GXG) was investigated for the first time using xyloglucanase and thermotolerant Debaromyces hansenii. The acid hydrolysis of TKP with 2N H(2)SO(4) at 120 degrees C for 30 min yielded an overall saccharification of 94\% based on the total available carbohydrate content and further fermentation at 40 degrees C with thermotolerant D hansenii produced an ethanol yield of 0.35 g/g. A maximum hydrolysis of 55 and 78\% for GXG was obtained in 48 h at 50 degrees C using Thermomonospora xyloglucanase (TXy) and accellerase (TM) 1000, respectively. The synergistic effect of beta-galactosidase and xyloglucanase was demonstrated by the exogenous addition of beta-galactosidase to TXy which improved the overall hydrolysis of GXG by 30\%. The rate of hydrolysis of GXG with TXy and accellerase was increased by 15-20\% in the presence of chemical surfactants (tween 80 and toluene) or protein additive (BSA). The fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysates of GXG by TXy and accellerase with free cells at 40 degrees C produced an ethanol yield of 0.39 and 0.41 g/g whereas with immobilized cells produced 0.45 and 0.43 g/g, respectively, with a theoretical conversion efficiencies of 78-88\%. The immobilized yeast cells were reused six times at 40 degrees C with 100\% fermentation efficiency. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ethanol, Galactoxyloglucan, Hydrolysis, Tamarind kernel powder, Thermotolerant yeast, Xyloglucanase}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2010.06.004}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Prakash, Gyan and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000274459600009, title = {Evidence for the co-existence of distorted tetrahedral and trigonal bipyramidal aluminium sites in SrAl12O19 from Al-27 NMR studies}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {150}, number = {5-6}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {262-266}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Strontium aluminate, SrAl12O19, is a ceramic material having the hexagonal magnetoplumbite-type structure, with multiple Al coordination environments. An earlier low-field Al-27 solid-state NMR study reported five different Al sites in this system: one AlO4, one AlO5, and three AlO6 sites; whereas a later high-field study showed that the AlO5 site is a distorted AlO4 site with a very large quadrupolar coupling constant (similar to 20 MHz). Our magic angle spinning (MAS) and 3-quantum magic angle spinning (3QMAS) NMR studies at 7.05 T unambiguously show evidence for an AlO5 site. However, evidence for the presence of a distorted AlO4 site is obtained from studies at high fields (16.4 and 17.6 T), in addition to the AlO5 site. Thus the present solid-state NMR studies give evidence for the simultaneous presence of both the five-coordinated and distorted four-coordinated sites in this system. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Local structure, MQMAS, Nuclear magnetic resonance, Strontium aluminate}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2009.11.008}, author = {Harindranath, K. and Viswanath, K. Anusree and Chandran, C. Vinod and Braeuniger, Thomas and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000273400300004, title = {Experimental and theoretical study on the remarkable influence of protecting groups on the selectivity of addition of amines to vinyl sulfone-modified hex-2-enopyranosides}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {75}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {303-314}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Although phenylmethylene-protected vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrate 2 alpha reacts with both primary and secondary amines in Michael fashion to afford aminated products, only primary amines react with the dibenzyl-protected 3 alpha, 6-O-trityl-protected 4 alpha, and unprotected 5 alpha, highlighting for the first time the remarkable influence of protecting, groups on the reaction patterns of vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates. The quantum chemical calculations suggest that the Michael addition of amines and proton transfer to vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates 2 alpha and 5 alpha are possible via relay process in a concerted mechanism. These calculations reveal that the addition of primary amines to vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrate is preferential due to the low activation energy barriers, whereas the addition of secondary amines has relatively higher activation energy barriers. The theoretical conclusions are in line with the experimental observations.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo902046g}, author = {Bhattacharya, Rahul and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Manna, Chinmoy and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Suresh, Cheravakattu G. and Pathak, Tanmaya} } @article { ISI:000284238000010, title = {Fabrication of homogeneous nanoparticle/nanoneedle BaTiO3 and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 smooth thin films by simple dip coating}, journal = {International Journal of Nanotechnology}, volume = {7}, number = {9-12, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {919-931}, publisher = {INDERSCIENCE ENTERPRISES LTD}, address = {WORLD TRADE CENTER BLDG, 29 ROUTE DE PRE-BOIS, CASE POSTALE 896, CH-1215 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric BaTiO3 (BTO) and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 (BSTO) thin film materials have been successfully prepared by sol-gel processing and simple dip coating on glass and silicon supports. Above thin films were characterised by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal analysis, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Phase identification of BaTiO3 and Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 was performed by XRD. XRD and Raman spectroscopy investigations demonstrate that thc Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 film exhibits tetragonal structure. AFM analysis demonstrates the elongated nanospherical particles on glass substrate and nanowires on silicon substrate, which represent a strong influence of the crystallinity of underlying substrate on the grain morphology in this technique. The thin films on both the substrates are uniformly coated without any pinhole to significant area (similar to 2.5 cm(2)), and this method might be extended to large area uniform coating. Spectroscopic ellipsometric measurements reveal the exact thickness, refractive index and extinction coefficient of the thin films.

}, keywords = {barium strontium titanate, barium titanate, dip coating, fabrication, ferroelectric material, large area coating, nanotechnology, thin film}, issn = {1475-7435}, author = {Saini, Mamta and Vivekanand, K. and Poddar, Pankaj and Murty, K. V. G. K. and Thushara, K. S. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000285413300005, title = {Fabrication of In-doped SnO2 nanowire arrays and its field emission investigations}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Nanoscience}, volume = {5}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {PII 931283663}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The field emission of In-doped SnO2 wire array has been performed in parallel plate diode configuration. A maximum current density of 60 mu A/cm2 is drawn from the emitter at an applied field of 4 V/mu m. The nonlinearity in the Fowler-Nordheim plot, characteristics of semiconductor emitter has been observed and explained on the basis of electron emission from both the conduction and the valence bands. The current stability recorded at a preset value of 1 mu A is observed to be good. The high emission current density, good current stability and mechanically robust nature of the wires offer unprecedented advantages as promising cold cathodes for many potential applications based on field emission.

}, keywords = {cold cathodes, device, Doping, field emission, Nanowires, SnO2}, issn = {1745-8080}, doi = {10.1080/17458081003671683}, author = {Bhise, Ashok B. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sathe, B. and More, Mahendra A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000286862600011, title = {Facile enantioselective synthesis of enantiomerically pure (R)-phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride using the hydrolytic kinetic resolution method}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {21}, number = {23}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2825-2829}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A practical and highly efficient enantioselective synthesis of (R)-phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride has been described for the first time using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution of a terminal epoxide as a key step and source of chirality. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2010.11.011}, author = {Nikalje, Milind D. and Sasikumar, Murugesan and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000277129300005, title = {Facile synthesis of N-substituted maleimides}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {49}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {487-488}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of N-substituted malemides from the corresponding maleamie acids under the phase transfer catalysis has been described

}, keywords = {Maleamic acids, maleimides, phase transfer catalysis, synthesis}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Deshpande, Sunita R. and Maybhate, Shailaja P. and Likhite, Anjali P. and Chaudhary, Preeti M.} } @article { ISI:000273204100059, title = {Flexible microwave absorber based on nickel ferrite nanocomposite}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {489}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {297-303}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Flexible magnetic composite materials were prepared by incorporating precharacterized nickel ferrite nanoparticles in a natural rubber matrix. The complex dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability of the composites were measured at different microwave frequencies using the cavity perturbation technique. A steady increase in dielectric permittivity was observed with increase in filler concentration. Maxwell-Garnett mixture equations were employed to model the effective permittivity and permeability of the composite. Reflection loss was estimated by employing the model of single layer absorber backed with a perfect conductor. Reflection loss minima of -5.9 dB at 3.2 GHz for 12 mm thick rubber ferrite composite sheet is obtained in the S-band while a loss up to -16 dB could be achieved at 9.5 GHz in the X-band. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cavity perturbation, Complex permeability, Complex permittivity, Microwave absorber, Nanocomposites, Nickel ferrite}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.09.077}, author = {Sunny, Vijutha and Kurian, Philip and Mohanan, P. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000272071800042, title = {Flocculation of dimorphic yeast benjaminiella poitrasii is altered by modulation of NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {101}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1393-1395}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A strategy to control flocculation is investigated using dimorphic yeast, Benjaminiella poitrasii as a model. Parent form of this yeast (Y) exhibited faster flocculation (11.1 min) than the monomorphic yeast form mutant Y-5 (12.6 min). Atomic force microscopy revealed higher surface roughness of Y (439.34 rms) than Y-5 (52 rms). Also, the former had a zeta potential of -65.97 +/- 3.45 as against -50.21 +/- 2.49 for the latter. Flocculation of both Y and Y-5 could be altered by supplementing either substrates or inhibitor of NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) in the growth media. The rate of flocculation was promoted by alpha-ketoglutarate or isophthalic acid and decelerated by glutamate with a statistically significant inverse correlation to corresponding NAD-GDH levels. These interesting findings open up new possibilities of using NAD-GDH modulating agents to control flocculation in fermentations for easier downstream processing. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Benjaminiella poitrasii, dimorphism, flocculation, NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2009.09.052}, author = {Joshi, C. V. and Ghormade, Vandana and Kunde, P. and Kulkarni, P. and Mamgain, H. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Paknikar, K. M. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @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:000283453700016, title = {Fowler-nordheim plot behavior and mechanism of field electron emission from ZnO tetrapod structures }, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {4}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5585-5590}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission measurements of current-voltage characteristics are reported for tetrapod structures of ZnO. The nonlinear Fowler-Nordheim (FN) plot is analyzed according to a model of calculation based on saturation of conduction band current and predominance of valence band current at high-field values. The simulated FN plot exhibits similar features to those observed experimentally. The model of calculation suggests that the slope variation of the FN plot, in the high-field and low-field regions, does not depend on the magnitude of saturation. Instead, it is a characteristic of the energy band structure and voltage-to-barrier-field conversion factor of the emitting material.

}, keywords = {field emission, Fowler-Nordheim plot, Nanostructures, nonlinearity, ZnO}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/nn1008403}, author = {Al-Tabbakh, Ahmed A. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000280574600029, title = {Free radical graft copolymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone onto k-carrageenan in aqueous media and applications}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {82}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {424-431}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present article, the graft copolymer of k-carrageenan with N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) has been synthesized using PMS/maleic acid as a redox initiator in aqueous medium and reaction conditions have been optimized to obtain maximum \% grafting ratio (\%G). The optimum conditions of maximum grafting have been found by varying the different parameters. On increasing the concentration of maleic acid and peroxymonosulphate from 1.6 x 10(-3) to 4.8 x 10(-3) mol dm(-3) and 0.6 x 10(-2) to 2.2 x 10(-2) mol dm(-3) respectively, the initially grafting parameters increased and after a certain range of concentration grafting parameters showed decreasing trend. The small increment of concentration in hydrogen ion causes increment in percentage grafting. It was observed that the grafting parameters increase as the concentration of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone increases up to 16 x 10(-2) mol dm(-3) after that it decreased. The optimum condition for maximum grafting has obtained at concentration 1.0 g dm(-3) of k-carrageenan at 40 degrees C and 120 min, respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {flocculation, Graft copolymer, k-Carrageenan, Metal ion uptake, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, swelling}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2010.04.080}, author = {Mishra, Madan Mohan and Sand, Arpit and Mishra, Dinesh Kumar and Yadav, Mithilesh and Behari, Kunj} } @article { ISI:000279843200010, title = {Harnessing structure-activity relationship to engineer a cisplatin nanoparticle for enhanced antitumor efficacy}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {28}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12435-12440}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Cisplatin is a first line chemotherapy for most types of cancer. However, its use is dose-limited due to severe nephrotoxicity. Here we report the rational engineering of a novel nanoplatinate inspired by the mechanisms underlying cisplatin bioactivation. We engineered a novel polymer, glucosamine-functionalized polyisobutylene-maleic acid, where platinum (Pt) can be complexed to the monomeric units using a monocarboxylato and an O {\textendash}\> Pt coordinate bond. We show that at a unique platinum to polymer ratio, this complex self-assembles into a nanoparticle, which releases cisplatin in a pH-dependent manner. The nanoparticles are rapidly internalized into the endolysosomal compartment of cancer cells, and exhibit an IC50 (4.25 + 0.16 mu M) comparable to that of free cisplatin (3.87 +/- 0.37 mu M), and superior to carboplatin (14.75 +/- 0.38 mu M). The nanoparticles exhibited significantly improved antitumor efficacy in terms of tumor growth delay in breast and lung cancers and tumor regression in a K-ras(LSL/+)/Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer model. Furthermore, the nanoparticle treatment resulted in reduced systemic and nephrotoxicity, validated by decreased biodistribution of platinum to the kidney as quantified using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Given the universal need for a better platinate, we anticipate this coupling of nanotechnology and structure-activity relationship to rationally reengineer cisplatin could have a major impact globally in the clinical treatment of cancer.

}, keywords = {cancer, chemotherapy, nanomedicine}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1007026107}, author = {Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Soni, Shivani and Chin, Kenneth T. and Chaudhuri, Padmaparna and Muto, Katherine W. and Berkowitz, Julia and Handlogten, Michael W. and Alves, Nathan J. and Bilgicer, Basar and Dinulescu, Daniela M. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000285772600015, title = {Heterogenized Ru(II) phenanthroline complex for chemoselective hydrogenation of diketones under biphasic aqueous medium}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {333}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {114-120}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The chemoselective hydrogenation of acetylacetone to 4-hydroxypentan-2-one over immobilized ruthenium phenanthroline metal complexes in amino functionalized MCM-41 in biphasic aqueous reaction medium was investigated. The catalyst was characterized by XRD, TEM, surface analysis, FT-IR and UV-vis to understand the morphology, complex geometry, and XPS such that the oxidation state of the metal complex inside the MCM-41 framework could be understood. The use of water as a solvent, not only gives high activity and selectivity for hydrogenation of acetylacetone, but also gives a path for an environmentally safer process. The optimizations of ligand, metal to ligand ratio, the choice of solvent and other reaction parameters were studied in detail. The heterogeneous catalytic system gave a higher degree of chemoselectivity (99\%) towards 4-hydroxypentan-2-one as compared to homogeneous catalyst when hydrogenation was carried out using water as a solvent. The immobilized ruthenium-phenanthroline complex was easily separated and reused. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {4-Hydroxypentan-2-one, acetylacetone, Chemoselective, Diketone, Hydrogenation, Phenanthroline, ruthenium, Water}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2010.10.005}, author = {Deshmukh, Amit A. and Kinage, Anil K. and Kumar, Rajiv and Meijboom, Reinout} } @article { ISI:000281153600066, title = {High current density, low threshold field emission from functionalized carbon nanotube bucky paper}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {97}, number = {7}, year = {2010}, month = {AUG}, pages = {073102}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission studies of bucky paper of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), prepared after microwave (MW) assisted acid functionalization are reported along with a comparison with that of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}as-grown{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} sample. MW treated bucky papers reveal an interesting linear field emission behavior in Fowler-Nordheim plot. The field emission currents at preset value are found to be remarkably stable over a period of more than 3 h sustaining current densities of 4.9 mA/cm(2) and 8.5 mA/cm(2) for {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}as-grown{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} and functionalized sample, respectively. The enhancement in the field emission due to functionalization has been discussed in terms of tip opening and defect induced charge transport caused by intershell and intertubular interaction. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3479049]

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, current density, field emission, fullerenes}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3479049}, author = {Kakade, Bhalchandra A. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J. and Chavan, Padmakar G. and Sheini, Farid J. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000284443200005, title = {Hydrogen evolution by a low cost photocatalyst: bauxite residue}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {35}, number = {20, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10859-10866}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Bauxite residue or red mud which is an aluminium industry waste has been used as a novel low cost photocatalyst active in visible light for the generation of hydrogen from water. The driving force behind the use of bauxite residue as a photocatalyst is not only the fact that it is widely available but also bauxite residue is a fine grained mixture of oxides and hydroxides (Fe(2)O(3), TiO(2), SiO(2), and Al(2)O(3), Al(OH)3). The photocatalyst was characterized with respect to BET-SA, UV-DRS, XRD, SEM and EDX. Hydrogen yield of 4600 mu mol/h/g of TiO(2) was achieved as compared to hydrogen evolution rate of 164 mu mol/h/g of TiO(2) for commercially available titania Degussa P-25. However, the hydrogen evolution was 20.85 mu mol/h/g of photocatalyst. The results suggest that bauxite residue appears to be a novel low cost photocatalyst. The various operating conditions of photocatalytic hydrogen generation were studied which include amount of catalyst, illumination intensity, illumination time, effect of various sacrificial donors etc. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aluminium industry waste, Bauxite residue, Hydrogen generation, Red mud, Sacrificial donors}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.10.075}, author = {Mangrulkar, Priti A. and Joshi, Meenal V. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Labhsetwar, Nitin K. and Rayalu, Sadhana S.} } @article { ISI:000278307300007, title = {Influence of filler size and morphology in controlling the thermal emissivity of aluminium/polymer composites for space applications}, 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 = {40-44}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The paper has addressed the problem of controlling the thermal emissivities from metal/polymer composites prepared by solution method. Aluminium is used as a filler and polystyrene as a polymer-matrix. Aluminium particles, with micrometer and nanometer dimensions having different morphologies, were employed. The values of emissivities were reduced when the coarse grains and flakes of aluminium were used as fillers, whereas, no significant change was observed when nano-aluminium was used in the composite. Dielectric dispersion for the composites was measured and the results are analysed in view of Fresnel relation. The differences in the values of dielectric constants, between the experimentally measured and those which can be predicted theoretically, are thought to arise from the interfacial polarization. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Camouflaging, Composite, dielectric constant, Infra-red, Thermal emissivity}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.11.009}, author = {Babrekar, Harshada A. and Kulkarni, Naveen V. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Mathe, Vikas L. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000272308600054, title = {Influence of palladium on gas-sensing performance of magnesium ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {119}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {319-323}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Commercial ferrites with high densities are mostly used in the electromagnetic devices, which require high temperature synthesis. In this article the gas-sensing characteristics of pure and Pd-doped MgFe(2)O(4) powder has been discussed. The synthesis has been carried out by using a simple molten salt method. This method facilitates rapid synthesis at comparatively lower temperature enabling formation of nanostructures, suitable for the gas-sensing application. Various physicochemical techniques have been used for the characterization of samples. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the single-phase formation of pure and Pd-doped MgFe(2)O(4) having crystallite size 15-20 nm. Pure MgFe(2)O(4) showed highest responses towards liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at 350 degrees C while, on doping with Pd the highest response shifted towards lower operating temperature of similar to 200 degrees C. Pure MgFe(2)O(4) exhibited some response towards 200 ppm of LPG which markedly increased on doping of palladium (Pd). The probable mechanism is proposed to explain the selective response towards LPG. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Doping, Ferrite, LPG sensor, Molten salt synthesis, Nanostructures}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.09.004}, author = {Darshane, Sonali L. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000281054300011, title = {Interaction of recombinant CanPIs with helicoverpa armigera gut proteases reveals their processing patterns, stability and efficiency}, journal = {Proteomics}, volume = {10}, number = {15}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2845-2857}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Six diverse representative Capsicum annuum (common name: hot pepper; Solanaceae) protease inhibitor genes, viz CanPI-5, -7, -13, -15, -19, and 22 comprising 1-4 inhibitory repeat domains (IRDs), were cloned and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The recombinant proteins were evaluated for their interactions with bovine trypsin, chymotrypsin, and Helicoverpa armigera gut proteases (HGP) using electrophoretic (native and denaturing) and mass spectrometric (MALDI-TOF-MS in combination with intensity fading assays) techniques. These techniques allow qualitative and semiquantitative analysis of multiple and processed IRDs of purified recombinant Capsicum annuum proteinase inhibitor (rCanPI) proteins. rCanPIs showed over 90\% trypsin inhibition, varying chymotrypsin inhibition depending on the number of respective IRDs and over 60\% inhibition of total HGP. rCanPI-15 that has only one IRD showed exceptionally low inhibition of these proteases. Interaction studies of rCanPIs with proteases using intensity fading-MALDI-TOF-MS revealed gradual processing of multi-IRD rCanPIs into single IRD forms by the action of HGP at the linker region, unlike their interactions with trypsin and chymotrypsin. Intensity fading-MALDI-TOF-MS assay showed that CanPI-13 and -15, possessing single IRD and expressed predominantly in stem tissue are degraded by HGP; indicating their function other than defense. In vitro and in vivo studies on rCanPI-5 and -7 showed maximum inhibition of HGP isoforms and their processed IRDs were also found to be stable in the presence of HGP. Even single amino acid variations in IRDs were found to change the HGP specificity like in the case of HGP-8 inhibited only by IRD-12. The presence of active PI in insect gut might be responsible for changed HGP profile. rCanPI-5 and -7 enhanced HGP-7, reduced HGP-4, -5, -10 expression and new protease isoforms were induced. These results signify isoform complexity in plant PIs and insect proteases.

}, keywords = {CanPI, H. armigera gut proteases, Intensity fading MALDI-TOF-MS, Pin-II, Plant proteomics, Plant-insect interaction}, issn = {1615-9853}, doi = {10.1002/pmic.200900853}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Khandelwal, Neha and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000274449000021, title = {Intramolecular hydrogen abstraction in radicals derived from inositol 1,3-acetals: efficient access to cyclitols}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {755-764}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The benzylidene acetals obtained by cleavage of the orthobenzoate moiety in myo-mositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate were used to prepare mono- as well as di-deoxy inositol derivatives via their xanthates. The dideoxygenation is a result of intramolecular abstraction of the benzylidene acetal hydrogen and subsequent cleavage of the acetal ring. Such a cleavage does not take place in analogous acetals derived from other orthoesters. The 1,3-acetals derived from myoinositol 1,3,5-orthoesters were also used to prepare neo-inositol and isomeric deoxy-amino inositols, Most of the reactions in these synthetic sequences starting from myo-inositol give one product in each step. The results presented here show that myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthobenzoate offers many advantages over other orthoesters for the synthesis of cyclitol derivatives from myo-inositol.

}, keywords = {cyclitols, Deoxygenation, Inosamine, Inositol, Radical reactions, Radicals, Xanthate}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.200901156}, author = {Murali, Chebrolu and Gurale, Bharat P. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000277159800001, title = {Irreverence and Indian science}, journal = {Science}, volume = {328}, number = {5978}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {547}, publisher = {AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE}, address = {1200 NEW YORK AVE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 USA}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.1191057}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article {42748, title = {Large-bite bisphosphite, 1,3-C6H4{OPOC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}2: synthesis, copper(I), and gold(I) complexes}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {695}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {981{\textendash}986}, abstract = {

Large-bite bisphosphite ligand 1,3-C6H4{OPOC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}2 (3), is obtained by reacting chlorophosphonite {OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O}PCl (2) with resorcinol in the presence of triethylamine. Treatment of 3 with CuCl in 1:1 molar ratio produces a 1D-coordination polymer [CuCl{({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC6H4O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}-κP,κP]$\infty$ (4) in good yield. Similar reaction of 3 with two equivalents of AuCl(SMe2) affords a dinuclear complex, [Au2Cl2{({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC6H4O{\textendash})P({\textendash}OC10H6(μ-S)C10H6O{\textendash})}-κP,κP] (5). Single crystal X-ray structures of the ligand 3 and the complexes 4 and 5 are reported. The gold complex 5 shows dimeric structure supported by strong Au{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}Au aurophilic interactions.

}, author = {Balakrishna, Maravanji S. and Kumar, Pawan and Punji, Benudhar and Mague, Joel T.} } @article { ISI:000288651100012, title = {Lipase of aspergillus niger NCIM 1207: a potential biocatalyst for synthesis of isoamyl acetate}, journal = {Indian Journal of Microbiology}, volume = {50}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {432-437}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Commercial lipase preparations and mycelium bound lipase from Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207 were used for esterification of acetic acid with isoamyl alcohol to obtain isoamyl acetate. The esterification reaction was carried out at 30 degrees C in n-hexane with shaking at 120 rpm. Initial reaction rates, conversion efficiency and isoamyl acetate concentration obtained using Novozyme 435 were the highest. Mycelium bound lipase of A. niger NCIM 1207 produced maximal isoamyl acetate formation at an alcohol/acid ratio of 1.6. Acetic acid at higher concentrations than required for the critical alcohol/acid ratio lower than 1.3 and higher than 1.6 resulted in decreased yields of isoamyl acetate probably owing to lowering of micro-aqueous environmental pH around the enzyme leading to inhibition of enzyme activity. Mycelium bound A. niger lipase produced 80 g/l of isoamyl acetate within 96 h even though extremely less amount of enzyme activity was used for esterification. The presence of sodium sulphate during esterification reaction at higher substrate concentration resulted in increased conversion efficiency when we used mycelium bound enzyme preparations of A. niger NCIM 1207. This could be due to removal of excess water released during esterification reaction by sodium sulphate. High ester concentration (286.5 g/l) and conversion (73.5\%) were obtained within 24 h using Novozyme 435 under these conditions.

}, keywords = {Aspergillus niger NCIM 1207, Fusel oil, Isoamyl acetate formation, Mycelium bound lipase, Novozyme 435}, issn = {0046-8991}, doi = {10.1007/s12088-011-0087-4}, author = {Mhetras, Nutan and Patil, Sonal and Gokhale, Digambar V.} } @article { ISI:000281683900009, title = {Liquid-liquid extraction and recovery of gallium(III) from acid media with 2-octylaminopyridine in chloroform: analysis of bauxite ore}, journal = {Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society}, volume = {75}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {Apr}, pages = {1099-1113}, publisher = {SERBIAN CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {KARNEGIJEVA 4, 11 120 BELGRADE, SERBIA}, abstract = {

The liquid liquid extraction of gallium(III) from hydrochloric acid solution using 2-octylaminopyridine (2-OAP) in chloroform was investigated. The extraction of gallium(III) from 6.0-9.0 mol dm(-3) hydrochloric acid was found to be quantitative using 0.033 mol dm-3 2-OAP in chloroform. The effect of the reagent concentration and other parameters on the extraction of gallium(111) was also studied. The stoichiometry of the extracted species of gallium(In) was determined based on the slope analysis method. The extraction reaction proceeded via the anion exchange mechanism from hydrochloric acid and the extracted species was [RR{\textquoteright}NH(2)(+)GaCl(4)(-)](org). The extraction of gallium(III) was performed in the presence of various ions to ascertain the tolerance limit to individual ions. The temperature dependence of the extraction equilibrium constants was examined to estimate the apparent thermodynamic functions (Delta H, Delta S and Delta G) for the extraction reaction. Gallium(III) was successfully separated from commonly associated metal ions, such as Zn(II), Pb(II), Cd(II), Hg(II), Bi(III), Al(III), Se(IV), Sb(III), Sn(IV), In(III), TI(I) and TI(III). However, gallium(III) was separated from Fe(III) from weak organic acid media. The procedure was also extended to the determination of gallium(III) in bauxite ore by the standard addition method.

}, keywords = {2-OAP, gallium(III), liquid-liquid extraction, recovery of gallium from bauxite}, issn = {0352-5139}, doi = {10.2298/JSC090630072M}, author = {Mahamuni, Sandip V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Anuse, Mansing A.} } @article { ISI:000273689600061, title = {Magnetic and dielectric properties and Raman spectroscopy of GdCrO3 nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {107}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {013912}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The rare earth orthochromites are extremely interesting due to the richness of their optical, dielectric, and magnetic properties as well as due to their multiferroic properties which make them suitable materials to study in the nanoregime. However, the wet-chemical synthesis of these materials in nanosize is nontrivial. Here, we report for the first time, the detailed Raman spectra as well as magnetic and dielectric properties of chemically synthesized GdCrO3 nanoparticles of size ranging from 40 to 60 nm. The magnetic properties are dictated by competing Cr3+-Cr3+, Gd3+-Cr3+, and Gd3+-Gd3+ superexchange interactions in different temperature regions, resulting into an antiferromagnetic ordering at 167 K due to the Cr3+-Cr3+ followed by weak ferromagnetic ordering due to the onset of Cr3+-Gd3+ interactions. At lower temperature, it shows weak antiferromagnetic ordering due to Gd3+-Gd3+ interaction. Below 95 K, GdCrO3 nanoparticles showed the presence of negative magnetization due to Gd3+ and Cr3+ interactions resulting into weak ferromagnetic coupling. The Raman spectroscopy shows the characteristic Raman shifts indicating that below 450 cm(-1), Gd3+ ions play a dominant role in determining the phonon frequencies of GdCrO3, and above 450 cm(-1), the Cr+3 ions dominate. We also present for the first time the low temperature dielectric constant and loss tangent data for GdCrO3 in a broad temperature and frequency range. The dielectric constant shows a decrease in comparison to the bulk values due to the size dependent effects. It also shows a peak centered at around 320 K above which it shows a sharp decrease. The dielectric loss value in GdCrO3 nanoparticles is quite small and shows an interesting frequency dependent anomaly at lower temperature which might be due to the coupling between magnetic and dielectric order parameters.

}, keywords = {dielectric losses, gadolinium compounds, Magnetisation, Multiferroics, nanofabrication, Nanoparticles, permittivity, phonons, Raman spectra, superexchange interactions}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3275926}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Vivekanand, K. and Maity, Tuhin and Abraham, Priya Mary and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000278305600001, title = {Magnetic, dielectric and complex impedance spectroscopic studies of nanocrystalline Cr substituted Li-ferrite}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {322}, number = {18}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2629-2633}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline Li0.5Fe2.5-xCrxO4 (2.5 \<= x \>= 0) ferrites were prepared by a sol-gel autocombustion route. X-ray diffraction was employed to confirm the cubic spinel phase formation of the ferrites. The lattice parameter decreases with increase in Cr content. The saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanance were studied as a function of Cr content. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were measured as a function of frequency in the frequency range 20 Hz-1 MHz. Frequency dependence of dielectric constant shows dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. In order to understand the conduction mechanism, complex impedance measurements were carried out. The substitution of chromium plays an important role in changing the dielectric and magnetic properties of lithium ferrites. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Complex impedance, dielectric response, Ferrites, Magnetic hysteresis, Sol-gel synthesis, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2010.03.005}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Patil, R. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Garadkar, K. M. and Sasikala, R. and Tripathi, A. K. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000284743900017, title = {Model study of effect of M = Li+, Na+, Be2+, Mg2+, and Al3+ ion decoration on hydrogen adsorption of metal-organic framework-5}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {35}, number = {23, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12846-12857}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of light metal ion decoration of the organic linker in metal organic framework MOF 5 on its hydrogen adsorption with respect to its hydrogen binding energy (Delta B E) and gravimetric storage capacity is examined theoretically by employing models of the form MC6H6 nH(2) where M = Li+ Na+ Be2+ Mg2+ and Al3+ A systematic investigation of the suitability of DFT functionals for studying such systems is also carried out Our results show that the interaction energy (Delta E) of the metal ion M with the benzene ring Delta B E and charge transfer (Q(trans)) from the metal to benzene ring exhibit the same increasing order Na+ \< Li+ \< Mg2+ \< Be2+ \< Al3+ Organic hnker decoration with the above metal ions strengthened H-2 MOF 5 interactions relative to its pure state However amongst these ions only Mg2+ ion resulted in Delta B E magnitudes that were optimal for allowing room temperature hydrogen storage applications of MOF 5 A much higher gravimetric storage capacity (6 15 wt \% H-2) is also predicted for Mg2+ decorated MOF 5 as compared to both pure MOF 5 and Li+ decorated MOF (C) 2010 Professor T Nejat Veziroglu Published by Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

}, keywords = {Binding energy, Hydrogen adsorption, Hydrogen storage, Metal organic frameworks}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.08.054}, author = {Maark, Tuhina Adit and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000275755500010, title = {Monitoring structural defects and crystallinity of carbon nanotubes in thin films}, journal = {Pramana-Journal of Physics}, volume = {74}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {447-455}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

We report the influence of catalyst formulation and reaction temperature on the formation of carbon nanotube (CNT) thin films by the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method. Thin films of CNTs were grown on Fe-Mo/Al(2)O(3)-coated silicon wafer by thermal decomposition of methane at different temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000A degrees C. The electron microscopic investigations, SEM as well as HRTEM, of the as-grown CNT thin films revealed the growth of uniform multi-walled CNTs in abundance. The intensity ratio of D-band to G-band and FWHM of G-band through Raman measurements clearly indicated the dependency of structural defects and crystallinity of CNTs in thin films on the catalyst formulation and CVD growth temperature. The results suggest that thin films of multi-walled CNTs with negligible amount of defects in the nanotube structure and very high crystallinity can be obtained by thermal CVD process at 925A degrees C.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, chemical vapour deposition, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Thin films}, issn = {0304-4289}, doi = {10.1007/s12043-010-0040-9}, author = {Mahajan, S. S. and Bambole, M. D. and Gokhale, S. P. and Gaikwad, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000277529700013, title = {NO reduction under diesel exhaust conditions over Au/Al2O3 prepared by deposition-precipitation method}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {322}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {90-97}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Gold supported on alumina was prepared by urea deposition-precipitation method and compared to silver supported on alumina for the selective catalytic reduction of NO by hydrocarbons under lean conditions. The catalyst showed activity in the reduction of NO and 100\% selectivity towards N-2 in the temperature range 300-350 degrees C. At higher temperature the NO conversion decreased due to competitive oxidative reactions of the reductants. XPS analysis confirmed the good stability of gold nanoparticles deposited on alumina. Infrared studies showed the formation of various adsorbed species (formates, carboxylates, ad-NOx and cyanide) on the catalyst surface. Addition of H-2 to the feed containing decane enhanced the formation of these species on the catalyst surface as well as the catalytic activity for the NO conversion to N-2. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Deposition-precipitation, Gold, In situ IR, NO reduction, XPS}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2010.02.024}, author = {Miguel, P. and Granger, P. and Jagtap, Neelam and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Dongare, Mohan K. and Dujardin, Christophe} } @article { ISI:000277449500003, title = {Novel addition-fragmentation agent in cationic photopolymerization}, journal = {Polymer Bulletin}, volume = {65}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {25-34}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The aim of present study is to examine the photo-initiation efficiency of N,N-dimethylacrylamide-based allylic ammonium salt as one component addition-fragmentation agent (cationic photoinitiator cum radical source) in free radical accelerated cationic polymerization. Novel addition-fragmentation agent (AFA), 2-(N,N-dimethylcarboxy-3-propenyl)(phenylcarbonyl-4-phenylene) dimethyl ammonium hexafluoroantimonate (DMPDA) was synthesized as cationic photoinitiator and its initiation efficiency was examined in polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO), isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE), and n-butyl vinyl ether (n-BVE) in CH(2)Cl(2) solvent at wavelength lambda \> 290 nm. The rate of polymerization increases with the increase in initiator concentration and reaction time. The results demonstrate that DMPDA acts as an efficient photoinitiator (AFA) without use of radical source in free radical accelerated cationic polymerization.

}, keywords = {Addition-fragmentation agent, Ammonium salt, Benzophenone, Cationic polymerization, Onium salt, Photopolymerization}, issn = {0170-0839}, doi = {10.1007/s00289-009-0182-4}, author = {Gupta, Mukesh Kumar and Mehare, Rupali S. and Singh, Raj Pal} } @article { ISI:000275434800071, title = {Novel poly(amide-hydrazide)s and copoly(amide-hydrazide)s from Bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide and aromatic diacid chlorides: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {116}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2441-2450}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS INC}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN, NJ 07030 USA}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diamine, viz., bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide (BABH), which contains preformed hydrazide and methylene linkage, was synthesized starting from alpha-tolunitrile. The BABH and intermediates involved in its synthesis were characterized by spectroscopic methods. Novel poly(amide-hydrazide)s were synthesized by low temperature solution polycondensation of BABH with isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) and terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). Furthermore, two series of copoly(amide-hydrazide)s, based on different mol \% of BABH and bis-(4-aminophenyl) ether (ODA) with IPC/TPC were also synthesized. Poly(amidehydrazide)s and copoly(amide-hydrazide)s were characterized by inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], FTIR, solubility, X-ray diffraction (MUD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The polycondensation proceeded smoothy and afforded the polymers with inherent viscosities in the range of 0.18-093 dL/g in (NMP + 4\% LiCl) at 30 degrees C +/- 0.1 degrees C. These polymers dissolved in DMAc, NMP or DMSO containing LiCl. The solubility of copolymers was considerably improved in line with less crystalline nature due to random placement of constituent monomers during the copolymerization. XRD data indicated that poly(amide-hydrazide)s from BABH alone and IPC/TPC had higher crystallinity than the corresponding copoly(amide-hydrazide)s derived from a mixture of BABH and bis-(4-aminophenyl) ether (ODA). Polymers showed initial weight loss around 160 degrees C which is attributed to the cyclodehydration leading to the formation of corresponding poly(amide-oxadiazole)s. Copolyamide-hydrazides showed, T(max) between 400 and 540 degrees C which is essentially the decomposition of poly(amide-oxadiazole)s. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J App Polym Sci 116: 2441-2450, 2010

}, keywords = {bis-(4-aminobenzyl) hydrazide, poly(amide-hydrazide), structure-property relations, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), x-ray diffractograms}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.31849}, author = {Medhi, M. and Patil, A. S. and Halhalli, Mahadeo R. and Choubey, A. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000275045600020, title = {Observation of photoconductivity in Sn-doped ZnO nanowires and their photoenhanced field emission behavior}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3843-3849}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sn-doped ZnO nanowire films have been Successfully synthesized by electrodeposition oil zinc foil followed by annealing in air at 400 degrees C for 4 h. The XRD patterns of the annealed specimens exhibit I set of well-defined diffraction peaks indexed to the wurtzite phase of ZnO. The Surface morphology of the as-synthesized films showed a network of densely packed flakes/sheets oil the Substrate. However, upon annealing, the formation of ZnO nanowires, processing length in the range of several micrometers and diameter less than 150 nm, oil the entire substrate is observed. The relative atomic percentage of Sri, estimated from the energy dispersive spectra, was found to be 0.5 and 2.0 in the ZnO films deposited for 10 and 40 min durations, respectively. Front the field emission studies, the Values of the turn-on field and threshold field, required to draw emission Current density of 10 and 100 mu A/cm(2), are observed to be 0.68 and 1.1 V/mu m for 0.5\% Sn-doped ZnO and 1.72 and 2.25 V/mu m for 2.0\% Sn-doped ZnO, respectively. The field emission Current stability investigated for a duration Of h at the preset value of 100 mu A is found to be excellent. A prominent photoenhancement in the field emission Current upon visible light illumination of the Sn-doped ZnO nanowires films has been observed. This enhancement has been attributed to the photoconductivity of the Sn-doped ZnO.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp911080f}, author = {Sheini, Farid Jamali and More, Mahendra A. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Patil, K. R. and Pillai, Vijaymohanan K. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000275170800011, title = {One-pot synthesis of oleic acid-capped cadmium chalcogenides (CdE: E = Se, Te) nano-crystals}, journal = {Journal of Nanoparticle Research}, volume = {12}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101-109}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Surface-capped CdSe and CdTe nano-crystals (NCs) have been synthesized using cadmium acetate, oleic acid and respective tri-octylphosphine chalcogenide (TOPE; E = Se/Te) in diphenyl ether (DPE). Well-dispersed CdSe particles showed two absorption bands at the region of 431-34 and 458-60 nm in optical absorption study. A band-edge emission resulted at 515 nm with an excitation energy of 400 nm, in its photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. Similarly, UV-visible absorption study of CdTe revealed an absorption band at \< 700 nm. The broadened X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern showed that at higher reaction temperature cubic CdSe but hexagonal CdTe can be obtained with crystallite size of \< 10 nm. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that agglomerated particles are of spherical nature. The inter-planar spacing in CdTe was measured to be 0.406 nm, a characteristic of (100) lattice plane in hexagonal CdTe. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that CdSe NCs have better air stability stable than CdTe. Presence of organic moiety around the semiconductor particles was confirmed by infrared (IR) spectroscopy.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, photoluminescence, Semiconductors, Surface capping}, issn = {1388-0764}, doi = {10.1007/s11051-008-9581-y}, author = {Khanna, P. K. and Rao, K. Srinivasa and Patil, K. R. and Singh, V. N. and Mehta, B. R.} } @article { ISI:000277768000019, title = {Poly(amideimide)s containing pendant pentadecyl chains: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {95}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {837-844}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diacylhydrazide monomer viz., 4-[4{\textquoteright}-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2- pentadecylbenzo-hydrazide was synthesized starting from cardanol, which in turn is obtainable from cashew nut shell liquid a renewable resource material. A series of new poly(amideimide)s containing flexibilizing ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains was synthesized from 4-[4{\textquoteright}-(hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2-pentade-cylbenzohydrazide and commercially available aromatic dianhydrides, viz., benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, benzophenone-3,3{\textquoteright},4,4{\textquoteright}-tetracarboxylic dianhydride, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydiphthalic anhydride and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoro isopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride by a two-step solution polycondensation in N,N-dimethylacetamide via the poly(hydrazide acid) intermediate. Inherent viscosities of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 0.60-0.64 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. Poly(amideimide)s could be solution cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solutions. The solubility of poly(amideimide)s was significantly improved by incorporation of pendant pentadecyl chains and were found to be soluble in N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, pyridine and m-cresol at room temperature or upon heating. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns of poly(amideimide)s revealed a broad halo at around 2 theta = similar to 19 degrees suggesting that polymers were amorphous in nature. In the small-angle region, diffuse to sharp reflections of a typically layered structure resulting from the packing of pentadecyl side chains were observed. The temperature at 10\% weight loss (T(10)), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of poly(amideimide)s was in the range of 388-410 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. Glass transition temperatures of poly(amideimide)s were in the range 162-198 degrees C. It was observed that the plasticization effect of attached pentadecyl side chains induced the depression of T(g). (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cardanol, Cashew nut shell liquid, Pentadecyl chains, Plasticization, Poly(amideimide)s, thermal stability}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2010.01.030}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Patil, Anandrao S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000283759400011, title = {Polyethersulfone-expanded graphite nanocomposites: charge transport and impedance characteristics}, journal = {Composites Science and Technology}, volume = {70}, number = {14}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV0}, pages = {2111-2116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polyethersulfone (PES)-expanded graphite nanocomposites have been prepared by solution blending route after sonicating expanded graphite in dichloromethane. It has been observed that ultrasonication results in nanosheets formation leading to a low percolation threshold of 3 wt.\%. At 5 wt.\% filler loading the conductivity is of the order of 10(-2) S/cm. Hopping type of charge transport occurs at 3.2 wt.\% expanded graphite in PES below which capacitive effects couple. The effective dielectric constant at low frequency increases with filler concentration. Impedance measurement has been carried out to evaluate interfacial capacitance which, for 3.2 wt.\% expanded graphite addition in PES, increases to 110 pF from 32 pF for 1 wt.\% expanded graphite in the polymer. DSC analysis shows an increment of 12 C in the T(g) of PES with 3 wt.\% expanded graphite suggesting interaction between the polymer and filler. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Electrical properties, Modeling, Polymers, Scanning/transmission electron microscopy (STEM)}, issn = {0266-3538}, doi = {10.1016/j.compscitech.2010.08.008}, author = {Ramanujam, B. T. S. and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Radhakrishnan, S.} } @article { ISI:000288092200005, title = {Preparation and characterization of bioceramic nanocomposites based on hydroxyapatite (HA) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)}, journal = {Macromolecular Research}, volume = {18}, number = {12}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1160-1167}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of biomimetic nanocomposites based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles via a co-precipitation method. Physico-chemical characterization was performed before and after calcination by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, solid state (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The formation of nanocomposites was observed by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The spectral and crystallographic data indicated the formation of hydroxyapatite in the presence of CMC. They were observed as aggregates of HA nanoparticles and CMC, whose sizes were approximately similar to 260 +/- 40 nm. The crystallite size of the hydroxyapatite particles decreased (with 2 wt\% 18 +/- 3 nm) with increasing CMC content. The morphological aspects of the calcined samples revealed the sintering ability of HA nanoparticles. Nanocomposites of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles that mimic the process of nucleation and growth in nature can be prepared using biomacromolecules such as CMC.

}, keywords = {biopolymer, cellulose, hydroxyapatite, Nanoparticles, Particle size, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {1598-5032}, doi = {10.1007/s13233-010-1208-3}, author = {Kumar, Annamalai Pratheep and Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Alariqi, Sameh A. S. and Singh, Raj Pal} } @article { ISI:000279139400020, title = {Preparation and characterization of CuInSe2 thin films by chemical bath deposition technique}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {500}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {78-81}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Copper indium diselenide (CIS) thin films have been deposited using a precursor solution containing copper sulphate, indium trichoride, hydrazine hydrate and sodium selenosulphate in an aqueous alkaline medium at room temperature. The as grown brown colored films were found to be well adherent to glass substrates. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, optical absorption, electrical resistivity, and thermo electric measurement techniques. The analysis of optical absorption data shows band-gap energy (E-g) to be 1.1 eV. The electrical resistivity of the thin film was found to be of the order of 10(2) (Omega cm). Thermoelectric power measurement shows n-type conduction. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {CuInSe2, Optical properties, Thin films, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.03.215}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Rathod, K. C. and Chate, P. A. and Jadhav, A. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000282507400010, title = {Purification and characterization of two distinct acidic phytases with broad pH stability from aspergillus niger NCIM 563}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {26}, number = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2009-2018}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Aspergillus niger NCIM 563 produced two different extracellular phytases (Phy I and Phy II) under submerged fermentation conditions at 30A degrees C in medium containing dextrin-glucose-sodium nitrate-salts. Both the enzymes were purified to homogeneity using Rotavapor concentration, Phenyl-Sepharose column chromatography and Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration. The molecular mass of Phy I and II as determined by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration were 66, 264, 150 and 148 kDa respectively, indicating that Phy I consists of four identical subunits and Phy II is a monomer. The pI values of Phy I and II were 3.55 and 3.91, respectively. Phy I was highly acidic with optimum pH of 2.5 and was stable over a broad pH range (1.5-9.0) while Phy II showed a pH optimum of 5.0 with stability in the range of pH 3.5-9.0. Phy I exhibited very broad substrate specificity while Phy II was more specific for sodium phytate. Similarly Phy II was strongly inhibited by Ag(+), Hg(2+) (1 mM) metal ions and Phy I was partially inhibited. Peptide analysis by Mass Spectrometry (MS) MALDI-TOF also indicated that both the proteins were totally different. The K (m) for Phy I and II for sodium phytate was 2.01 and 0.145 mM while V (max) was 5,018 and 1,671 mu mol min(-1) mg(-1), respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of Phy I and Phy II were FSYGAAIPQQ and GVDERFPYTG, respectively. Phy II showed no homology with Phy I and any other known phytases from the literature suggesting its unique nature. This, according to us, is the first report of two distinct novel phytases from Aspergillus niger.

}, keywords = {Aspergillus niger, Phytase, Phytate, Poultry feed, Purification}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-010-0385-8}, author = {Soni, S. K. and Magdum, A. and Khire, Jayant Malhar} } @article { ISI:000277643500009, title = {QTL mapping of multiple foliar disease and root-lesion nematode resistances in wheat}, journal = {Molecular Breeding}, volume = {26}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {107-124}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A genetic linkage map, based on a cross between the synthetic hexaploid CPI133872 and the bread wheat cultivar Janz, was established using 111 F(1)-derived doubled haploid lines. The population was phenotyped in multiple years and/or locations for seven disease resistance traits, namely, Septoria tritici blotch (Mycosphaeralla graminicola), yellow leaf spot also known as tan spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis), stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici), leaf rust (Puccinia triticina), stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici) and two species of root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchyus thornei and P. neglectus). The DH population was also scored for coleoptile colour and the presence of the seedling leaf rust resistance gene Lr24. Implementation of a multiple-QTL model identified a tightly linked cluster of foliar disease resistance QTL in chromosome 3DL. Major QTL each for resistance to Septoria tritici blotch and yellow leaf spot were contributed by the synthetic hexaploid parent CPI133872 and linked in repulsion with the coincident Lr24/Sr24 locus carried by parent Janz. This is the first report of linked QTL for Septoria tritici blotch and yellow leaf spot contributed by the same parent. Additional QTL for yellow leaf spot were detected in 5AS and 5BL. Consistent QTL for stripe rust resistance were identified in chromosomes 1BL, 4BL and 7DS, with the QTL in 7DS corresponding to the Yr18/Lr34 region. Three major QTL for P. thornei resistance (2BS, 6DS, 6DL) and two for P. neglectus resistance (2BS, 6DS) were detected. The recombinants combining resistance to Septoria tritici blotch, yellow leaf spot, rust diseases and root-lesion nematodes from parents CPI133872 and Janz constitute valuable germplasm for the transfer of multiple disease resistance into new wheat cultivars.

}, keywords = {Pratylenchyus spp, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, Rust diseases, Septoria tritici blotch, Synthetic hexaploid wheat, Triticum aestivum}, issn = {1380-3743}, doi = {10.1007/s11032-009-9381-9}, author = {Rebecca S. Zwart and Thompson, J. P. and Milgate, A. W. and Bansal, Urmil K. and Williamson, P. M. and Raman, H. and Bariana, Harbans S.} } @article { ISI:000278725100023, title = {Renewable H-2 from glycerol steam reforming: effect of La2O3 and CeO2 addition to Pt/Al2O3 catalysts.}, journal = {Chemsuschem}, volume = {3}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {619-628}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Glycerol is the main byproduct of biodiesel production and its increased production volume derives from the increasing demand for biofuels. The conversion of glycerol to hydrogen-rich mixtures presents an attractive route towards sustainable biodiesel production. Here we explored the use of Pt/Al2O3-based catalysts for the catalytic steam reforming of glycerol, evidencing the influence of La2O3 and CeO2 doping on the catalyst activity and selectivity. The addition of the latter metal oxides to a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst is found to significantly improve the glycerol steam reforming, with high H-2 and CO2 selectivities. A good catalytic stability is achieved for the Pt/La2O3/Al2O3 system working at 350 degrees C, while the Pt/CeO2/Al2O3 catalyst sharply deactivates after 20 h under similar conditions. Studies carried out on fresh and exhausted catalysts reveal that both systems maintain high surface areas and high Pt dispersions. Therefore, the observed catalyst deactivation can be attributed to coke deposition on the active sites throughout the catalytic process and only marginally to Pt nanoparticle sintering. This work suggests that an appropriate support composition is mandatory for preparing high-performance Pt-based catalysts for the sustainable conversion of glycerol into syngas.

}, keywords = {biofuels, Glycerol, heterogeneous catalysis, platinum, supported catalysts}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.200900243}, author = {Montini, Tiziano and Singh, Rakesh and Das, Piyali and Lorenzut, Barbara and Bertero, Nicolas and Riello, Pietro and Benedetti, Alvise and Giambastiani, Giuliano and Bianchini, Claudio and Zinoviev, Sergey and Miertus, Stanislav and Fornasiero, Paolo} } @article { ISI:000284454600041, title = {Ru(II) phenanthroline complex as catalyst for chemoselective hydrogenation of nitro-aryls in a green process}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {49}, number = {23}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12180-12184}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ru(II) Phenanthroline [Ru(II)(Phen)(n) where n = 1,2,3] complexes were used as highly chemoselective catalysts for hydrogenation of nitro aryls using molecular hydrogen in an aqueous media. Water, universal solvent, was used as a reaction mixture for hydrogenation of nitro-aryls to make the process green. The chemoselectivity in hydrogenation of substituted nitrobenzene to substituted aniline was obtained as high as \>99\% at about complete conversion of substituted nitrobenzene. The parametric effects, including effect of solvent, effect of ligand, effect of metal to ligand ratio, effect of temperature and pressure, were studied in detail to obtain the best results. The Ru(Phen)(n) was characterized by FTIR, UV-vis, and XPS.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie1015969}, author = {Deshmukh, Amit A. and Prashar, Atul K. and Kinage, Anil K. and Kumar, Rajiv and Meijboom, Reinout} } @article { ISI:000282871600015, title = {Selective CO2 and H-2 adsorption in a chiral magnesium-based metal organic framework (Mg-MOF) with open metal sites}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {20}, number = {41}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9073-9080}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A rare porous magnesium-based metal-organic framework, Mg-MOF-1 [Mg(3,5-PDC)(H2O)], was synthesized solvothermally in DMF. Structural determination by X-ray single-crystal diffraction technique reveals that this chiral MOF (space group P6(1)22) is constructed by helical assembly of Mg2+ ions with achiral 3,5-pyridine dicarboxylates and coordinating water molecules, to form a three-dimensional framework with parallel hexagonal channels. The structural detail of its 0D analogue Mg-MOF-2 [Mg(2,4-PDC)(H2O)(3)] has been discussed to show how subtle variation in the ligand architecture changes the resulting structure from 0D to 3D. Mg-MOF-1 remains robust and porous upon evacuation of the coordinating water molecules. This is the first report of a chiral hexagonal Mg-MOF synthesized from an achiral organic building unit. Open Mg metal sites show selective hydrogen (H-2) adsorption (ca. 0.8 wt\% at 77 K) and carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake (ca. 0.7 mmol g(-1) at 298 K) over nitrogen at 1 atm. Ab initio quantum chemical calculation of adsorption energies and possible adsorption sites of hydrogen molecules are also reported.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm01125h}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Saha, Subhadeep and Pachfule, Pradip and Roy, Sudip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000284494800013, title = {Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol: comparison of batch and continuous process operations}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {14}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1393-1400}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The screening of copper chromite catalysts with various promoters such as Al, Zn, and Ba for glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) in a batch reaction showed that Cu-Cr (Ba) catalyst gave the highest conversion of 34\% and selectivity of 84\% to 1,2-PDO. In a continuous operation (23 g catalyst bed) the same catalyst showed higher conversion of glycerol and selectivity for 1,2-PDO of 65\% and \> 90\%, respectively, with an on-stream activity of similar to 800 h. Better performance in a continuous operation could be due to the in situ activation of the catalyst, suppression of glycerol cracking to ethylene glycol, as well as excessive hydrogenation of 1,2-PDO to 2-propanol due to lower contact time of 1.3 h as compared to that in a batch operation (5 h). Effects of various process parameters on conversion and selectivity also have been compared for batch and continuous operations.

}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/op1001897}, author = {Rode, Chandrashekhar V and Ghalwadkar, Ajay A. and Mane, R. B. and Hengne, Amol M. and Jadkar, Sachin T. and Biradar, Narayan S.} } @article { ISI:000277738400017, title = {Simple and efficient synthesis of 2-Aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones using silica chloride as a new catalyst under solvent-free conditions}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {40}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {PII 921000023}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

A mild, efficient, and high-yielding method for the synthesis of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones from their corresponding 2-amino chalcones using silica chloride (SiO2Cl) under solvent-free conditions is described. A series of 2-aryl-2,3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones containing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing substituents were synthesized.

}, keywords = {2-Amino chalcones, 2-aryl-2, 3-dihydroquinolin-4(1H)-ones, Microwave, silica chloride}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397910903097252}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Mujahid, Mohammad and Punitharasu, V. and Dnyaneshwar, D. A.} } @article { ISI:000281175500059, title = {Simple chemical co-precipitation/calcination route for the synthesis of simulated synroc-B and synroc-C powders}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {123}, number = {2-3}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {695-699}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A simple chemical co-precipitation/calcination route was developed for the synthesis of simulated synroc-B and synroc-C powders using mostly nitrate salts as starting chemicals and 20\% ammonia solution as precipitant. In this route, a mixed solution containing Al-nitrate, Ca-nitrate, Ba-nitrate, zirconyl nitrate and titanyl nitrate in the molar proportion required for synroc-B is added to dilute ammonia solution to precipitate these cations in the form of their hydroxides at room temperature by maintaining pH approximate to 10.5 during precipitation. Formation of a major fluorite phase with minor amounts of anatase, rutile and hollandite phases is observed in the powder obtained after calcination in air at 750 degrees C. Multiphase crystalline synroc-B matrix containing hollandite, perovskite, zirconolite, and rutile phases is obtained after sintering the heat treated powder in the form of pellets at 1230 degrees C for 4h in air. Similarly, pure synroc-C phases with 14 and 20\% simulated waste loadings were synthesized following the same synthesis protocol. These pre-treated powders with a high surface area of similar to 25 m(2) g(-1) gave sintered ceramics having density of similar to 90\% for 14 and 20\% waste loadings. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Chemical synthesis, Oxides, Sintering}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.05.039}, author = {Potdar, H. S. and Vijayanand, S. and Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Patil, K. R. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Madhavan, R. Raja and Kutty, K. V. G. and Ambashta, Ritu D. and Wattal, P. K.} } @article { ISI:000284261800094, title = {Small molecule inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3) binding to pleckstrin homology domains}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {107}, number = {46}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {20126-20131}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

The PI3-kinase (PI3K) pathway regulates many cellular processes, especially cell metabolism, cell survival, and apoptosis. Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), the product of PI3K activity and a key signaling molecule, acts by recruiting pleckstrin-homology (PH) domain-containing proteins to cell membranes. Here, we describe a new structural class of nonphosphoinositide small molecule antagonists (PITenins, PITs) of PIP3-PH domain interactions (IC50 ranges from 13.4 to 31 mu M in PIP3/Akt PH domain binding assay). PITs inhibit interactions of a number of PIP3-binding PH domains, including those of Akt and PDK1, without affecting several PIP2-selective PH domains. As a result, PITs suppress the PI3K-PDK1-Akt pathway and trigger metabolic stress and apoptosis. A PIT-1 analog displayed significant antitumor activity in vivo, including inhibition of tumor growth and induction of apoptosis. Overall, our studies demonstrate the feasibility of developing specific small molecule antagonists of PIP3 signaling.

}, keywords = {Anticancer, PIP3 antagonist}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1004522107}, author = {Miao, Benchun and Skidan, Igor and Yang, Jinsheng and Lugovskoy, Alexey and Reibarkh, Mikhail and Long, Kai and Brazell, Tres and Durugkar, Kulbhushan A. and Maki, Jenny and Ramana, C. V. and Schaffhausen, Brian and Wagner, Gerhard and Torchilin, Vladimir and Yuan, Junying and Degterev, Alexei} } @proceedings {42678, title = {On some aspects of fock-space multi-reference coupled-cluster singles and doubles energies and optical properties}, volume = {11}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {375-393}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Netherlands}, author = {Manohar, Prashant Uday and Shamasundar, K. R. and Bag, Arijit and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @conference { ISI:000279938400011, title = {Static hyper-polarizability of open shell molecules computed at the FSMRCCSD level using constrained variational approach}, booktitle = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives}, series = {Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings}, year = {2010}, note = {International Conference on Recent Advances in Spectroscopy - Theoretical, Astrophysical and Experimental Perspectives, Indian Inst Astrophys, Kodaikanal Observatory, Bangalore, INDIA, JAN 28-31, 2009}, month = {FEB}, pages = {99-109}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, United States}, abstract = {

In recent years, there has been a significant development in the analytic derivatives of energy with respect to electric fields based on the state-of-the-art multi-reference coupled-cluster method using Lagrangian based constrained variational approach. So far, the Lagrangian based Fock space multi-reference coupled cluster (FSMRCC) method has been successfully used to calculate electrical dipole moment and polarizability of open shell molecules, particularly, doublet radicals at the ground state and the electronic excited states of closed shell molecules. In this article, Lagrangian based FSMRCC method has been implemented for the first time for calculation of hyper polarizabilites of a few doublet radicals such as OH, OF, NO and NO(2). Orbital-relaxed finite field FSMRCC values are reported for comparison.

}, isbn = {978-3-642-10321-6}, issn = {1570-6591}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-10322-3_11}, author = {Bag, Arijit and Bhattacharya, S. and Pal, S.}, editor = {Chaudhuri, R. K. and Mekkaden, M. V. and Raveendran, A. V. and Narayanan, A. S.} } @article { ISI:000287635800023, title = {Stereoselective formal total synthesis of novel antibiotic (-)-centrolobine}, journal = {Heterocycles}, volume = {80}, number = {1}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {219-227}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A concise and stereoselective formal total synthesis of (-)-centrolobine is achieved utilizing Mioskowski{\textquoteright}s Lewis acid mediated epoxide opening followed by ring-closing metathesis as the key reaction.

}, keywords = {antibiotic, Centrolobine, Keck allylation, Ring-closing metathesis, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation}, issn = {0385-5414}, doi = {10.3987/COM-08-S(S)1}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Pal, Rita and Rahaman, Hasibur and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article {42725, title = {Structural diversity in manganese, iron and cobalt complexes of the ditopic 1,2- bis(2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridyl-6-yl)ethyne ligand and observation of epoxidation and catalase activity of manganese compounds}, journal = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7266-7275}, abstract = {

A ditopic 1,2-bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-6-yl)ethyne ligand, L, has been synthesized for the first time by consecutive Suzuki and Sonogashira coupling reactions either in a one- or two-step synthesis. Coordination of L with some first-row transition metals, Fe, Mn and Co showed a very rich structural diversity that can be obtained with this ligand. Reaction of L with MnII(OAc)2 yielded a dimanganese(II) complex, [Mn2L(μ-OAc)3]PF6, (1) where the two somewhat inequivalent trigonal-bipyramidal Mn atoms separated by 3.381 {\r A} are bridged by L and three acetate moieties. A similar reaction of L with MnIII(OAc)3 yielded a very different dimanganese complex [Mn2L'(OH)(OAc)2(DMF)2]PF6{\textperiodcentered}DMF (2) where L' is a E-1,2-bis(2,2'-bipyridyl-6-yl)ethene fragment that was formed in situ. The L' ligand bridges between the two Mn centers, despite its trans configuration, which leads to a very strained ethene bridging moiety. The Mn atoms are also bridged by two acetate ligands and a hydroxy group that bridges between the Mn atoms and the ethene fragment; DMF completes the octahedral coordination around each Mn atom which are separated by 3.351 {\r A}. A comproportionation reaction of L with MnII(OAc)2 and n-Bu4NMnO4 yielded a tetramanganese compound, [Mn4(μ3-O)2(OAc)4(H2O)2L2](PF6)2{\textperiodcentered}2CH3CN (3). Compound 3 has a dimer of dimers structure of the tetranuclear Mn core that consists of binuclear [Mn2O(OAc)2L]+ fragment and a PF6 anion. BVS calculations indicate that 3 is a mixed-valent 2MnII plus 2MnIII compound where two [MnII2O(OAc)2L]+ fragments are held together by MnIII{\textendash}O inter-fragment linkers which have a distorted octahedral geometry. The Mn atoms in the [Mn2O(OAc)2L]+ fragments have a capped square-pyramid configuration where an aqua ligand is capped on one of the faces. Although the aqua ligand is well within a bonding distance to a carbon atom of the proximal ethyne bridge, there does not appear to be an oxygen{\textendash}carbon bond formation, rather the ligand is constrained in this position, as deduced by the observation that the bond lengths and angles of the ligand are essentially the same as those for the free ligand, L. Reaction of L with perchlorate or triflate salts of Fe(II), Mn(II) and Co(II) in dry acetonitrile yielded binuclear triple helicate structures (2[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]3 metal to L ratios) [Fe2L3](CF3SO3)4{\textperiodcentered}CH3CN (4), [Mn2L3](ClO4)4{\textperiodcentered}1.7CH3CN{\textperiodcentered}1.65EtOEt (5) and [Co2L3](ClO4)4{\textperiodcentered}2CH3CN{\textperiodcentered}2EtOEt (6) where each M(II) center with a slightly distorted octahedral geometry is bridged by three of the ditopic ligands. The M{\textendash}M distances varied; 5.961 {\r A} (Mn), 6.233 {\r A} (Co) 6.331 {\r A} (Fe). Reaction of L with Co(ClO4)2{\textperiodcentered}6H2O in wet acetonitrile yielded a dicobalto(III) compound, [Co2L'3(O)2](ClO4)2{\textperiodcentered}H2O (7), with two types of L' fragments; one bridging between the two Co centers and two non-bridging ligands, each bonded to a Co atom via one bipyridyl group where the other is non-bonding. The octahedral coordination sphere around each Co atom is completed by the formation of a cobalt{\textendash}carbon bond from the two carbon atoms of the ethene moiety of the bridging ligand and by a hydroxy moiety that is also bonded to the ethene group of the non-bridging ligand. Reaction of L with Co(ClO4)2{\textperiodcentered}6H2O in dry acetonitrile in the presence of Et3N yielded the tetracobalto(II) complex {[Co2L4(OH)4](ClO4)4}2 (8) with a unique twisted square configuration of cobalt ions with Co{\textendash}Co distances of 3.938 to 4.131 {\r A}. In addition to the L bridging ligand the Co atoms are linked by hydroxy moieties. Some preliminary catalytic studies showed that the Mn compounds 1 and 2 were active (high yield within 3 min) for alkene epoxidation with peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide dismutation (catalase activity).

}, doi = {10.1039/B925129D}, author = {Madhu, Vedichi and Ekambaram, Balaraman and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Diskin, Yael and Leitus, Gregory and Neumann, Ronny} } @article { ISI:000273580700038, title = {Structure, electronic structure, optical, and dehydrogenation catalytic study of (Zn1-zInz)(O1-xNx) solid solution}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {22}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {JAN}, pages = {565-578}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Indium and nitrogen codoping in ZnO leads to a solid solution of InN in ZnO with I composition of(Zn1-zInz)(O1-xNx). A simple solution combustion method has been adopted to prepare the above materials in less than 10 min with metal nitrates as the metal loll source and urea as fuel. With reference to ZnO, significant increase in lattice parameters was observed with increasing In-content. However, the In2O3 phase was Observed along with InN for]it content \>= 10\%. Optical absorption extended into the Visible region, at least LIP to 550 nm, demonstrates an effective reduction of optical band gap due to the formation of solid Solution. A new feature observed just above O2p valence band in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) suggests the creation of N 2p states from InN; the N Is core level XPS result too confirms nitride contribution. Raman spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry results show direct In-N, Zn-N. and In-N-Zn fragments in (Zn1-zInz)(O1-x,N-x). Catalytic activity explored for Oxidation of 2-butanol to ethyl methyl ketone demonstrates a high selectivity at 350 and 400 degrees C. All of the above characteristics suggest the multifunctional nature of (Zn1-zInz)(O1-xNx) and its potential for other applications.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/cm903368r}, author = {Mapa, Maitri and Sivaranjani, Kumarsrinivasan and Bhange, Deu S. and Saha, Biswajit and Chakraborty, Purushottam and Viswanath, Annamraju Kasi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000283745300023, title = {Study of the effect of plasma-striking atmosphere on Fe-oxidation in thermal dc arc-plasma processing}, journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science \& Technology A}, volume = {28}, number = {6}, year = {2010}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1399-1403}, publisher = {A V S AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {STE 1 NO 1, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4502 USA}, abstract = {

The effect of plasma-striking atmosphere: air and air+Ar-gas on the crystallization of Fe-oxide phases was studied using dc thermal arc-plasma processing route. The powders were characterized by x-ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, transmission electron microscopy, and Mossbauer spectroscopy techniques. At room temperature and O(2) rich atmosphere, arc-evaporated Fe(2+) ions oxidize into either gamma-Fe(2)O(3) or Fe(3)O(4) depending upon the combining ratio of Fe with molecular O(2). Fe/O ratio could be adjusted using proper flow rate of Ar gas to crystallize the pure gamma-Fe(2)O(3). (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3504597]

}, issn = {0734-2101}, doi = {10.1116/1.3504597}, author = {Banerjee, Indrani and Khollam, Y. B. and Mahapatra, S. K. and Das, A. K. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000281347500022, title = {Surface texture and specific adsorption sites of sol-gel synthesized anatase TiO2 nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {45}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1470-1475}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The surface properties of sot-gel synthesized anatase titania (TiO2) nanoparticles are probed by sorptiometry, infrared absorption spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results reveal strong correlations of the surface area, porosity, pyridine adsorption capacity and strength, and catalytic methylbutynol decomposition activity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalytic properties, Nanostructures, Oxides, Sol-gel chemistry, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2010.06.026}, author = {Zaki, Mohamed I. and Mekhemer, Gamal A. H. and Fouad, Nasr E. and Jagadale, Tushar C. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000276492300024, title = {Switching of hydrophilic to ultra hydrophilic properties of flower-like gold nanostructures}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {256}, number = {13}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {4192-4195}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Flower-like morphologies of gold nanostructures were obtained via chemical method by controlling molar concentration ratio of reducing agent and precursor. Chloroauric acid was used as a metal precursor while tri-sodium citrate as the reducing agent. These flower-like structures were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) techniques. The basic crystallite size calculated via XRD measurement was found to be similar to 10 nm and remain unaffected by the different concentration ratios. The coating of these structures was made over clean glass substrate and analyzed for wettability by measuring their water contact angles. Our analysis indicates that the coatings of hierarchical flower-like structures of gold are able to provide ultra hydrophilic properties to glass substrate. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gold flower-like nanostructures, Ultra hydrophilic, Wettability}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2010.01.123}, author = {Dhumale, Vinayak A. and Shah, Preeti V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Sharma, R. B.} } @article { ISI:000278592200024, title = {Syntheses, characterisation and vapour pressure of metallo-organic titanium precursor for MOCVD applications}, journal = {Inorganica Chimica Acta}, volume = {363}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2243-2249}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Metallo-organic complexes of titanium such as [Ti(bzac)(2)(O(i)Pr)(2)] (1) and [Ti(bzac)(2)en(O(i)Pr)(2)] (2) were synthesised using 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione (bzac) and the Schiff{\textquoteright}s base ligand N, N0-ethylene-bis(1-phenyl-1,3-butanediimine) [(bzac)(2)en]. A novel ligand 1-phenyl-3-N-(2-hydroxy-2-methylethylimino)-1-butanone (bzac1a2pol, 3) synthesised by condensing benzoylacetone (bzac) with 1-amino-2-propanol (1a2pol) was used in the synthesis of the complex bis(1-phenyl-3-N-(2-hydroxy-2-methylethylimino)-1-butanoato)titanium (IV), [Ti(bzac1a2pol)(2), 4]. These complexes were synthesised by replacing the isopropoxy group (O(i)Pr) of titanium tetra-isopropoxide, Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) by the appropriate ligands. Complexes 1, 2 and 4 were characterised for their volatility/thermal stability using TG/DTA and complex 4 was found to be volatile giving a residue of similar to 5.0\% (TG) at 377 degrees C and similar to 3.0\% (reduced pressure, 1 mbar) at 285 degrees C. Ligand 3 and its Ti complex 4 were characterised by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry and single crystal XRD. A value of 164.2 +/- 5.2 kJ mol(-1) for the standard enthalpy of sublimation (Delta H(sub)(0)) was evaluated for 4 from its vapour pressure. (C) 2010 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {MOCVD, Single crystal, Syntheses, Ti complexes, Vapour pressures, Volatile complexes}, issn = {0020-1693}, doi = {10.1016/j.ica.2010.03.033}, author = {Arockiasamy, S. and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Mallika, C. and Nagaraja, K. S.} } @article { ISI:000281369500037, title = {Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyazomethines bearing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {Polymer Degradation and Stability}, volume = {95}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1727-1735}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aromatic diamine monomer viz., 4-(4{\textquoteright}-aminophenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzenamine containing pendant pentadecyl chain was synthesized starting from cashew nut shell liquid - a renewable resource material and was characterized by FTIR, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. A series of new (co) polyazomethines containing pendant pentadecyl chains and flexibilizing ether linkages was synthesized by polycondensation of 4-(4{\textquoteright}-aminophenoxy)-2-pentadecyl benzenamine with commercially available aromatic dialdehydes viz., terephthaldehyde (TPA), isophthaldehyde (IPA) and varying mixture of TPA and IPA. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co) polyazomethines were in the range 0.50-0.70 dL/g and 10,490-40-800 (GPC, polystyrene standard), respectively indicating formation of medium to reasonably high molecular weight polymers. (Co) polyazomethines containing pendant pentadecyl chains were found to be soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, m-cresol and could be cast into transparent and stretchable films from their solution in chloroform. (Co) polyazomethines were essentially amorphous in nature and the formation of loosely-developed layered structure was observed arising from the packing of pendant pentadecyl chains. Polyazomethines exhibited glass transition temperatures (T(g)) in the range 21-48 degrees C. The observed depression of glass transition temperature could be ascribed to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}internal plasticization{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} effect of pentadecyl chains. The temperature at 10\% wt loss (T(10)), determined from TGA in nitrogen atmosphere of polyazomethines were in the range 434-441 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL, pentadecyl, polyazomethines, renewable, Side-chain, solubility}, issn = {0141-3910}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2010.05.017}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Sane, Prakash S. and Patil, Anandrao S. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000278744500055, title = {Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline zinc substituted nickel ferrites}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {496}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {256-260}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline zinc substituted nickel ferrites, Ni(1-x)Zn(x)Fe(2)O(4) (0.0 \<= x \<= 1.0) have been prepared by citrate gel auto-combustion method. The effect of zinc ion content on structural, electrical transport and magnetic properties has been studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that, all the compositions possess single-phase spinel structure. The nano-sized grain structure formation was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dc electrical resistivity shows the samples are semiconducting in nature. The magnetic measurements showed that the composition Ni(0.6)Zn(0.4)Fe(2)O(4) has maximum saturation magnetization (M(s)) while high coersivity (Hc) for ZnFe(2)O(4). Thermoelectric power measurement study showed that the compounds, with x \<= 0.4 are p-type and for x \> 0.4 behaves n-type conduction mechanism. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, Magnetic, Sintering, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.01.009}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Sasikala, R. and Tripathi, A. K. and Garadkar, K. M.} } @article { ISI:000274839100053, title = {Synthesis and characterization of nickel selenide thin films deposited by chemical method}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {490}, number = {1-2}, year = {2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {228-231}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Nickel selenide thin films have been deposited using chemical bath method on non-conducting glass substrates in a tartarate bath containing nickel sulphate octahydrate, hydrazine hydrate, sodium seleno-sulphate in an aqueous alkaline medium. The grown films were uniform, well adherent and black in color. The films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical absorption and electrical measurements. The nickel selenide thin film revealed polycrystalline nature with hexagonal system. The direct optical band gap of the film was found to be 1.61 eV. Electrical resistivity of film was observed in the order of 10(3) (Omega cm) with p-type conduction mechanism. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Crystal growth, Semiconductors, Thin films, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2009.09.132}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Jadhav, B. V. and Garadkar, K. M. and Chate, P. A. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Delekar, S. D.} } @article { ISI:000278307300018, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic-aliphatic polyamides from bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether}, 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 = {111-116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel aromatic diamine monomer containing preformed aromatic-aliphatic amide and ether linkage, bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether (BABE) was prepared from 2-phenylacetonitrile. BABE was characterized by FT-IR, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR and mass spectrometry. Five new aromatic polyamides were prepared by low temperature solution polymerization from BABE and different mole proportions of isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) or terephthaloyl chloride (TPC). The resulting polymers were characterized by means of FT-IR, inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], solubility, differential scanning calorimetry [DSC], thermogravimetric analysis [TGA] and X-ray diffraction [XRD]. Polyamides were obtained in good yields and had moderate to high molecular weights as indicated by inherent viscosities in the range 0.63-1.35 dL/g in (DMAc + 4\% LiCl). XRD results showed the partly crystalline nature of polymers and these polymers dissolved in aprotic polar solvents containing LiCl. The solubility of copolyamides improved due to random placement of constituent IPC and TPC during polymerization. DSC analysis of these polyamides showed glass transition temperatures in the range of 197-204 degrees C, and they showed no weight loss below 336 degrees C when analyzed by TG. These polyamides have potential applications as engineering materials. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bis-[(4-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether, ether linkage, Inherent viscosity, polyamides, thermal stability, XRD}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.10.016}, author = {Patil, A. S. and Medhi, M. and Sadavarte, Nilakshi V. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000276284200019, title = {Synthesis and characterization of polyamides containing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, year = {2010}, month = {MAR}, pages = {557-567}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new aromatic diacid monomer viz., 4-(4{\textquoteright}-carboxyphenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzoic acid was synthesized starting from cardanol and was characterized by FTIR, (1)H- and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. A series of new aromatic polyamides containing ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains was prepared by phosphorylation polycondensation of 4-(4{\textquoteright}-carboxyphenoxy)-2-pentadecylbenzoic acid with five commercially available aromatic diamines viz., 1,4-phenylenediamine, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxydianiline, 4,4{\textquoteright}-methylenedianiline, 1,3-phenylenediamine, and 4,4{\textquoteright}-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)dianiline. Inherent viscosities of the polyamides were in the range 0.45-0.66 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 degrees C. The introduction of ether linkages and pendant pentadecyl chains into polyamides led to an enhanced solubility in N,N-dimethylacetamide and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone at room temperature or upon heating. The polyamides could be solution-cast into tough, flexible and transparent films from their N,N-dimethylacetamide solution. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited broad halo indicating that the polymers were essentially amorphous in nature. X-Ray diffractograms also displayed a diffuse to sharp reflection in the small-angle region (20 = similar to 2-5 degrees) for the polyamides characteristics of formation of loosely to well-developed layered structure arising from packing of flexible pentadecyl chains. The glass transition temperature observed for the polyamides was in range 139-189 degrees C. The temperature at 10\% weight loss (T(10)), determined by TGA in nitrogen atmosphere, of the polyamides was in the range 425-453 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alkyl side-chain, Cardanol, Cashew nut shell liquid, Pentadecyl chains, polyamides}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2009.11.014}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000283103300014, title = {Synthesis and characterization of polyesters based on 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4 {\textquoteleft}-pentadecylphenyl]ethane}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {59}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1408-1414}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aromatic polyesters are of considerable interest because of their excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance and thermal stability. However, most aromatic polyesters are difficult to process due to their high glass transition temperatures coupled with their insolubility in common organic solvents. The present article describes a series of organosoluble polyesters and copolyesters based on 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4{\textquoteright}-pentadecylphenyl]ethane. A series of new aromatic polyesters containing pendant pentadecyl chains was synthesized by interfacial polycondensation of 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4{\textquoteright}-pentadecylphenyl]ethane with terephthalic acid chloride (TPC), isophthalic acid chloride (IPC) and a mixture of TPC and IPC. A series of copolyesters was synthesized from 4,4{\textquoteright}-isopropylidenediphenol with TPC by incorporating 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4{\textquoteright}-pentadecylphenyl]ethane as a comonomer. Inherent viscosities of the polyesters and copolyesters were in the range 0.72-1.65 dL g(-1) and number-average molecular weights were in the range 18 170-87 220. The polyesters and copolyesters containing pendant pentadecyl chains dissolved readily in organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, pyridine and m-cresol and could be cast into transparent, flexible and apparently tough films. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction data revealed the amorphous nature of the polyesters and copolyesters. The formation of loosely developed layered structure was observed due to the packing of pendant pentadecyl chains. The temperature at 10\% weight loss, determined using thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere, of the polyesters and copolyesters containing pendant pentadecyl chains was in the range 400-460 degrees C. The polyesters and copolyesters exhibited glass transition temperatures in the range 63-82 degrees C and 177-183 degrees C, respectively. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

}, keywords = {cashew nutshell liquid, CNSL, pentadecyl, polyesters, renewable}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.2883}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Naik, Parimal V. and Kumbhar, Kishor P. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000278307300032, title = {Synthesis and characterization of polyesters from 2,3-bis (4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline and 2,3-bis (2 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxynaphthalene-6 {\textquoteleft}-yl) quinoxaline}, 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 = {186-192}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Two bisphenols containing pendant, quinoxaline moiety; 2,3-bis (4{\textquoteright}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline (BHPQ) and 2,3-bis (2{\textquoteright}-hydroxynaphthalene-6-yl) quinoxaline (BHNQ) were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and mass spectrometry. Aromatic polyesters and copolyesters were prepared by interfacial polymerization from BHPQ or BHNQ and isophthaloyl chloride or terephthaloyl chloride or a mixture of different mole proportions of (IPC + TPC). These polyesters and copolyesters were characterized by spectroscopic technique, viscosity measurement, solubility, thermal stability. DSC and XRD. Polymers had moderate to high molecular weights as evidenced by the inherent viscosities in the range 0.35-0.78 dL/g for BHPQ series and 0.27-0.52 dL/g for BHNQ series. BHPQ polyesters and copolyesters dissolved in m-cresol, NMP and conc. H(2)SO(4) whereas, BHNQ polyesters and copolyesters were readily soluble in NMP, DMAc, (TCE + phenol) and partly soluble in solvent like CHCl(3), pyridine, etc. Wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results showed that introduction of quinoxaline moiety into polymer chain and aromatic phenyl/rigid naphthyl structures lead to crystalinity. Differentional scanning calorimetry of BHNQ polyesters showed the glass transition temperatures in the range of 131-151 degrees C. BHPQ polyesters did not show any weight loss below 330 degrees C and retained 27-55\% weight at 900 degrees C when investigated by TGA under nitrogen atmosphere demonstrating good thermal stability BHNQderived polyesters showed initial decomposition temperatures in range 211-234 degrees C. The structure-property relationships for the mentioned polyesters are analyzed, as these polyesters are of interest as materials for electronics, microelectronics and membrane separation. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {2, 3-Bis (2 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxynaphthalene-6 {\textquoteleft}-yl) quinoxaline, 3-Bis (4 {\textquoteleft}-hydroxy phenyl) quinoxaline, Aromatic polyesters, Glass transition temperature, solubility, Thermal properties}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2009.12.036}, author = {Patil, V. B. and Medhi, M. and Bhairamadgi, Nagendra S. and Wadgaonkar, P. P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000282663700004, title = {Synthesis of acrolein by gas-phase dehydration of glycerol over silica supported bronsted acidic ionic liquid catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology}, volume = {85}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1319-1324}, publisher = {JOHN WILEY \& SONS LTD}, address = {THE ATRIUM, SOUTHERN GATE, CHICHESTER PO19 8SQ, W SUSSEX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Glycerol has become readily available as a byproduct from the biodiesel industry. High functionality and relatively low price make it a potential building block to produce value-added derivatives such as acrolein. RESULTS: Dehydration of glycerol to acrolein was performed over several silica supported Bronsted acidic ionic liquids as catalysts. All the catalysts prepared were active for the synthesis of acrolein (conversion of glycerol was observed in the range 35-90\% with selectivity to acrolein in the range 29-58\%). CONCLUSIONS: Catalyst prepared from triphenyl (3-sulfopropyl) phosphonium 4-methylbenzenesulfonate gave good activity and selectivity at 4 h reaction time. The conversion of glycerol decreased with increase in glycerol concentration. Higher temperature (325 degrees C) resulted in significantly lower conversion as well as selectivity to acrolein. With the use of two additional traps cooled to -7 degrees C, the selectivity to acrolein increased significantly for good catalysts. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

}, keywords = {acidic ionic liquids, acrolein, glycerol dehydration, supported catalyst}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.2434}, author = {Munshi, Mudassir K. and Lomate, Samadhan T. and Deshpande, Raj Madhukar and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article { ISI:000283124800028, title = {Synthesis of bio-compatible SPION-based aqueous ferrofluids and evaluation of radiofrequency power loss for magnetic hyperthermia}, journal = {Nanoscale Research Letters}, volume = {5}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1706-1711}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Bio-compatible magnetic fluids having high saturation magnetization find immense applications in various biomedical fields. Aqueous ferrofluids of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with narrow size distribution, high shelf life and good stability is realized by controlled chemical co-precipitation process. The crystal structure is verified by X-ray diffraction technique. Particle sizes are evaluated by employing Transmission electron microscopy. Room temperature and low-temperature magnetic measurements were carried out with Superconducting Quantum Interference Device. The fluid exhibits good magnetic response even at very high dilution (6.28 mg/cc). This is an advantage for biomedical applications, since only a small amount of iron is to be metabolised by body organs. Magnetic field induced transmission measurements carried out at photon energy of diode laser (670 nm) exhibited excellent linear dichroism. Based on the structural and magnetic measurements, the power loss for the magnetic nanoparticles under study is evaluated over a range of radiofrequencies.

}, keywords = {Magnetic heating, Magnetic hyperthermia, Magnetic relaxation, Power loss, Superparamagnetism}, issn = {1931-7573}, doi = {10.1007/s11671-010-9729-4}, author = {Mary, Antony P. Reena and Narayanan, T. N. and Sunny, Vijutha and Sakthikumar, D. and Yoshida, Yasuhiko and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000287801700007, title = {Synthetic studies of superstolide A: a carbohydrate based synthesis of the C21-C26 segment}, journal = {Letters in Organic Chemistry}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {657-660}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y26, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The synthesis of C21-C26 fragment of superstolide A, starting from D-glucose diacetonide, involving regioselective ring opening of epoxide by Grignard reagent and regioselective stereospecefic hydroboration oxidation has been described.

}, keywords = {Chiral pool, Potent cytotoxic, Regioselective epoxide opening, Stereoselective hydroboration-oxidation, Superstolide A}, issn = {1570-1786}, doi = {10.2174/157017810793811704}, author = {Pal, Rita and Rahaman, Hasibur and Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Gurjar, Mukund K.} } @article { ISI:000282106600012, title = {Synthetic view of an analogue of the spiro-beta-lactone-gamma-lactam ring in oxazolomycins and lajollamycin}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {19}, year = {2010}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3301-3308}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Herein, we describe a new synthetic strategy towards an analogue of the spiro-beta-lactone-gamma-lactam ring found in a class of potent antibiotics, the oxazolomycins and lajollamycin. The synthetic idea relies on the construction of two rings (beta-lactone and pyrrolidinone). The formation of the spiro-beta-lactone was accomplished by a crossed Cannizzaro reaction, while the 3,4-disubstituted pyrrolidinone ring was constructed by a titanium(IV) chloride mediated chelation-controlled double stereodifferentiating Crimmins aldol reaction of Garner{\textquoteright}s aldehyde.

}, keywords = {Crimmins aldol reaction, crossed Cannizzaro reaction, Garner{\textquoteright}s aldehyde, lactones, Mitsunobu reaction, pyrrolidine}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0030-1257872}, author = {Mondal, Dhananjoy and Bera, Smritilekha} } @article { ISI:000280070900009, title = {Temperature-dependent raman and dielectric spectroscopy of BiFeO3 nanoparticles: signatures of spin-phonon and magnetoelectric coupling}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {114}, number = {29}, year = {2010}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12432-12439}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the temperature-dependent Raman and dielectric spectroscopy of chemically synthesized BiFeO3 nanoparticles (average size similar to 50-60 nm). The Raman spectra (90-700 K) show two sets of transitions in the lowest Raman E mode, associated with Bi-O bond motion situated in close proximity to the spin reorientation transitions reported for BiFeO3, thereby indicating the existence of possible coupling between magnons and phonons for particle size below the helical order parameter (62 nm). These transitions are slightly shifted in temperature in comparison to the bulk single crystals. We also observe a step-like behavior in Raman peak position around the Neel temperature, suggesting that the phonons are influenced by the magnetic ordering in nanosized BiFeO3. The heat-flow measurements show two sharp endothermic peaks at 1094 and 1223 K representing rhombohedral to orthorhombic or monoclinic transition followed by transition into the cubic phase above 1200K. The low temperature (20-325 K), frequency-dependent (1-10(6) Hz) dielectric constant and loss tangent measurements show that the loss tangent (similar to 10(-3)) and ac conductivity values (similar to 10(-8) Ohm(-1)-cm(-1)) are orders of magnitude lower than the reported values for BiFeO3 ceramics, indicating high levels of ionic purity of our samples. The real part of the permittivity shows a slight reduction in its value (similar to 30) in comparison to the bulk single crystals. Similar to the Stokes Raman shift, its temperature-dependent dielectric constant also shows four weak anomalies at similar to 85, 168, 205, and 230 K situated in close proximity to the spin reorientation transitions, indicating magnetoelectric coupling.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp102450z}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Vivekanand, K. and Adyanthaya, Suguna D. and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000277203500017, title = {Template-assisted synthesis and characterization of passivated nickel nanoparticles}, journal = {Nanoscale Research Letters}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {889-897}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Potential applications of nickel nanoparticles demand the synthesis of self-protected nickel nanoparticles by different synthesis techniques. A novel and simple technique for the synthesis of self-protected nickel nanoparticles is realized by the inter-matrix synthesis of nickel nanoparticles by cation exchange reduction in two types of resins. Two different polymer templates namely strongly acidic cation exchange resins and weakly acidic cation exchange resins provided with cation exchange sites which can anchor metal cations by the ion exchange process are used. The nickel ions which are held at the cation exchange sites by ion fixation can be subsequently reduced to metal nanoparticles by using sodium borohydride as the reducing agent. The composites are cycled repeating the loading reduction cycle involved in the synthesis procedure. X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectrum, and Inductively Coupled Plasma Analysis are effectively utilized to investigate the different structural characteristics of the nanocomposites. The hysteresis loop parameters namely saturation magnetization and coercivity are measured using Vibrating Sample Magnetometer. The thermomagnetization study is also conducted to evaluate the Curie temperature values of the composites. The effect of cycling on the structural and magnetic characteristics of the two composites are dealt in detail. A comparison between the different characteristics of the two nanocomposites is also provided.

}, keywords = {Nickel nanoparticles, Polymer-metal nanocomposites, Strongly acidic cation exchange resin, Stuctural and magnetic properties, Weakly acidic cation exchange resin}, issn = {1556-276X}, doi = {10.1007/s11671-010-9580-7}, author = {Gopalan, E. Veena and Malini, K. A. and Santhoshkumar, G. and Narayanan, T. N. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Al-Omari, I. A. and Kumar, D. Sakthi and Yoshida, Yasuhiko and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000282128700005, title = {Tensile properties, cell adhesion, and drug release behavior of chitosan-silver-gelatin nanohybrid films and scaffolds}, journal = {Macromolecular Research}, volume = {18}, number = {9}, year = {2010}, month = {SEP}, pages = {845-852}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Drug-loaded nanohybrid films and porous scaffolds were prepared using chitosan, Ag nanoparticles and gelatin using a solution casting and freeze-drying method, respectively. Gelatin was used to incorporate the cell onto the surface of the scaffolds and the nanohybrid films. 1-[2-hydroxyethyl]-2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole) (Metronidazole (MTZ) was used as a model drug. The small percentage of Ag nanoparticles in the nanohybrid films and scaffolds produced significantly higher cell proliferation and levels of drug release. The tensile properties showed improvement in strength by Ag nanoparticles reinforcement at the expense of elongation.

}, keywords = {carcinogenic metronidazole, cell proliferation, chitosan-Ag-gelatin nanohybrids, drug release, nano-hybrids, scaffolds}, issn = {1598-5032}, doi = {10.1007/s13233-010-0905-2}, author = {Rana, V. K. and Kushwaha, Omkar S. and Singh, RajPal and Mishra, Satyendra and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000278725100017, title = {Transesterification of cyclic carbonates to dimethyl carbonate using solid oxide catalyst at ambient conditions: environmentally benign synthesis}, journal = {Chemsuschem}, volume = {3}, number = {5}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {575-578}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {calcium, environmental chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, transesterification zinc}, issn = {1864-5631}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.201000038}, author = {Sankar, Meenakshisundaram and Satav, Srikanth and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article { ISI:000277649500046, title = {Volume transition of PNIPAM in a nonionic surfactant hexagonal mesophase}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {43}, number = {10}, year = {2010}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4782-4790}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We investigate the volume transition of a thermoresponsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, in the presence of an aqueous solution of nonionic surfactant, C(12)E(9). We combine turbidimetry with optical microscopy, NMR, and SAXS to follow the volume transition of the PNIPAM and the H(1)-isotropic transition of the surfactant/water system. Nonionic surfactants such as C(12)E(9) are known to interact weakly with PNIPAM. Accordingly, we show that there is only a small change in the volume transition temperature for the PNIPAM in isotropic micellar solutions of C(12)E(9), even for relatively high concentrations of C(12)E(9). Interestingly, once the surfactant forms an H(1) phase, there is a dramatic decrease in the coil globule transition onset temperature. We believe that this behavior results from a competition between C(12)E(9) in the H(1) phase, and PNIPAM to associate with water. When PNIPAM in the H(1) phase is cooled to low enough temperatures so as to be in the coil state, it locally disturbs the hexagonal phase ordering. Thus, we show that for PNIPAM in a weakly interacting surfactant matrix, it is the phase behavior of the matrix rather than the matrix chemistry that governs the coil globule transition. Finally, we show that in a PNIPAM copolymer with a higher LCST we observe an interesting sequence of transitions in the surfactant phase: on cooling from a high temperature free-blowing turbid globular state (similar to 75 degrees C), we enter a free-flowing translucent coil phase (similar to 47 degrees C), then a turbid gel (similar to 25 degrees C) where the copolymer is collapsed in the HI phase, and finally a low-temperature clear gel (similar to 5 degrees C) where the copolymer is in the expanded coil state.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma100357h}, author = {Jijo, V. J. and Sharma, Kamendra P. and Mathew, Renny and Kamble, Samruddhi and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article { ISI:000276917900011, title = {ZnO-beta zeolite: as an effective and eco-friendly heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of benzothiazole derivatives}, journal = {Chinese Chemical Letters}, volume = {21}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {421-425}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

A cheap and recyclable ZnO-beta zeolite was used as catalyst for the synthesis of benzothiazole derivatives. This method provides several advantages such as environmental friendliness, short reaction times, high yields, simple work-up procedure and catalyst was successfully reused for four cycles without significant loss of activity. (C) 2009 Machhindra K. Lande. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Benzothiazole, cyclocondensation, heterogeneous catalyst, ZnO-beta zeolite}, issn = {1001-8417}, doi = {10.1016/j.cclet.2009.10.020}, author = {Katkar, Santosh S. and Mohite, Pravinkumar H. and Gadekar, Lakshman S. and Vidhate, Kaluram N. and Lande, Machhindra K.} } @article { ISI:000293064700006, title = {ZnO-beta zeolite: as an effective and reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of polyhydroquinolines}, journal = {Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews}, volume = {3}, number = {4}, year = {2010}, month = {DEC}, pages = {287-292}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

ZnO-beta zeolite, an inexpensive and mild catalyst, has been used for the synthesis of polyhydroquinolines in excellent yields from the one-pot four-component condensation of aldehydes, dimedone, ethyl acetoacetate, and ammonium acetate in ethanol at room temperature. The remarkable advantages offered by this method are a green catalyst, mild reaction conditions, simple work-up procedures, much faster reactions, and excellent yield of products. Furthermore, the catalyst could be reused several times keeping its initial activity in recycled reactions.

}, keywords = {Hantzsch condensation, heterogeneous catalyst, multicomponent, ZnO-beta zeolite}, issn = {1751-8253}, doi = {10.1080/17518253.2010.482065}, author = {Katkar, Santosh S. and Mohite, Pravinkumar H. and Gadekar, Lakshman S. and Arbad, Balasaheb R. and Lande, Machhindra K.} } @article { ISI:000276548300011, title = {ZnO-beta zeolite mediated simple and efficient method for the one-pot synthesis of quinoxaline derivatives at room temperature}, journal = {Central European Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {8}, number = {2}, year = {2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {320-325}, publisher = {VERSITA}, address = {SOLIPSKA 14A-1, 02-482 WARSAW, POLAND}, abstract = {

A rapid and an efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of quinoxalines catalysed by ZnO-beta zeolite at room temperature is described. This environmentally benign method provides several advantages over methods that are currently employed such as a simple work-up, mild reaction conditions, good to excellent yields, and a process to recover and reuse the catalyst for several cycles with consistent activity.

}, keywords = {cyclocondensation, Quinoxaline, Room temperature, ZnO-beta zeolite}, issn = {1895-1066}, doi = {10.2478/s11532-009-0151-7}, author = {Katkar, Santosh S. and Mohite, Pravinkumar H. and Gadekar, Lakshman S. and Arbad, Balasaheb R. and Lande, Machhindra K.} } @article { ISI:000286474600008, title = {(-)-6 alpha-Hydroxy polyanthellin A - a novel antifouling diterpenoid from the Indian soft coral Cladiella krempfi (Hickson)}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemistry-Revue Canadienne De Chimie}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {57-60}, publisher = {CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING, NRC RESEARCH PRESS}, address = {1200 MONTREAL ROAD, BUILDING M-55, OTTAWA, ON K1A 0R6, CANADA}, abstract = {

Bioassay-guided purification of methanol extract of the soft coral Cladiella krempfi (Octocorallia: Alcynocea) yielded a novel eunicellin-type diterpenoid, (-)-6 alpha-hydroxy polyanthellin A (1), active against the cyprids of the fouling barnacle, Balanus amphitrite (EC(50) 9.02 mu g/mL; LC(50) 36 mu g/mL; and therapeutic ratio = 4). The structure of compound 1 was determined from its spectral data, including IR, NMR (1D and 2D NMR), and mass spectra.

}, keywords = {antifouling, Balanus amphitrite, biofouling, Cladiella krempfi, diterpenes}, issn = {0008-4042}, doi = {10.1139/V10-159}, author = {Mol, V. P. Limna and Raveendran, T. V. and Parameswaran, P. S. and Kunnath, R. J. and Rajamohanan, P. R.} } @article { ISI:000295235200041, title = {Ab initio and periodic DFT investigation of hydrogen storage on light metal-decorated MOF-5}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {36}, number = {17}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10816-10827}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of light metal (M = Li, Be, Mg, and Al) decoration on the stability of metal organic framework MOF-5 and its hydrogen adsorption is investigated by ab initio and periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations by employing models of the form BDC:M-2:nH(2) and MOF-5:M-2:nH(2), where BDC stands for the benzenedicarboxylate organic linker and MOF-5 represents the primitive unit cell. The suitability of the periodic DFT method employing the GGA-PBE functional is tested against MP2/6-311 + G* and MP2/cc-pVTZ molecular calculations. A correlation between the charge transfer and interaction energies is revealed. The metal-MOF-5 interactions are analyzed using the frontier molecular orbital approach. Difference charge density plots show that H-2 molecules get polarized due to the charge generated on the metal atom adsorbed over the BDC linker, resulting in electrostatic guest-host interactions. Our solid state results show that amongst the four metal atoms, Mg and Be decoration does not stabilize the MOF-5 to any significant extent. Li and Al decoration strengthened the H-2-MOE-5 interactions relative to the pure MOF-5 exhibited by the enhanced binding energies. The hydrogen binding energies for the Li- and Al-decorated MOF-5 were found to be sensible for allowing reversible hydrogen storage at ambient temperatures. A high hydrogen uptake of 4.3 wt.\% and 3.9 wt.\% is also predicted for the Li- and Al-decorated MOF-5, respectively. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ab initio calculations, Density functional theory, Hydrogen binding energies, Hydrogen storage, Metal-Pi-Arene interactions}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.05.165}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Maark, Tuhina Adit and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000288274200014, title = {Adsorption of cresols on zinc-aluminium hydroxides - a comparison with zeolite-X}, journal = {Separation Science and Technology}, volume = {46}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {PII 934305034}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Liquid phase adsorption of m-cresol on Zn-Al hydroxide adsorbents with three different Zn/Al molar ratios was studied in different solvents and compared with commercial zeolite 13X. Among the three adsorbents, ZA-16 showed adsorption capacity similar to commercial zeolite 13X. Solvents used for the preparation of m-cresol solution were found to influence the adsorption capacity. The adsorption capacity was maximum for the solution of m-cresol in n-hexane. Conventional Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm equations were used to explain the adsorption behavior. The kinetics of m-cresol adsorption followed the first-order Lagergren kinetic model. p-Cresol/m-cresol separation factor was the highest when toluene was used as the organic medium.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, cresol, zeolite, zinc-aluminium hydroxide}, issn = {0149-6395}, doi = {10.1080/01496395.2010.510494}, author = {Vijayakumar, J. and Chikkala, Suresh K. and Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000291436600019, title = {Alginic acid-g-poly(N-vinylformamide) graft copolymer: synthesis, characerization, swelling, and flocculation property}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {121}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1400-1407}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The graft copolymer of N-vinylformamide with alginic acid was synthesized by free radical polymerization using potassium peroxymonosulphate and thiourea as redox pair in inert atmosphere. The optimum conditions for maximum grafting have been determined by varying the concentrations of N-vinylformamide, potassium peroxymonosulphate, thiourea, sulfuric acid, alginic acid as well as time duration and temperature. The grafting parameters increase up to the certain concentrations of N-vinylformamide, potassium peroxymonosulhate, thiourea, and hydrogen ion while thereafter grafting parameters decrease. The effect of alginic acid concentration on grafting parameters has been observed to decrease continuously. It has also been found that grafting parameters increase up to certain time and temperature, respectively, and thereafter decrease. The swelling properties of graft copolymer in terms of swelling ratio and percent swelling are investigated. Flocculation property of pure and grafted sample for both coking and noncoking coals is also investigated for the treatment of coal mine waste water. The graft copolymer has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as thermogravimetic analysis. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 1400-1407, 2011

}, keywords = {alginic acid, flocculation, Graft copolymer, N-vinylformamide, swelling}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.33540}, author = {Sand, Arpit and Yadav, Mithilesh and Mishra, Dinesh Kumar and Behari, Kunj} } @article { ISI:000292212700020, title = {Alkylation of anisole with 1-hexene and 1-hexanol over zeolite H-beta}, journal = {Reaction Kinetics Mechanisms and Catalysis}, volume = {103}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {481-491}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

An examination of the kinetics of the alkylation of anisole with 1-hexene and 1-hexanol to produce alkylates over zeolite H-beta is presented. Anisole alkylation is found to occur by a set of parallel reactions when hexene is used as the alkylating agent. When hexyl alcohol is the alkylating agent, the reaction follows a multi-step parallel-series mechanism to form monoalkylates and dihexylether. With 1-hexene, a group of isomeric alkylates, viz., ortho-2-hexyl anisole (2-OHA), ortho-3-hexyl anisole (3-OHA), para-2-hexyl anisole (2-PHA), and para-3-hexyl anisole (3-PHA) was obtained. With hexanol, the olefin (hexene) and dihexyl ether were obtained additionally. The influence of process parameters like temperature, catalyst quantity, and alkylating agent on reaction behavior is reported.

}, keywords = {Alkylation, Anisole, H-beta, Hexene, Hexyl alcohol}, issn = {1878-5190}, doi = {10.1007/s11144-011-0310-7}, author = {Surse, P. V. and Wagholikar, S. and Mayadevi, S. and Sivasanker, S.} } @article { ISI:000294572800023, title = {Antifungal activity of novel synthetic peptides by accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and disruption of cell wall against Candida albicans}, journal = {Peptides}, volume = {32}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1732-1740}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

In the present work, we investigated the antifungal activity of two de novo designed, antimicrobial peptides VS2 and VS3, incorporating unnatural amino acid alpha,beta-dehydrophenylalanine (Delta Phe). We observed that the low-hemolytic peptides could irreversibly inhibit the growth of various Candida species and multidrug resistance strains at MIC(80) values ranging from 15.62 mu M to 250 mu M. Synergy experiments showed that MIC(80) of the peptides was drastically reduced in combination with an antifungal drug fluconazole. The dye PI uptake assay was used to demonstrate peptide induced cell membrane permeabilization. Intracellular localization of the FITC-labeled peptides in Candida albicans was studied by confocal microscopy and FACS. Killing kinetics, PI uptake assay, and the intracellular presence of FITC-peptides suggested that growth inhibition is not solely a consequence of increased membrane permeabilization. We showed that entry of the peptide in Candida cells resulted in accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to cell necrosis. Morphological alteration in Candida cells caused by the peptides was visualized by electron microscopy. We propose that de novo designed VS2 and VS3 peptides have multiple detrimental effects on target fungi, which ultimately result in cell wall disruption and killing. Therefore, these peptides represent a good template for further design and development as antifungal agents. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal peptides, Candida albicans, Cell wall, ROS}, issn = {0196-9781}, doi = {10.1016/j.peptides.2011.06.003}, author = {Maurya, Indresh Kumar and Pathak, Sarika and Sharma, Monika and Sanwal, Hina and Chaudhary, Preeti and Tupe, Santosh and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Chauhan, Virander Singh and Prasad, Rajendra} } @article { ISI:000292333103041, title = {Atomic level description of the domain closure in a dimeric enzyme: thermus thermophilus 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH)}, journal = {FEBS Journal}, volume = {278}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2011}, note = {36th FEBS Congress of the Biochemistry for Tomorrows Medicine, Torino, ITALY, JUN 25-30, 2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {458}, publisher = {Federat Soc Biochem \& Mol Biol}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, issn = {1742-464X}, author = {Graczer, E. and Merli, Angelo and Singh, R. K. and Karuppasamy, Manikandan and Zavodszky, P. and Weiss, M. S. and Vas, M.} } @article { ISI:000289367200026, title = {Atomic level description of the domain closure in a dimeric enzyme: thermus thermophilus 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase}, journal = {Molecular Biosystems}, volume = {7}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1646-1659}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The domain closure associated with the catalytic cycle is described at an atomic level, based on pairwise comparison of the X-ray structures of homodimeric Thermus thermophilus isopropylmalate dehydrogenase (IPMDH), and on their detailed molecular graphical analysis. The structures of the apo-form without substrate and in complex with the divalent metal-ion to 1.8 angstrom resolution, in complexes with both Mn(2+) and 3-isopropylmalate (IPM), as well as with both Mn(2+) and NADH, were determined at resolutions ranging from 2.0 to 2.5 angstrom. Single crystal microspectrophotometric measurements demonstrated the presence of a functionally competent protein conformation in the crystal grown in the presence of Mn(2+) and IPM. Structural comparison of the various complexes clearly revealed the relative movement of the two domains within each subunit and allowed the identification of two hinges at the interdomain region: hinge 1 between alpha d and beta F as well as hinge 2 between alpha h and beta E. A detailed analysis of the atomic contacts of the conserved amino acid side-chains suggests a possible operational mechanism of these molecular hinges upon the action of the substrates. The interactions of the protein with Mn(2+) and IPM are mainly responsible for the domain closure: upon binding into the cleft of the interdomain region, the substrate IPM induces a relative movement of the secondary structural elements beta E, beta F, beta G, alpha d and alpha h. A further special feature of the conformational change is the movement of the loop bearing the amino acid Tyr139 that precedes the interacting arm of the subunit. The tyrosyl ring rotates and moves by at least 5 angstrom upon IPM-binding. Thereby, new hydrophobic interactions are formed above the buried isopropyl-group of IPM. Domain closure is then completed only through subunit interactions: a loop of one subunit that is inserted into the interdomain cavity of the other subunit extends the area with the hydrophobic interactions, providing an example of the cooperativity between interdomain and intersubunit interactions.

}, issn = {1742-206X}, doi = {10.1039/c0mb00346h}, author = {Graczer, Eva and Merli, Angelo and Singh, Rajesh Kumar and Karuppasamy, Manikandan and Zavodszky, Peter and Weiss, Manfred S. and Vas, Maria} } @article {42570, title = {Auxin signaling and transport promote susceptibility to the root-infecting fungal pathogen fusarium oxysporum in arabidopsis}, journal = {Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions}, volume = {24}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {733-748}, doi = {10.1094/MPMI-08-10-0194}, author = {Kidd, Brendan N. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Dombrecht, Bruno and Tekeoglu, Muecella and Gardiner, Donald M. and Thatcher, Louise F. and Aitken, Elizabeth A. B. and Schenk, Peer M. and Manners, John M. and Kazan, Kemal} } @article { ISI:000292932100011, title = {Bioactivity of essential oils of zingiber officinalis and achyranthes aspera against mosquitoes}, journal = {Parasitology Research}, volume = {109}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {339-343}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Due to the global health problems associated with mosquito-borne diseases, over two million people primarily in the tropical countries are at risk. The widely and commonly used chemical method though effective, has some major disadvantages making insect control practically difficult. In view of the above, it is unavoidable to search for new molecules, which are eco-friendly, cheaper, and safer. The present study deals with evaluation of bioactive potential of two commonly occurring plants against mosquitoes presenting an alternative to the conventional chemical methods. Essential oils extracted by steam distillation from rhizome of Zingiber officinalis and leaf and stem of Achyranthes aspera were evaluated for larvicidal, attractant/repellent, and oviposition attractant/deterrent activity against two mosquito species viz. Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. The highest larvicidal activity, i.e., LC(50) = 154 ppm and LC(50) = 197 ppm for A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus, respectively was shown by Z. officinalis. This oil also offers 5-h protection at the concentration of 0.5 mg/cmA(2) from both mosquito species. The highest oviposition deterrence activity was exhibited by A. aspera stem oil, i.e., 100\% and 85.71\%, in case of A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus, respectively, at the concentration of 0.1\%. These results reveal that both these oils have control potential against A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus.

}, issn = {0932-0113}, doi = {10.1007/s00436-011-2261-3}, author = {Khandagle, Abhay J. and Tare, Vrushali S. and Raut, Kishor D. and Morey, Rashmi A.} } @article { ISI:000293587300003, title = {Biocompatible gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles: cellular uptake and subacute oral toxicity studies}, journal = {Journal of Applied Toxicology}, volume = {31}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {411-420}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Currently gold nanoparticles are being explored for drug delivery and other biomedical applications; therefore it is necessary to study the fate of such nanoparticles inside the body. The objective of the present study was to investigate the cellular uptake and toxicity of the gold nanoparticles synthesized using a microbial polysaccharide, gellan gum, as a capping and reducing agent. The cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles was studied on mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, NIH3T3 and human glioma cell line, LN-229. The cellular uptake study indicated that the gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles were located in cancer cells (LN-229) while no uptake was observed in normal mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3). The toxicity of the gold nanoparticles was evaluated by carrying out subacute 28 day oral toxicity studies in rats. Subacute administration of gum-reduced gold nanoparticles to the rats did not show any hematological or biochemical abnormalities. The weight and normal architecture of various organs did not change compared with control. The current findings, while establishing the specific uptake of nanoparticles into cancerous cells, also demonstrates that the gellan gum-reduced gold nanoparticles are devoid of toxicity in animals following oral administration. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {cell lines, cellular uptake, Gellan gum, gold nanoparticles, subacute toxicity}, issn = {0260-437X}, doi = {10.1002/jat.1595}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Mali, Vishal and Bodhankar, Subhash L. and Shiras, Anjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Pokharkar, Varsha} } @article { ISI:000287428900016, title = {Bioethanol production from renewable polymer lichenan using lichenase from an alkalothermophilic thermomonospora sp and thermotolerant yeast}, journal = {Fuel Processing Technology}, volume = {92}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {401-406}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Biomass feedstocks available decentrally will be more commodious for localized biorefinery approach than the exhaustive large scale and centralized plants driven by cost intensive technology. Lichen is present in a wide range of habitats in a distributed manner. A maximum hydrolysis of 73\%-76\% for lichenan from Cetraria islandica, Usnea barbata and Parmelia sp. were obtained in 24 h using lichenase from an alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. wherein the hydrolysis was 100\% with commercial enzyme Accellerase (TM) 1000. The synergistic role of beta-glucosidase in lichenan hydrolysis was demonstrated by the exogenous addition of beta-glucosidase to Thermomonospora lichenase which resulted in complete hydrolysis. The hydrolysates of lichenan obtained using Accellerase or a cocktail of Thermomonospora lichenase and beta-glucosidase when fermented with free cells of Saccharomyces at 40 degrees C produced an ethanol yield of 0.45 g/g-0.48 g/g with theoretical conversion efficiencies of 93\%-96\%. The Ca-alginate immobilized yeast cells were reused eight times at 40 degrees C with 100\% fermentation efficiency. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ethanol, Hydrolysis, Lichenan, Lichenase, Synergism, Thermotolerant yeast}, issn = {0378-3820}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuproc.2010.10.001}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Divate, Rupesh and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000291335600078, title = {Biological control of cyanobacteria using polyphosphate accumulating bacteria isolated from activated sludge}, journal = {Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {469-471}, publisher = {DR M N KHAN}, address = {54, NEAR POST OFFICE, THANA ST, BHOPAL, SHAHJAHANABAD 462 001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Increased input of nutrients into water body leads to massive proliferation of cyanobacteria and other algae. This ultimately results in the eutrophication of the water body. The cyanobacterial blooms exert negative environmental impacts such as extensive growth of alga, bad odor, decline in dissolved oxygen, production of cyanotoxin, decreased growth of submerged aquatic organisms and change in taste of water. This results into reduction in qualitative and quantitative properties of water. Various chemical based methods of eutrophication control are suggested by researchers but those endanger the aquatic ecosystem. Considering hazardous effect of chemical agents, biological agents may be used more safely. Here we have shown that polyphosphate accumulating bacteria (PABs) isolated from activated sludge are efficient in reducing cyanobacterial blooms up to 95.56\% by trapping phosphorus in metapolyphosphate form. This is the first study that provides direct evidence that use of these microorganisms gives promising result in controlling cyanobacterial blooms and consequently eutrophication process without affecting the ecosystem of water body.

}, keywords = {Cyanobacterial blooms, Eutrophication, Metapolyphosphate accumulating bacteria}, issn = {0973-7510}, author = {Dudhane, Amol and Mhaindarkar, Vaibhav P.} } @article {42767, title = {Bioresponsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for triggered drug release}, journal = {Journal of the Americal Chemical Society}, volume = {133}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {19582-19585}, doi = {10.1021/ja206998x}, author = {Singh, Neetu and Karambelkar, Amrita and Gu, Luo and Lin, Kevin and Miller, Jordan S. and Chen, Christopher S. and Sailor, Michael J. and Bhatia, Sangeeta N.} } @article { ISI:000292735200016, title = {CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models (Part II: axial flow impellers, multiple impellers and multiphase dispersions)}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {89}, number = {4, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {754-816}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

In the first part of the review, published literature regarding the CFD modelling of single-phase turbulent flow in stirred tank reactors with radial flow impellers was critically analysed. A brief overview of different turbulence models (standard k-epsilon model, RNG k-epsilon model, the Reynolds stress model and large eddy simulation) as well as impeller baffle interaction models has been presented in the previous part. This part is concerned with the review of literature regarding CFD simulation of axial flow impellers. Comprehensive simulations have been carried out using various turbulence models and the model predictions (of all the mean velocities, turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate) have been compared with the experimental measurements at various locations in the tank. The strengths and weaknesses of various turbulence models for axial flow impellers is presented. The quantitative comparison of exact and modelled turbulence production, transport and dissipation terms has highlighted the reasons behind the partial success of various modifications of standard k-e model as well as Reynolds stress model. Literature efforts on multiple impeller systems and multiphase systems have been discussed in a separate section. Based on these results, suggestions have been made for the future work in this area.

}, keywords = {axial flow impellers, CFD, impeller models, stirred vessel, turbulence models}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.20465}, author = {Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Nere, Nandkishor K. and Rane, Chinmay V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000287042800004, title = {CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models. part I: radial flow impellers}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {89}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {23-82}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A critical review of the published literature regarding the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of single-phase turbulent flow in stirred tank reactors is presented. In this part of review, CFD simulations of radial flow impellers (mainly disc turbine (DT)) in a fully baffled vessel operating in a turbulent regime have been presented. Simulated results obtained with different impeller modelling approaches (impeller boundary condition, multiple reference frame, computational snap shot and the sliding mesh approaches) and different turbulence models (standard k-epsilon model, RNG k-epsilon model, the Reynolds stress model (RSM) and large eddy simulation) have been compared with the in-house laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) experimental data. In addition, recently proposed modifications to the standard k-epsilon models were also evaluated. The model predictions (of all the mean velocities, turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate) have been compared with the experimental measurements at various locations in the tank. A discussion is presented to highlight strengths and weaknesses of currently used CFD models. A preliminary analysis of sensitivity of modelling assumptions in the k-epsilon models and RSM has been carried out using LES database. The quantitative comparison of exact and modelled turbulence production, transport and dissipation terms has highlighted the reasons behind the partial success of various modifications of standard k-epsilon model as well as RSM. The volume integral of predicted energy dissipation rate is compared with the energy input rate. Based on these results, suggestions have been made for the future work in this area.

}, keywords = {CFD, impeller models, k-epsilon models, LES, radial flow impellers, RSM, stirred vessel}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.20446}, author = {Joshi, Jyeshtharaj B. and Nere, Nandkishor K. and Rane, Chinmay V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, Ashwin W. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article { ISI:000296273900010, title = {Click chemistry: 1,2,3-triazoles as pharmacophores}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {6}, number = {10, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2696-2718}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The copper(I)-catalyzed 1,2,3-triazole-forming reaction between azides and terminal alkynes has become the gold standard of {\textquoteleft}click chemistry{\textquoteright} due to its reliability, specificity, and biocompatibility. Applications of click chemistry are increasingly found in all aspects of drug discovery; they range from lead finding through combinatorial chemistry and target-templated in vitro chemistry, to proteomics and DNA research by using bioconjugation reactions. The triazole products are more than just passive linkers; they readily associate with biological targets, through hydrogen-bonding and dipole interactions. The present review will focus mainly on the recent literature for applications of this reaction in the field of medicinal chemistry, in particular on use of the 1,2,3-triazole moiety as pharmacophore.

}, keywords = {Click chemistry, Copper, Cycloaddition, pharmacophores, triazoles}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201100432}, author = {Agalave, Sandip G. and Maujan, Suleman R. and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article { ISI:000292722900032, title = {Comparative behavior of CdS and CdSe quantum dots in poly (3-hexylthiophene) based nanocomposites (vol 41, pg 198, 2006)}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {46}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1321}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2011.04.020}, author = {Sonar, Prashant and Sreenivasan, K. P. and Maddanimath, Trupti and Vijayamohanan, K.} } @article {43255, title = {Comparative genomics of the pathogenic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, its free-living relatives and a host species provide insights into adoption of a parasitic lifestyle and prospects for disease control}, journal = {Genome Biology}, volume = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: R100}, abstract = {Background: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly known as Ich, is a highly pathogenic ciliate responsible for {\textquoteright}white spot{\textquoteright}, a disease causing significant economic losses to the global aquaculture industry. Options for disease control are extremely limited, and Ich{\textquoteright}s obligate parasitic lifestyle makes experimental studies challenging. Unlike most well-studied protozoan parasites, Ich belongs to a phylum composed primarily of free-living members. Indeed, it is closely related to the model organism Tetrahymena thermophila. Genomic studies represent a promising strategy to reduce the impact of this disease and to understand the evolutionary transition to parasitism. Results: We report the sequencing, assembly and annotation of the Ich macronuclear genome. Compared with its free-living relative T. thermophila, the Ich genome is reduced approximately two-fold in length and gene density and three-fold in gene content. We analyzed in detail several gene classes with diverse functions in behavior, cellular function and host immunogenicity, including protein kinases, membrane transporters, proteases, surface antigens and cytoskeletal components and regulators. We also mapped by orthology Ich{\textquoteright}s metabolic pathways in comparison with other ciliates and a potential host organism, the zebrafish Danio rerio. Conclusions: Knowledge of the complete protein-coding and metabolic potential of Ich opens avenues for rational testing of therapeutic drugs that target functions essential to this parasite but not to its fish hosts. Also, a catalog of surface protein-encoding genes will facilitate development of more effective vaccines. The potential to use T. thermophila as a surrogate model offers promise toward controlling {\textquoteright}white spot{\textquoteright} disease and understanding the adaptation to a parasitic lifestyle.}, doi = {10.1186/gb-2011-12-10-r100}, author = {Coyne, Robert S. and Hannick, Linda and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Hostetler, Jessica B. and Brami, Daniel and Joardar, Vinita S. and Johnson, Justin and Radune, Diana and Singh, Irtisha and Badger, Jonathan H. and Kumar, Ujjwal and Saier, Milton and Wang, Yufeng and Cai, Hong and Gu, Jianying and Mather, Michael W. and Vaidya, Akhil B. and Wilkes, David E. and Rajagopalan, Vidyalakshmi and Asai, David J. and Pearson, Chad G. and Findly, Robert C. and Dickerson, Harry W. and Wu, Martin and Martens, Cindy and Van de Peer, Yves and Roos, David S. and Cassidy-Hanley, Donna M. and Clark, Theodore G.} } @article {42532, title = {Comparative study of porphyrin derivatives in monolayers at the air-water interface and in langmuir-blodgett films}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {519}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8066{\textendash}8073}, abstract = {

The orientation and aggregation of various porphyrin derivatives at the air{\textendash}water interface and in Langmuir{\textendash}Blodgett films were investigated. Monolayer properties of these molecules, where long alkyl chain(s) were covalently bound through different functionality of varying hydrophilicity were studied by measuring surface pressure area isotherms. Such derivatives, where ether functionality (functionalities) was (were) used for linking long alkyl chain(s), did not form uniform monolayer; instead they were found to form multilayer clusters or aggregates on the water surface. On the other hand, porphyrin derivative functionalized at the four peripheral phenyl rings with eight hexadecyl ether chains formed stable spherical vesicles when deposited on mica. Tetra N-alkyl pyridinium porphyrins with long alkyl chain were found to form various phases on the water surface. Evidence of transition from horizontal orientation to vertical orientation of porphyrin rings of porphyrin molecules having C14 chains was observed. This type of transition was lost with the porphyrin molecule with a relatively smaller chain (C8).

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2011.02.082}, author = {Ghosh, Amrita and Mahato, Prasenjit and Choudhury, Sipra and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000288045600024, title = {Composition-structure-property (Zn2+ and Ca2+ ion release) evaluation of Si-Na-Ca-Zn-Ce glasses: potential components for nerve guidance conduits}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {31}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {669-676}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Bioactive glasses have demonstrated tailored therapeutic ion release, primarily with respect to the augmentation of hard tissues. However, controlled degradation and release of therapeutic ions from biomaterials may also play an important role in soft tissue regeneration such as repair of peripheral nerve discontinuities. In this study, three silica based glasses (0.5SiO(2)-0.2CaO-0.13ZnO-XNa2O-(0.17-X) CeO2) where, (0.04 \< X \< 0.14) were synthesised and characterised. The local environment of the Si-29 isotope was probed for each glass using Si-29 MAS-NMR, whilst the thermal characteristics of each glass were examined using DTA. Following these analyses, ion release profiles for Ca2+ and Zn2+ were evaluated; an equivalent specific surface area of 1 m(2) of each glass powder was incubated (37 degrees C) in 10 ml of citric acid buffer and TRIS-HCl buffer solution (pH 3.0 and pH 7.4 respectively) for incubation periods of up to 30 days. The Zn2+ concentration of each filtrate was analysed using flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (Varian AA240FS Fast Sequential AAS) and the Ca2+ concentration of each filtrate was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (Varian 820 ICP-MS). Results obtained from the Si-29 MAS-NMR spectra indicated Q(2) structures pervading the network. An analytical model was proposed to analyse the ion release profiles for each glass, and indicated heterogeneous dissolution of glass networks. The ion release data demonstrates that ion release in the range (19.26-3130 ppm) for Ca2+ and in the range (5.97-4904 ppm) for Zn2+ occurred. Release of such elements, at appropriate levels, from peripheral nerve guidance conduits may be advantageous with respect to the repair of peripheral nerve discontinuities. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bioglass, Dissolution, Modelling}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2010.12.016}, author = {Zhang, X. F. and Kehoe, S. and Adhi, S. K. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Moane, S. and O{\textquoteright}Shea, H. and Boyd, D.} } @article { ISI:000293403000001, title = {Crucial role of ocean-atmosphere coupling on the Indian monsoon anomalous response during dipole events}, journal = {Climate Dynamics}, volume = {37}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1-17}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

This paper examines an issue concerning the simulation of anomalously wet Indian summer monsoons like 1994 which co-occurred with strong positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions in the tropical Indian Ocean. Contrary to observations it has been noticed that standalone atmospheric general circulation models (AGCM) forced with observed SST boundary condition, consistently depicted a decrease of the summer monsoon rainfall during 1994 over the Indian region. Given the ocean-atmosphere coupling during IOD events, we have examined whether the failure of standalone AGCM simulations in capturing wet Indian monsoons like 1994 can be remedied by including a simple form of coupling that allows the monsoon circulation to dynamically interact with the IOD anomalies. With this view, we have performed a suite of simulations by coupling an AGCM to a slab-ocean model with spatially varying mixed-layer-depth (MLD) specified from observations for the 1994 IOD; as well as four other cases (1983, 1997, 2006, 2007). The specification of spatially varying MLD from observations allows us to constrain the model to observed IOD conditions. It is seen that the inclusion of coupling significantly improves the large-scale circulation response by strengthening the monsoon cross-equatorial flow; leading to precipitation enhancement over the subcontinent and rainfall decrease over south-eastern tropical Indian Ocean-in a manner broadly consistent with observations. A plausible physical mechanism is suggested to explain the monsoonal response in the coupled frame-work. These results warrant the need for improved monsoon simulations with fully coupled models to be able to better capture the observed monsoon interannual variability.

}, keywords = {Anomalous wet Indian monsoons, Indian ocean dipole, Numerical simulation, Ocean-atmosphere coupling}, issn = {0930-7575}, doi = {10.1007/s00382-010-0830-2}, author = {Krishnan, R. and Sundaram, Suchithra and Swapna, P. and Kumar, Vinay and Ayantika, D. C. and Mujumdar, M.} } @article { ISI:000298639800093, title = {Dielectric and spin relaxation behaviour in DyFeO3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {110}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {124301}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report the temperature and frequency dependent dielectric measurements and ac magnetic susceptibility of chemically synthesized DyFeO3 nanoparticles (size similar to 50-60 nm). The measurement of the dielectric properties was carried out in a broad temperature (20-325 K) and frequency (1-10(6) Hz) range. The non-Debye type dipolar relaxation phenomenon was observed in the DyFeO3 nanoparticles, as confirmed by the Cole-Cole plots. The higher values of epsilon{\textquoteright} at the lower frequencies are explained on the basis of the Maxwell-Wagner model. The Cole-Cole analysis enabled us to separate the contribution of relaxation times, resistance and capacitance in grain and grain boundaries in DyFeO3 nanocrystals. We found that with increasing temperature, the contribution of grain boundary resistance increases in comparison to the grain resistance. We also performed spin relaxation studies in a broad temperature and frequency range. Both the in-phase (chi{\textquoteright}) and out-of-phase (chi {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}) components of the ac magnetic susceptibilities of the DyFeO3 nanoparticles show a clear evidence at spin reorientation transition around 70K and T-N (Dy) around 4K as reported by us in our earlier study using the dc magnetic behaviour. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3669154]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.3669154}, author = {Jaiswal, Adhish and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article { ISI:000292354600065, title = {Effect of aluminium doping on structural and gas sensing properties of zinc oxide thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {156}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {943-948}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A facile spray pyrolysis route is used to deposit aluminium doped ZnO (AZO) thin films on to the glass substrates. It is observed that on aluminium doping the particle size of ZnO reduces significantly; moreover, uniformity of particle also gets enhanced. Their XRD study reveals that intensity ratio of crystal planes depend on the aluminium doping concentration. The gas response studies of; similar to 800 nm thick Al-doped ZnO films at different operating temperatures show that 5 at\% Al-doped ZnO thin film exhibits highest response towards H(2)S gas at 200 degrees C. The results suggest that the gas response strongly depends on the particle size and aluminium doping in the ZnO. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aluminium, H(2)S sensor, Spray pyrolysis, thin film, Zinc oxide}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2011.03.010}, author = {Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000287466900022, title = {Effect of tethering on the structure-property relationship of TPU-dual modified laponite clay nanocomposites prepared by ex-situ and in-situ techniques}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {52}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1071-1083}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Novel Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)-dual modified Laponite clay nanocomposites were prepared by ex-situ and in-situ techniques. Two types of modified clays used in this work differ from each other by the number of active functional groups (tethering). Modified nanoclays are characterized by FTIR, Solid State NMR, XRD and TGA. Structural differences in the modified clays lead to novel tubular, elliptical and spherically aggregated morphologies of clays together with the hard segments of TPU. Changes in such morphology result in the difference in segmental relaxation, mechanical and rheological properties of the nanocomposites. In-situ prepared nanocomposites register inferior properties as compared to their ex-situ counterparts. The percent improvement in tensile strength and elongation at break of the ex-situ prepared nanocomposites with the modified clay having lesser tethering are found to be 67\% and 208\%, respectively. Thermal stability is enhanced by 35 degrees C as compared to that of the neat TPU. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Dual modification, Nanocomposites, Thermoplastic polyurethane}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2010.10.010}, author = {Mishra, Ananta K. and Chattopadhyay, Santanu and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Nando, Golok B.} } @article {42724, title = {Efficient hydrogenation of organic carbonates, carbamates, and formates indicates alternative routes to methanol based on CO2 and CO}, journal = {Nature Chemistry}, volume = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {609{\textendash}614}, abstract = {

Catalytic hydrogenation of organic carbonates, carbamates and formates is of significant interest both conceptually and practically, because these compounds can be produced from CO2 and CO, and their mild hydrogenation can provide alternative, mild approaches to the indirect hydrogenation of CO2 and CO to methanol, an important fuel and synthetic building block. Here, we report for the first time catalytic hydrogenation of organic carbonates to alcohols, and carbamates to alcohols and amines. Unprecedented homogeneously catalysed hydrogenation of organic formates to methanol has also been accomplished. The reactions are efficiently catalysed by dearomatized PNN Ru(II) pincer complexes derived from pyridine- and bipyridine-based tridentate ligands. These atom-economical reactions proceed under neutral, homogeneous conditions, at mild temperatures and under mild hydrogen pressures, and can operate in the absence of solvent with no generation of waste, representing the ultimate {\textquoteleft}green{\textquoteright} reactions. A possible mechanism involves metal{\textendash}ligand cooperation by aromatization{\textendash}dearomatization of the heteroaromatic pincer core.

}, doi = {10.1038/nchem.1089}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gunanathan, Chidambaram and Zhang, Jing and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000292983400015, title = {Efficient synthesis of benzodiazepinyl phosphonates as clostripain inhibitors via FeCl3 catalyzed four-component reaction}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, number = {15}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5407-5413}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel one-pot route for the synthesis of benzodiazepinyl phosphonates (BDPs) has been achieved. FeCl3 efficiently catalyzed four-component condensation of diamines, acetone and phosphites in the presence of molecular sieves to furnish BDPs as novel chemical entities with good yield. The synthesized BDPs have shown significant protease inhibition activity against clostripain, a disease model for gas gangrene, suggesting that these novel chemical entities could be further explored as cysteine protease inhibitors.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c0ob01102a}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Rana, Kalpeshkumar C. and Raut, Dnyaneshwar S. and Mhaindarkar, Vaibhav P. and Khan, Mohammad Islam} } @article { ISI:000289376200002, title = {Electrochemical fluorescence switching from a patternable poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole) thin film}, journal = {Macromolecular Rapid Communications}, volume = {32}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {637-643}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

A highly soluble poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole) (POD) substituted with long alkyl chains was examined for electrochemical fluorescence switching. The high solubility of the polymers enabled a simple fabrication of an electrochemical cell, which showed reversible fluorescence switching between dark (n-doping) and bright (neutral) states with a maximum on/off ratio of 2.5 and a cyclability longer than 1000 cycles. Photochemical cleavage of the oxadiazole in POD allowed photo-patterning of the POD film upon exposure to UV source. The patterned POD films displayed patterned image reversibly under a step potential of +1.8/-1.8V.

}, keywords = {fluorescence, lithography, Luminescence, photochemistry, switching device}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.201000791}, author = {Seo, Seogjae and Kim, Yuna and You, Jungmok and Sarwade, Bhimrao D. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Menon, Shamal K. and More, Arvind S. and Kim, Eunkyoung} } @article {42718, title = {Electron-rich PNP- and PNN-type Ru(II) hydrido-borohydride complexes. synthesis, structure and catalytic activity towards dehydrogenation of alcohols and hydrogenation of esters}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {30}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5716{\textendash}5724}, abstract = {

Electron-rich PNP- and PNN-type ruthenium(II) hydrido borohydride pincer complexes, [RuH(BH4)(tBu-PNP)] (tBu-PNP = (2,6-bis(di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl)pyridine) (5) and [RuH(BH4)(tBu-PNN)] (tBu-PNN = 2-di-tert-butylphosphinomethyl-6-diethylaminomethylpyridine) (6), were prepared from their corresponding N2-bridged dinuclear Ru(II) complexes [(tBu-PNP)RuCl2]2(μ-N2) (3) and [(tBu-PNN)RuCl2]2(μ-N2) (4), respectively. The X-ray structure of 5 reveals a BH4{\textendash} anion η2 coordinated to ruthenium through two bridging hydrides. A variable-temperature 1H NMR study of 6 exhibits interesting fluxional behavior of the BH4{\textendash} ligand. Similarly, the Ru(II) hydrido borohydride complex 9, in which the BH4{\textendash} moiety is coordinated in a η1 bonding mode, was obtained by reaction of [RuCl2(PPh3)(iPr-PNP)] (iPr-PNP = 2,6-bis(diisopropylphosphinomethyl)pyridine) (8) with two equivalents of NaBH4 at room temperature. The hydrido borohydride pincer complexes 5, 6, and 9 catalyze the acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols to esters and the dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to the corresponding ketones, accompanied by evolution of hydrogen gas. The reactivity follows the order 6 \> 9 \> 5. With the hydrido borohydride complex 6 as catalyst, high yields (up to 98\%) and high turnover numbers (TON \~{}1000) were obtained in the dehydrogenation of primary alcohols under mild and neutral conditions. In addition, 6 effectively catalyzes the hydrogenation of nonactivated aromatic and aliphatic esters to the corresponding alcohols with TON \~{}200 under a relatively mild pressure of dihydrogen and neutral and homogeneous conditions. Thus, an efficient homogeneous catalytic system for the dehydrogenation{\textendash}hydrogenation reactions of alcohols is developed, which is relevant to the current interest in hydrogen storage.

}, doi = {10.1021/om200595m}, author = {Zhang, Jing and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Leitus, Gregory and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000295921500010, title = {Employing homoenolates generated by NHC catalysis in carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions: state of the art}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {40}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5336-5346}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Homoenolate is a reactive intermediate that possesses an anionic or nucleophilic carbon beta to a carbonyl group or its synthetic equivalent. The recent discovery that homoenolates can be generated from alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes via N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC) catalysis has led to the development of a number of new reactions. A majority of such reactions include the use of carbon-based electrophiles, such as aldehydes, imines, enones, dienones etc. resulting in the formation of a variety of annulated as well as acyclic products. The easy availability of chiral NHCs has allowed the development of very efficient enantioselective variants of these reactions also. The tolerance showed by NHCs towards magnesium and titanium based Lewis acids has been exploited in the invention of cooperative catalytic processes. This tutorial review focuses on these and other types of homoenolate reactions reported recently, and in the process, updates the previous account published in 2008 in this journal.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c1cs15139h}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Sinu, C. R. and Paul, Rony Rajan and Jose, Anu and Sreekumar, Vellalath} } @article { ISI:000288848900007, title = {Enantiospecific route to (+)-(1R, 3S)-cis-chrysanthemic acid from (-)-D-pantolactone(1)}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {1067-1070}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

In this paper, a novel route for the synthesis of (+)-(1R,3S)-cis-chrysanthemic acid is described. The use of readily available (-)-D-pantolactone as a starting point, application of ring-closing metathesis to form the cyclopentene intermediate, and Haller-Bauer/Grob-type fragmentation to form the target compound are the highlights of the present synthesis.

}, keywords = {alkenes, Metathesis, ring closure, stereoselective synthesis, Wittig reaction}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0030-1258451}, author = {Hajare, Atul K. and Datrange, Laxmikant S. and Murthy, Y. L. N. and Bhuniya, Debnath and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000291832600007, title = {Enhanced DSSC performance with high surface area thin anatase TiO2 nanoleaves}, journal = {Solar Energy}, volume = {85}, number = {6, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1213-1219}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Thin anatase TiO2 nanoleaves (NLs) with high surface area (similar to 93 m(2)/g) are synthesized by hydrothermal route and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) made using such NLs are compared with those made with hydro-thermally synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles and the Degussa P25 powder. The NLs-based DSSCs show increment of 16\% and 24\% in the total conversion efficiency over the cells made with NPs and P25 respectively. Interestingly, the highest increment in the conversion efficiency (similar to 35\%) is achieved for cells made using a 50:50 (wt/wt) mixture of NLs and NPs. In this case the dye loading is found to be \>50\% higher than the case of NP films. Moreover the DC resistance of diffusion of I-3(-) in electrolyte (as revealed by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) is substantially lower than the NP film case, other cell parameters being nominally comparable. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dye-sensitized solar cells, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, hydrothermal}, issn = {0038-092X}, doi = {10.1016/j.solener.2011.02.029}, author = {Dhas, Vivek V. and Muduli, Subas and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Rana, Abhimanyu and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Banerjee, Rahul and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000286852900002, title = {Extrudate swell of linear and branched polyethylenes: ALE simulations and comparison with experiments}, journal = {Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics}, volume = {166}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {12-24}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Extrudate swell is a common phenomenon observed in the polymer extrusion industry. Accurate prediction of the dimensions of an extrudate is important for appropriate design of dies for profile extrusion applications. Prediction of extrudate swell has been challenging due to (i) difficulties associated with accurate representation of the constitutive behavior of polymer melts, and (ii) difficulties associated with the simulation of free surfaces, which requires special techniques in the traditionally used Eulerian framework. In a previous work we had argued that an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) based finite element formulation may have advantages in simulating free surface deformations such as in extrudate swell. In the present work we reinforce this argument by comparing our ALE simulations with experimental data on the extrudate swell of commercial grades of linear polyethylene (LLDPE) and branched polyethylene (LOPE). Rheological behavior of the polymers was characterized in shear and uniaxial extensional deformations, and the data was modeled using either the Phan-Thien Tanner (PTT) model or the eXtended Pom-Pom (XPP) model. Additionally, flow birefringence and pressure drop measurements were done using a 10:1 contraction-expansion (CE) slit geometry in a MultiPass Rheometer. Simulated pressure drop and contours of the principal stress difference were compared with experimental data and were found to match well. This provided an independent test for the accuracy of the ALE code and the constitutive equations for simulating a processing-like flow. The polymers were extruded from long (L/D=30) and short (L/D=10) capillaries dies at 190 degrees C. ALE simulations were performed for the same extrusion conditions and the simulated extrudate swell showed good agreement with the experimental data. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ALE-FEM, extrudate swell, Flow birefringence, MultiPass Rheometer, PSD, PTT, XPP}, issn = {0377-0257}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnnfm.2010.10.001}, author = {Ganvir, Vivek and Gautham, Basavarsu P. and Pol, Harshawardhan and Bhamla, M. Saad and Sclesi, Lino and Thaokar, Rochish and Lele, Ashish K. and Mackley, Malcolm} } @article { ISI:000291525400022, title = {Fabrication, thermal and electrical properties of polyphenylene sulphide/copper composites}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {128}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {114-120}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The thermal and electrical properties of high performance poly(phenylene sulphide) (PPS) composites reinforced up to 31 vol\% Cu particles were investigated to be used as materials for electronic applications. The thermal stability and char yield of the composites increased significantly. Both pre- and post- glass transition coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of composites decreased significantly. The microhardness was increased by more than 50\% compared to pure PPS matrix. Microhardness and CTE of composites correlated well with the rule of mixtures. A percolation threshold about 6 vol\% Cu was obtained. The electrical conductivity was increased by about eight orders of magnitude for 18 vol\% composite. Dielectric constant and dissipation factor of composites at 1 MHz was increased by about 6-fold and 70-fold compared to matrix, respectively. They decreased gradually with increasing frequency up to 1 MHz and thereafter, there was insignificant change. The scanning electron microscope showed almost uniform distribution of Cu particles in the matrix. Owing to better dimensional stability and good electrical properties, these composites are very promising for electronic applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dielectric property, Electrical conductivity, hardness, Thermal expansion}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2011.02.065}, author = {Goyal, R. K. and Kambale, K. R. and Nene, S. S. and Selukar, B. S. and Arbuj, Sudhir S. and Mulik, Uttam P.} } @article { ISI:000299031600049, title = {Ferroelectric and electrical characterization of multiferroic BiFeO3 at the single nanoparticle level}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {99}, number = {25}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. 252905}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, type = {Article}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles deposited on epitaxial substrates of SrRuO3 (SRO) and La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) were studied using band excitation piezoresponse spectroscopy (BEPS), piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). BEPS confirms that the nanoparticles are ferroelectric in nature. Switching behavior of nanoparticle clusters were studied and showed evidence for inhomogeneous switching. The dimensionality of domains within nanoparticles was found to be fractal in nature, with a dimensionality constant of similar to 1.4, on par with ferroelectric BFO thin-films under 100 nm in thickness. Ferromagnetic resonance studies indicate BFO nanoparticles only weakly affect the magnetic response of LSMO. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3671392]

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.3671392}, author = {Vasudevan, R. K. and Bogle, Kashinath A. and Kumar, A. and Jesse, S. and Magaraggia, R. and Stamps, R. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Potdar, H. S. and Nagarajan, V.} } @article { ISI:000290015600029, title = {Field emission studies of silver nanoparticles synthesized by electron cyclotron resonance plasma}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {257}, number = {16}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7184-7189}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Field emission has been studied for silver nanoparticles (25-200 nm), deposited within a cylindrical silver target in an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma. Particle size distribution was controlled by optimum biasing voltages between the chamber and the target. Presence of non-oxidized silver was confirmed from the X-Ray diffraction analysis; however, thin protective layer of oxide was identified from the selective area electron diffraction pattern obtained with transmission electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles were seen to exhibit hilly pointed like structures when viewed under the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The emissive properties of these particles were investigated by field emission microscopy. It is found that this technique of deposition is ideal for formation of nanoparticles films on different substrate geometries with size controllability as well as its application to emission devices. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cold plasma, field emission, Nanoparticles, thin film}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.03.088}, author = {Purohit, Vishwas and Mazumder, Baishakhi and Bhise, Ashok B. and Poddar, Pankaj and Joag, Dilip S. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000294386000007, title = {Finite temperature behavior of gas phase neutral Au-n (3 <= n <= 10) clusters: a first principles investigation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {35}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {17278-17285}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

{Relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamical simulations are performed on gold clusters with 3-10 atoms (Au-n

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp2023605}, author = {De, Himadri Sekhar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000295444000015, title = {First asymmetric synthesis of the antiepileptic drug lacosamide (Vimpat (R)) based on a hydrolytic kinetic resolution strategy}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {22}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1353-1357}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient asymmetric synthesis of the new antiepileptic drug, Lacosamide is described in high enantiopurity (\>98\% ee), using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution strategy as a key step. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2011.07.024}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Mujahid, Mohammad and Sasikumar, M. and Mujumdar, P.} } @article { ISI:000288576700003, title = {Fluorescence resonance energy transfer from tryptophan to folic acid in micellar media and deionised water}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology}, volume = {103}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {16-21}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from tryptophan (Trp) to folic acid (FA) in aqueous sodiumdodecyl sulphate, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide, and Brij-35 as well as deionised water was investigated using steady state and time resolved fluorescence techniques. The data obtained from steady state fluorescence spectral studies and time resolved measurement indicated that the FRET from Trp to FA occurred most effectively in aqueous sodium dodecyl sulphate micellar solutions. The distance between Trp and FA were evaluated. Binding constant, number of binding sites and thermodynamic parameters were determined for Trp-FA interactions in deionised water. The values of the thermodynamic parameters suggest that the hydrophobic forces and hydrogen bonding are the key interacting forces between Trp-FA interaction. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fluorescence quenching, Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), Folic acid, Foster theory, Stern-Volmer plot, Tryptophan}, issn = {1011-1344}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2011.01.006}, author = {Mote, U. S. and Patil, S. R. and Bhosale, Siddharth H. and Han, Sung-Hwan and Kolekar, G. B.} } @inbook {43387, title = {Fluoride contamination of water: origin, health effects and remediation methods}, booktitle = {Fluoride}, year = {2011}, pages = {159-176}, publisher = {Nova Publishers Inc., New York}, organization = {Nova Publishers Inc., New York}, chapter = {Fluoride contamination of water: origin, health effects and remediation methods}, address = {New York}, abstract = {

Fluorine is the 13th most abundant element in the earth?s crust. It exists in trace amounts in ground water all over the world. Drinking water is the primary source through which fluoride enters the human body, especially in regions where fluoride concentrations in groundwater and/or surface water are high. It is estimated that more than 200 million people worldwide depend on drinking water with fluoride concentration exceeding the present World Health Organization (WHO) guideline (Maximum contaminant level of 1.5 mg/l). Fluoride bearing foodstuffs and fumes from burning of coal also significantly contribute to the daily intake of people in some regions. Prolonged consumption of excess fluoride may lead to different types of fluorosis (dental and skeletal) depending on the level and period of exposure. Presence of fluoride in drinking water above permissible level has been related to increased incidence of fluorosis among the people all over the world including China, India, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, Egypt and Kenya. In India, the problem of excessive fluoride in groundwater was first reported in 1937 in the state of Andhra Pradesh. More than 6 million people all over India are known to be seriously affected by fluorosis and another 62 million are exposed to it. The best choice for combating fluorosis is to have alternative source of water with low fluoride level. In absence of alternative source of water, defluoridation of excess fluoride in water is the only option. Different methods are available for defluoridation of water. But the selection of the appropriate method for achieving a sustainable solution to the fluorosis problem is very important. Defluoridation of drinking water by adsorption is the most simple and effective technology that can work in household as well as community level drinking water treatment. It is also the most widely studied method for defluoridation of water, as the fluoride concentration in groundwater is usually very low (10 mg/l). A wide variety of adsorbents have been explored for this purpose. Synthetic layered double hydroxides are comparatively new materials examined for the adsorption of fluorides and they exhibit good fluoride adsorption capacity. A discussion on various defluoridation methods, adsorbents for defluoridation and recent developments are presented in this chapter.

}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Mayadevi, S.} } @article {42523, title = {Folding and unfolding movements in a [2]pseudorotaxane}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {76}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {138{\textendash}144}, abstract = {

A new dibenzo[24]crown-8 derivative (1) was synthesized and functionalized with aromatic moieties such as naphthalene and coumarin units. These two fluorophores are known to form an effective FRET (Forster resonance energy transfer) pair, and this formed the basis for the design of this host crown ether derivative. Results of the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence studies confirmed the resonance energy transfer between the donor naphthalene moiety and acceptor coumarin fragment, while NMR spectra and computational studies support a folded conformation for the uncomplexed crown ether 1. This was found to form an inclusion complex, a [2]pseudorotaxane type with imidazolium ion derivatives as the guest molecules with varying alkyl chain lengths ([C4mim]+ or [C10mim]+). The host crown ether (1) tends to adopt an open conformation on formation of the interwoven inclusion complex (1{\textperiodcentered}[C4mim]+ or 1{\textperiodcentered}[C10mim]+). This change in conformation, from the folded to a open one, was predicted by computational as well as 1H NMR studies and was confirmed by single crystal X-ray structure for one (1{\textperiodcentered}[C4mim]+) of the two inclusion complexes. The increase in the effective distance between the naphthalene and coumarin moieties in the open conformation of these inclusion complexes was also supported by the decrease in the effective FRET process that was operational between naphthalene and coumarin moieties in the free molecule (1). Importantly, this inclusion complex formation was found to be reversible, and in the presence of a stronger base/polar solvent, such as triethyl amine/DMSO, the deprotonation/effective solvation of the cationic imidizolium ions ([C4mim]+ or [C10mim]+) resulted in decomplexation or dethreading with restoration of the original emission spectra for 1, which signifies the subsequent increase in the FRET process. Thus we could demonstrate that a molecular folding-unfolding type of movement in the crown ether derivative could be induced by chemical input as an imidazolium ion.

}, doi = {10.1021/jo101762k}, author = {Suresh, Moorthy and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Adarsh, N. N. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Kanaparthi, Ravi Kumar and Samanta, Anunay and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000293518300007, title = {From graphite oxide to highly water dispersible functionalized graphene by single step plant extract-induced deoxygenation}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1990-1996}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a single step facile synthesis of highly water dispersible functionalized graphene nanosheets by plant extract-induced deoxygenation of graphite oxide (GO). The results of various characterizations reveal that the properties of such plant extract-converted graphene nanosheets (PCGN) are comparable to chemically converted graphene nanosheets (CCG). These results open a green route to the emerging graphene-based technologies.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c1gc15393e}, author = {Mhamane, Dattakumar and Ramadan, Wegdan and Fawzy, Manal and Rana, Abhimanyu and Dubey, Megha and Rode, Chandrashekhar and Lefez, Benoit and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000294701600022, title = {Functionalization of SBA-15 mesoporous materials using {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}thiol-ene click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} michael addition reaction}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {115}, number = {36}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {17774-17781}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Methacrylate-labeled SBA-15 has been successfully synthesized from calcined SBA-15 and commercially available 3-trichlorosilyl propylmethacrylate. This material undergoes efficient thiol-ene {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click reaction{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with a variety of both thiol and disulfide-containing substrates in aqueous and organic media. The products were thoroughly characterized by a variety of analytical techniques including multinuclear (C-13, Si-29) solid-state NMR, TG-DTA, and nitrogen adsorption desorption studies. Disulfide-containing substrates in which the TCEP-mediated reduction of the disulfide bond and its subsequent addition to the methacrylate group anchored in SBA-15 in one-pot were used to synthesize a silica-protein hybrid material composed of biotin-labeled SBA-15 and streptavidin. Electrochemically active material was synthesized from the reaction of ferrocene-containing thiol and the methacrylate-labeled SBA-15. The ease of synthesis for the methacrylate-labeled SBA-15 material together with its ability to undergo efficient chemoselective thiol-ene reaction would make it a very attractive platform for the development of covalently anchored enzymes and sensors.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp2056442}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Malvi, Bharmana and Ganai, Anal Kumar and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000290127500055, title = {Halogen bonding in 2,5-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone: insights from experimental and theoretical charge density analysis}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1855-1862}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Experimental charge density distribution in 2, 5-dichloro-1, 4-benzoquinone has been carried out using high resolution X-ray diffraction data at 90 K to quantitatively evaluate the nature of C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O=C halogen bond in molecular crystals. Additionally, the halogen bond is studied from geometrical point of view and the same has been visualized using Hirshfeld surface analysis. The obtained results from experimental charge density analysis are compared with periodic quantum calculations using B3LYP 6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The topological values at bond critical point, three-dimensional static deformation density features and electrostatic potential isosurfaces unequivocally establish the attractive nature of C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O=C halogen bond in crystalline lattice.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg2000415}, author = {Hathwar, Venkatesha R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Munshi, Parthapratim and Bhadbhade, Mohan M. and Row, Tayur N. Guru} } @article { ISI:000299066700002, title = {Hierarchical mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites co-templated by trimethyl chitosan and a surfactant for controlled drug delivery}, journal = {Medchemcomm}, volume = {2}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1162-1166}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this communication, we report the facile synthesis of hierarchical mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composite materials with bimodal mesopores using a dual-template of the cationic N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMCs) and the anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) via one-step synthetic strategy. Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used as a silica source. The nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements and transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the hierarchical structure of the mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites with bimodal mesopores having an average pore size of 5-7 nm with the visible voids between the silica nanoparticles, which allow the mesoporous bio-polymer/silica composites to encapsulate a large number of guest drug molecules, Ibuprofen (IBU) or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), due to their high surface area and pore volume. In addition, the mesoporous chitosan-silica composites also had a long term biocompatibility for the target release of the drug molecules to the CEM cells, MCF cells, etc. as well as a pH sensitive controlled release behavior of the drug molecules.

}, issn = {2040-2503}, doi = {10.1039/c0md00222d}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Park, Sung Soo and Parambadath, Surendran and Kim, Mi Ju and Kim, Sun-Hee and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000295149400011, title = {In situ encapsulation of Pt nanoparticles in mesoporous silica: synthesis, characterisation and effect of particle size on CO oxidation}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {403}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {91-97}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Pt nanoparticles of narrow size distribution and average particle size of 4.4 nm are isolated exclusively inside SBA-12 mesoporous silica by a novel in situ method. The interaction of Pt precursor with surfactant-polymer composite micelle is followed by NMR and UV studies. The final Pt incorporated silica material is characterised by XRD, TEM and N(2) adsorption. The mesoporous nature of the silica is found to be intact after Pt incorporation without any pore blockage. CO oxidation activity of this material is compared with that of mesoporous silica incorporating different sizes of Pt viz., 1.8, 3.6 and 8 nm. Activation energies of CO oxidation for all these materials are calculated by a simple differential method based on first principles. A comparison of activation energies and single site yields reveals that these parameters are distinguishably less in catalyst containing 1.8 nm Pt nanoparticles but more or less same in catalysts containing 3.6, 4.4 and 8 nm Pt nanoparticles. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CO oxidation, In situ synthesis, Mesoporous silica, Pt nanoparticle}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2011.06.016}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Mayadevi, S. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000285674000014, title = {Investigations of magnetic and dielectric properties of cupric oxide nanoparticles}, journal = {Solid State Communications}, volume = {151}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {55-60}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cupric oxide nanoparticles of similar to 8-10 nm width and 40-45 nm length self assembled as large particles similar to 1-1 5 mu m have been investigated in the 10-325 K temperature range using magnetic and dielectric measurements In magnetic measurements a single broad peak at similar to 230 K in a zero field cooled sample has been observed Coercivity in magnetization measurements at 10 K suggests that the nanoparticles are core-shell type particles with an antiferromagnetic core and a ferromagnetic shell Dielectric measurements at various frequencies from 3 7 Hz to 949 kHz exhibit a sharp peak at 284 K followed by weak anomalies around 213 and 230 K (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved

}, keywords = {CuO nanoparticles, Dielectric, Ferroelectric transition, Ferromagnetic}, issn = {0038-1098}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssc.2010.10.024}, author = {Bhalerao-Panajkar, Rohini S. and Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, S. K.} } @article { ISI:000291804900001, title = {Isolation, identification and optimization of a new extracellular lipase producing strain of rhizopus sp.}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {164}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {969-978}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

A lipolytic mesophilic fungus which produces lipase extracellularly was isolated from soil. Based on ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 region sequences of ribosomal RNA, it was concluded that the isolate JK-1 belongs to genus Rhizopus and clades with Rhizopus oryzae. The present paper reports the screening, isolation, identification, and optimization of fermentation conditions for the production of lipase (EC 3.1.1.3). Culture conditions were optimized, and the highest lipase production was observed in basal medium with corn steep liquor as nitrogen source and glucose as carbon source. Maximum lipase production was observed at 72 h, which is about 870 U/ml. Optimization of fermentation conditions resulted in 16-fold enhancement in enzyme production.

}, keywords = {Corn steep liquor, Fermentation, ITS region, Lipase, Medium optimization, Rhizopus}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-011-9188-0}, author = {Kantak, Jayshree B. and Bagade, Aditi V. and Mahajan, Siddharth A. and Pawar, Shrikant P. and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000292962900073, title = {Ligand dynamics controlled reverse spin cross over in bis pyrazolyl pyridine based Fe(II) complex cation with metallodithiolato anions with an example of a ferromagnetic 2:1 cocrystal of mixed Ni(III)/Ni(II) oxidation states}, journal = {Inorganica Chimica Acta}, volume = {374}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {586-600}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

We report here the crystal and molecular structures of three compounds [FeL(2)] [Ni(mnt)(2)] (1), [FeL(2)](2) [Ni(mnt)(2)](3)center dot 2H(2)O (2) and [FeL(2)] [Cu(mnt)(2)]center dot 2CH(3)CN (3) where L = 2,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-ylmethyl) pyridine and mnt = maleonitriledithiolate, and their detailed spectroscopic and magnetic properties using variable temperature Mssbauer, EPR, susceptibility studies, along with room temperature electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) studies. The observed temperature dependant high spin/low spin (HS/LS) ratios of [FeL(2)](2+) cations in these lattices, exhibiting {\textquoteleft}reverse spin cross-over{\textquoteright} measured unequivocally by Mssbauer, have been interpreted as resulting from differing amount of {\textquoteleft}void space{\textquoteright} in the lattice, a measure of the ease of lattice dynamics originating from ligand L. Differential scanning calorimetric data points this HS/LS transition to order-disorder type of second order phase transitions. While trying to test this lattice dynamics controlled property of [FeL(2)](2+) cations an unusual behavior of cocrystallization of two planar complex anions of the same type in two different oxidation states, viz. [Ni(mnt)(2)](2) and [Ni(mnt)(2)] , was observed in [FeL(2)](2+) [Ni(mnt(2))](3), supported by crystallography, ESCA chemical shifts of Ni 2p(3/2) and EPR. The susceptibility data in combination with ESCA chemical shifts of S 2p(3/2) and Ni 2p(3/2) on all the compounds reveal the importance of charge transfer between the two counter ions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Iron complexes, Magnetism, Reverse-spin crossover, X-ray crystal structures}, issn = {0020-1693}, doi = {10.1016/j.ica.2011.02.081}, author = {Manoharan, Periakaruppan T. and Sambandam, Balaji and Amsarani, Ramamoorthy and Varghese, Babu and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Nomura, Kiyoshi} } @article { ISI:000289763700026, title = {Low temperature pH dependent synthesis of flower-like ZnO nanostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {46}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {771-778}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present study we have synthesized flower-like ZnO nanostructures comprising of nanobelts of 20 nm width by template and surfactant free low-temperature (4 degrees C) aqueous solution route. The ZnO nanostructures exhibit flower-like morphology, having crystalline hexagonal wurtzite structure with (001) orientation. The flowers with size between 600 and 700 nm consist of ZnO units having crystallite size of similar to 40 nm. Chemical and structural characterization reveals a significant role of precursor: ligand molar ratio, pH, and temperature in the formation of single-step flower-like ZnO at low temperature. Plausible growth mechanism for the formation of flower-like structure has been discussed in detail. Photoluminescence studies confirm formation of ZnO with the defects in crystal structure. The flower-like ZnO nanostructures exhibit enhanced photochemical degradation of methylene blue (MB) with the increased concentration of ligand, indicating attribution of structural features in the photocatalytic properties. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalytic properties, Defects, Nanostructures, Optical properties, Semiconductor}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2010.11.007}, author = {Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Joshi, Satyawati S.} } @article { ISI:000293175800026, title = {Maghemite (hematite) core (shell) nanorods via thermolysis of a molecular solid of Fe-complex}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {40}, number = {31}, year = {2011}, month = {2011}, pages = {8003-8011}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An Fe-metal complex with 2{\textquoteright}-hydroxy chalcone (2{\textquoteright}-HC) ligands [Fe(III) (2{\textquoteright}-hydroxy chalcone) 3] is synthesized by a chemical route and is subjected to different thermal treatments. Upon thermolysis in air at 450 degrees C for 3 h the complex yields maghemite (gamma-Fe(2)O(3)) nanorods with a thin hematite (alpha-Fe(2)O(3)) shell. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Mossbauer spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) are used to characterize the samples. The stability of the ligand and the Fe-complex is further examined by using thermogravimmetric/differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). We suggest a residual ligand controlled mechanism for the formation of an anisotropic nanostructure in a crumbling molecular solid undergoing ligand decomposition. Since the band gap of iron oxide is in the visible range, we explored the use of our core shell nano-rod sample for photocatalytic activity for H(2) generation by H(2)S splitting under solar light. We observed high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation (75 ml h(-1)).

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c1dt10319a}, author = {Chaudhari, N. S. and Warule, S. S. and Muduli, Subas and Kale, B. B. and Jouen, Samuel and Lefez, Benoit and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000293741800076, title = {Magnetic and electric responsive hydrogel-magnetic nanocomposites for drug-delivery application}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {122}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1364-1375}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Magnetic and electrically responsive hydrogel networks were developed for drug-delivery applications. The hydrogel matrices were synthesized by the polymerization of acrylamide monomer in the presence of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or methylcellulose (MC) with N,N-methylenebisacrylamide, a crosslinker with the redox initiating system ammonium persulfate/tetramethylethylenediamine. The magnetic nanoparticles were generated throughout these hydrogel matrices by an in situ method by the incorporation of iron ions and their subsequent reduction with ammonia. A series of hydrogel-magnetic nanocomposites (HGMNCs) were developed with various CMC and MC compositions. The synthesized HGMNCs were characterized with spectral (Fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy), X-ray diffraction, thermal, and microscopy methods. These HGMNCs contained iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles with an average particle size of about 22 nm, as observed by transmission electron microscopy. The dielectrical properties of the pure hydrogel (HG); the hydrogel loaded with iron ions, or the hydrogel iron-ion composite (HGIC); and the HGMNCs were measured. These results suggest that HGMNCs exhibited higher dielectric constants compared to HG and HGICs. The curcumin loading and release characteristics were also measured for HG, HGIC, and HGMNC systems. These data revealed that there was a sustained release of curcumin from HGMNCs because of the presence of magnetic nanoparticles in the hydrogel networks. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 1364-1375, 2011

}, keywords = {hydrogels, magnetic polymers, Nanocomposites, nanoparticle, nanotechnology}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.34016}, author = {Reddy, N. Narayana and Mohan, Y. Murali and Varaprasad, K. and Ravindra, S. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Raju, K. Mohana} } @article { ISI:000288772300011, title = {Magnetic properties of thermal plasma synthesized nanocrystalline nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4)}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {509}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4404-4413}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A rapid synthesis method is reported for magnetic nanoparticles of nickel ferrite involving thermal plasma assisted vapor phase condensation process. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Vibrating Sample Magnetometer and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy techniques. The average particle size was determined from the TEM micrographs and found to be around 30 nm. The effects of reactor parameters on the magnetic and structural properties have been evaluated, to find the optimized parameters so as to achieve the highest values of saturation magnetization and coercivity. Reasonably high saturation magnetization (48 emu/g) has been assigned to the high degree of crystallinity, achieved on account of high temperature during the growth, and the cation redistribution. The high value of coercivity (1150e) is explained on the basis of possible lattice defects arising from the cation redistribution. Detailed analysis of cation distribution using the XRD line intensity data leads to the conclusion that these samples are iron deficit and nickel rich. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {crystal structure, Magnetic measurements, Magnetization, Nanostructured materials, TEM}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.01.057}, author = {Nawale, Ashok B. and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Patil, K. R. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mathe, Vikas L. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000290345300002, title = {Mapping of QTLs governing agronomic and yield traits in chickpea}, journal = {Journal of Applied Genetics}, volume = {52}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {9-21}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Chickpea is one of the most important leguminous cool season food crops, cultivated prevalently in South Asia and Middle East. The main objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with seven agronomic and yield traits in two recombinant inbred line populations of chickpea derived from the crosses JG62xVijay (JV population) and VijayxICC4958 (VI population) from at least three environments. Single locus QTL analysis involved composite interval mapping (CIM) for individual traits and multiple-trait composite interval mapping (MCIM) for correlated traits to detect pleiotropic QTLs. Two-locus analysis was conducted to identify the main effect QTLs (M-QTLs), epistatic QTLs (E-QTLs) and QTL x environment interactions. Through CIM analysis, a total of 106 significant QTLs (41 in JV and 65 in VI populations) were identified for the seven traits, of which one QTL each for plant height and days to maturity was common in both the populations. Six pleiotropic QTLs that were consistent over the environments were also identified. LG2 in JV and LG1a in VI contained at least one QTL for each trait. Hence, concentrating on these LGs in molecular breeding programs is most likely to bring simultaneous improvement in these traits.

}, keywords = {Cicer arietinum, QTL analysis, QTL x environment interaction, Two-locus analysis, Yield traits}, issn = {1234-1983}, doi = {10.1007/s13353-010-0016-y}, author = {Gowda, S. J. M. and Radhika, P. and Mhase, L. B. and Jamadagni, B. M. and Gupta, V. S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article { ISI:000293993600017, title = {Method to extract intact and pure RNA from mycobacteria}, journal = {Analytical Biochemistry}, volume = {417}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {286-288}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

We describe a high-yielding, simple, and aerosol-free protocol for the isolation of RNA from mycobacteria that does not require sophisticated instruments. The method yielded 50 mu g of RNA from 10(7) cells, 50 times more than a recently reported method. Our method can extract total RNA from aerobically grown bacteria and from in vitro hypoxia-induced dormant bacilli and mycobacteria residing within infected macrophages. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dormant, Hypoxia, Mycobacteria, RNA isolation, Spheroplast, Trizol}, issn = {0003-2697}, doi = {10.1016/j.ab.2011.06.028}, author = {Akhtar, Shamim and Sarkar, Sampa and Mishra, Abhishek and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000295843900024, title = {MgCl2 center dot 6PhCH(2)OH - a new molecular adduct as support material for ziegler-natta catalyst: synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {40}, number = {41}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10936-10944}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Benzyl alcohol has been used to prepare a single phase MgCl2 center dot 6BzOH molecular adduct as a support for an ethylene polymerization catalyst (Ziegler catalyst). The structural, spectroscopic and morphological aspects of the MgCl2 center dot 6BzOH molecular adduct and the Ziegler catalyst have been thoroughly studied by various physicochemical characterization techniques. The presence of MgO6 octahedrons due to the interaction of Mg2+ with six -OH groups of the benzyl alcohol is confirmed from a Raman feature at 703 cm(-1), and structural studies. The supported catalyst activity has been evaluated for the ethylene polymerization reaction. The lower polymerization activity of the titanated Ziegler-Natta catalyst compared with a standard catalyst is attributed to the strong interaction of titanium chloride with the support and associated electronic factors.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c1dt10786k}, author = {Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Thushara, K. S. and Bhange, Deu S. and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000290357000002, title = {Modeling \& simulation of micro reactor with nitration of 2-methyl-4,6 dihydroxy-pyrimidine}, journal = {Science and Technology of Energetic Materials}, volume = {72}, number = {1-2}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-20}, publisher = {JAPAN EXPLOSIVES SOC}, address = {C/O JAPAN EXPLOSIVES INDUSTRY ASSOC, ICHIJOJI BLDG., 2-3-22 AZABUDAI, MINATO-KU, TOKYO, 106-0041, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Nitration of 2-methyl-4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine (MDP) using concentrated sulfuric acid and nitric acid as nitrating mixture is a highly exothermic and hazardous reaction. Conducting such reaction in a batch reactor follow an unsteady state and its trajectory depends on various important parameters such as initial reactor temperature, initial composition of reaction mass, temperature of circulating coolant, etc. However, over all productivity, process control and safety of the batch process is highly restricted due to lower surface to volume ratio. In the present work, an effort has been made to over come the limitations of batch reactor by using the novel micro reactor device. Micro reactor is having extremely high surface to volume ratio, which has been explored to carry out nitration of MDP both numerically as well as experimentally and the results were compared with conventional batch reactor. The micro reaction system has been modeled using two dimensional (2-D) heat flow and mass transfer equations. The kinetic rate equation for nitration of MDP has evaluated experimentally by differential method which is used in modeling of the micro reactor. The numerical results from the 2-D model for conversion and temperature profile along the length and radius of micro reactor have been compared with corresponding results obtained from batch reactor. In order to validate the model, several experiments were conducted in micro reactor set-up with the variation of flow rate, residence time, concentration, temperature, etc. The experimental results from micro reactor revealed that nitration of MDP takes place even at much lower concentration and lower residence time with better control of temperature profile. Also, the reaction takes place in laminar region compared to turbulent region in corresponding batch reactor setup.

}, keywords = {2-D modeling, 2-methyl-4, 6 dihydroxypyrimidine, Batch reactor, micro reactor}, issn = {1347-9466}, author = {Mandal, Alok Kumar and Pandey, Raj Kishore and Asthana, Nandan and Kulkarni, Amol and Kulkarni, Bhaskar Dattatraya} } @article {42766, title = {Nanoparticles that communicate in vivo to amplify tumour targeting}, journal = {Nature Materials}, volume = {10}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {545-552}, doi = {10.1038/NMAT3049}, author = {von Maltzahn, Geoffrey and Park, Ji-Ho and Lin, Kevin Y. and Singh, Neetu and Schwoeppe, Christian and Mesters, Rolf and Berdel, Wolfgang E. and Ruoslahti, Erkki and Sailor, Michael J. and Bhatia, Sangeeta N.} } @article {42716, title = {New CNN-type ruthenium pincer NHC complexes. synthesis and catalytic activity. mild, efficient hydrogenation of esters}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {30}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3826{\textendash}3833}, abstract = {

New pincer ruthenium complexes (2{\textendash}6) based on the new bipyridine-NHC ligand 1 were prepared and studied, resulting in an efficient catalytic hydrogenation of esters to the corresponding alcohols under mild conditions. Reaction of the ligand 1 with RuH(Cl)CO(PPh3)3, followed by reaction with one equivalent of the base KHMDS, gave the mixed phosphine-NHC complex 2, incorporating a C{\textendash}H-activated bipyridine ligand. Complex 2 has an octahedral structure containing two phosphorus atoms trans to each other, a hydride trans to the NHC ligand, and CO trans to the C{\textendash}H-activated carbon of the bipyridine ligand. Using the precursor complex Ru(p-cymene)Cl2(CO), reaction with 1 followed by treatment of the intermediate product with one equivalent of KHMDS resulted in formation of the dichloride pincer complexes 3a and 3b, which are in equilibrium, as indicated by variable-temperature 1H NMR. Complex 3a is an octahedral, neutral, and symmetric complex with the CO ligand positioned trans to the central pyridine group of the pincer ligand and the two chlorides trans to each other, as indicated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 3b is cationic, with an outer-sphere chloride. Reaction of the NHC ligand 1 with LiHMDS at low temperature followed by addition of RuH(Cl)CO(PPh3)3 resulted in the mixed phosphine-NHC complex 4, which has an octahedral structure containing phosphorus trans to the hydride, a CO trans to the NHC ligand, and an outer-sphere chloride. Chloride substitution by BArF{\textendash} gave the X-ray-characterized complex 5. Deprotonation of complex 4 with KHMDS resulted in formation of the dearomatized complex 6. The in situ prepared 6 (from complex 4 and an equivalent of base) is among the best catalysts known for the hydrogenation of nonactivated esters to the corresponding alcohols under mild conditions.

}, doi = {10.1021/om200367j}, author = {Fogler, Eran and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Leitus, Gregory and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Milstein, David} } @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:000287951200008, title = {Novel screening method based on menadione mediated rapid reduction of tetrazolium salt for testing of anti-mycobacterial agents}, journal = {Journal of Microbiological Methods}, volume = {84}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {202-207}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A microplate-based rapid, inexpensive and robust technique is developed by using tetrazolium salt 2, 3-bis [2-methyloxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl]-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT) and menadione to determine the viability of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mycobacterium smegmatis bacilli in microplate format. In general, XTT reduction is an extremely slow process which takes almost 24 h to produce a detectable signal. Menadione could drastically induce this reduction to an almost equal extent within a few minutes in a dose dependent manner. The reduction of XTT is directly proportional to the cell concentration in the presence of menadione. The standardized protocol used 200 mu M of XTT and 60 mu M of menadione in 250 mu l of cell suspension grown either in aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The cell suspension of M. bovis BCG and M. tuberculosis were incubated for 40 min before reading the optical density at 470 nm whereas M. smegmatis was incubated for 20 min. Calculated Signal/Noise (S/N) ratios obtained by applying this protocol were 5.4, 6.4 and 9.4 using M. bovis BCG. M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis respectively. The calculated Z{\textquoteright} factors were \> 0.8 for all mycobacterium bacilli indicating the robustness of the XTT Reduction Menadione Assay (XRMA) for rapid screening of inhibitors. The assay protocol was validated by applying 10 standard anti-tubercular agents on M. tuberculosis, M. bovis BCG and M. smegmatis. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values were found to be similar to reported values from Colony Forming Unit (CFU) and REMA (resazurin microplate assay) assays. Altogether. XRMA is providing a novel anti-tubercular screening protocol which could be useful in high throughput screening programs against different physiological stages of the bacilli. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Menadione, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Tetrazolium salt, XRMA}, issn = {0167-7012}, doi = {10.1016/j.mimet.2010.11.013}, author = {Singh, Upasana and Akhtar, Shamim and Mishra, Abhishek and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000289763700002, title = {Novel solar light driven photocatalyst, zinc indium vanadate for photodegradation of aqueous phenol}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {46}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {635-638}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, we have demonstrated the synthesis of novel photocatalyst, zinc indium vanadate (ZIV) by solid solid state route using respective oxides of zinc, indium and vanadium. This novel photocatalyst was characterized using XRD, FESEM, UV-DRS and FTIR in order to investigate its structural, morphological and optical properties. XRD clearly shows the formation of phase pure ZIV of triclinic crystal structure with good crystallinity. FESEM micrographs showed the clustered morphology having particle size between 0.5 and 1 mu m. Since, optical study showed the band gap around 2.8 eV, i.e. in visible region, we have performed the photocatalytic activity of phenol degradation under visible light irradiation. The photodecomposition of phenol by ZIV is studied for the first time and an excellent photocatalytic activity was obtained using this novel photocatalyst. Considering the band gap of zinc indium vanadate in visible region, it will also be the potential candidate for water splitting. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalytic properties, Chemical synthesis, Oxides, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0025-5408}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2011.02.005}, author = {Mahapure, Sonali A. and Rane, Vilas H. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Nikam, Latesh K. and Marimuthu, R. and Kulkarni, Milind V. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000298175400132, title = {Novel synthesis of nano-calcium carbonate (CaCO3)/polystyrene (PS) core-shell nanoparticles by atomized microemulsion technique and its effect on properties of polypropylene (PP) composites}, journal = {Polymers for Advanced Technologies}, volume = {22}, number = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2571-2582}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3)/polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles (\< 100 nm) with core-shell structure were synthesized by atomized microemulsion technique. The polymer chains were anchored onto the surface of nano-CaCO3 through triethoxyvinyl silane (TEVS) as a coupling agent. Ammonium persulfate (APS), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and n-pentanol were used as initiator, surfactant, and cosurfactant, respectively. Polymerization mechanism of core-shell latex particles was discussed. Encapsulation of nano-CaCO3 by PS was confirmed by using transmission electron microscope (TEM). Grafting percentage of core-shell particles was investigated by Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA). Nano-CaCO3/PS core-shell particles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrophotometer and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results of FTIR revealed existence of a strong interaction at the interface of nano-CaCO3 particle and PS, which implies that the polymer chains were successfully grafted onto the surface of nano-CaCO3 particle through the link of the coupling agent. In addition, TGA and DSC results indicated an enhancement of thermal stability of core-shell materials compared with the pure nano-PS. Nano-CaCO3/PS particles were blended with polypropylene (PP) matrix on Brabender Plastograph by melt process with different wt\% of loading (i.e. 0.1-1 wt\%). The interfacial adhesion between nano-CaCO3 particles and PP matrix was significantly improved when the nano-CaCO3 particles were grafted with PS, which led to increased thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of (nano-CaCO3/PS)/PP composites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) images showed a perfect dispersion of the nano-CaCO3 particles in PP matrix. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.

}, keywords = {atomized microemulsion, core-shell nanoparticles, mechanical properties, polypropylene (PP), Rheological properties, Thermal properties}, issn = {1042-7147}, doi = {10.1002/pat.1802}, author = {Mishra, Satyendra and Chatterjee, Aniruddha and Singh, RajPal} } @article { ISI:000295665400063, title = {Optical and photocatalytic properties of single crystalline ZnO at the air-liquid interface by an aminolytic reaction}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {27}, number = {20}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12751-12759}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Crystalline flowerlike ZnO was synthesized by an aminolytic reaction at the air-liquid interface in an aqueous media at an alkaline pH. A thin visible film was formed at the air-liquid interface by self-assembly of flowerlike ZnO. Diffraction studies show rearrangement of the single crystalline units at the air-liquid interface leading to the formation of nanobelts. These nanobelts overlap systematically to form petals of the flowerlike structure; individual petals get curved with time. Each nanobelt is found to be single crystalline and can be indexed as the hexagonal ZnO phase. The organic product formed in the aminolytic reaction and dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism is the driving force for the formation of flowerlike ZnO at the air-liquid interface. A clear relationship between the surface, photocatalytic, and photoluminescent properties of ZnO is observed. The flowerlike structure exhibits a blue shift (3.56 eV) in the band emission as compared to bulk ZnO (3.37 eV). The photodegradation of methylene blue over the flowerlike ZnO catalyst formed at the air-liquid interface and in the sediments shows enhanced photocatalytic activity. The sub-bands formed due to surface defects facilitate separation of charge carriers increasing their lifetime, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity of flowerlike ZnO.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la203006n}, author = {Vaishampayan, Mukta V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Joshi, Satyawati S.} } @article { ISI:000293662800019, title = {Phase behavior of lipid-based lyotropic liquid crystals in presence of colloidal nanoparticles}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {27}, number = {16}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9792-9800}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We have investigated the microstructure and phase behavior of monoglyceride-based lyotropic liquid crystals in the presence of hydrophilic silica colloidal particles of size comparable to or slightly exceeding the repeat units of the different liquid crystalline phases. Using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), we compare the structural properties of the neat mesophases with those of the systems containing silica colloidal particles. It is found that the colloidal particles always macrophase separate in inverse bicontinuous cubic phases of gyroid (Ia3d) and double diamond (Pn3m) symmetries. SAXS data for the inverse columnar hexagonal phase (H(II)) and lamellar phase (L(alpha)) suggest that a low volume fraction of the nanoparticles can be accommodated within the mesophases, but that at concentrations above a given threshold, the particles do macrophase separate also in these systems. The behavior is interpreted in terms of the enthalpic and entropic interactions of the nanoparticles with the lamellar and hexagonal phases, and we propose that, in the low concentration limit, the nanoparticles are acting as point defects within the mesophases and, upon further increase in concentration, initiate nucleation of nanoparticles dusters, leading to a macroscopic phase separation.

}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/la201767p}, author = {Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Vallooran, Jijo J. and Mezzenga, Raffaele} } @article {42719, title = {Photocatalytic splitting of CS2 to a carbon-sulfur polymer and S8 catalyzed by a bimetallic ruthenium(II) compound with a tertiary amine binding site - towards photocatalytic splitting of CO2?}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11273{\textendash}11275}, abstract = {

The catalytic photocleavage of CS2 to S8 and a (CxSy)n polymer with visible light using a dinuclear ruthenium(II) compound with a bipyridine units for photoactivity and a vicinal tertiary amine binding site for CS2 activation was studied. The catalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. CS2 photocleavage was significant (240 turnovers, 20 h) to yield isolable S8 and a (CxSy)n polymer. A mononuclear catalyst or one without an amine binding site showed significantly less activity. XPS of the (CxSy)n polymer showed a carbon/sulfur ratio \~{}1.5{\textendash}1.6 indicating that in part both C{\textendash}S bonds of CS2 had been cleaved. Catalyst was also included within the polymer. The absence of peaks in the 1H NMR verified the (CxSy)n nature of the polymer, while 13C NMR and IR indicated that the polymer had multiple types of C{\textendash}S and C{\textendash}C bonds.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic2008045}, author = {Livanov, Konstantin and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Neumann, Ronny} } @article { ISI:000288179600007, title = {Photoelectrochemical applications of In2Se3 thin films by chemical deposition}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {22}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {359-364}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Indium selenide films have been synthesized by chemical bath deposition method onto stainless steel plate. The configuration of fabricated cell is n-In2Se3| NaOH(1 M) + S(1 M) + Na2S(1 M) |C-(graphite). Characterization of the photoelectrochemical cell was carried out by studying X-ray diffraction, current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics in the dark, barrier height measurements, power output, photoresponse and spectral response. The study shows that the In2Se3 thin films are n-type semiconductor. The junction ideality factor was found to be 3.24. The flat band potential and the barrier height were found to be 0.720 V and 0.196 eV, respectively. From the study of power output characteristics, open circuit voltage, short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency were found to be 310 mV, 20 mu A, 37.64 and 0.61\%, respectively. Photoresponse studies show that the lighted ideality factor is 2.78. Maximum current was observed at 575 nm.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-010-0142-7}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Rathod, K. C. and Asabe, M. R. and Jadhav, A. V. and Helavi, V. B. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Garadkar, K. M. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000286055700020, title = {PNAs grafted with (alpha/gamma, R/S)-aminomethylene pendants: Regio and stereo specific effects on DNA binding and improved cell uptake}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1198-1200}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

PNAs grafted with cationic aminomethylene (am) pendants on the backbone at the glycyl (alpha) or ethylenediamine (gamma) segments show regio (alpha/gamma) and stereochemistry (R/S) dependent binding with complementary DNA. These are efficiently taken up by cells, with gamma(S-am) aeg-PNA being the best in all properties.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c0cc03988h}, author = {Mitra, Roopa and Ganesh, Krishna N.} } @article { ISI:000291605900010, title = {Polyamides containing quinoxaline moiety}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {549-557}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A new quinoxaline moiety containing aromatic diamine; 2,3-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]quinoxaline (APQ) was synthesized starting from 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and was characterized by IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR and Mass spectrometry. Five new polyamides were synthesized by polycondensation of various aliphatic diacid / aromatic diacids namely, azelaic acid, bis(4-carboxyphenyl)dimethylsilane, 4,4{\textquoteright}-oxybis(benzoicacid), isophthalic acid and terephthalic acid with APQ by Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s phosphorylation method using triphenyl phosphite as condensing agent. The polyamides were characterized by IR spectroscopy, solubility tests, inherent viscosity, X-ray diffraction technique, differential scanning colorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. The polyamides had inherent viscosities in the range 0.39-0.45 dL/g in N, N-dimethylacetamide at 30 +/- 0.1 A degrees C. The polyamides were soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N, N-dimethylacetamide, N, N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, N-methylpyrrolidone. X-Ray diffraction studies showed that polyamides were amorphous in nature. The polyamides showed glass transition temperatures in the range 104-205 A degrees C, according to differential scanning calorimetry. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited initial decomposition temperatures above 348 A degrees C; indicating that these polyamides possessed excellent thermal stability.

}, keywords = {polyamides, Quinoxaline, solubility, Thermal properties, XRD}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-010-9448-7}, author = {Patil, Vidyadhar B. and Sayyed, Maheboob M. and Mahanwar, Prakash A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000291832800003, title = {Polyaniline modified electrodes for detection of dyes}, journal = {Synthetic Metals}, volume = {161}, number = {9-10}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {659-664}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most extensively used conjugated polymers in the design of electrochemical sensors. In this study, we report electrochemical dye detection based on PANI for the adsorption of both anionic and cationic dyes from solution. The inherent property of PANI to adsorb dyes has been explored for the development of electrochemical detection of dye in solution. The PANI film was grown on electrode via electrochemical polymerization. The as grown PANI film could easily adsorb the dye in the electrolyte solution and form an insulating layer on the PANI coated electrode. As a result, the current intensity of the PANI film was significantly altered. Furthermore, PANI coated stainless steel (SS) electrodes show a change in the current intensity of Fe(2+)/Fe(3+) redox peaks due to the addition of dye in electrolyte solution. PANI films coated on both Pt electrodes and non-expensive SS electrodes showed the concentration of dye adsorbed is directly proportional to the current intensity or potential shift and thus can be used for the quantitative detection of textile dyes at very low concentrations. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Electrochemical sensor, Emeraldine base, Emeraldine salt, polyaniline}, issn = {0379-6779}, doi = {10.1016/j.synthmet.2011.01.005}, author = {Mahanta, Debajyoti and Munichandraiah, N. and Radhakrishnan, S. and Madras, Giridhar and Patil, Satish} } @article { ISI:000287277700038, title = {Quantum dot based immunosensor using 3D circular microchannels fabricated in PDMS}, journal = {Biosensors \& Bioelectronics}, volume = {26}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3050-3053}, publisher = {ELSEVIER ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {OXFORD FULFILLMENT CENTRE THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Microchannel is basic functional component of microfluidic chip and every step-forward of its construction technique has been receiving concern all over the world. The present work describes a novel, rapid and simple fabrication technique for building 3D microchannels in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomer. These microchannels were used for rapid detection of antigens (E. coli) by quantum dot (QD) based approach. Luminescent QD (CdTe) were synthesized by aqueous method and characterized using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The QDs were functionalized with anti-E. coli antibodies for immuno-detection. The reported process allowed easier and faster method of fabrication of circular 3D micochannels and demonstrated their potential use in an immuno-biosensor device. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Capillary driven flows, Circular microfluidics, Immunosensor, QDs}, issn = {0956-5663}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2010.12.017}, author = {Morarka, Amit and Agrawal, Shailaja and Kale, Sonia and Kale, Anup and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Paknikar, Kishore and Bodas, Dhananjay S.} } @article {42536, title = {Receptor design and extraction of inorganic fluoride ion from aqueous medium}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7398-7400}, abstract = {

A receptor with acidic methylene hydrogens is found to act as an efficient binding mode for F-. This reagent could as well be used for selective and quantitative extraction of F- from the aqueous solution of NaF and sea water.

}, doi = {10.1039/C1CC11458A}, author = {Das, Priyadip and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Suresh, Eringathodi and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000288529500015, title = {Role of lattice defects and crystallite morphology in the UV and visible-light-induced photo-catalytic properties of combustion-prepared TiO2}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {126}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {546-554}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The physico-chemical, photo-physical and micro-structural properties responsible for the strikingly different photocatalytic behavior of combustion-prepared TiO2 (c.TiO2) and Degussa P25 (d.TiO2) samples are elucidated in this study. Electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction micrographs revealed that the two samples exhibited different morphologies. The grains of c.TiO2 were spherical and comprised of 5-6 nm size primary particle. On the other hand, d.TiO2 consisted of large (0.5-3.0 mu m) size and irregular shape aggregates having primary particles of 15-40 nm cross-sectional diameter. The ESR study revealed that the presence of certain defect states in c.TiO2 helped in stabilization of O-. and Ti3+-OH type species during room-temperature UV-irradiation. No such paramagnetic species were however formed over d.TiO2 under similar conditions. C1s and Ti 2p XPS spectra provide evidence for the presence of some lattice vacancies in c.TiO2 and also for the bulk Ti4+ -\> Ti3+ conversion during its UV-irradiation. Compared to d.TiO2, c.TiO2 displayed considerably higher activity for discoloration of methyl orange but very poor activity for splitting of water, both under UV and visible light radiations. This is attributed to enhanced surface adsorption of dye molecules over c.TiO2, because of its textural features and also the presence of photo-active ion-radicals. On the other hand, the poor activity of c.TiO2 for water splitting is related to certain defect-induced inter-band charge trapping states in the close vicinity of valence and conduction bands of c.TiO2, as revealed by thermoluminescence spectroscopy. Further, the dispersion of nanosize gold particles gave rise to augmented activity of both the catalysts, particularly for water splitting. This is explained by the promotional role of Au-0 or Au-0/TiO2 interfacial sites in the adsorption and charge-adsorbate interaction processes. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Band-structure, Interfaces, Microstructure, Nanostructures, Semiconductors}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2011.01.029}, author = {Deshpande, Aparna and Madras, Giridhar and Gupta, N. M.} } @article { ISI:000289716300080, title = {Role of promoters in copper chromite catalysts for hydrogenolysis of glycerol}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {164}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, note = {1st Joint International Conference of the 8th Tokyo Conference on Advanced Catalytic Science and Technology/5th Asia Pacific Congress on Catalysis, Sapporo, JAPAN, JUL 18-23, 2010}, month = {APR}, pages = {447-450}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Various copper chromite catalysts with and without promoters were prepared by simultaneous co-precipitation and digestion technique and the role of promoters (Al, Ba and Zn) was investigated for hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2-PG) in both batch and continuous operations. Among various promoters studied, copper chromite catalyst with Ba as a promoter showed the highest activity and selectivity of 85\% to 1,2-PG. This catalyst was found to be active for more than 800 h in a continuous operation also. Ammonia TPD results showed that barium promoted copper chromite catalyst had the highest acidity which facilitates the dehydration of glycerol to acetol which is the first step in hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PG. The effect of barium content and variation in the promoters combination was also studied. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Propylene glycol, Acetol, Ammonia TPD, Glycerol hydrogenolysis, Surface acidity}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2010.10.032}, author = {Mane, R. B. and Ghalwadkar, Ajay A. and Hengne, Amol M. and Suryawanshi, Y. R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000293419700042, title = {Selectivity tailoring in liquid phase oxidation over MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite catalysts}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {31}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15440-15448}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Highly selective multiwalled nanotubes (MWNT)-Mn3O4 nano-composite catalyst was designed for liquid phase oxidation of p-cresol, which gave highest selectivity of 90\% to the first step oxidation product, p-hydroxy benzyl alcohol. Mn3O4 nanoparticles and MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposites were synthesized by coprecipitation route using mixed precursors under controlled conditions. The phase purity of Mn3O4 and the formation of MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposites were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed the selective exposure of (101) and (001) planes of Mn3O4 nanoparticles in the MWNT-Mn3O4 composite, while lowering in oxidizing capacity of MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite confirmed by cyclic voltametry was due to incorporation of electron rich MWNT. Thus, selectivity tuning of the new material (MWNT-Mn3O4 nanocomposite) was found to be due to alteration in both geometric as well as electronic properties. A plausible reaction pathway also has been proposed involving the predominant role of nucleophilic lattice oxygen (O2-) species due to exposure of particular crystal planes giving highest selectivity to p-hydroxy benzyl alcohol.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp203318n}, author = {Biswal, Mandakini and Dhas, Vivek V. and Mate, Vivek R. and Banerjee, Abhik and Pachfule, Pradip and Agrawal, Kanika L. and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000287092000033, title = {Self assembled CdLa2S4 hexagon flowers, nanoprisms and nanowires: novel photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2624-2631}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here a new ternary chalcogenide material, cadmium lanthanum sulfide (CdLa2S4) produced using a facile hydrothermal method at 433 K. The effect of the solvent on the morphology of the CdLa2S4 was demonstrated for the first time. The prima facie observations revealed the formation of highly crystalline hexagonal structures in the form of flowers in aqueous medium. The flowers comprise hexagonal columns similar to 300 nm in diameter and 1-1.2 mu m in length. All the hexagonal structures have a sharp tip with a cavity of 10 nm and are almost equal in size. The nanoprisms have an average base size of 35 nm with 35 nm edges, and the nanowires have a diameter of 10-15 nm; both were obtained in methanol. Crystal and electronic structure calculations were performed using the Vienna ab initio simulation package (VASP) based on density functional theory (DFT). Considering the band gap of pristine CdLa2S4 in the visible region (2.3 eV), we have demonstrated CdLa2S4 as a photocatalyst for the production of H-2 under solar light. Nanostructured CdLa2S4 prisms gave the maximum hydrogen production, i.e. 2552 mu mol h(-1). Being a stable ternary nanostructured metal sulfide (with nanohexagons, nanoprisms, nanowires), CdLa2S4 may have other potential prospective applications in solar cells and optoelectronic devices.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm02890h}, author = {Kale, Bharat B. and Baeg, Jin-Ook and Kong, Ki-jeong and Moon, Sang-Jin and Nikam, Latesh K. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000295422000005, title = {Sesquiterpene lactone, a potent drug molecule from artemisia pallens wall with anti-inflammatory activity}, journal = {Arzneimittel-Forschung-Drug Research}, volume = {61}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {510-514}, publisher = {ECV-EDITIO CANTOR VERLAG MEDIZIN NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN}, address = {BANDELSTOCKWEG 20, POSTFACH 1255, D-88322 AULENDORF, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The present study was carried out to investigate the anti-inflammatory activities of bioactive secondary metabolites of Artemisia pallens Wall, an aromatic herb from family Asteraceae. The results provide evidence for the topical anti-inflammatory properties of Artemisia pallens Wall. The compounds were isolated from the acetone extract of the plant material. The isolates were tested on Swiss albino mice using 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced ear edema. One of the molecules from the extract indicated potent anti-inflammatory activity equivalent to indometacin (CAS 53-86-1). Elucidation of the molecular structures by single crystal x-ray diffraction studies revealed the conformational differences that the six membered rings in both the molecules are at an angle of 28.79 degrees. Presence of hydroxy function for compound 2 may be responsible for higher potency.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory activity, Artemisia pollens, Asteraceae, Mice, Single crystal x-ray structure}, issn = {0004-4172}, author = {Ruikar, Anjali D. and Misar, Ashwini V. and Jadhav, Ravindra B. and Rojatkar, Supada R. and Mujumdar, Arvind M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Deshpande, Nirmala R.} } @article { ISI:000293213600025, title = {Shape preserving chemical transformation of ZnO mesostructures into anatase TiO2 mesostructures for optoelectronic applications}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {4}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2835-2839}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this work we report on the synthesis of various ZnO mesostructures (rods, spheres, flakes and flower-like morphologies) by hydrothermal and co-precipitation methods and their remarkable and complete transformation into anatase TiO2 mesostructures with nominally similar shapes using controlled low temperature TiCl4 treatment. Various techniques are used to demonstrate the phase purity and morphology details. Based on the careful examination of the transformation of ZnO rods into TiO2 tubes we suggest a mechanism which embodies initial formation of a thin TiO2 shell on the ZnO surface by ion exchange (Ti4+-Zn2+) followed by Zn diffusion through the shell and its oxidation on the surface. We used these converted TiO2 mesostructures for light harvesting in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) to enhance the conversion efficiency. It is shown that DSSCs made using a doctor bladed film of TiO2 nanoparticles with an overlayer of TiCl4 treated ZnO flowers yield a solar cell efficiency of 6.9\% which is considerably higher than that with only TiO2 nanoparticle film (5.4\%) of comparable thickness.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c1ee01515j}, author = {Muduli, Subas and Game, Onkar S. and Dhas, Vivek V. and Yengantiwar, Ashish and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000287627200012, title = {Single nucleotide polymorphism in transcobalamin II (15V) induces structural changes in the protein as revealed by molecular modeling studies}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1396-1402}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Cobalamin is an essential micronutrient in mammals. Deficiencies of this micronutrient have been implicated as risk factors for various complex diseases. Cobalamin is transported to the cells by the transport protein transcobalamin II (TCII), and hence genetic variations (like single nucleotide polymorphisms) in TCII could be perceived to affect the binding of cobalamin to TCII, thereby modulating the intracellular concentrations of cobalamin. To understand whether three nonsynonymous mutations in TCII (I5V, P241R, and R381Q) alter the structure of the protein which could potentially affect cobalamin binding, we performed molecular dynamics simulation in silico. Superimposition of active sites of the four simulated models (wild type and three variants) with the human TCII crystal structure revealed that the distance between the N epsilon nitrogen atom of His-173 and the cobalt ion of cobalamin deviated considerably in the I5V model as compared to wild type and other variants. His-173 directly coordinates with the cobalt ion of cobalamin. Further, from our dynamic cross-correlation and principal component analysis it appears that in the I5V model the beta-domain moves apart from the alpha-domain creating a wide gap between the two domains. This might facilitate the initial binding of cobalamin in the I5V model as cobalamin enters the binding site through the gap between the two domains. These observations were not found in the other variants. We thus speculate that binding of cobalamin will be more facile in the I5V variant.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi101095g}, author = {Silla, Yumnam and Chandamouli, Balasubramanian and Maiti, Souvik and Sengupta, Shantanu} } @article {42576, title = {Solution-processed heterojunction solar cells based on p-type PbS quantum dots and n-type Bi2S3 nanocrystals}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {23}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3712{\textendash}3717}, abstract = {

Bi2S3 nanocrystals are employed as an n-type, non-toxic, inorganic, solution-processed semiconductor in thin film solar cells. The first solution processed-inorganic p-n junction based on p-type PbS QDs and n-type Bi2S3 nanocrystals with both phases contributing to photocarrier generation is demonstrated. The reported devices show a power conversion efficiency of 1.6\% for 860 nm PbS QDs and over 1\% for 1300 nm PbS QDs.

}, doi = {10.1002/adma.201101399}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Bernechea, Maria and Martinez, Luis and Konstantatos, Gerasimos} } @article {42542, title = {Solvent-dependent aggregation behavior of a new Ru(ii)-polypyridyl based metallosurfactant}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {47}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11074-11076}, abstract = {

Variation of the solvent polarity leads to the formation of vesicles and reverse vesicles of a newly synthesized amphiphilic Ru(II)-polypyridyl complex.

}, doi = {10.1039/C1CC13957F}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Choudhury, Sipra and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000296659000032, title = {Strong photo-response in a flip-chip nanowire p-Cu2O/n-ZnO junction}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {3}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4706-4712}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cu2O nanoneedles are synthesized on a copper substrate by a simple anodization and reducing ambient annealing protocol. ZnO nanorods are grown on ITO coated glass by a low temperature chemical route. The electronic and photo-response properties of the p-Cu2O/n-ZnO flip-chip heterojunction are then studied and analyzed. We show that the I-V characteristic is rectifying and the junction exhibits a good photoresponse (similar to 120\% under 1 V reverse bias) under AM 1.5 (1 Sun) illumination. This nano-heterojunction photo-response is far stronger as compared to that of a pulsed laser deposited thin film p-Cu2O/n-ZnO heterojunction, which can be attributed to higher junction area in the former case.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c1nr10665a}, author = {Deo, Meenal S. and Mujawar, Sarfraj and Game, Onkar S. and Yengantiwar, Ashish and Banpurkar, Arun G. and Kulkarni, Sneha and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000287175600029, title = {Structure and gas sorption behavior of a new three dimensional porous magnesium formate}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, number = {4}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1392-1401}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new three-dimensional magnesium formate polymorph, namely, gamma-[Mg-3(O2CH)(6)] has been synthesized via in situ formate anion generation method. gamma-Mg-formate crystallizes in space group Pbcn, and structural determination by X-ray single crystal diffraction reveals a three-dimensional network of Mg2+ linked by formate anions. All formate anions possess similar binding mode to the metal center with one oxygen of a particular formate anion binds to one metal center (mu(1) oxygen) and other oxygen binds to two metal centers (mu(2) oxygen). N-2 adsorption studies indicate that the framework displays permanent porosity. The specific surface area of gamma-Mg-formate (BET, 120 m(2) gm(-1)) is lower than the alpha- polymorph (BET, 150 m(2) gm(-1)). However, the initial hydrogen uptake of gamma-Mg-formate reached almost 1.0 wt \% when the adsorbate pressure approached 760 Torr at 77 K. This is higher than the hydrogen uptake of alpha-Mg-formate (0.6 wt \%). gamma-Mg-formate, shows a moderate affinity and capacity for CO2 (3.4 angstrom kinetic diameter) at 298 K. The CO2 uptake at 760 Torr is 2.01 mmol gm(-1)(47.0 cc gm(-1)). Although this CO2 uptake is somewhat modest, it compares well with the CO2 uptake of several Mg-MOFs and ZIFs reported in the literature.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic102057p}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Saha, Subhadeep and Pachfule, Pradip and Roy, Sudip and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000288835000010, title = {Structure-property of thermoplastic polyurethane-clay nanocomposite based on covalent and dual-modified laponite}, journal = {Journal of Computational and Theoretical Nanoscience}, volume = {4}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {65-73}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Modification of surface of clay platelets by ionic and covalent modification techniques renders it to be easily dispersed in polymers like, Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). Only ionic or covalent modification techniques in isolation are not sufficient to achieve uniform nanoscale dispersion of Laponite (synthetic hectorite nanoclay) in TPU. Hence, the dual modification of Laponite (both ionic and covalent) is performed and the effects of the modification on the morphology, thermal and rheological behaviors of the TPU-modified clay nanocomposites have been studied. The degree of exfoliation of clay platelet in TPU matrix is found to be higher for dual functionalized nanoclays compared to their singly modified counterparts. Interestingly, dual modified Laponite clays prepared by using two different techniques (ionic followed by covalent and covalent followed by ionic) exhibit different morphology and properties. The dual modified clays significantly alter the equilibrium morphology of TPU. The storage modulus of the dual modified Laponite-TPU nanocomposite in the glassy region (at -60 degrees C) land in the rubbery region (+98 degrees C) is improved by 172.8\% and 85\%, respectively as compared to the neat TPU. Similarly, the onset of degradation is found to be enhanced by 28.7 degrees C as compared to the neat TPU.

}, keywords = {Dual modification, Laponite Nanocomposite, Morphology, Structure-Property, Thermoplastic polyurethane}, issn = {1936-6612}, doi = {10.1166/asl.2011.1174}, author = {Mishra, Ananta K. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Nando, Golok B. and Chattopadhyay, Santanu} } @article {42529, title = {Studies on [3]pseudorotaxane formation from a bis-azacrown derivative as host and imidazolium ion-derivatives as guest}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4811-4817}, abstract = {

A new host molecule, having two azacrown derivatives bridged by luminescent naphthalene diimide functionality, is found to form a [3]pseudorotaxane derivative with imidazolim ion-based guest molecules in non-polar solvents through hydrogen-bonded adduct formation. Depending upon the length of the covalent linker that links the imidazolium ion and the luminescent naphthalene fragment in the guests, the [3]pseudorotaxane adducts adopt different conformation or orientation with varying π{\textendash}π/donor{\textendash}acceptor interaction. The mechanism for the naphthalene-based luminescence quenching by NDI fragment on adduct formation was found to be a combination of static, as well as dynamic with static quenching as the dominant one.

}, doi = {10.1039/C0OB01106A}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Suresh, Moorthy and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000290075500029, title = {Syntheses and biological evaluation of new triazole-spirochromone conjugates as inhibitors of mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {52}, number = {18}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2387-2389}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of novel 1,2,3-triazole fused spirochromone conjugates have been synthesized bearing both spirochromone moiety as well as a 1,2,3-triazole moiety. Some of the compounds have exhibited potential activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (virulent strain H37Rv). In particular 5e proved to be the most potent derivative exhibiting MIC = 0.78 mu g/mL. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antitubercular activity, Click chemistry, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Spirochromones}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2011.02.099}, author = {Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Mujahid, Mohammad and Yogeeswari, P. and Sriram, D.} } @article { ISI:000287058100062, title = {Synthesis and characterization of chemically deposited nickel substituted CdSe thin film}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {509}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2948-2951}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The technologically important Cd(0.5)Ni(0.5)Se thin film has been developed by solution growth technique on non-conducting glass substrate in tartarate bath containing Cd(+2), Ni(+2) ions and sodium selenosulphate in an aqueous alkaline medium at room temperature. Various preparative conditions of the thin films are outlined. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, optical absorption and electrical measurements. The X-ray diffraction study indicates that the film is polycrystalline in nature with hexagonal phase. Scanning electron micrograph shows that the film is homogeneous with well-defined grains. The films have high optical absorption coefficient. Thermoelectric power measurement shows p-type conduction mechanism. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Chemical synthesis, Crystal growth, Electrical conductivity, thin film}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.11.165}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Jadhav, B. V. and Chate, P. A. and Sathe, D. J. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000292555200034, title = {Synthesis and characterization of cobalt substituted zinc ferri-chromites prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {22}, number = {8}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1109-1115}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Mixed metal oxides having spinel structure shows interesting structural properties. In the present investigation, cobalt substituted zinc ferri-chromites were prepared by sol-gel auto-combustion method. The completion of solid state reaction and the formation of spinel phase were identified using X-ray diffraction technique. All the compounds exhibit cubic spinel symmetry and lattice constant shows an irregular trend with substitution of Co. Infra-red spectral studies shows an two strong bands, one around 600 cm(-1) which is attributed to the intrinsic vibrations of tetrahedral complexes and the other at 400 cm(-1) is due to octahedral one. The morphology and size of the particles was found out by scanning electron microscopy while the elemental compositions by elemental dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The various compounds of the present system Zn1-xCoxFeCrO4 were also investigated for their thermal and electronic studies.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-010-0268-7}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Vader, V. T. and Sankpal, U. B. and Patil, R. P. and Jadhav, A. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000291613900071, title = {Synthesis and characterization of organo-soluble poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone)s containing pendant pentadecyl chains}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {121}, number = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3689-3695}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Poly(ether ether ketone)s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s containing pendant pentadecyl chains were synthesized by polycondensation of each of the two bisphenol monomers viz, 1,1,1-[bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4{\textquoteright}-pentadecylphenyl] ethane and 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-pentadecyl cyclohexane with activated aromatic dihalides namely, 4,4{\textquoteright}-difluorobenzophenone, and 1,3-bis(4-fluorobenzoyl) benzene in a solvent mixture of N,N-dimethylacetamide and toluene, in the presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate. Polymers were isolated as white fibrous materials with inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights in the range 0.70-1.27 dL g(-1) and 76,620-1,36,720, respectively. Poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were found to be soluble at room temperature in organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, and pyridine and could be cast into tough, transparent, and flexible films from their solutions in chloroform. Wide angle X-ray diffraction patterns exhibited a broad halo at around 2 theta = similar to 19 degrees indicating that the polymers containing pentadecyl chains were amorphous in nature. In the small-angle region, diffuse reflections of a typically layered structures resulting from the packing of pentadecyl side chains were observed. The temperature at 10\% weight loss, obtained from TG curves, for poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s were in the range 416-459 degrees C, indicating their good thermal stability. A substantial drop in glass transition temperatures (68-78 degrees C) was observed for poly(ether ether ketone) s and poly(ether ether ketone ketone) s due to {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}internal plasticization{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} effect of flexible pendant pentadecyl chains. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 3689-3695, 2011

}, keywords = {alkyl side-chain, Cashew nut shell liquid, CNSL, pentadecyl, poly(arylene ether)s, poly(ether ketone)s, polyethers, renewable}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.34181}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Pasale, Sharad K. and Honkhambe, Pandurang N. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000289692500038, title = {Synthesis and characterization of poly-L-lysine grafted SBA-15 using NCA polymerization and click chemistry}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {21}, number = {18}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {6690-6697}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Poly-L-lysine (PLL) grafted ordered mesoporous material was prepared by a combination of NCA polymerization and click chemistry. Large pore SBA-15 with a mesopore diameter of similar to 12 nm was synthesized using a previously reported method. The surface of this SBA-15 material was modified with azidopropyl groups. This {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}clickable{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} SBA-15 was then reacted with an alkyne terminated poly-L-lysine synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of 3-cbz-L-lysine NCA with N-TMS propargylamine as the initiator. This procedure allows grafting of a uniform polymer film with a high polymer loading. No appreciable pore blocking was observed upon grafting of PLL. No change in the periodic structure of the SBA-15 was observed throughout the grafting process. The SBA-15 PLL conjugate was characterized using (13)C and (29)Si NMR, XRD, FT-IR, N(2) adsorption-desorption and thermogravimetry. The results indicate that polypeptides can be easily grafted onto various ordered mesoporous materials by this {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}grafting to{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} methodology with accessible pores and high loadings of the polypeptide.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c0jm04589f}, author = {Kar, Mrityunjoy and Malvi, Bharmana and Das, Anindita and Panneri, Suyana and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000290038000005, title = {Synthesis and characterization of soluble polyamides from bis-[(4 {\textquoteleft}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether and various diacids}, journal = {Polymer Bulletin}, volume = {66}, number = {9}, year = {2011}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1207-1218}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

New aromatic diamine containing preformed amide, ether, and methylene; bis-[(4{\textquoteright}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether (BABE), was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, NMR, and mass spectrometry. Aromatic-aliphatic polyamides were prepared from BABE with aliphatic/aromatic diacids via Yamazaki{\textquoteright}s polymerization. The polyamides were characterized by FT-IR, (1)H NMR, inherent viscosity [eta(inh)], solubility tests, differential scanning calorimetry [DSC], thermogravimetric analysis [TGA], and X-ray diffraction [XRD]. Polyamides had inherent viscosities 0.35-0.84 dL/g, soluble in aprotic polar solvents like N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N, N-dimethyl acetamide and dimethyl sulphoxide containing LiCl due to an amorphous to partially crystalline morphology; as XRD patterns indicated. DSC analysis of polyamides showed glass transition temperatures 166-268 A degrees C. Polyamides showed high thermal stability as they did not degrade below 300 A degrees C, had 10\% weight loss temperature higher than 375 A degrees C, and the char yields at 900 A degrees C were 22-55\%; indicating potential applications as engineering materials.

}, keywords = {Aryl-ether and methylene linkages, Bis-[(4 {\textquoteleft}-aminobenzyl)-4-benzamide] ether, Direct phosphorylative polycondensation, Soluble aromatic-aliphatic polyamides, Thermal properties}, issn = {0170-0839}, doi = {10.1007/s00289-010-0344-4}, author = {Patil, A. S. and Sayyed, M. M. and Bhairamadgi, Nagendra S. and Han, Sung-Hwan and Maldar, Noormahamad N.} } @article { ISI:000287163600004, title = {Synthesis and drug-delivery behavior of chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide hybrid nanosheets}, journal = {Macromolecular Materials and Engineering}, volume = {296}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {131-140}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Chitosan-functionalized graphene oxides (FGOCs) were successfully synthesized. FGOCs were found to significantly improve the solubility of the GO in aqueous acidic media. The presence of organic groups was confirmed by means of XPS and TGA. Restoration of the sp(2) carbon network and exfoliation of graphene sheets were confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and WAXD. The SEM and AFM investigations of the resultant FGOCs showed that most of the graphene sheets were individual and few were layered. Controlled release behavior of Ibuprofen and 5-fluorouracil was then investigated. We found that FGOCs are a promising new material for biological and medical applications.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, Chitosan, drug delivery systems, functionalization of polymers, solution properties}, issn = {1438-7492}, doi = {10.1002/mame.201000307}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Choi, Myeon-Cheon and Kong, Jin-Yeon and Kim, Gwang Yeon and Kim, Mi Ju and Kim, Sun-Hee and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000294506200003, title = {Synthesis and structural characterization of a solvated dimorph of a hydrazonato-oxovanadium(v) complex with [OV(mu-O)VO] core}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {88}, number = {7}, year = {2011}, month = {JUL}, pages = {937-941}, publisher = {SCIENTIFIC PUBL-INDIA}, address = {5-A, NEW PALI RD, PO BOX 91, NEAR HOTEL TAJ HARI MAHAL, JODHPUR, 342 003, INDIA}, abstract = {

In this paper we report the synthesis and structural characterization of a different monoclinic variety of the title complex [V2O3(L)(2)], incorporating the doubly deprotonated benzoyl hydrazone of 5-chloro-2-hydroxyacetophenone (H2L) with P2(1)/c space group that showed some differences in bonding patterns in the solid state with respect to its another monoclinic variety with C2/c space group reported earlier.

}, keywords = {crystal structure, dimorphism, hydrazone complex, Oxovanadium(v) complex}, issn = {0019-4522}, author = {Mondal, Bipul and Banerjee, Rahul and Ghosh, Tapas} } @article { ISI:000297737900020, title = {Synthesis and structural characterization of homochiral homo-oligomers of parent CIS- and trans-furanoid-beta-amino acids}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {17}, number = {46}, year = {2011}, month = {NOV}, pages = {12946-12954}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of homochiral homo-oligomers of cis- and trans-3-aminotetrahydrofuran-2-carboxylic acids (parent cis- and trans-furanoid-beta-amino acids, referred to as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}cis-/trans-FAA{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}) has been carried out to understand their secondary structures and their dependence on the ring heteroatom. The oligomers of two diastereomers have been shown to have a distinct left-handed helicity. The cis-FAA homo-oligomers show a 14-helix structure, in contrast to the homo-oligomers of cis-ACPC, which adopt a sheet like structure. The trans-FAA homo-oligomers were found to adopt a 12-helix structure, the same trend found in trans-ACPC homo-oligomers. With the help of ab initio calculations, the structural features of cis-ACPC and cis-FAA hexamers were compared. We believe that the more compact packing of the cis-FAA hexapeptide should be due to a more favorable interaction between the ring and the backbone amide hydrogen.

}, keywords = {ab initio calculations, Amino acids, Density functional calculations, Peptides, secondary structures}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201101855}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Jogdand, Ganesh F. and Oliveira, Joao C. A. and Mata, Ricardo A. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000291293600027, title = {Synthesis of cube-shaped gold nanostructures by electron irradiation}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {65}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1605-1607}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The needle-like gold nanostructures were synthesized by using chloroauric acid (HAuCl(4)) as a metal precursor and sodium borohydride (NaBH(4)) as the reducing agent. These needle-like nanostructures of gold were irradiated with high energy electrons (E-6 MeV, phi similar to 10(12) e cm(-2) s(-1)). The pre- and post-irradiated gold nanostructures were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and contact angle measurement (GBX-Model Digidrop) techniques. The results of the SEM revealed that after electron irradiation, the needle-like gold structures got fragmented into identical cube-shaped gold nanostructures, though of different sizes. The XRD analysis indicated that the average crystallite size of the gold nanostructures remained unchanged even after irradiation with high energy electrons. A glass surface showed hydrophilic behavior when coated with needle-like nanostructures and became ultra hydrophilic when coated with cube-shaped gold nanostructures. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gold nanostructures, High energy electron irradiation, Nanostructured materials, Radiation damage, Surfaces, Ultra hydrophilic surfaces}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2011.02.053}, author = {Dhumale, Vinayak A. and Gangwar, Rajesh K. and Shah, Preeti V. and Bhoraskar, Vasant N. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Sharma, Rishi B.} } @article { ISI:000291725100012, title = {Synthesis of Cu-ZnO and C-ZnO nanoneedle arrays on zinc foil by low temperature oxidation route: effect of buffer layers on growth, optical and field emission properties}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {257}, number = {20}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8366-8372}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Different densities of ZnO nanoneedle films have been prepared by pre-coated zinc foils with thin layer of copper and carbon followed by thermal oxidation at 400 degrees C in air. The X-ray diffraction patterns show well defined peaks, which could be indexed to the wurtzite hexagonal phase of ZnO. The scanning electron microscope images clearly reveal formation of ZnO needles on the entire substrate surface. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies indicate that Cu and C ions are incorporated into the ZnO lattice. Photoluminescence studies evaluate different emission bands originated from different defect mechanism. From the field emission studies, the threshold field, required to draw emission current density of similar to 100 mu A/cm(2), is observed to be 2.25 V/mu m and 1.57 V/mu m for annealed zinc foil pre-coated with copper and carbon, respectively. The annealed film with copper layer exhibits good emission current stability at the pre-set value of similar to 100 mu A over a duration of 4 h. The results show that buffer layer is an important factor to control the growth rate, resulting in different density of ZnO needles, which leads to field emission properties. This method may have potential in fabrication of electron sources for high current density applications. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Buffer layer, Carbon, Copper, field emission, Nanoneedle, ZnO}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2011.04.023}, author = {Jamali-Sheini, Farid and Patil, K. R. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000288393700001, title = {Synthesis of gold nanoparticles by various leaf fractions of Semecarpus anacardium L. tree}, journal = {Trees-Structure and Function}, volume = {25}, number = {2}, year = {2011}, month = {APR}, pages = {145-151}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Gold nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using Semecarpus anacardium leaf extracts in water and the green biomass. Extract prepared at ambient condition by crushing the leaves in deionized water is identified as {\textquoteleft}green extract{\textquoteright}, and that by boiling the leaf pieces as {\textquoteleft}boiled extract{\textquoteright}. The mass remaining after separating the {\textquoteleft}green extract{\textquoteright} is identified as {\textquoteleft}green biomass{\textquoteright}. These components triggered rapid reduction of Au(III) to Au (0) in HAuCl4 solution indicating the natural ability of the leaves of S. anacardium to synthesize NPs in ambient conditions. Green extract produced more NPs compared to the boiled extract suggesting denaturization of some of the useful factors due to boiling. NPs were quantified using UV and ICP-AES analysis. These were characterized using Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. TEM images of the particles formed with green extract, boiled extract and green biomass showed that the particles were of different shapes and sizes.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, gold nanoparticles, Green extract, Semecarpus, TEM}, issn = {0931-1890}, doi = {10.1007/s00468-010-0493-y}, author = {Raju, D. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article {42720, title = {Synthesis of peptides and pyrazines from beta-aminoalcohols via extrusion of H2 catalyzed by ruthenium pincer complexes. ligand controlled selectivity}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie}, volume = {123}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12448{\textendash}12452}, abstract = {

Bitte w{\"a}hlen: Die Wahl des Katalysators, eines Ru-Pinzettenkomplexes, bestimmt, ob Peptide oder Pyrazine aus β-Aminoalkoholen entstehen: Der PNN-Komplex 1 f{\"u}hrt, je nach Substituent R (siehe Schema), zu linearem Polyalanin oder zu cyclischen Dipeptiden, der PNP-Komplex 2 katalysiert die Bildung von Pyrazinen. Die Reaktionen finden in homogener L{\"o}sung unter neutralen Bedingungen statt.

}, doi = {10.1002/ange.201105876}, author = {Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000288218300045, title = {Synthesis of single crystalline CdS nanocombs and their application in photo-sensitive field emission switches}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1078-1083}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Single crystalline CdS nanocombs were synthesized by a thermal evaporation route. The photo-sensitive field emission current shows a reproducible switching behavior, with a rise in current level of nearly five times the initial preset value of similar to 1 mu A. An ultra low turn-on field, required to draw an emission current density of similar to 0.1 mu A cm(-2) (100 nA), is found to be similar to 0.26 V mu m(-1) (260 V), which is much lower than the reported values for various other CdS nanostructures. Upon illumination with visible light the CdS nanocombs act as a photo field emission switch. At an applied field of similar to 0.65 V mu m(-1) the current densities are observed to be similar to 14.6 mu A cm(-2) and similar to 26.9 mu A cm(-2), without and with light illumination, respectively. The average emission current is seen to be stable over the duration of measurement for two preset values. The high sensitivity and fast response in the visible range indicates that the CdS nanocombs can be used as a photo-sensitive field emitting switch in device applications, and also in pulsed electron beam technology.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c0nr00659a}, author = {Chavan, Padmakar G. and Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000286789100007, title = {Target cum flexibility: an alkyne [2+2+2]-cyclotrimerization strategy for synthesis of trinem library}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {52}, number = {1}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, pages = {38-41}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A rapid access to the central 4,5,6-tricyclic core of 4,5,6-trinems has been achieved by employing the alkyne [2+2+2]-cyclotrimerization as the key and final reaction in the synthesis. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2010.10.123}, author = {Ramana, C. V. and Dushing, Mangesh P. and Mohapatra, Sradhanjali and Mallik, Rosy and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000294586400026, title = {TiO2 nanoparticle size dependence of porosity, adsorption and catalytic activity}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {385}, number = {1-3}, year = {2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {195-200}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The issue of size-sensitivity of the surface properties of anatase TiO2 is addressed by examining three samples synthesized by aqueous sol-gel method having different particle sizes on the nanoscale (8-19 nm). A number of characterization methods, namely, X-ray powder diffractometry, infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, sorptiometry and electron microscopy are employed. The data obtained reveal interrelated dependencies of the surface area, porosity, nitrogen and pyridine adsorption capacity and strength, and catalytic methylbutynol decomposition activity on the size of titania nanoparticles. Pertinent size-dependent bulk properties are also revealed and used to account for the changes conceded by the surface properties. Accordingly, going from 19 to 8-nm sized titania particles has been found to stabilize the anatase structure, weaken the surface acidity, and blueshift the UV absorption edge of titania. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Catalytic methylbutynol decomposition activity, Nano-titania, Particle size dependencies, Pyridine sorptiometry, Surface texture}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2011.06.010}, author = {Zaki, Mohamed I. and Fouad, Nasr E. and Mekhemer, Gamal A. H. and Jagadale, Tushar C. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000286868600075, title = {Toward an understanding of the molecular level properties of ziegler-natta catalyst support with and without the internal electron donor}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {115}, number = {5}, year = {2011}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1952-1960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two Ziegler-Natta catalysts supported on molecular adducts, namely, MgCl2 center dot 6EtOH (ME) and MgCl2 center dot 5EtOH center dot EtOOCPh (Est-ME), have been prepared. A systematic effort has been made to unravel the molecular level structure property relationships of the catalysts and adducts. Ethylbenzoate is an internal electron donor, and its in situ formation through EtOH+PhCOCl coupling is successfully achieved. The above adduct has been treated with TiCl4, and the resultant catalyst (Ti/Est-ME) is evaluated for ethylene polymerization activity. Rand C-13 CP/MAS NMR of Est-ME (Ti/Est-ME) show carbonyl features at 1730 (1680) cm(-1) and 169 (170) delta, respectively, providing direct support for the presence of ester as an integral part. In spite of low surface area, Ti/Est-ME gives higher yield for ethylene polymerization than the one derived from ME. The results indicate that electronic environment is more important than surface area or any other single factor in determining the polymerization activity.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp1078289}, author = {Thushara, K. S. and Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Mathew, Renny and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Sarma, Krishna and Padmanabhan, Sudhakar and Bhaduri, Sumit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @conference {42783, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of ethyl silicate-32}, booktitle = {Transfer of Technology (ToT)/ Technical Documents}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, address = {DRDL Hyderabad.}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @conference {42789, title = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document of phenol-aniline-formaldehyde (sf-342a) resins}, booktitle = {Transfer of technology (ToT) document}, year = {2011}, month = {JAN}, address = {DRDL Hyderabad.}, author = {Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Dwivedi, Mayank and Chavan, Nayaku and Qureshi, Moham and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Mohan, S. Krishna and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000294340300007, title = {Understanding the molecular conformations of Na-dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) using DFT-based method}, journal = {Molecular Simulation}, volume = {37}, number = {11}, year = {2011}, month = {AUG}, pages = {953-963}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The molecular conformations of phospholipids comprising a lipid bilayer determine the physico-chemical properties of the latter. In this study, we attempt to understand the various possible conformations available for an anionic lipid molecule dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol (DMPG) with Na as its charge-compensating cation. The various possible molecular orientations available for lipid molecule are analysed using a density functional theory-based method. Our study reveals a rich conformational space with two different types of glycerol body orientations, more commonly known as rotamers. Interestingly, this is in agreement with the molecular conformations proposed earlier by NMR studies on lipid monomer solutions. We demonstrate that these conformations are an outcome of delicate balance of electrostatic and van der Waals forces along with intra-molecular hydrogen bonds achieved by a critical combination of torsion angles. Na(+) ions are seen to interact predominantly with the oxygen atoms of the glycerol groups in tail and head along with that of phosphate oxygen atoms leading to a cage-like orientation of lipid molecule around the Na(+). Following the conformational analysis, we attempt to evaluate the electronic properties of few low-lying conformations. This study shows that though the water molecules screen the Na-O(lipid) interactions, they do not dramatically modify the Na-O(lipid) bond distances. The lipid conformation retains the cage-like structure around the Na(+) in the presence of water molecules. Some amount of charge transfer from the water molecules to Na ion is noted. The water molecules modify the phosphate-tail glycerol group interactions leading to a more stable Na-DMPG-H(2)O and Na-DMPG-4H(2)O complexes.

}, keywords = {DFT, DMPG, molecular conformations, rotamer and hydration energy}, issn = {0892-7022}, doi = {10.1080/08927022.2011.582105}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {42722, title = {Unprecedented catalytic hydrogenation of urea derivatives to amines and methanol}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie}, volume = {123}, year = {2011}, month = {DEC}, pages = {11906{\textendash}11909}, abstract = {

Indirekte CO2-Hydrierung: Eine Hydrierung von Harnstoffen zu Aminen und Methanol (siehe Bild) wird durch einen RuII-Pinzettenkomplex mit dreiz{\"a}hnigem bipyridinbasiertem PNN-Liganden katalysiert und verl{\"a}uft unter milden, neutralen Bedingungen bei einem H2-Druck von 13.6 atm. Da sich Harnstoffderivate ausgehend von CO2 erhalten lassen, erm{\"o}glicht dieser Ansatz die indirekte Hydrierung von Kohlendioxid zu Methanol.

}, doi = {10.1002/ange.201106612}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @article {42522, title = {Urea/thiourea derivatives and Zn(II)-DPA complex as receptors for anionic recognition-a brief account}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {123}, year = {2011}, month = {OCT}, pages = {175{\textendash}186}, abstract = {

This review covers few examples of anion complexation chemistry, with a special focus on urea/thiourea-based receptors and Zn(II)-dipicolyl amine-based receptors. This article specially focuses on structural aspects of the receptors and the anions for obtaining the desire specificity along with an efficient receptor{\textendash}anion interaction. Two types of receptors have been described in this brief account; first one being the strong hydrogen bond donor urea/thiourea derivatives, which binds the anionic analytes through hydrogen bonded interactions; while, the second type of receptors are coordination complexes, where the coordination of the anion to the metal centre. In both the cases the anion binding modulate the energy gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and thereby the spectroscopic response. Appropriate choice of the signalling unit may allow probing the anion binding phenomena through visual detection.

}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-011-0151-y}, author = {Das, Priyadip and Mahato, Prasenjit and Ghosh, Amrita and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Banerjee, Tanmay and Saha, Sukdeb and Das, Amitava} } @article {42525, title = {Zn(II)-cyclam based chromogenic sensors for recognition of atp in aqueous solution under physiological conditions and their application as viable staining agents for microorganism}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {50}, year = {2011}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4162{\textendash}4170}, abstract = {

Two chromogenic complexes, L.Zn (where L is (E)-4-((4-(1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecan-1-ylsulfonyl)phenyl)diazenyl)-N,N-dimethylaniline) and its [2]pseudorotaxane form (α-CD.L.Zn), were found to bind preferentially to adenosine triphosphate (ATP), among all other common anions and biologically important phosphate (AMP, ADP, pyrophosphate, and phosphate) ions in aqueous HEPES buffer medium of pH 7.2. Studies with live cell cultures of prokaryotic microbes revealed that binding of these two reagents to intercellular ATP, produced in situ, could be used in delineating the Gram-positive and the Gram-negative bacteria. More importantly, these dyes were found to be nontoxic to living microbes (eukaryotes and prokaryotes) and could be used for studying the cell growth dynamics. Binding to these two viable staining agents to intercellular ATP was also confirmed by spectroscopic studies on cell growth in the presence of different respiratory inhibitors that influence the intercellular ATP generation.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic200223g}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Ghosh, Amrita and Mishra, Sanjiv K. and Shrivastav, Anupama and Mishra, Sandhya and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000299176700007, title = {1,2-Benzoquinones in Diels-Alder reactions, dipolar cycloadditions, nucleophilic additions, multicomponent reactions and more}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {41}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1050-1059}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A brief account of the recent developments in the chemistry of 1,2-benzoquinones is presented in this tutorial review. The title compounds exhibit commendable versatility in both Diels-Alder and dipolar cycloaddition reactions. They have also been employed as electrophilic reaction partners in nucleophile-triggered catalytic processes and related multicomponent reactions. These, along with other reactions described here, lead to the synthesis of densely functionalised carbocyclic and heterocyclic frameworks that are otherwise difficult to access.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c1cs15186j}, author = {Nair, Vijay and Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Abhilash, K. G.} } @article { ISI:000298518600028, title = {Adsorption induced enzyme denaturation: the role of protein surface in adsorption induced protein denaturation on allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) copolymers}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces B-Biointerfaces}, volume = {90}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {184-190}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The effects of protein size on adsorption and adsorption-induced denaturation of proteins on copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether (AGE)-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) have been studied. Different responses were observed for the amount of protein adsorbed and denatured on the polymer surface for different proteins (trypsin, alchol dehydrogenase from baker{\textquoteright}s yeast (YADH), glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Gluconobacter cerinus, and alkaline phosphates from calf intestinal mucosa (CIAP). Protein adsorption on the copolymer with 25\% crosslink density (AGE-25) was dependent not only on the size of the protein but also on the presence of glycoside residues on the protein surface. Adsorption and denaturation of proteins follows the order YADH \> trypsin \> GDH \>\> CIAP although the molecular weights of the proteins follow the order YADH \> CIAP \> GDH \> trypsin. The lack of correlation between amount of adsorbed protein and its molecular weight was due to the presence of glycoside residues on CIAP and GDH which protect the enzyme surface from denaturation. Enzyme stabilities in aqueous solutions of 1-cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidinone (CHP) correlate well with the trend in denaturation by the copolymer, strongly suggesting that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in protein binding and the mechanism of protein denaturation is similar to that for water-miscible organic solvents. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1-Cyclohexyl-2-pyrrolidinone, Adsorption, Alcohol dehydrogenase, Alkaline phosphatase, allyl glycidyl ether, Denaturation, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Glucose dehydrogenase, Trypsin}, issn = {0927-7765}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfb.2011.10.022}, author = {Thudi, Lahari and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Swarnalatha, Y. and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000305714200033, title = {Alginate and hydrotalcite-like anionic clay composite systems: synthesis, characterization and application studies}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {158}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {241-246}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Hydrotalcite-like anionic clays (Zn/Al and Mg/Al) were intercalated with sodium alginate to form organic-inorganic composite adsorbents for water treatment applications. The synthesized composites were characterized using different characterization techniques viz. XRD, DRIFTS, SEM and surface area/porosity analysis. The adsorption potential of the alginate-clay composites was examined for removal of fluoride ions and Orange II dye from water by adsorption. Our studies revealed that these composites had high adsorption capacity for the adsorption of fluoride and Orange II dye from aqueous solutions. The adsorption capacity of the composites was considerably higher than that of either alginate or clay, used individually. The results indicated that these materials might be useful sorbents for groundwater purification/effluent treatment. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alginate, Anionic clay, Composite, Fluoride, Orange II dye}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2012.03.046}, author = {Mandal, Sujata and Patil, Varsha S. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000311473600008, title = {Alternate synthesis of enantiomerically pure levetiracetam (Keppra (R))}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {23}, number = {20-21}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1512-1515}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient synthesis of levetiracetam has been achieved with high enantiopurity (\>99\%) starting from commercially available benzyl glycidyl ether. The method is amenable for industrial scale-up. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2012.10.006}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Mujumdar, P. and Sasikumar, M. and Kunte, S. S. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article {42507, title = {Alternative approach: a highly selective dual responding fluoride sensor having active methylene group as binding site}, journal = {Org Biomol Chem.}, volume = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2263-2271}, abstract = {

A newly designed phosphonium derivative (L) having active methylene functionality, shows unusual preference towards F- over all other anions. The binding process through C{\textendash}H...F- hydrogen bond formation was probed by monitoring the changes in either electronic or luminescence spectra. Changes in both cases are significant enough to allow visual detection. The loss of molecular flexibility of L on forming L{\textperiodcentered}F- effectively interrupts the non-radiative deactivation pathway and accounts for the observed switch on fluorescence response. The results of the time-resolved emission studies for L and L{\textperiodcentered}F- using a time-correlated single photon counting technique further corroborate this presumption. The excellent preference of L towards F- is attributed to an efficient hydrogen bonding interaction between the strongly polarized methylene protons and F-, which delineates the subtle difference in the affinity among other competing anionic analytes like CN-, H2PO4-, CH3CO2-, etc. The relative affinities of various anions and the preferential binding of F- to reagent L are also rationalized using computational studies.

}, doi = {10.1039/C2OB06815J}, author = {Das, Priyadip and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Mandal, Amal K. and Suresh, Eringathodi and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article {42779, title = {Amino functionalized oligo polyimides with enhanced storage stability}, number = {EP 11817412 A 20111228}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, abstract = {

The invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of amino functionalized oligomeric monomeric reactant type polyimides having higher stability. More particularly it relates to a process for the preparation of soluble imide prepolymers, used as matrix resins that can be rapidly cured with multi-functional moieties such as diepoxy, dicarboxyl, anhydride, diisocyanates to form crosslinked structures having enhanced thermal stability and mechanical strength.

}, author = {Dwivedi, Mayank and Rao, Locanindi Hari Sarvothama and Mohan, Srinivasulu Reddy Krishna and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and Rao, Bevara Madhusudana and Kumar, Sriperambudur Rajesh and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Rajan, Chelanattukizhakkemadath Raman and Tayal, Rajiv Kumar and Shadbar, Qureshi Mohammed and Chavan, Nayaku and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and John, Aruldoss and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Punitharasu, Vellimala and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin} } @article { ISI:000306049900024, title = {Aminomethylene peptide nucleic acid (am-PNA): synthesis, regio-/stereospecific DNA binding, and differential cell uptake of (alpha/gamma,R/S)am-PNA analogues}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {77}, number = {13}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5696-5704}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Inherently chiral, cationic am-PNAs having pendant aminomethylene groups at alpha(R/S) or gamma(S) sites on PNA backbone have been synthesized. The modified PNAs are shown to stabilize duplexes with complementary cDNA in a regio- and stereo-preferred manner with gamma(S)-am PNA superior to alpha(R/S)-am PNAs and alpha(R)-am PNA better than the alpha(S) isomer. The enhanced stabilization of am-PNA:DNA duplexes is accompanied by a greater discrimination of mismatched bases. This seems to be a combined result of both electrostatic interactions and conformational preorganization of backbone favoring the cDNA binding. The am-PNAs are demonstrated to effectively traverse the cell membrane, localize in the nucleus of He La cells, and exhibit low toxicity to cells.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo300860f}, author = {Mitra, Roopa and Ganesh, Krishna N.} } @article { ISI:000300871600018, title = {Antagonism of microRNA function in zebrafish embryos by using locked nucleic acid enzymes (LNAzymes)}, journal = {Chembiochem}, volume = {13}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {584-589}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {PO BOX 10 11 61, D-69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have crucial functions in many cellular processes, such as differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis; aberrant expression of miRNAs has been linked to human diseases, including cancer. Tools that allow specific and efficient knockdown of miRNAs would be of immense importance for exploring miRNA function. Zebrafish serves as an excellent vertebrate model system to understand the functions of miRNAs involved in a variety of biological processes. We designed and employed a strategy based on locked nucleic acid enzymes (LNAzymes) for in vivo knockdown of miRNA in zebrafish embryos. We demonstrate that LNAzyme can efficiently knockdown miRNAs with minimal toxicity to the zebrafish embryos.

}, keywords = {enzymes, locked nucleic acids, microRNA, morpholino, zebrafish}, issn = {1439-4227}, doi = {10.1002/cbic.201100789}, author = {Suryawanshi, Hemant and Lalwani, Mukesh Kumar and Ramasamy, Soundhar and Rana, Rajiv and Scaria, Vinod and Sivasubbu, Sridhar and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000309096400007, title = {Aromatic aldehyde functionalized polycaprolactone and polystyrene macromonomers: synthesis, characterization and aldehyde-aminooxy click reaction}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {72}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {713-721}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

New bis-aldehyde functionalized initiators, viz, 4,4{\textquoteright}-(4,4{\textquoteright}-(5-hydroxypentane-2,2-diyl)bis(4,1-phenylene))bis(oxy)dibenza ldehyde (1) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-bis(4-(4-(formylphenoxy) phenyl) pentyl 2-bromopropanoate (2) were synthesized starting from commercially available 4,4{\textquoteright}-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. These initiators were utilized, respectively, for ring opening polymerization of E-caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene. Well-defined polycaprolactone macromonomers (M-n(GPC): 2600-19400, PDI: 1.37-1.47) and polystyrene macromonomers (M-n(GPC): 2800-28200, PDI: 1.11-1.16) with bis-aldehyde functionality were synthesized. The kinetic study of styrene polymerization showed controlled polymerization behaviour. The presence of aldehyde functionality in macromonomers was confirmed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity of aldehyde functionality was demonstrated by carrying out aldehyde-aminooxy click reaction of polycaprolactone macromonomer with O-(2-azidoethyl) hydroxylamine which proceeded in a quantitative manner without backbone degradation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aldehyde-terminated macromonomers, ATRP, Polycaprolactone, Polystyrene, ROP}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2012.06.020}, author = {Sane, Prakash S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Palaskar, Dnyaneshwar V. and Menon, Shamal K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000309850200004, title = {Asymmetric synthesis of a 12-membered macrolactone core and a 6-epi analogue of amphidinolide W from 4-pentenoic acid}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {23}, number = {15-16}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1170-1185}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A flexible and efficient asymmetric route to the synthesis of a 12-membered macrolactone core and a 6-epi analogue of amphidinolide W has been accomplished from commercially available 4-pentenoic acid. The successful generation of stereocenters was achieved by utilizing an Evans{\textquoteright} chiral auxiliary-based alkylation and aldol reaction. Other key reactions such as a Julia-Kocienski olefination, Kita{\textquoteright}s macrolactonization, ring closing metathesis (RCM) reaction, and Yamaguchi{\textquoteright}s esterification were significant for the construction of the macrolactone cores. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0957-4166}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2012.07.006}, author = {Chatterjee, Bhaskar and Mondal, Dhananjoy and Bera, Smritilekha} } @article { ISI:000301235200031, title = {Band edge modulated conjugated polymers for oxidation prevention}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {14}, number = {13}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4577-4583}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The impact of electron transfer (ET) from a series of band edge modulated polymers to atmospheric oxygen is examined in connection with substrate oxidation prevention. Polymers with the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level below and above the oxygen energy level were tested and the former showed better efficiency. Furthermore, the oxidation prevention efficiency of a polymer with lower HOMO increased by two orders of magnitude, when the pores on the film were filled with spherical molecules, [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester. We found that the polymer surface hydrophobicity has little or no influence on oxidation prevention. It is interesting to note that a polymer with a hole mobility of 8 x 10(-10) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) showed a two-fold increase in oxidation prevention efficiency compared to a polymer with a hole mobility of 6 x 10(-5) cm(2) V-1 s(-1). Over all, from the concerted approach, we conclude that a polymer devoid of pores with the HOMO energy level below oxygen and low charge carrier mobility is a suitable candidate for prevention of substrate oxidation/corrosion.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c2cp23544g}, author = {Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Dutta, Kingshuk and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @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:000298390900013, title = {Biochemical characterization of a novel thermostable xyloglucanase from an alkalothermophilic thermomonospora sp.}, journal = {Extremophiles}, volume = {16}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {135-146}, publisher = {SPRINGER JAPAN KK}, address = {CHIYODA FIRST BLDG EAST, 3-8-1 NISHI-KANDA, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, 101-0065, JAPAN}, abstract = {

Xyloglucanase from an extracellular culture filtrate of alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. was purified to homogeneity with a molecular weight of 144 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE and exhibited specificity towards xyloglucan with apparent K (m) of 1.67 mg/ml. The enzyme was active at a broad range of pH (5-8) and temperatures (40-80A degrees C). The optimum pH and temperature were 7 and 70A degrees C, respectively. The enzyme retained 100\% activity at 50A degrees C for 60 h with half-lives of 14 h, 6 h and 7 min at 60, 70 and 80A degrees C, respectively. The kinetics of thermal denaturation revealed that the inactivation at 80A degrees C is due to unfolding of the enzyme as evidenced by the distinct red shift in the wavelength maximum of the fluorescence profile. Xyloglucanase activity was positively modulated in the presence of Zn2+, K+, cysteine, beta-mercaptoethanol and polyols. Thermostability was enhanced in the presence of additives (polyols and glycine) at 80A degrees C. A hydrolysis of 55\% for galactoxyloglucan (GXG) from tamarind kernel powder (TKP) was obtained in 12 h at 60A degrees C and 6 h at 70A degrees C using thermostable xyloglucanases, favouring a reduction in process time and enzyme dosage. The enzyme was stable in the presence of commercial detergents (Ariel), indicating its potential as an additive to laundry detergents.

}, keywords = {Alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp., Biotechnological applications, Purification, Thermostable, Xyloglucanase}, issn = {1431-0651}, doi = {10.1007/s00792-011-0413-0}, author = {Pol, Dipali and Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000301445700014, title = {Carbohydrate-based synthesis of the C13-C22 fragment of amphidinolide X}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {9}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1753-1758}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A facile carbohydrate-based route was developed for the synthesis of the tetrahydrofuran (C13C22) fragment of amphidinolide X. Starting from L-sorbose, the key reactions followed include the stereoselective synthesis of a quaternary center at C1, BartonMcCombie deoxygenation at C2, Mitsunobu inversion at C3, and chain elongation by a Wittig reaction at C5.

}, keywords = {Cytotoxicity, Macrolides, Mitsunobu inversion, Natural products, Wittig reactions}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201101605}, author = {Gurjar, Mukund K. and Yellol, Gorakh S. and Mohapatra, Debendra K.} } @article { ISI:000309072200065, title = {Charge transport in functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotube-Nafion composite}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {112}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {053706}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The charge transport in sulfonated multi-wall carbon nanotube (sMWNT)-Nafion composite is reported. The scanning electron microscope images of the composite, at 1 and 10 wt \% of sMWNT, show that the nanotubes are well dispersed in polymer matrix, with conductivity values of 0.005 and 3.2 S/cm, respectively; and the percolation threshold is nearly 0.42 wt. \%. The exponent (similar to 0.25) of the temperature dependence of conductivity in both samples indicates Mott{\textquoteright}s variable range hopping (VRH) transport. The conductance in 1 wt. \% sample increases by three orders of magnitude at high electric-fields, consistent with VRH model. The negative magnetoresistance in 10 wt. \% sample is attributed to the forward interference scattering mechanism in VRH transport. The ac conductance in 1 wt. \% sample is expressed by sigma(omega) proportional to omega(s), and the temperature dependence of s follows the correlated barrier hopping model. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4749264]

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.4749264}, author = {Sangeeth, C. S. Suchand and Kannan, Ramaiyan and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Menon, Reghu} } @article { ISI:000296558300011, title = {Chemical deposition of CuInSe2 thin films by photoelectrochemical applications}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {511}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {50-53}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Copper indium diselenide films have been synthesized by chemical bath deposition method. The configuration of fabricated cell is n-CuInSe2|NaOH (1 M) + S (1 M) + Na2S (1 M)|C-(graphite). The photoelectrochemical cell characterization of the films is carried out by studying current-voltage characteristics in dark, capacitance-voltage in dark, barrier height measurements, power output, photoresponse and spectral response. The study shows that CuInSe2 thin films are n-type conductivity. The junction ideality factor is found to be 3.81. The flat band potential is found to be 0.763 V. The barrier height value is found to be 0.232 eV. The study of power output characteristic shows open circuit voltage, short circuit current, fill factor and efficiency are found to be 310 mV, 20 mu A, 42.12\% and 0.82\%, respectively. Photoresponse shows lighted ideality factor which is 2.92. Spectral response shows the maximum current observed at 650 nm. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Chemical bath deposition, Flat band potential, Photo response, Power output, Spectral response}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2011.04.084}, author = {Hankare, P. P. and Rathod, K. C. and Chate, P. A. and Garadkar, K. M. and Sathe, D. J. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000306642100056, title = {Cholesterol-tethered platinum II-based supramolecular nanoparticle increases antitumor efficacy and reduces nephrotoxicity}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11294-11299}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Nanoscale drug delivery vehicles have been harnessed extensively as carriers for cancer chemotherapeutics. However, traditional pharmaceutical approaches for nanoformulation have been a challenge with molecules that exhibit incompatible physicochemical properties, such as platinum-based chemotherapeutics. Here we propose a paradigm based on rational design of active molecules that facilitate supramolecular assembly in the nanoscale dimension. Using cisplatin as a template, we describe the synthesis of a unique platinum (II) tethered to a cholesterol backbone via a unique monocarboxylato and O -\> Pt coordination environment that facilitates nanoparticle assembly with a fixed ratio of phosphatidylcholine and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- N-[amino (polyethylene glycol)-2000]. The nanoparticles formed exhibit lower IC50 values compared with carboplatin or cisplatin in vitro, and are active in cisplatin-resistant conditions. Additionally, the nanoparticles exhibit significantly enhanced in vivo antitumor efficacy in murine 4T1 breast cancer and in K-Ras(LSL/+/)Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer models with decreased systemic- and nephro-toxicity. Our results indicate that integrating rational drug design and supramolecular nanochemistry can emerge as a powerful strategy for drug development. Furthermore, given that platinum-based chemotherapeutics form the frontline therapy for a broad range of cancers, the increased efficacy and toxicity profile indicate the constructed nanostructure could translate into a nextgeneration platinum-based agent in the clinics.

}, keywords = {chemotherapy, nanomedicine}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1203129109}, author = {Sengupta, Poulomi and Basu, Sudipta and Soni, Shivani and Pandey, Ambarish and Roy, Bhaskar and Oh, Michael S. and Chin, Kenneth T. and Paraskar, Abhimanyu S. and Sarangi, Sasmit and Connor, Yamicia and Sabbisetti, Venkata S. and Kopparam, Jawahar and Kulkarni, Ashish and Muto, Katherine and Amarasiriwardena, Chitra and Jayawardene, Innocent and Lupoli, Nicola and Dinulescu, Daniela M. and Bonventre, Joseph V. and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000302573400003, title = {Cloning, characterization and impact of up- and down-regulating subabul cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) gene on plant growth and lignin profiles in transgenic tobacco}, journal = {Plant Growth Regulation}, volume = {66}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {239-253}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Both cDNA including 5{\textquoteright}UTR and 3{\textquoteright}UTR and genomic clones of cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) were isolated and characterized from a pulp-yielding leguminous tree Leucaena leucocephala (LlCAD1). The deduced amino acid sequence shared high identity with orthologous sequences of Acacia mangium x Acacia auriculiformis (83\%), Medicago sativa (83\%), Nicotiana tabaccum (83\%) and Aralia cordata (81\%). Full length cDNA contained 78 bases of 5{\textquoteright}UTR and 283 bases of 3{\textquoteright}UTR, while the genomic clone contained 5 exons and 4 introns. Western blot analysis revealed elevated expression of LlCAD1 in seedling roots and shoots compared to leaves. Sense and antisense CAD tobacco transgenics showed increased and reduced CAD activity accompanied by a change in monomeric lignin composition. Histochemical staining of lignin in down-regulated plants suggested an increase in aldehyde units and a decrease in S/G ratio. Down-regulation of CAD resulted in accumulation of syringic, ferulic, p-coumaric and sinapic acids compared to untransformed controls. These observations were validated by anatomical studies of down-regulated transgenic stems which showed thin walled, elongated phloem and xylem fibres, accompanied by a reduction in the density of vessel elements and amount of secondary xylem when compared to untransformed plants. Furthermore, Klason lignin analysis of CAD antisense transgenics showed 7-32\% reduced lignin and normal phenotype as compared to untransformed plants. Such a reduction was not noticed in up-regulated transgenics. These results demonstrate a unique opportunity to explore the significant role that down-regulation of CAD gene plays in reducing lignin content thereby offering potential benefits to the pulp and paper industry.

}, keywords = {Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase, Lignin down-regulation, Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), Tobacco}, issn = {0167-6903}, doi = {10.1007/s10725-011-9647-1}, author = {Sirisha, V. L. and Prashant, S. and Kumar, D. Ranadheer and Pramod, S. and Jalaja, N. and Kumari, P. Hima and Rao, P. Maheshwari and Rao, S. Nageswara and Mishra, Preeti and Karumanchi, S. Rao and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Kishor, P. B. Kavi} } @article {43249, title = {Comparative genomics of the apicomplexan parasites toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum: coccidia differing in host range and transmission strategy}, journal = {Plos Pathogens}, volume = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, abstract = {Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite which infects nearly one third of the human population and is found in an extraordinary range of vertebrate hosts. Its epidemiology depends heavily on horizontal transmission, especially between rodents and its definitive host, the cat. Neospora caninum is a recently discovered close relative of Toxoplasma, whose definitive host is the dog. Both species are tissue-dwelling Coccidia and members of the phylum Apicomplexa; they share many common features, but Neospora neither infects humans nor shares the same wide host range as Toxoplasma, rather it shows a striking preference for highly efficient vertical transmission in cattle. These species therefore provide a remarkable opportunity to investigate mechanisms of host restriction, transmission strategies, virulence and zoonotic potential. We sequenced the genome of N. caninum and transcriptomes of the invasive stage of both species, undertaking an extensive comparative genomics and transcriptomics analysis. We estimate that these organisms diverged from their common ancestor around 28 million years ago and find that both genomes and gene expression are remarkably conserved. However, in N. caninum we identified an unexpected expansion of surface antigen gene families and the divergence of secreted virulence factors, including rhoptry kinases. Specifically we show that the rhoptry kinase ROP18 is pseudogenised in N. caninum and that, as a possible consequence, Neospora is unable to phosphorylate host immunity-related GTPases, as Toxoplasma does. This defense strategy is thought to be key to virulence in Toxoplasma. We conclude that the ecological niches occupied by these species are influenced by a relatively small number of gene products which operate at the host-parasite interface and that the dominance of vertical transmission in N. caninum may be associated with the evolution of reduced virulence in this species.}, doi = {10.1371/journal.ppat.1002567}, author = {Reid, Adam James and Vermont, Sarah J. and Cotton, James A. and Harris, David and Hill-Cawthorne, Grant A. and Koenen-Waisman, Stephanie and Latham, Sophia M. and Mourier, Tobias and Norton, Rebecca and Quail, Michael A. and Sanders, Mandy and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Sohal, Amandeep and Wasmuth, James D. and Brunk, Brian and Grigg, Michael E. and Howard, Jonathan C. and Parkinson, John and Roos, David S. and Trees, Alexander J. and Berriman, Matthew and Pain, Arnab and Wastling, Jonathan M.} } @article { ISI:000300887700023, title = {Competition between gelation and crystallisation of a peculiar multicomponent liquid system based on ammonium salts}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {8}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3446-3456}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An exemplar competition between gelation and crystallisation phenomena was examined with an unusual synergistic multicomponent (organo) gelator solution (MGS), which consists of a well-defined methanolic solution of (1R, 2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane L-tartrate containing 2.4 equiv. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The optimal composition of the MGS was determined through meticulous solubility, gelation and structural studies, which support a transient gelation mechanism based on the kinetic self-assembly of the tartrate salt driven by hydrogen-bonding interactions, involving ammonium nitrogen donors and hydroxyl oxygen acceptors, and electrostatic interactions. The hydrochloric acid is involved in the solubilisation of the salt through an ionic dissociation-exchange process, which ends up with the formation-precipitation of (1R, 2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane dihydrochloride. As a consequence, an irreversible destruction of the gel takes place, which indicates the metastable nature of this phase that cannot be accessed from the thermodynamically equilibrated state. Gelation of a variety of oxygenated and nitrogenated solvents with moderate polarity occurred efficiently using extremely low MGS concentrations at low temperatures, and the gel phase was confirmed by dynamic rheological measurements. Several features make the described MGS unique: (1) it is a multicomponent solution where each component and its stoichiometry play a key role in the reproducible formation and stabilization of the gels; (2) it is formed by simple, small, and commercially available chiral building blocks (dissolved in a well-defined solvent system), which are easily amenable for further modifications; (3) the gelation phenomenon takes place efficiently at low temperature upon warming up the isotropic solution, conversely to the typical gel preparation protocol; and (4) the formed organogels are not thermoreversible despite the non-covalent interactions that characterize the 3D-network.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c2sm07183e}, author = {Kapoor, Iti and Schoen, Eva-Maria and Bachl, Jurgen and Kuehbeck, Dennis and Cativiela, Carlos and Saha, Subhadeep and Banerjee, Rahul and Roelens, Stefano and Juan Marrero-Tellado, Jose and Diaz, David Diaz} } @article { ISI:000313298000007, title = {Conducting polyanilline based paints on hot dip galvanized low carbon steel for corrosion protection}, journal = {Bulgarian Chemical Communications}, volume = {44}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {318-323}, publisher = {BULGARIAN ACAD SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {CENTRAL LIBRARY 7 NOEMVRI NO 1, SOFIA, 00000, BULGARIA}, abstract = {

Conducting polyaniline based paints have been applied on hot dip galvanized low carbon steel samples. The corrosion protection performance of these paint coatings was evaluated by using Tafel plots and impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the paint coatings offered significant corrosion protection to hot dip galvanized low carbon steel in aqueous 3.5 wt \% NaCl solution.

}, keywords = {Conducting polyaniline based paints, corrosion prevention, hot dip galvanized low carbon steel}, issn = {0324-1130}, author = {Deshpande, P. and Vagge, S. and Jagtap, Sharmili and Khiarnar, R. and Kelkar, Sarika A. and More, Minal} } @article { ISI:000304129100035, title = {Continuous dehydration and hydrogenolysis of glycerol over non-chromium copper catalyst: laboratory-scale process studies}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1043-1052}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A non-chromium Cu:Al catalyst was developed for glycerol dehydration under N-2 atmosphere to acetol and hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO). Among the various copper-based catalysts screened in this work, Cu:Al-1 catalyst showed the highest activity and acetol selectivity in water medium, whereas transfer hydrogenation in 2-propanol as the reaction medium led to the formation of 1,2-PDO (10-38\%). The same catalyst was also found to catalyze the direct hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-PDO. Time on stream activity (TOS) of our Cu:Al-1 catalyst for both continuous dehydration and hydrogenolysis of glycerol was found to be 400 h with an average glycerol conversion of 90\% and 65\%, respectively. Maximum acetol selectivity was 55\% while 1,2-PDO selectivity was 91\% in dehydration and hydrogenolysis reactions separately. Effects of various reaction conditions on conversion, selectivity, and global rates of the two processes were also investigated.

}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/op200383r}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000306358100005, title = {Copper modified waste fly ash as a promising catalyst for glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {190}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {31-37}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Several catalyst formulations using waste fly ash along with Cu were prepared and characterised by XRD, BET and TEM. These catalysts were also evaluated for the first time for hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2 propanediol (1,2-PDO) in a batch reactor under 52 bar H-2 pressure in the temperature range of 473-513 K conditions. The fly ash pretreated by alkali using the fusion method and impregnated with Cu showed higher activity and stability for glycerol hydrogenolysis. Due to pretreatment with alkali at high temperature, transformation of alpha-quartz to the tridymite phase of SiO2 occurred. More importantly, use of alkali either during the pretreatment or the Cu loading step resulted in a high dispersion on the surface which was responsible for higher glycerol conversion and 1,2-PDO selectivity. The effects of temperature, Cu loading and solvent on glycerol conversion and product selectivities were also studied in this work. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Propanediol, Alkali fusion, Cu loading, Fly ash, Glycerol hydrogenolysis}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2011.11.038}, author = {Rode, C. V. and Mane, R. B. and Potdar, A. S. and Patil, P. B. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Joshi, P. N.} } @article { ISI:000307187300030, title = {Correlation between coordinated water content and proton conductivity in Ca-BTC-based metal-organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {70}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8829-8831}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Proton conductivity of five Ca-based MOFs which depends on the amount of water molecules coordinated to the Ca-centres has been reported. These MOFs show high temperature proton conductivity due to the strong hydrogen bonding between the lattice and coordinated water molecules.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc34006b}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000309372100015, title = {Critical review of membrane bioreactor models - Part 2: Hydrodynamic and integrated models}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {122}, number = {SI}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {107-118}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Membrane bioreactor technology exists for a couple of decades, but has not yet overwhelmed the market due to some serious drawbacks of which operational cost due to fouling is the major contributor. Knowledge buildup and optimisation for such complex systems can heavily benefit from mathematical modelling. In this paper, the vast literature on hydrodynamic and integrated MBR modelling is critically reviewed. Hydrodynamic models are used at different scales and focus mainly on fouling and only little on system design/optimisation. Integrated models also focus on fouling although the ones including costs are leaning towards optimisation. Trends are discussed, knowledge gaps identified and interesting routes for further research suggested. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CFD, Costs, hydrodynamics, Integrated model, Modelling}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2012.05.071}, author = {Naessens, W. and Maere, T. and Ratkovich, N. and Vedantam, S. and Nopens, I.} } @article { ISI:000321004400040, title = {Crystal structure of (2S, 4R)-2-benzyl 1-tert-butyl 4-(tosyloxy)pyrrolidine-1,2-dicarboxylate, C24H29NO7S}, journal = {Zeitschrift Fur Kristallographie-New Crystal Structures}, volume = {227}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {361-362}, publisher = {OLDENBOURG VERLAG}, address = {LEKTORAT MINT, POSTFACH 80 13 60, D-81613 MUNICH, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{C24H29NO7S, triclinic, P1 (no. 1)

}, issn = {1433-7266}, doi = {10.1524/ncrs.2012.0173}, author = {Ghosh, Munmun and Mallick, Arijit and Diaz, David Diaz} } @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.} } @inbook { ISI:000321629100005, title = {Descriptors as probes for inter-molecular interactions and external perturbation}, booktitle = {Applications of Density Functional Theory to Chemical Reactivity}, series = {Structure and Bonding}, volume = {149}, year = {2012}, pages = {131-158}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, United States}, abstract = {

In this article, different reactivity descriptors have been reviewed. Conceptual density functional theory is an important area where a lot of interesting developments in terms of descriptors and molecule interactions have taken place in recent years. This review will highlight our own work on such development of descriptors and their applications to characterise stability and reactivity in molecule systems.

}, keywords = {Conceptual density functional theory, Electric field effect, Global reactivity descriptors, HSAB, Local HSAB, Local reactivity descriptors}, isbn = {978-3-642-32753-7; 978-3-642-32752-0}, issn = {0081-5993}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-32753-7_4}, author = {Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Putz, M. V. and Mingos, D. M. P.} } @article { ISI:000302276700009, title = {Design and synthesis of dephosphono dna analogues containing 1,2,3-triazole linker and their UV-melting studies with DNA/RNA}, journal = {Nucleosides Nucleotides \& Nucleic Acids}, volume = {31}, number = {1-3}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {97-111}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

This article describes the synthesis of 3{\textquoteright}/5{\textquoteright} linked 1,2,3-triazolyl dithymidine derivatives, their incorporation into oligonucleotides, and evaluation of their thermal stabilities toward complementary DNA/RNA.

}, keywords = {isostere, Oligonucleotide analogues, Triazole, UV melting}, issn = {1525-7770}, doi = {10.1080/15257770.2011.644100}, author = {Madhuri, Vangala and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article { ISI:000312147400004, title = {Dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) by a novel fully room temperature process: a solar paint for smart windows and flexible substrates}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {31}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {11645-11649}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the development of a titania-nanoparticle-based solar paint which gives a conversion efficiency of 3.6\% on FTO/glass substrates under fully room temperature processing. The paint cures quickly saving time in the cell fabrication process. Even on a flexible ITO/PET substrate efficiency of 2.4\% was achieved. We present and analyze the results of described materials and device property characterizations.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra22182a}, author = {Agarkar, Shruti A. and Dhas, Vivek V. and Muduli, Subas and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000302017500007, title = {Dynamic proteome in enigmatic preeclampsia: an account of molecular mechanisms and biomarker discovery}, journal = {Proteomics Clinical Applications}, volume = {6}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {79-90}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The coevolution of genomics and proteomics has led to advancements in the field of diagnosis and molecular mechanisms of disease. Proteomics is now stepping into the field of obstetrics, where early diagnosis of pregnancy complication such as preeclampsia (PE) is imperative. PE is a multifactorial disease characterized by hypertension with proteinuria, which is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality occurring in 5-7\% of pregnancies worldwide. This review discusses the probable molecular mechanisms that lead to PE and summarizes the proteomics research carried out in understanding the pathogenicity of PE, and for identifying the candidate biomarker for diagnosis of the disease.

}, keywords = {Hypertension, Oxidative stress, Pregnancy complication, Proteinuria}, issn = {1862-8346}, doi = {10.1002/prca.201100089}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Patil, Gouri V. and Kulkarni, Asmita V. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Joshi, Sadhana R. and Mehendale, Savita S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000311180800010, title = {Effect of particle size on selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde by Pt encapsulated in mesoporous silica}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {42-46}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Pt nanoparticles of various sizes, viz. 8. 4.9, 3.6 and 1.8 nm were encapsulated in 2D hexagonal mesoporous silica by in-situ synthesis as well as post synthetic modifications so that the final catalyst composition was \<= 1 wt.\% Pt/SiO2. A kinetic analysis of the effect of particle size on selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde was carried out on these catalysts. It was found that the materials, even at such low loading of Pt, were very active for the hydrogenation and selective for the desired product, cinnamyl alcohol. Among the different particle sizes, selectivity was found to be the highest on 8 nm particles. Kinetic analysis shows that the reaction follows a consecutive reaction pathway. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha, beta-Unsaturated aldehydes, Cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation, Kinetic analysis, Mesoporous silica, Pt nanoparticles, Selective hydrogenation}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2012.08.017}, author = {Prashar, Atul K. and Mayadevi, S. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000311350000043, title = {Effect of preparation parameters of Cu catalysts on their physico-chemical properties and activities for glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {198}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {321-329}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Cu based catalysts were prepared by co-precipitation, alkali fusion followed by precipitation and direct solid state fusion methods. The changes in the phase formation, morphology, crystallite size, extent of aggregation, strength and nature of acid sites were observed due to variations in precipitating agents and also their order of addition. The catalyst prepared by co-precipitation using Na2CO3 showed the predominant presence of metallic Cu phase with a crystallite size of 5 nm, well segregated spherical morphology and highest acidity in the activated sample. These intrinsic properties contributed to achieve the highest glycerol conversion of 62\% and 1,2-PDO selectivity of 88\% in glycerol hydrogenolysis. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Co-precipitation, Cu catalysts, Glycerol hydrogenolysis, Physico-chemical properties, Solid state fusion}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2012.05.051}, author = {Mane, R. B. and Kondawar, S. E. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Joshi, P. N. and Patil, K. R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {42713, title = {Efficient hydrogenation of biomass derived cyclic di-esters to 1,2-diols}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1111-1113}, abstract = {

The unprecedented homogeneous hydrogenation of cyclic di-esters, in particular biomass-derived glycolide and lactide, to the corresponding 1,2-diols is catalyzed by Ru(II) PNN (1) and Ru(II) CNN (2) pincer complexes under mild hydrogen pressure and (in the case of 1) neutral conditions. No racemization was observed when a chiral di-ester was used.

}, doi = {10.1039/C1CC15778G }, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Fogler, Eran and Milstein, David} } @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:000310402400032, title = {Elaboration of the ether cleaving ability and selectivity of the classical pearlman{\textquoteright}s catalyst [Pd(OH)(2)/C]: concise synthesis of a precursor for a myo-inositol pyrophosphate}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {68}, number = {47}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9769-9776}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The cleavage of propargyl, allyl, benzyl, and PMB ethers by Pd(OH)(2)/C can be tuned in that order, by varying the reaction conditions. Other moieties such as C-C double bonds, esters, trityl ether, p-bromo and p-nitrobenzyl ethers are stable to these reaction conditions. Cleavage of allyl ethers can be made catalytic by using 1:1 mixture of Pd(OH)(2)/C and Pd/C. The synthetic potential of the selective ether cleaving ability of Pd(OH)(2)/C, essentially under neutral conditions, has been demonstrated by an efficient synthesis of a precursor for the preparation of an inositol pyrophosphate derivative. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cyclitol, Ether cleavage, Inositol, Palladium, Protecting group}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2012.09.016}, author = {Mart, Alson and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article { ISI:000306280700023, title = {Encapsulation of enzyme in large mesoporous material with small mesoporous windows}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {63}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7853-7855}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Trypsin has been encapsulated in the mesopores of a hierarchical mesoporous silica material synthesized via Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne click reaction between azide functionalized large spherical SBA-15 particles and alkyne functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). Encapsulated trypsin functions as an efficient biocatalyst and can be recycled several times.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc33592a}, author = {Malvi, Bharmana and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000313149800004, title = {Enhancement in the magnetostriction of sintered cobalt ferrite by making self-composites from nanocrystalline and bulk powders}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {4}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6421-6425}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sintered polycrystalline cobalt ferrite is a potential magnetostrictive smart material for applications as sensors and actuators. A novel concept of enhancing the magnetostrictive strain of sintered cobalt ferrite by making self-composites from nanosized and bulk powders with different particle sizes of the same material as components is reported. The self-composites give higher magnetostriction coefficient and strain derivative when compared to the sintered products obtained from the individual powders. The individual components give a maximum magnetostriction up to similar to 310 ppm, whereas up to similar to 370 ppm is obtained for a two-component system consisting of powders of two different sizes. On the other hand, a three-component self-composite made from starting powders of 3 nm, 40 nm and \>1 mu m give very high magnetostriction of similar to 400 ppm at 800 kA/m, suitable for making devices.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, Magnetostriction, Nanocrystalline, self-composite, Sintering}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am302053q}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000297609900010, title = {Enzyme immobilization on epoxy supports in reverse micellar media: prevention of enzyme denaturation}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis B-Enzymatic}, volume = {74}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {54-62}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Immobilization of enzymes such as alpha-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1), yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EC 1.1.1.1) and glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) from Gluconobacter cerinus (EC 1.1.1.119) has been carried out. Copolymers of allyl glycidyl ether (AGE) crosslinked with 25\% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) (25 mg, dry wt) were contacted with the enzymes solubilized in reverse micellar media (0.5-5 mg/mL)(overall) of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) salt in isooctane, and cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) in chloroform-isooctane (50:50, v/v). Although the enzymes are readily denatured (\>90\%) after adsorption on the copolymer in aqueous buffers, no such adsorption-induced denaturation takes place in reverse micelles. alpha-Chymotrypsin is remarkably stable in AOT reverse micelles when 0.025 M citrate buffer of pH 9.0 containing 2 mM CaCl2 is used in the water pools instead of Tris-HCl buffer of pH 8.5. It was possible to achieve enzyme concentration of 5 mg/mL in 0.3 M AOT at molar ratio of water to surfactant, (W-0), 30 and to obtain alpha-chymotrypsin loading of 20 mg/g of copolymer. The recovered enzyme solution can be reused with a fresh batch of polymer after supplementing the depleted solution. The immobilized enzyme exhibits excellent stability in aqueous buffers at room temperature and can be recycled several times. YADH is stable in both AOT and CTAB reverse micelles while GDH is stable only in CTAB reverse micelles containing 0.05 M Tris-HCI buffer of pH 8.5. Interestingly, the combination of YADH (2.5 mg/g) and GDH (0.5 mg/g) co-immobilized on the copolymer using CTAB-chloroform-isooctane system can be used for regeneration and recycle of NADPH at least 50 times as exemplified by complete reduction of a prochiral ketoester, ethyl 4-phenyl-2,4-dioxobutyrate (10 mM) to ethyl (R)-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyrate (HPB ester) using NADPH (0.2 mM). (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {allyl glycidyl ether, alpha-Chymotrypsin, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, Glucose dehydrogenase, Reverse micelles, Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase}, issn = {1381-1177}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcatb.2011.08.014}, author = {Thudi, Lahari and Jasti, Lakshmi Swarnalatha and Swarnalatha, Yalangi and Fadnavis, Nitin W. and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article {42782, title = {Ethyl oligo-silicates with strong acid heterogeneous polymeric catalysts}, number = {PCT/IB2011/002531}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, type = {Application}, abstract = {

The present invention provides a process for the synthesis of ethyl silicate with varying silica concentration, by hydrolysing ethyl silicate in varying water concentration in the presence of sulfonated catalysts having a styrene-divinyl benzene backbone. The present invention further relates to the preparation of beaded crosslinked polymers containing sulfonic acid moieties having an interconnected pore structure and surface area up to 400 m2 /g.

}, author = {Bevara, Madhusudana Rao and Bhongale, Sunil Sitaram and Bhosle, Sonali Madhavrao and Chavan, Nayaku and Chelanattukizhakkemadath, Raman Rajan and Deokar, Sarika Babasaheb and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Dwivedi, Mayank and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Harikrishna, Reghunathan and Dhanasekharan, Janakiraman and John, Aruldoss and Locanindi, Hari Sarvothama Rao and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin and Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Mule, Smita Atmaram and Nalawade, Archana Chetan and Punitharasu, Vellimalai and Qureshi, Mohammed Shadbar and Kumar, Tayal Rajiv and Shaikh, Wasif Abdul Lateef and Sontakke, Kalpana Vishwanathrao and Reddy, Krishna Mohan Srinivasulu and Sriperambudur, Rajesh Kumar and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article { ISI:000308112300043, title = {Evaluation of the insect growth regulator lufenuron (MatchA (R)) for control of aedes aegypti by simulated field trials}, journal = {Parasitology Research}, volume = {111}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1325-1329}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The insect growth regulator, Lufenuron, at concentrations of even multiples of LC90 (determined under laboratory conditions) was tested against the III instar larvae of Aedes aegypti under simulated field conditions. For all concentrations tested, 100 \% mortality of the larvae was observed within 24 h of exposure to Lufenuron-treated water. In experiments with LC90 x 4 Lufenuron concentration and where 15 \% of water volume was replaced daily, percent mortality of the larvae was reduced to 40 \% after the 54th day of treatment. Percentage mortality of the III instar larvae on the 54th day was higher in water with LC90 x 6 concentration than that observed for water with LC90 x 4 of Lufenuron. In the experiments with LC90 x 4 and LC90 x 6 concentrations of Lufenuron where 15 \% of water volume was replaced weekly, larval mortality obtained after the eighth week was 68.75 and 88.33 \%, respectively. In LC90 x 4 and LC90 x 6 of Lufenuron-treated stagnant water (without replacement of water), the percent mortality of the larvae on the 55th day was 65 and 90 \%, respectively. Introducing a fresh batch of III instar A. aegypti larvae in the Lufenuron-treated waters revealed that residual activity of Lufenuron was sustained for 45 days after the treatment. All these experiments revealed that Lufenuron not only affects the prevalence of the A. aegypti larvae but also induces the development of abnormal adults.

}, issn = {0932-0113}, doi = {10.1007/s00436-012-2968-9}, author = {Salokhe, S. G. and Deshpande, S. G. and Mukherjee, Samindra N.} } @article { ISI:000307494500027, title = {Exploring the potential of doped zero-dimensional cages for proton transfer in fuel cells: a computational study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {32}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9803-9811}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Calculations with density functional theory (DFT) and MP2 have been done to investigate the potential of recently synthesized durable zero-dimensional (OD) nitrogen-based cage structures to perform as efficient proton-exchange membranes (PEMs) in fuel cells. Our calculations suggest that the hydrogenated 0-D cages, in combination with hydrogen-bonding 1,2,3- and 1,2,4-triazole molecules, would perform as highly efficient PEMs. The results are important in the context of the need for efficient PEMs for fuel cells, especially at higher temperatures (greater than 120 degrees C) where conventional water-based PEMs such as Nafion have been found to be ineffective.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp303884p}, author = {Mane, Manoj V. and Venkatnathan, Arun and Ghatak, Kamalika and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000306215900022, title = {Fine-tuning the balance between crystallization and gelation and enhancement of CO2 uptake on functionalized calcium based MOFs and metallogels}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {30}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {14951-14963}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The synthesis, structure, gas adsorption and catalytic properties of a new 3D porous, crystalline metal-organic framework (Ca-5TIA-MOF) as well as stable viscoelastic metallogels (Ca-5TIA-Gel) are reported. Remarkably, the preparation of both types of materials can be carried out starting from the same organic ligand (i.e. 5-(1,2,4-triazoleyl) isophthalic acid (5TIA)), divalent metal ion (i.e. Ca(II)) and organic solvent (i.e. DMF). In this particular case, the presence of water in the solvent system favors the formation of a crystalline MOF, whereas a pure organic solvent induces gelation. The characterization of the materials was carried out using a series of techniques including XRD, FT-IR, TGA, TEM, SEM, SAXS and dynamic rheology. Experimental PXRD peaks of both Ca-5TIA-xerogel and Ca-5TIA-MOF matched reasonably well with simulated PXRD, suggesting the presence of, at least, some common structural elements in the 3D networks of both xerogel and crystalline phases. Moreover, the nature of the metal counteranion was found to have a critical influence on the gelation phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, this report describes unprecedented Ca-based LMW-metallogels, as well as the first porous Ca-based MOF, which shows adsorption capacity for CO2 at 1 atm pressure. Interestingly, Ca-5TIA-xerogel presented 20\% higher CO2-uptake than the crystalline Ca-5TIA-MOF at 1 atm and 298 K. Both Ca-5TIA-MOF and Ca-5TIA-Gel also displayed a modest catalytic activity towards the hydrosilylation of benzaldehyde, with slightly better performance for the gel phase material.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm30866e}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Schoen, Eva-Maria and Panda, Tamas and Sreenivas, K. and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000305276600039, title = {Flow-induced channelization in a porous medium}, journal = {EPL}, volume = {98}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {58003}, publisher = {EPL ASSOCIATION, EUROPEAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY}, address = {6 RUE DES FRERES LUMIERE, MULHOUSE, 68200, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Flow through a saturated, granular, porous medium can lead to internal erosion, preferential flow enhancement, and the formation of channels within the bulk of the medium. We examine this phenomenon using a combination of experimental observations, continuum theory and numerical simulations in a minimal setting. Our experiments are carried out by forcing water through a Hele-Shaw cell packed with bidisperse grains. When the local flow-induced stress exceeds a critical threshold, the smaller grains are dislodged and transported. This changes the porosity of the medium, thence, the local hydraulic conductivity, and leads to the development of erosional channels. Erosion is ultimately arrested due to the drop in the mean pressure gradient, while most of the flow occurs through the channels. We describe this using a minimal multiphase description of erosion where the volume fraction of the fluid, mobile, and immobile, grains change in space and time. Numerical solutions of the resulting initial boundary value problem yield results for the dynamics and morphology that are in qualitative agreement with our experiments. In addition to providing a basis for channelization in porous media, our study highlights how heterogeneity in porous media may arise from flow as a function of the erosion threshold. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2012

}, issn = {0295-5075}, doi = {10.1209/0295-5075/98/58003}, author = {Mahadevan, A. and Orpe, Ashish V. and Kudrolli, A. and Mahadevan, L.} } @article { ISI:000312111500001, title = {Fluorescent superparamagnetic iron oxide core-shell nanoprobes for multimodal cellular imaging}, journal = {Materials Express}, volume = {2}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {265-274}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Multimodal imaging agents that combine magnetic and fluorescent imaging capabilities are desirable for the high spatial and temporal resolution. In the present work, we report the synthesis of multifunctional fluorescent ferrofluids using iron oxide as the magnetic core and rhodamine B as fluorochrome shell. The core-shell structure was designed in such a way that fluorescence quenching due to the inner magnetic core was minimized by an intermediate layer of silica. The intermediate passive layer of silica was realized by a novel method which involves the esterification reaction between the epoxy group of prehydrolysed 3-Glyidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane and the surfactant over iron oxide. The as-synthesized ferrofluids have a high saturation magnetization in the range of 62-65 emu/g and were found to emit light of wavelength 640 nm (lambda(excitation) = 446 nm). Time resolved life time decay analysis showed a bi-exponential decay pattern with an increase in the decay life time in the presence of intermediate silica layer. Cytotoxicity studies confirmed the cell viability of these materials. The in vitro MRI imaging illustrated a high contrast when these multimodal nano probes were employed and the R2 relaxivity of these sample was found to be 334 mM(-1)s(-1) which reveals its high potential as a T2 contrast enhancing agent.

}, keywords = {GPTMS, MRI Imaging, Multimodal Imaging, SPION, T2 Contrast Agent}, issn = {2158-5849}, doi = {10.1166/mex.2012.1083}, author = {Smitha, Sasidharan and Haseena, Vadakkenchery S. and Narayanan, Tharangattu N. and Mary, Antony P. Reena and Ajayan, Pulickel M. and Puthumana, Jayesh and Aziz, Anas A. and Aburto, Rebeca R. and Mani, Sendurai A. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article { ISI:000305419900012, title = {Gamma-Al2-xMxO3 +/- y (M = Ti4+ through Ga3+): potential pseudo-3D mesoporous materials with tunable acidity and electronic structure}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {27}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {13484-13493}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and highly efficient surfactant-free sol-gel process has been developed to obtain nanocrystalline mesoporous gamma-Al2O3 and metal ion incorporated mesoporous gamma-Al2O3 with general formula gamma-Al2-xMxO3 +/- y (where M = Ti4+ through Ga3+). Any one of the first row transition metal (TM) ions along with Ga3+ could be introduced into the gamma-Al2O3 framework in a direct one-pot synthesis process. The generality of the present synthesis recipe for metal ion incorporation in gamma-Al2O3 was demonstrated by preparation of an Al-Ga-M ternary oxide system with the metal ion composition of general formula Al9GaTM (TM = Ti4+ to Zn2+) and their characterization through various physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. The mesoporous gamma-Al2-xMxO3 +/- y materials showed a BET surface area in the range of 200-400 m(2) g(-1) with a narrow pore size distribution. Wormhole mesoporosity makes the material pseudo-3D (p3D) with a small pore depth of few nm (\<10 nm). Metal ions in gamma-Al2O3 lead to changes in the acidity and electronic environment. XRD, TEM, and Al-27 MAS NMR studies demonstrate that the sol-gel process and the disordered mesoporous structure allow Ga and TM ions to be highly distributed and integrated in the gamma-Al2O3 framework. The efficacy of these materials in catalysis has been successfully evaluated for steam reforming of dimethylether: Ni, Cu and Zn containing Al9GaTM oxides showed high activity and stability. The smaller mesochannel depth (\<10 nm) and pseudo-3D characteristics that arise due to the wormhole-type disordered mesoporous framework of these alumina materials facilitate mass transport through them without any leaching of metal ions out of the lattice and pore blocking during the reaction, which makes them attractive in catalysis. This preparation method is versatile enough to be used for a reproducible synthesis of metal ion incorporated mesoporous gamma-Al2O3 by varying the metal content and their combinations, and it is expected that many other metal ions could be introduced into the lattice framework for a variety of applications by tuning acidity and electronic structure.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm31184d}, author = {Mathew, Thomas and Sivaranjani, Kumarsrinivasan and Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Yamada, Yusuke and Kobayashi, Tetsuhiko and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000298854300037, title = {Gellan gum capped silver nanoparticle dispersions and hydrogels: cytotoxicity and in vitro diffusion studies}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {4}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {563-567}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The preparation of highly stable water dispersions of silver nanoparticles using the naturally available gellan gum as a reducing and capping agent is reported. Further, exploiting the gel formation characteristic of gellan gum silver nanoparticle incorporated gels have also been prepared. The optical properties, morphology, zeta potential and long-term stability of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were investigated. The superior stability of the gellan gum-silver nanoparticle dispersions against pH variation and electrolyte addition is revealed. Finally, we studied the cytotoxicity of AgNP dispersions in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) and also evaluated the in vitro diffusion of AgNP dispersions/gels across rat skin.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c1nr10957j}, author = {Dhar, Sheetal and Murawala, Priyanka and Shiras, A. and Pokharkar, V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000307300900016, title = {Helical folding in heterogeneous foldamers without inter-residual backbone hydrogen-bonding}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {71}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8922-8924}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

This communication describes a set of hybrid foldamers that do not feature inter-residual, but intra-residual backbone hydrogen-bonding, yet adopt a preferentially folded conformation displaying right-handed helical architecture. Conformational ordering is apparently due to the combined conformational restrictions imposed by the conformationally restricted individual amino acid residues with which the oligomers are made of.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc33235c}, author = {Priya, Gowri and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000308896400057, title = {Heterocyclic tri-urea isocyanurate bridged groups modified periodic mesoporous organosilica synthesized for Fe(III) adsorption}, journal = {Journal of Solid State Chemistry}, volume = {194}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {392-399}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

To achieve a high level of heavy metal adsorption, 1,1{\textquoteright},1 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}-(1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triyl)tris(3-(3-(triethoxysilyl) propyl)urea) (TTPU) was synthesized as a novel melamine precursor and incorporated on the silica surface of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO). The melamine modified PMOs (MPMOs) were synthesized under acidic conditions using TTPU, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and Pluronic P123 as a template and the modified PMOs were characterized using the relevant instrumental techniques. The characteristic materials were used as adsorbents for the adsorption of Fe(III) ions. Fe(III) adsorption studies revealed MPMO-7.5 to be a good absorbent with higher adsorption efficiency than other MPMOs. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption efficiency, Fe(III) adsorption, Melamine, Periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO)}, issn = {0022-4596}, doi = {10.1016/j.jssc.2012.05.019}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Selvaraj, M. and Parambadath, Surendran and Chu, Sang-Wook and Park, Sung Soo and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000308263100040, title = {High magnetostriction and coupling coefficient for sintered cobalt ferrite derived from superparamagnetic nanoparticles}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {101}, number = {7}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {072405}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

High magnetostriction (lambda) and coupling coefficient (d lambda/dH) of 315 ppm and 1.97 x 10(-9) A(-1) m, respectively, are obtained at room temperature for sintered cobalt ferrite derived from nanocrystalline powders. Also, the powder was compacted at a low pressure of 8 MPa and sintered for a short duration of 10 min at 1450 degrees C. Magnetic annealing at 300 degrees C in a field of 0.5 T for 30 min further enhanced the magnetostriction coefficient to 345 ppm with a higher coupling coefficient 2.12 x 10(-9) A(-1)m. The magnetic field above which maximum magnetostriction is observed is reduced by almost half after magnetic annealing. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4745922]

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4745922}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000311832900049, title = {Improved inhibition of telomerase by short twisted intercalating nucleic acids under molecular crowding conditions}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {22}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {399-404}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

Human telomeric DNA has the ability to fold into a 4-stranded G-quadruplex structure. Several G-quadruplex ligands are known to stabilize the structure and thereby inhibit telomerase activity. Such ligands have demonstrated efficient telomerase inhibition in dilute conditions, but under molecular crowding conditions mimicking physiological milieu, stabilization of the telomeric G-quadruplex is often lost. We attempted to demonstrate the enhanced G-quadruplex stabilizing ability under molecular conditions by using twisted intercalating nucleic acids (TINA)-modified oligonucleotides. We have shown using circular dichroism and ultraviolet spectroscopic methods that these TINA-modified short oligonucleotides function as G-quadruplex, inducing agents and participate in the formation of stabilized 3:1 G-quadruplex with the human telomeric oligonucleotide. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based telomerase repeat amplification assay (TRAP) assay as well as nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis-based TRAP, we demonstrate remarkable enhancement in their anti-telomerase activity even under molecular crowding conditions. This is the first time in which a G-quadruplex stabilizing agent has demonstrated enhanced activity even under molecular crowding conditions.

}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2012.0372}, author = {Agarwal, Tani and Pradhan, Devranjan and Geci, Imrich and El-Madani, Amro M. and Petersen, Michael and Pedersen, Erik B. and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000300931800001, title = {India{\textquoteright}s science for all academy}, journal = {Science}, volume = {335}, number = {6071}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {891}, publisher = {AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE}, address = {1200 NEW YORK AVE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 USA}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.1220166}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000305852100053, title = {Influence of Pd-loading on gas sensing characteristics of SnO2 thick films}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4835-4844}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline pristine and 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 wt\% Pd loaded SnO2 were synthesized by a facile co-precipitation route. These powders were screen-printed on alumina substrates to form thick films to investigate their gas sensing properties. The crystal structure and morphology of different samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The 3.0 wt\% Pd:SnO2 showed response of 85\% toward 100 ppm of LPG at operating temperature of 250 degrees C with fast response (8 s) and quick recovery time (24 s). The high response toward LPG on Pd loading can be attributed to lowering of crystallite size (9 nm) as well as the role of Pd particles in exhibiting spill-over mechanism on the SnO2 surface. Also selectivity of 3.0 wt\% Pd:SnO2 toward LPG was confirmed by measuring its response to other reducing gases like acetone (CH3COCH3), ethanol (C2H5OH) and ammonia (NH3) at optimum operating temperature. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {LPG sensor, Palladium, SnO2, Thick film}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.02.073}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000310401100058, title = {Inhibition of xyloglucanase from an alkalothermophilic thermomonospora sp by a peptidic aspartic protease inhibitor from Penicillium sp VM24}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {123}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {390-399}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A bifunctional inhibitor from Penicilliurn sp VM24 causing inactivation of xyloglucanase from Thermomonospora sp and an aspartic protease from Aspergillus saitoi was identified. Steady state kinetics studies of xyloglucanase and the inhibitor revealed an irreversible, non-competitive, two-step inhibition mechanism with IC50 and K-i; values of 780 and 500 nM respectively. The interaction of o-phthalaldehyde (OPTA)-labeled xyloglucanase with the inhibitor revealed that the inhibitor binds to the active site of the enzyme. Far- and near-UV spectrophotometric analysis suggests that the conformational changes induced in xyloglucanase by the inhibitor may be due to irreversible denaturation of enzyme. The bifunctional inhibitor may have potential as a biocontrol agent for the protection of plants against phytopathogenic fungi. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aspartic protease, Bifunctional inhibitor, Biocontrol agent, Inactivation mechanism, Xyloglucanase}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2012.07.050}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article {42519, title = {Interfacial and film formation behavior of photoactive Ru(ii)bipyridyl based metallosurfactants and a rare example of a monolayer based logic gate approach}, journal = {Chempluschem}, volume = {77}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1096{\textendash}1105}, abstract = {

Three derivatives of tris(bipyridyl){\textendash}ruthenium(II) complexes with different alkyl-chain lengths (nC18H37 (1), nC14H29 (2) and nC10H21 (3)) were synthesised. All these complexes behaved as an amphiphile and their surface properties were studied at the air{\textendash}water interface by measuring surface pressure{\textendash}area (Π{\textendash}A) isotherms. The surface morphology of the resulting films at the air{\textendash}water interface was also studied by using Brewster angle microscopy. Mean molecular areas of these complexes were measured from the Π{\textendash}A isotherms, which were approximately 200 {\r A}2, thereby indicating a parallel arrangement of the Ru{\textendash}bipyridyl moiety of the complexes. Mono- and multilayer Langmuir{\textendash}Blodgett (LB) films were formed on different solid surfaces with transfer ratios close to one. Similarities in the absorption and fluorescence spectra of these amphiphiles in solution as well as in LB films deposited on a quartz surface confirmed the successful transfer of these films onto the substrates. The latter provided information about the arrangements of metallosurfactant molecules within the LB films. The two-dimensional concentrations of these films were calculated from the Lambert{\textendash}Beer law as well as from the Π{\textendash}A isotherm, which confirmed regular and reproducible transfer of the complex monolayers from the air{\textendash}water interface onto the quartz surface. The surface morphology of these films on various substrates was characterised by atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, by oxidising the monolayer of complex 3, a one-input sequential logic gate was constructed.

}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201200207}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Choudhury, Sipra and Das, Amitava} } @article {42499, title = {Interrupted PET coupled TBET process for the design of a specific receptor for Hg2+ and its intracellular detection in MCF7 cells}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9293-9295}, abstract = {

A new coumarin{\textendash}rhodamine conjugate constitutes a unique example of the interrupted PET coupled TBET response for developing an imaging reagent for determining the intracellular distribution of Hg2+ in MCF7 cells exposed to [Hg2+] as low as 2 ppb.

}, doi = {10.1039/C2CC34490D}, author = {Saha, Sukdeb and Mahato, Prasenjit and Baidya, Mithu and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000305767200035, title = {Intracellular synthesis of gold nanoparticles using alga tetraselmis kochinensis}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {79}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {116-118}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The development of eco-friendly synthesis protocol for the synthesis of nanoscale materials of different compositions, shapes and sizes is an important area of research in the field of nanotechnology. In this paper, we report on the use of alga Tetraselmis kochinensis in the intracellular synthesis of gold nanoparticles of dimensions 5-35 nm. The particles are more concentrated upon the cell wall than on the cytoplasmic membrane, possibly due to reduction of the metal ions by enzymes present in the cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. These intracellular nanoparticles may have applications in drug delivery, biomedical applications, catalysis, etc. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Algae, Biosynthesis, Nanoparticles, nanotechnology, Tetraselmis kochinensis}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2012.04.009}, author = {Senapati, Satyajyoti and Syed, Asad and Moeez, Sana and Kumar, Ashutosh and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {43378, title = {Kinetic modeling and optimization of operating parameters for transvinylation of lauric acid}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {44}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {624-634}, abstract = {The transition metal complex catalyzed transvinylation of carboxylic acid with vinyl acetate monomer is of significant interest to industry. The palladium complex catalyzed transvinylation of lauric acid using vinyl acetate monomer is a reversible reaction. In present article, design of experiments (DOE) statistics is used to study effects of various operating parameters on transvinylation of lauric acid. The kinetic parameters forward and backward rate constants and the thermodynamic parameters such as equilibrium constant and energy of activation of the transvinylation of lauric acid were estimated using the Dynochem model. The optimum operating parameters for the transvinylation of lauric acid were then predicted using the Dynochem model and verified by performing the actual experiments to validate the model. It was found that the experimental results match with the predicted one. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 624634, 2012}, doi = {10.1002/kin.20704}, author = {Kamble, Sanjay P. and Manjarekar, Onkar and Mawale, Ravi and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. and Chowdary, Naresh and Gupte, Milind Y. and Barve, Prashant P.} } @article { ISI:000304338300004, title = {Kinetic studies of amino acid-based surfactant binding to DNA}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {20}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5831-5837}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this work, the binding kinetics of amino acid-based surfactants, presenting different linkers and head groups, with calf thymus (CT)-DNA was studied using stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. The kinetic studies were carried out as a function of Na+ concentration and surfactant-to-DNA charge ratio. The surfactant binding on DNA took place in two consecutive steps, for which the corresponding first and second relative rate constants (k(1) and k(2)) were determined. The fast step was attributed to the surfactant binding to DNA and micelle formation in its vicinity, the slower step to DNA condensation and possible rearrangement of the surfactant aggregates. In general, both relative rate constants increase with surfactant concentration and decrease with the ionic strength of the medium. The architecture of the surfactant was found to have a significant impact on the kinetics of the DNA surfactant complexation. Surfactants with amide linkers showed larger relative rate constants than those with ester linkers. The variation of the relative rate constants with the head groups of the surfactants, alanine and proline, was found to be less obvious, being partially dependent on the surfactant concentration.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp301069t}, author = {Santhiya, Deenan and Dias, Rita S. and Dutta, Sounak and Das, Prasanta Kumar and Miguel, Maria G. and Lindman, Bjorn and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000307479100016, title = {Lamellar melting, not crystal motion, results in softening of polyoxymethylene on heating}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {45}, number = {15}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5967-5978}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We probe temperature-dependent changes in the semicrystalline microstructure of polyoxymethylene using a combination of modulated DSC, SAXS, and solid-state NMR to characterize macroscopic behavior, lamellar-level structure, and molecular environments, respectively, and correlate these with the change in mechanical properties probed using DMA and AFM. Two model samples are investigated: a melt crystallized sample prepared by injection molding and a sample obtained by crystallization from dilute solution. Our investigations reveal that, for both samples, there is an increase in crystalline motions and in the amorphous content on heating. DMA and AFM measurements reveal that the modulus of the molded sample decreases on heating to about 100 degrees C; however, there is a significant difference in behavior of the solution crystals, where we observe no significant decrease in stiffness (from AFM measurements). Thus, in contrast to previous reports, we demonstrate that the decrease in modulus on heating polyoxymethylene does not correlate with chain motions in the crystalline regions. We use SAXS to probe the semicrystalline morphology for the samples on heating and show that, for the molded sample, there is a distribution of lamellar thickness at room temperature and that the thin lamellae in this distribution melt on heating. In contrast to the behavior of the melt crystallized samples, the solution crystals exhibit no change in the lamellar stacking on heating to 150 degrees C. We also demonstrate that, on heating, the amorphous regions in the solution crystals always appear to have restricted mobility while there are mobile and low mobility amorphous regions in the molded samples. Our results suggest that, contrary to conventional belief, the decrease in modulus on heating polyoxymethylene arises not from motions in the crystalline lamellae but primarily from melting of thin lamellae.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma3004423}, author = {Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Surve, Nikita S. and Mathew, Renny and Rana, Abhimanyu and Jha, Saroj K. and Bulakh, Neelima N. and Nisal, Anuya and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Ratnagiri, Ram} } @article { ISI:000310940500009, title = {Laser synthesized super-hydrophobic conducting carbon with broccoli-type morphology as a counter-electrode for dye sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {4}, number = {21}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6730-6734}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A laser photochemical process is introduced to realize superhydrophobic conducting carbon coatings with broccoli-type hierarchical morphology for use as a metal-free counter electrode in a dye sensitized solar cell. The process involves pulsed excimer laser irradiation of a thin layer of liquid haloaromatic organic solvent o-dichlorobenzene (DCB). The coating reflects a carbon nanoparticle-self assembled and process-controlled morphology that yields solar to electric power conversion efficiency of 5.1\% as opposed to 6.2\% obtained with the conventional Pt-based electrode.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c2nr32082g}, author = {Gokhale, Rohan and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Debgupta, Joyashish and Shinde, Deodatta and Lefez, Benoit and Banerjee, Abhik and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and More, Mahendra A. and Hannoyer, Beatrice and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @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:000307606000023, title = {Low-molecular-mass aspartic protease inhibitor from a novel penicillium sp.: implications in combating fungal infections}, journal = {Microbiology-SGM}, volume = {158}, number = {7}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1897-1907}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A low-molecular-mass aspartic protease inhibitor was isolated from a novel Penicillium sp. The inhibitor was purified to homogeneity, as shown by reversed-phase HPLC and SDS-PAGE. The M-r of the inhibitor was 1585 and the amino acid composition showed the presence of D, D, D, E, A, K, L, Y, H, I and W residues. The steady-state kinetic interactions of Aspergillus saitoi aspartic protease with the inhibitor revealed the reversible, competitive, time-dependent tight-binding nature of the inhibitor, with IC50 and K-i values of 1.8 and 0.85 mu M, respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism analysis showed that inactivation of the enzyme was due to binding of the inhibitor to the active site. The inhibitor was found to inhibit mycelial growth and spore germination of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger in vitro with MIC values of 1.65 and 0.30 mu g ml(-1), respectively. This study will potentially open the way towards the development of a tight-binding peptidic inhibitor against fungal aspartic proteases to combat human fungal infections.

}, issn = {1350-0872}, doi = {10.1099/mic.0.058511-0}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000313404400021, title = {Magnetic properties of nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 synthesized by thermal plasma in large scale}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {137}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {586-595}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The paper reports the large scale synthesis of nanoparticles of CoFe2O4 using thermal plasma reactor by gas phase condensation method. The yield of formation was found to be around 15 g h(-1). The magnetic properties of CoFe2O4, synthesized at different reactor powers, were investigated in view of studying the effect of operating parameters of plasma reactor on the structural reorganization leading to the different cation distribution. The values of saturation magnetization, coercivity and remanent magnetization were found to be influenced by input power in thermal plasma. Although the increase in saturation magnetization was marginal (61 emu g(-1) to 70 emu g(-1)) with increasing plasma power; a significant increase in the coercivity (552 Oe to 849 Oe) and remanent magnetization (16 emu g(-1) to 26 emu g(-1)) were also noticed. The Mossbauer spectra showed mixed spinel structure and canted spin order for the as synthesized nanoparticles. The detailed analysis of cation distribution using the Mossbauer spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy leads to the conclusion that the sample synthesized at an optimized power shows the different site selective states. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Magnetic materials, magnetic properties, Mossbauer spectroscopy, Nanostructures}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2012.10.007}, author = {Nawale, A. B. and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Patil, K. R. and Reddy, V. R. and Gupta, A. and Kale, B. B. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mathe, Vikas L. and Das, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000301406900010, title = {MCM-41 supported phosphotungstic acid for the hydroxyalkylation of phenol to phenolphthalein}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {51}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3916-3922}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A novel application of phosphotungstic acid, H3PW12O40 (PWA) supported on MCM-41 molecular sieve as a solid acid catalyst has been demonstrated for the synthesis of phenolphthalein by hydroxyalkylation of phenol and phthalic anhydride. PWA/MCM-41 (20\%) showed the highest activity as compared to that of parent PWA and MCM-41 individually, due to the excellent dispersion of PWA on MCM-41 leading to the redistribution of Bronsted and Lewis acid sites on MCM-41. The effect of PWA loading on phthalic anhydride conversion and phenolphthalein selectivity was also studied. All these prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, N-2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, pyridine-FTIR, and NH3-TPD. The effect of various reaction parameters, namely, mole ratios, catalyst concentration, temperature, reaction time, and percentage of PWA present in the catalysts on conversion and selectivity of products has been also investigated. The utility of 20\% PWA/MCM-41 catalyst was established by its efficient activity for hydroxyalkylation of phenol and p-cresol with formaldehyde to the corresponding dihydroxydiarylmethane products.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie201989g}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Garade, Ajit C. and Mirajkar, Subhash P. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000302902200006, title = {Mechanical properties of polypropylene blended with esterified and alkylated lignin}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {125}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1701-1712}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

Lignin does not show miscibility with commercial polyolefins. Therefore, industrial waste lignin was modified in two different ways and subsequently blended with commercial polypropylene (PP) up to 25 wt \%. A Brabender electronic plasticorder was used for melt mixing at 190 degrees C. The influence of different modifications on the mechanical properties and processing stability was studied for both polymer blends. The blends of PP and lignin modified (esterified) with maleic anhydride showed less deterioration in the mechanical properties compared to blends of PP and alkylated lignin with dichloroethane. Intermolecular interactions between the PP matrix and modified lignin were concluded on the basis of indicative values derived from various relevant theoretical models to the experimental data. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012

}, keywords = {mechanical properties, miscibility, modification, polymer blends}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.35633}, author = {Maldhure, Atul V. and Ekhe, J. D. and Deenadayalan, E.} } @article { ISI:000311240100021, title = {Metal [Zn(II), Cd(II)], 1,10-phenanthroline containing coordination polymers constructed on the skeleton of polycarboxylates: synthesis, characterization, microstructural, and CO2 gas adsorption studies}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5311-5319}, abstract = {

{Four new coordination polymers have been obtained by the reaction of metal [Zn(II), Cd(II)], 1,10-phenanthroline separately with two carboxylic acids, [biphenyl-4,4{\textquoteright}-dicarboxylic acid (4,4{\textquoteright}-H(2)BDA),and 4,4{\textquoteright}-azodibenzoic acid (4,4{\textquoteright}-H(2)ADA)]. The crystal structures of the resulting complexes of type {[Zn(4,4{\textquoteright}-BDA)(Phen)(2)center dot HCON(CH3)(2)}(n) (1), {[Cd(4,4{\textquoteright}-BDA)(Phen)](2)center dot H2O\

}, author = {Yadav, Pramod Kumar and Kumari, Niraj and Pachfule, Pradip and Banerjee, Rahul and Mishra, Lallan} } @article { ISI:000308361400011, title = {MgCl2 center dot 4((CH3)(2)CHCH2OH): a new molecular adduct for the preparation of TiClx/MgCl2 catalyst for olefin polymerization}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {37}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11311-11318}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new molecular adduct of MgCl2 with isobutanol, namely MgCl2 center dot 4((CH3)(2)CHCH2OH) (MgiBOH), has been prepared as a precursor to the supporting material for an olefin polymerization catalyst. The MgiBOH adduct and final titanated Ziegler-Natta catalysts have been thoroughly characterized by powder XRD, thermal analysis, Raman spectroscopy and solid-state NMR for structural and spectroscopy aspects. A peak observed at 712 cm(-1) in the Raman spectra of MgiBOH indicates the characteristic Mg-O-6 breathing mode and the formation of the adduct. The diffraction feature at 2 theta = 7.8 degrees (d = 11.223 angstrom) in the XRD confirms the adduct formation and the layered structure. The aim of the present article is to study how the insertion of a bulky isobutanol moiety affects the structural and electronic properties of the MgCl2 isobutanol molecular adduct. Indeed, the focus of the present study is to explore how the presence of isobutanol, in the initial molecular adduct, influences the final Z-N catalyst properties and its activity.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c2dt31211e}, author = {Thushara, K. S. and Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Mathew, Renny and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Bhaduri, Sumit and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000306547300013, title = {Microstructural elucidation of self-emulsifying system: effect of chemical structure}, journal = {Pharmaceutical Research}, volume = {29}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2180-2188}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Self-emulsifying systems (SES) emulsify spontaneously to produce fine oil-in-water emulsion when introduced into aqueous phase. The self-emulsification process plays an important role during formation of emulsion. The objective of current work was to understand and explore the inner structuration of SES through controlled hydration and further to study the influence of additive on the same which ultimately governs performance of final formulation in terms of droplet size. Droplet size of final formulations containing structural analogues of ibuprofen was determined. Microstructural properties of intermediate hydrated regimes of SES were investigated using techniques such as small angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and rheology. The current work established inverse relationship between droplet size of the formulations containing structural analogues of ibuprofen and their Log P values. Microstructural analysis of intermediate hydrated regimes of the prepared samples showed formation of local lamellar structure. Structural analogues of ibuprofen significantly altered microstructure of lamellae which was well correlated with the droplet size of final formulations. In vitro drug release study showed increase in dissolution rate of lipophillic drugs when formulated as SES. The current work emphasizes the fact that tailor-made formulations can be prepared by controlling the properties of intermediate regimes.

}, keywords = {emulsion, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, lamellar structure, self-emulsifying system, structural analogues}, issn = {0724-8741}, doi = {10.1007/s11095-012-0746-0}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000305444200038, title = {Molecular dynamics simulation of phosphoric acid doped monomer of polybenzimidazole: a potential component polymer electrolyte membrane of fuel cell}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {116}, number = {24}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7357-7366}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole is promising electrolyte membranes for high temperature (100 degrees C and above) fuel cells. Proton conduction is governed by the amount of phosphoric acid content in the polymer membrane. In this present work, we perform molecular dynamics simulations on phosphoric acid doped 2-phenyl-1H,1{\textquoteright}H-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzo[d]imidazole (monomer unit of polybenzimidazole) to characterize the structural and dynamical properties at varying phosphoric acid content and temperature. From the structural analysis, we have predicted the arrangement of the phosphoric acids, formation of H-bonds in the system, and the contribution of different atoms toward H-bonding. We have also examined the stacking of 2-phenyl-1H,1{\textquoteright}H-5,5{\textquoteright}-bibenzo[d]imidazole molecules and how their arrangement changes with the increasing amount of PA in the system with the help of cluster analysis. From the molecular dynamics simulation conducted at different temperatures and phosphoric acid doping level, we have predicted the diffusion of phosphoric acid and monomer. As a dynamic quantity, we have also calculated ring flipping of the imidazole ring of the monomer.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp301117m}, author = {Pahari, Swagata and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Pandey, Prithvi Raj and More, Minal and Venkatnathan, Arun and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000321561204290, title = {Multi-Hit action of membrane active peptides: towards understanding bacterial cell killing}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {102}, number = {3, 1}, year = {2012}, note = {56th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, San Diego, CA, FEB 25-29, 2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {616A}, publisher = {Biophys Soc}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Moiset, Gemma and Cirac, Anna D. and Mika, Jacek T. and Kocer, Armagan and Stuart, Marc C. A. and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Poolman, Bert} } @article { ISI:000299291900033, title = {Nanocomposite silica surfactant microcapsules by evaporation induced self assembly: tuning the morphological buckling by modifying viscosity and surface charge}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1955-1963}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocomposite microcapsules of silica and surfactants have been synthesized using evaporation induced self-assembly through spray drying. It was established using electron microscopy and small-angle neutron/X-ray scattering experiments that the viscosity of the virgin dispersion and surface charge of colloidal components play a significant role in the buckling of spray droplets during drying. Hollow spherical grains are realized at relatively low viscosity and higher surface charge while mushroom like grains manifest at higher viscosity and lower surface charge. In the intermediate conditions, deformed doughnut shaped microcapsules are obtained. Scattering experiments establish the presence of the organization of micelle like aggregates of surfactants in the dried grains and also corroborate with the observations from electron microscopy. A plausible mechanism regarding the chronological pathways of morphological transformation is illustrated. Computer simulation, based on buckling of an elastic shell using a surface evolver, has been attempted in order to corroborate the experimental results.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c1sm06964k}, author = {Sen, D. and Bahadur, Jitendra and Mazumder, S. and Verma, G. and Hassan, P. A. and Bhattacharya, S. and Vijai, K. and Doshi, Pankaj} } @article {42496, title = {New chemodosimetric reagents as ratiometric probes for cysteine and homocysteine and possible detection in living cells and in blood plasma}, journal = {Chemistry a European Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {15382{\textendash}15393}, abstract = {

In this work, we have rationally designed and synthesized two new reagents (L1 and L2), each bearing a pendant aldehyde functionality. This aldehyde group can take part in cyclization reactions with β- or γ-amino thiols to yield the corresponding thiazolidine and thiazinane derivatives, respectively. The intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) bands of these thiazolidine and thiazinane derivatives are distinctly different from those of the molecular probes (L1 and L2). Such changes could serve as a potential platform for using L1 and L2 as new colorimetric/fluorogenic as well as ratiometric sensors for cysteine (Cys) and homocysteine (Hcy) under physiological conditions. Both reagents proved to be specific towards Cys and Hcy even in the presence of various amino acids, glucose, and DNA. Importantly, these two chemodosimetric reagents could be used for the quantitative detection of Cys present in blood plasma by using a pre-column HPLC technique. Such examples are not common in contemporary literature. MTT assay studies have revealed that these probes have low cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning micrographs of cells demonstrated that these probes could penetrate cell membranes and could be used to detect intracellular Cys/Hcy present within living cells. Thus, the results presented in this article not only demonstrate the efficiency and specificity of two ratiometric chemodosimeter molecules for the quantitative detection of Cys and Hcy, but also provide a strategy for developing reagents for analysis of these vital amino acids in biological samples.

}, keywords = {charge transfer; chemodosimetric detection; cysteine/ homocysteine sensors; fluorescent probes; imaging agents; ratiometric probes}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201201621}, author = {Das, Priyadip and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Chandar, Nellore Bhanu and Baidya, Mithu and Bhatt, Harshad B. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000298672800047, title = {New poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s bearing pentadecyl side chains: synthesis and characterization}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {124}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {1281-1289}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, abstract = {

The 4-[4{\textquoteright}-(Hydrazinocarbonyl)phenoxy]-2-pentadecylbenzohydrazide was polycondensed with aromatic diacid chlorides viz., terephthalic acid chloride (TPC), isophthalic acid chloride (IPC), and a mixture of TPC : IPC (50 : 50 mol \%) to obtain polyhydrazides which on subsequent cyclodehydration reaction in the presence of phosphoryl chloride yielded new poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s bearing flexibilizing ether linkages and pentadecyl side chains. Inherent viscosities of polyhydrazides and poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were in the range 0.530.66 dL g(-1) and 0.490.53 dL g(-1), respectively, indicating formation of medium to reasonably high molecular weight polymers. The number average molecular weights (M-n) and polydispersities (M-w/M-n) of poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were in the range 14,660-21,370 and 2.22.5, respectively. Polyhydrazides and poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, and N,N-dimethylformamide. Furthermore, poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were also found to be soluble in solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, and m-cresol. Transparent, flexible, and tough films of polyhydrazides and poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s could be cast from N,N-dimethylacetamide and chloroform solutions, respectively. Both polyhydrazides and poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were amorphous in nature and formation of layered structure was observed due to packing of pentadecyl chains. A decrease in glass transition temperature was observed both in polyhydrazides (143-166 degrees C) and poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s (90-102 degrees C) which could be ascribed to internal plasticization effect of pentadecyl chains. The T-10 values, obtained from TG curves, for poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole)s were in the range of 433-449 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 124:1281-1289, 2012

}, keywords = {3, 4-oxadiazole)s, Cashew nut shell liquid, pentadecyl, poly(1, polyhydrazides, thermal stability}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.34682}, author = {More, Arvind S. and Menon, Shamal K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000308628900033, title = {New synthetic route for 1,2-diketo compounds using unexpected C-C bond cleavage by PCC}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {53}, number = {39}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5327-5330}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An efficient method has been established for the preparation of 1,2-diketones by unexpected C-C bond cleavage in 4-keto-2-hydroxy esters using pyridiniumchlorochromate (PCC). (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 2-Diketones, C-C bond cleavage, PCC}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.07.095}, author = {Bhosale, Shrikar M. and Momin, Aadil A. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @proceedings { ISI:000306973500619, title = {Noble metal ions incorporated in lattice points of perovskites - water gas shift activity of BaCe1-xPtxO3-d}, volume = {1447}, year = {2012}, note = {56th DAE-Solid State Physics Symposium (SSPS), SRM Univ, Kattankulathur, INDIA, DEC 19-23, 2011}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1277-1278}, publisher = {Govt India, Dept Atom Energy (DAE), Board Res Nucl Sci (BRNS)}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, Ste 1no1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Recently precious metals supported on oxides were reported to be very promising catalysts for the lower-temperature WGS reaction. Here we report the synthesis of platinum doped barium cerate and its use as catalysts for WGS reaction. It has been found that maximum CO conversion was obtained at 350 degrees C which enhanced after the first cycle. XPS analysis shows that after the first cycle more ionic Platinum species are present on the surface of the catalyst. Neutron diffraction at room temperature shows that the oxygen vacancies are in the O2 position and increases with increasing Pt substitution.

}, keywords = {BaCeO3, Neutron diffraction, Platinum catalysis, WGS reaction}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1044-2}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4710478}, author = {Jijil, Chamundi P. and Rajarajan, A. K. and Devi, R. Nandini}, editor = {Mittal, R. and Chauhan, A. K. and Mukhopadhyay, R.} } @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 {42707, title = {Novel ruthenium complexes and their uses in processes for formation and/or hydrogenation of esters, amides and derivatives thereof}, number = {US 14/702,641}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, chapter = {US20150284417 A1}, abstract = {

The present invention relates to novel Ruthenium complexes and related borohydride complexes, and their use for (1) hydrogenation of amides (including polyamides) to alcohols and amines; (2) preparing amides from alcohols with amines (including preparing polyamides (e.g., polypeptides) by reacting dialcohols and diamines or by polymerization of amino alcohols); (3) hydrogenation of esters to alcohols (including hydrogenation of cyclic esters (lactones), cyclic di-esters (di-lactones) or polyesters); (4) hydrogenation of organic carbonates (including polycarbonates) to alcohols and of carbamates (including polycarbamates) or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; (5) dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols to esters; (6) hydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones; (7) amidation of esters (synthesis of amides from esters and amines); (8) acylation of alcohols using esters; (9) coupling of alcohols with water to form carboxylic acids; and (10) dehydrogenation of beta-amino alcohols to form pyrazines. The present invention further relates to novel uses of certain pyridine Ruthenium complexes.

}, author = {Milstein, David and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gunanathan, Chidambaram and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Zhang, Jing} } @article { ISI:000308631300056, title = {Observation of enhanced dielectric coupling and room-temperature ferromagnetism in chemically synthesized BiFeO3@SiO2 core-shell particles}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {36}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19503-19511}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report the effect of SiO2 coating on the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of chemically synthesized high-purity BiFeO3 particles. The assynthesized BiFeO3 particles demonstrate properties comparable with those reported for bulk BiFeO3. On the other hand, the structural measurement on BiFeO3@SiO2 shows that the SiO2 coating has anisotropically compressed the lattice of BiFeO3 particles and stimulates the variation in the electron density. This affects magnetic and dielectric behavior of material. Frequency-dependent dielectric constant study at low temperature (20-325 K) revealed slight reduction (8-10\%) in the dielectric constant of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles compared to uncoated BiFeO3 particles. The study reveals five anomalies at 234, 206, 146, 84, and 25 K located in close proximity to the linear magnetodielectric coupling and spin reorientation transitions. The loss tangent (approximate to 10(-3)) and alternating current (ac) conductivity (approximate to 10(-8) Omega(-1)cm(-1)) of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles are orders of magnitude lower than those observed for the BiFeO3 particles. The magnetic measurement shows the existence of room-temperature ferromagnetism in BiFeO3@SiO2 particles with average value of magnetic moment per Fe atom approximate to 0.030 mu(B) and appreciable coercivity as high as 120 Oe. The canted spin structure in the surface shell of BiFeO3@SiO2 particles show an enhanced magnetic property and shifted hysteresis loop. The magnetic measurement in close proximity to dielectric transitions revealed enhanced magnetization, suggesting the presence of anisotropies. It has been observed that SiO2 coating alters the properties of BiFeO3 particles. Our dielectric and magnetic measurements show enhanced coupling among the electric and magnetic ordered parameters in BiFeO3@SiO2 core-shell particles compared to uncoated BiFeO3 particles. The magnetic and dielectric properties of SiO2-coated BiFeO3 are similar to nanoparticles of BiFeO3 where interface plays a significant role.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp3025683}, author = {Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Das, Raja and Maity, Tuhin and Poddar, Pankaj and Kulkarni, Sulabha K.} } @article { ISI:000303442500016, title = {One pot glucose detection by [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] immobilized on mesoporous silica nanoparticles: an efficient HRP mimic}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {5289-5291}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] complex has been immobilized onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles via Cu(I) catalyzed azide-alkyne click chemistry. This hybrid material functions as an efficient peroxidase mimic and was successfully used for the quantitative determination of hydrogen peroxide and glucose via a one-pot colorimetric assay.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c2cc30970j}, author = {Malvi, Bharmana and Panda, Chakadola and Dhar, Basab B. and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000302634800023, title = {Organization of cubic CeO2 nanoparticles on the edges of self assembled tapered ZnO nanorods via a template free one-pot synthesis: significant cathodoluminescence and field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8887-8895}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present investigation explores the controlled architecture of a CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite via a template-free, low temperature, facile single step solvothermal approach. This complex architecture depicts cubic single crystalline CeO2 nanoparticles (size similar to 15 nm) grown on the edges of tapered ZnO nanorods with definite orientations and alignments. The formation of wurtzite ZnO, cubic CeO2 and the coexistence of Ce3+ and Ce4+ on the surface of the CeO2-ZnO nanocomposites are confirmed using various characterization tools. The finding of such unique nanostructures by a facile method is exemplified by a plausible growth mechanism. Surprisingly, the aqueous mediated ultrasonication reaction conferred the formation of crystalline ZnO nanotubes of diameter similar to 50 nm. Spatially resolved cathodoluminescence spectra are obtained by linearly scanning an individual CeO2-ZnO nanorod along its length, which reveals the size-dependent surface effects. Interestingly, such hybrid CeO2-ZnO nanoarchitecture is observed to exhibit enhanced field emission properties, demonstrating better current stability as compared to other ZnO nanostructures. This is attributed mainly to strong surface interactions between the Ce-ionic species and the ZnO nanorods. Herein, a soft-chemical approach is used for the first time to architect a binary oxide nanostructure, which is otherwise accomplished using high temperature techniques, as reported elsewhere. Also, the present work not only gives insight into understanding the hierarchical growth behaviour of the CeO2-ZnO nanocomposite in a solution phase synthetic system, but also provides an efficient route to enhance the field emission performance of ZnO nanostructures, which could be extended to other potential applications, such as chemical sensors, optoelectronic devices and photocatalysts.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm30226h}, author = {Warule, Sambhaji S. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Kale, Bharat B. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Koinkar, Pankaj M. and More, Mahendra A. and Murakami, Ri-ichi} } @article { ISI:000311324100047, title = {Pd-Catalyzed imine cyclization: synthesis of antimalarial natural products aplidiopsamine A, marinoquinoline A, and their potential hybrid NCLite-M1}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {14}, number = {22}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5804-5807}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Palladium-catalyzed cyclization of imines has been developed to construct the extremely rare 3H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]quinoline ring system for diversity oriented first total synthesis of antimalarial marine natural product Aplidiopsamine A as well as synthesis of Marinoquinoline A and potential natural product hybrid NCLite-M1.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol302676v}, author = {Mahajan, Jyoti P. and Suryawanshi, Yogeshwar R. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000297470800009, title = {pH Sensitive graft copolymers for zero order drug release: a mechanistic analysis}, journal = {Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy}, volume = {38}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {73-83}, publisher = {INFORMA HEALTHCARE}, address = {TELEPHONE HOUSE, 69-77 PAUL STREET, LONDON EC2A 4LQ, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Aliphatic polyesters containing pendent unsaturation were synthesized by the polycondensation of a diol, dicarboxylic acid and glycidyl methacrylate. Grafting methacrylic acid (MAA) resulted in graft copolymers containing polyester backbone and MAA grafts. Depending on composition, the polymers swelled extensively and eroded or dissolved at near neutral pH but remained in collapsed state at acidic pH. Three representative drugs differing in solubility, viz., Diltiazem hydrochloride (DH), Indomethacin (IM) and Verapamil hydrochloride (VH) were released at constant rate from tablets made by compressing spray-dried microparticles. The release of DH at constant rate has been attributed to increase in diffusion coefficient of the drug from the swollen layer of matrix. The release of IM and VH at constant rate was governed by erosion and was enhanced in matrices which undergo dissolution. The release rate was enhanced with increasing MAA content and the frequency of grafts along the polyester backbone. Once a day dosage forms for drugs differing in solubility have been developed using a single polymer matrix which is easy to manufacture.

}, keywords = {Diffusion, erosion, Graft copolymer, matrix tablets, microparticles, spray drying, sustained release}, issn = {0363-9045}, doi = {10.3109/03639045.2011.590991}, author = {Muthusamy, Ramesh and Kulkarni, Mohan Gopalkrishna} } @article { ISI:000293570600001, title = {Photocatalytic degradation of phenolics by N-doped mesoporous titania under solar radiation}, journal = {International Journal of Photoenergy}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article No. 780562}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORPORATION}, type = {Article}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, abstract = {

In this study, nitrogen-doped mesoporous titania was synthesized by templating method using chitosan. This biopolymer chitosan plays the dual role of acting as a template (which imparts mesoporosity) and precursor for nitrogen. BET-SA, XRD, UV-DRS, SEM, and FTIR were used to characterize the photocatalyst. The doping of nitrogen into TiO2 lattice and its state was substantiated and measured by XPS. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared N-doped mesoporous titania for phenol and o-chlorophenol degradation was investigated under solar and artificial radiation. The rate of photocatalytic degradation was observed to be higher for o-chlorophenol than that of phenol. The photodegradation of o-chlorophenol was 98.62\% and 72.2\%, while in case of phenol, degradation to the tune of 69.25\% and 30.58\% was achieved in solar and artificial radiation. The effect of various operating parameters, namely, catalyst loading, pH, initial concentration and the effect of coexisting ions on the rate of photocatalytic degradation were studied in detail.

}, issn = {1110-662X}, doi = {10.1155/2012/780562}, author = {Mangrulkar, Priti A. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Joshi, Meenal M. and Meshram, Jyotsna S. and Labhsetwar, Nitin K. and Rayalu, Sadhana S.} } @article { ISI:000312542600011, title = {Phytosynthesis of intracellular and extracellular gold nanoparticles by living peanut plant (Arachis hypogaea L.)}, journal = {Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry}, volume = {59}, number = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {471-478}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Inorganic nanomaterials of different chemical compositions are conventionally synthesized under harsh environments such as extremes of temperature, pressure, and pH. Moreover, these methods are eco-unfriendly and cumbersome, yield bigger particles, and agglomerate because of not being capped by capping agents. In contrast, biological synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials occurs under ambient conditions, namely room temperature, atmospheric pressure, and physiological pH. These methods are reliable, eco-friendly, and cheap. In this paper, we report for the first time the extracellular and intracellular synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) using living peanut seedlings. The formed GNPs were highly stable in solution and inside the plant tissue. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that extracellular GNPs distributions were in the form of monodispersed nanoparticles. The nanoparticles ranged from 4 to 6 nm in size. The intercellular nanoparticles were of oval shape and size ranged from 5 to 50 nm. Both extracellular and intracellular nanoparticles were further characterized by standard techniques. The formed GNPs inside the plant tissue were estimated by inductively coupled plasma spectrometry. This opens up an exciting possibility of a plant-based nanoparticle synthesis strategy, wherein the nanoparticles may be entrapped in the biomass in the form of a film or produced in the solution, both of which have interesting applications.

}, keywords = {cells, extracellular, living plant, Peanut, root, TEM}, issn = {0885-4513}, doi = {10.1002/bab.1049}, author = {Raju, Dugyala and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000310934400049, title = {Polybenzimidazole mediated N-doping along the inner and outer surfaces of a carbon nanofiber and its oxygen reduction properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {44}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {23668-23679}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nitrogen-doped (N-doped) hollow carbon nanofiber (CNF) was synthesized by incorporating a nitrogen containing polymer precursor, polybenzimidazole (PBI-BuI), in the inner cavity as well as on the outer walls of the CNF, followed by a high temperature treatment. PBI-BuI incorporation along the inner and outer surface of the CNF was accomplished by synthesizing a low molecular weight polymer by tuning the synthetic parameters. The solution concentration of the PBI-BuI is also varied to facilitate its entry into the CNF by capillary action. The high temperature treatment (700-1000 degrees C) of the resulting CNF-PBI material decomposes the polymer and induces N-doping along the inner and outer surfaces of the CNF. The initial PBI-BuI content and the annealing temperature are also systematically varied to choose the right combination of starting precursors and heat-treatment conditions. Detailed X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of the samples shows that pyridinic-type nitrogen is the major component in all the samples. Electrochemical characterizations of this material using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disc electrode studies and durability analysis demonstrated that this material can act as a metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst with improved oxygen reduction kinetics and stability. It is also revealed that the onset potential, limiting current density, number of transferred electrons, etc. have a strong dependence on the annealing temperature.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm35033e}, author = {Balan, Beena K. and Manissery, Aiswarya Padinhare and Chaudhari, Harshal D. and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article { ISI:000303366000001, title = {Polymorphs, salts, and cocrystals: what{\textquoteright}s in a name?}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2147-2152}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The December 2011 release of a draft United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance concerning regulatory classification of pharmaceutical cocrystals of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) addressed two matters of topical interest to the crystal engineering and pharmaceutical science communities: (1) a proposed definition of cocrystals; (2) a proposed classification of pharmaceutical cocrystals as dissociable {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}API-excipient{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} molecular complexes. The Indo U.S. Bilateral Meeting sponsored by the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum titled The Evolving Role of Solid State Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Science was held in Manesar near Delhi, India, from February 2-4, 2012. A session of the meeting was devoted to discussion of the FDA guidance draft. The debate generated strong consensus on the need to define cocrystals more broadly and to classify them like salts. It was also concluded that the diversity of API crystal forms makes it difficult to classify solid forms into three categories that are mutually exclusive. This perspective summarizes the discussion in the Indo-U.S. Bilateral Meeting and includes contributions from researchers who were not participants in the meeting.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg3002948}, author = {Aitipamula, Srinivasulu and Banerjee, Rahul and Bansal, Arvind K. and Biradha, Kumar and Cheney, Miranda L. and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Desiraju, Gautam R. and Dikundwar, Amol G. and Dubey, Ritesh and Duggirala, Nagakiran and Ghogale, Preetam P. and Ghosh, Soumyajit and Goswami, Pramod Kumar and Goud, N. Rajesh and Jetti, Ram R. K. R. and Karpinski, Piotr and Kaushik, Poonam and Kumar, Dinesh and Kumar, Vineet and Moulton, Brian and Mukherjee, Arijit and Mukherjee, Gargi and Myerson, Allan S. and Puri, Vibha and Ramanan, Arunachalam and Rajamannar, T. and Reddy, C. Malla and Rodriguez-Hornedo, Nair and Rogers, Robin D. and Row, T. N. Guru and Sanphui, Palash and Shan, Ning and Shete, Ganesh and Singh, Amit and Sun, Changquan C. and Swift, Jennifer A. and Thaimattam, Ram and Thakur, Tejender S. and Thaper, Rajesh Kumar and Thomas, Sajesh P. and Tothadi, Srinu and Vangala, Venu R. and Variankaval, Narayan and Vishweshwar, Peddy and Weyna, David R. and Zaworotko, Michael J.} } @article { ISI:000306942300059, title = {Polymorphs, salts and cocrystals: what{\textquoteright}s in a name? (vol 12, pg 2147, 2012)}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {12}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4290-4291}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/cg300704b}, author = {Aitipamula, Srinivasulu and Banerjee, Rahul and Bansal, Arvind K. and Biradha, Kumar and Cheney, Miranda L. and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Desiraju, Gautam R. and Dikundwar, Amol G. and Dubey, Ritesh and Duggirala, Nagakiran and Ghogale, Preetam P. and Ghosh, Soumyajit and Goswami, Pramod Kumar and Goud, N. Rajesh and Jetti, Ram R. K. R. and Karpinski, Piotr and Kaushik, Poonam and Kumar, Dinesh and Kumar, Vineet and Moulton, Brian and Mukherjee, Arijit and Mukherjee, Gargi and Myerson, Allan S. and Puri, Vibha and Ramanan, Arunachalam and Rajamannar, T. and Reddy, C. Malla and Rodriguez-Hornedo, Nair and Rogers, Robin D. and Row, T. N. Guru and Sanphui, Palash and Shan, Ning and Shete, Ganesh and Singh, Amit and Sun, Changquan C. and Swift, Jennifer A. and Thaimattam, Ram and Thakur, Tejender S. and Thaper, Rajesh Kumar and Thomas, Sajesh P. and Tothadi, Srinu and Vangala, Venu R. and Vishweshwar, Peddy and Weyna, David R. and Zaworotko, Michael J.} } @article { ISI:000311522500055, title = {Porous ZnO nanorod for targeted delivery of doxorubicin: in vitro and in vivo response for therapeutic applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {45}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {24145-24154}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Cancer cell specific targeted delivery (TDD) by porous nanocarrier is on a high role. Here in a simple route for the synthesis of porous ZnO nanorods (ZnO) has been demonstrated. ZnO expressed very high surface area of 305.14 m(2) g(-1) (S-BET) and uniformly distributed pores of 5 nm. In continuation ZnO has been fabricated with 3-aminophosphonic acid followed by folic acid to yield folate conjugated porous ZnO nanorod (ZnO-FA). High surface area, uniformly distributed pores on its surface make the nanocarrier suitable for high drug loading (88\%) of the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). A pH triggered drug release was observed with minimum release in pathophysical conditions. In vitro efficacy of DOX loaded ZnO-FA (ZnO-FA-DOX) has been evaluated against breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231, which is not possible alone by DOX or ZnO-FA. Targeted scaffold with pendant -NH2 group has been covalently bonded with fluorescent dye (RITC) for cellular uptake and imaging studies in MDA-MB-231 cells; the possible pathway for cancer regression has also been evaluated. Even in vivo acute and intravenous toxicological evaluation on murine model system complemented biocompatibility of ZnO-FA in TDD. All together we have collaged a template free synthesis of porous ZnO nanorod, successful targeting on to cancer cells, high drug loading, pH triggered drug release, in vitro efficacy of ZnO-FA-DOX against MDA-MB-231 cells and in vivo compatibility as well. We envisioned the future prospect of porous ZnO nanostructures in TDD.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm35013k}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Subia, B. and Patra, Prasun and Chandra, Sourov and Debnath, Nitai and Das, Sumistha and Banerjee, Rahul and Kundu, Subhas C. and Pramanik, Panchanan and Goswami, Arunava} } @article { ISI:000300339800033, title = {Practical syntheses of proposed and revised manzacidin B and their congeners}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {14}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1082-1085}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A concise and highly stereoselective total synthesis of manzacidin B and its congeners has been developed following chelation-controlled syn-epoxidation and Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular regioselective epoxide ring opening to generate the quarternary amine center. Elaboration of the triol moiety to the target molecule was achieved in good overall yield, representing practical total syntheses of manzacidin B and its congeners. From the XRD, NMR, and analytical data, the correct structure of natural manzacidin B, (4R,5R,6R)-6, was confirmed.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol203466m}, author = {Sankar, Kuppusamy and Rahman, Hasibur and Das, Pragna P. and Bhimireddy, Eswar and Sridhar, B. and Mohapatra, Debendra K.} } @article { ISI:000310901200014, title = {Preferential oxidation of CO on Ni/CeO2 catalysts in the presence of excess H-2 and CO2}, journal = {Reaction Kinetics Mechanisms and Catalysis}, volume = {107}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {405-419}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) was carried out over Ni supported on CeO2 prepared by the co-precipitation method. The influence of metal loadings (2.5, 5 and 10 wt.\% Ni) and the reaction conditions such as reaction temperature and feed composition on CO oxidation and oxidation selectivity were evaluated by using dry reformate gas. No other reactions like CO or CO2 methanation, coking, reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is observed in the temperature range of 100-200 A degrees C on these catalysts. Hydrogen oxidation dominates over CO oxidation above the temperature of 200 A degrees C. An increase in oxygen leads to an increase in CO conversion but a simultaneous decrease in the O-2 selectivity. It has been noticed that 5 and 10 \% Ni/CeO2 show better catalytic activity towards CO-PROX reaction. These catalysts were characterized by S-BET, XRD, TEM, XPS and H-2-TPR.

}, keywords = {CeO2, CO-PROX, fuel cells, Methanation, Ni}, issn = {1878-5190}, doi = {10.1007/s11144-012-0477-6}, author = {Malwadkar, Sachin S. and Bera, Parthasarathi and Hegde, M. S. and Satyanarayana, C. V. V.} } @article { ISI:000311072800004, title = {Preparation of spherical particles of 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) using a micellar nanoreactor}, journal = {Organic Process Research \& Development}, volume = {16}, number = {11}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1711-1716}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The need and preparation of spherical 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethene (FOX-7) particles to meet certain special applications in high explosives and propellant formulation have been illustrated. Preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles by using a microemulsion technique has not been reported in the literature. In the present study, the preparation of spherical FOX-7 particles has been described using the novel concept of a micelle-based nanoreactor. Micelle-based nanoreactors have been prepared using a microemulsion of Triton X-100, cyclohexane, and water. Formation of spherical FOX-7 particles in the reverse micelle reactors have been described in the subsequent sections of this article. It is observed that spherical particles of FOX-7 are formed within 2 h in the microemulsion media. Analysis of the experimental results revealed that the particle size and shape of FOX-7 can be varied by changing the water/surfactant molar ratio in the microemulsion. Spherical particles synthesized by this method have diameters that are generally in the submicrometer to nanometer range. Impact sensitivity (h(50)) of the spherical particles obtained by the fall-hammer method is around 45 cm compared to regular synthesized FOX-7 (i.e., 50 +/- 5 cm) without any change in friction sensitivity, i.e. 36 kg. Loadability of the explosive charges can be enhanced by using these spherical particles of FOX-7.

}, issn = {1083-6160}, doi = {10.1021/op200386u}, author = {Mandal, Alok Kumar and Thanigaivelan, U. and Pandey, Raj Kishore and Asthana, Srinandan and Khomane, Ramdas B. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar Dattatraya} } @article { ISI:000300474900013, title = {Probing influence of mesophasic transformation on performance of self-emulsifying system: effect of ion}, journal = {Molecular Pharmaceutics}, volume = {9}, number = {2}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {318-324}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Self-emulsifying systems are mixtures of oils and surfactants, ideally isotropic, sometimes including cosolvents, which emulsify under conditions of gentle agitation, similar to those which would be encountered in the gastrointestinal tract. The process of self-emulsification has remained the center of attraction for most researchers. Controlled hydration of self-emulsifying systems shows formation of an intermediate gel phase which upon rupture forms an emulsion. Current work was undertaken to understand and explore the microstructural properties of intermediate gel phase which are believed to influence the performance (droplet size) of the final formulation. The effect of additives on microstructural properties of intermediate gel phase has also been investigated. Microstructural elucidation of hydrated samples of intermediate regimes was done by using techniques such as small angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and rheology. Samples from intermediate regimes showed formation of local lamellar structure which swelled with hydration. In the present work, the effect of addition of salt form of naproxen (sodium and potassium) and naproxen (base) on microstructural properties of intermediate regimes was investigated. Systems containing naproxen salts formed larger droplets whereas naproxen base formed smaller ones. Microstructural properties of intermediate lamellar structures were well correlated with performance of the final formulation. The current studies indicate that by controlling the properties of intermediate regimes optimized formulations with desired performance can be tailor-made.

}, keywords = {emulsion, lamellar structure, liquid crystal, Microstructure, Naproxen, self-emulsifying system}, issn = {1543-8384}, doi = {10.1021/mp200541r}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000306585900004, title = {Production, purification, and characterization of a beta-glucosidase of penicillium funiculosum NCL1}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {167}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {959-972}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Penicillium funiculosum NCL1, a filamentous fungus, produced significantly higher levels of beta-glucosidase. The effect of initial pH, incubation temperature, and different carbon sources on extracellular beta-glucosidase production was studied in submerged fermentation. At 30 A degrees C with initial pH 5.0, enzyme production was increased by 48-fold upon induction with paper mill waste, as compared to commercial cellulose powder. In zymogram analysis, four isoforms of beta-glucosidases were observed with wheat bran whereas a minimum of one isoform was observed with other carbon sources. A major beta-glucosidase (Bgl3A) with the apparent molecular weight of similar to 120 kDa, induced by paper mill waste, was purified 19-fold to homogeneity, with a specific activity of 1,796 U/mg. Bgl3A was a monomeric glycoprotein with 29\% of neutral carbohydrate content. It showed optimum activity at pH 4.0 and 5.0, optimum temperature at 60 A degrees C, and exhibited a half-life of 1 h at 60 A degrees C. K (m) of Bgl3A was found to be 0.057 mM with p-nitrophenyl beta-d-glucoside and V (max) was 1,920 U/mg. The purified enzyme exhibited glucose tolerance with a K (i) of 1.5 mM. Bgl3A readily hydrolyzed glucosides with beta-linkage. Bgl3A activity was enhanced (156\%) by Zn2+ and was not affected by other metal cations and reagents. The supplementation of Bgl3A (5 U/mg) with Trichoderma reesei cellulase complex (5 FPU/mg) resulted in about 70\% of enhanced glucose production, which emphasizes the industrial importance of Bgl3A.

}, keywords = {beta-Glucosidase, Paper mill waste, Penicillium funiculosum NCL1, Purification, Thermostability}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-012-9645-4}, author = {Ramani, Gurusamy and Meera, Balasubramanian and Vanitha, Chinnathambi and Rao, Mala and Gunasekaran, Paramasamy} } @article { ISI:000312148500013, title = {Rapid microwave synthesis of fluorescent hydrophobic carbon dots}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {2}, number = {32}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12129-12131}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Fluorescent hydrophobic carbon dots (HCDs) have been fabricated from a poloxamer by a simple microwave assisted process within a few minutes for the first time. Small and distinct spherical HCDs emitted bright blue and green fluorescent light depending upon the excitation wavelength and were dispersed easily in a wide variety of organic solvents. HCDs exhibited excellent water resistant behavior with a contact angle of similar to 122 degrees enforcing good hydrophobic character which will be quite useful in potential surface applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21048g}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Chandra, Sourov and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul and Pramanik, Panchanan and Goswami, Arunava} } @article { ISI:000301712600016, title = {Rapid self-healing hydrogels}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {109}, number = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4383-4388}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

Synthetic materials that are capable of autonomous healing upon damage are being developed at a rapid pace because of their many potential applications. Despite these advancements, achieving self-healing in permanently cross-linked hydrogels has remained elusive because of the presence of water and irreversible cross-links. Here, we demonstrate that permanently cross-linked hydrogels can be engineered to exhibit self-healing in an aqueous environment. We achieve this feature by arming the hydrogel network with flexible-pendant side chains carrying an optimal balance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties that allows the side chains to mediate hydrogen bonds across the hydrogel interfaces with minimal steric hindrance and hydrophobic collapse. The self-healing reported here is rapid, occurring within seconds of the insertion of a crack into the hydrogel or juxtaposition of two separate hydrogel pieces. The healing is reversible and can be switched on and off via changes in pH, allowing external control over the healing process. Moreover, the hydrogels can sustain multiple cycles of healing and separation without compromising their mechanical properties and healing kinetics. Beyond revealing how secondary interactions could be harnessed to introduce new functions to chemically crosslinked polymeric systems, we also demonstrate various potential applications of such easy-to-synthesize, smart, self-healing hydrogels.

}, keywords = {adhesives, biomimetic materials, Hydrophobicity, molecular dynamics, smart materials}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1201122109}, author = {Phadke, Ameya and Zhang, Chao and Arman, Bedri and Hsu, Cheng-Chih and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Lele, Ashish K. and Tauber, Michael J. and Arya, Gaurav and Varghese, Shyni} } @article {42511, title = {Rare example of TICT based optical responses for the specific recognition of Cr3+ by a 2,2?:6?,2?-terpyridine derivative and demonstration of multiple logic operations}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {17448{\textendash}17457}, abstract = {

Chemosensor L showed a nonlinear fluorescence response on specific binding to Cr3+ ion in the presence of various alkali, alkaline-earth, transition, and lanthanide metal ions. A luminescence band with maxima at 512 nm for L was observed (λext = 330 nm) for a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) transition following antienergy gap law behavior. However, normal energy gap law behavior prevailed on formation of a new nonluminescent charge transfer complex, Mn+{\textperiodcentered}L. For paramagnetic metal ions, paramagnetism induced luminescence quenching could have also contributed to this. A new switched on fluorescence response at λems of 356 nm (λext of 330 nm) was observed due to Franck{\textendash}Condon charge transfer (FC-CT) transition only on the formation of a complex, (Cr3+)2{\textperiodcentered}L. Spectral studies revealed a unique dynamic coordination behavior and migration of Cr3+ from the terpyridyl fragment to the NNMe2 center of L as a function of the varying concentration of another ion (Zn2+) and the subtle difference in the binding affinities of the terpyridyl moiety toward Cr3+ and Zn2+. Further, spectral responses of L toward Zn2+, different concentration of Cr3+, H+ and on subsequent addition of F{\textendash} as different ionic inputs could be correlated well for demonstrating various basic and combinatorial circuits.

}, doi = {10.1021/jp305780y}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Das, Amitava} } @article {42504, title = {Ratiometric detection of Cr3+ and Hg2+ by a naphthalimide-rhodamine based fluorescent probe}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {51}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1769{\textendash}1777}, abstract = {

Newly synthesized rhodamine derivatives, L1 and L2, are found to bind specifically to Hg2+ or Cr3+ in presence of large excess of other competing ions with associated changes in their optical and fluorescence spectral behavior. These spectral changes are significant enough in the visible region of the spectrum and thus, allow the visual detection. For L1, the detection limit is even lower than the permissible [Cr3+] or [Hg2+] in drinking water as per standard U.S. EPA norms; while the receptor, L2 could be used as a ratiometric sensor for detection of Cr3+ and Hg2+ based on the resonance energy transfer (RET) process involving the donor naphthalimide and the acceptor Cr3+/Hg2+-bound xanthene fragment. Studies reveal that these two reagents could be used for recognition and sensing of Hg2+/Cr3+. Further, confocal laser microscopic studies confirmed that the reagent L2 could also be used as an imaging probe for detection of uptake of these ions in A431 cells.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic202073q}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Suresh, E. and Liddo, Rosa Di and Parnigotto, Pier Paolo and Conconi, Maria Teresa and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000309370500010, title = {Reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {51}, number = {9-10, SI}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1298-1305}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Use of conventional organic solvents often leads to the formation of hazardous waste, the disposal of which is a matter of environmental concern. Carbon dioxide is considered to be a green reaction medium and a good replacement for conventional organic solvents as it is benign and leads to elimination/reduction of hazardous wastes. Use of CO2 at near/above critical conditions has several additional advantages as the reactions can be pressure-tuned to eliminate transport resistance, increase solvent power and heat capacity. Hence, there has been considerable interest in the use of supercritical carbon dioxide as either a replacement of conventional organic solvent or as a co-solvent in reactions. Herein, recent developmenst in this area during the last decade is reviewed, specifically in gas-liquid (organic hydrogenation, hydroformylation and oxidation) and liquid-liquid (carbon-carbon coupling, alkylation, acetylation, esterification) reactions.

}, keywords = {Alkylation, Carbon dioxide, Hydroformylation, Hydrogenation, Oxidation, Supercritical carbon dioxide}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000303083900011, title = {Reactive polymers bearing styrene pendants through selective anionic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl methacrylate}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {45}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {3387-3393}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Selective anionic polymerization of 4-vinylbenzyl methacrylate at methacrylate site has been achieved using resonance stabilized anionic initiators such as 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium (DPHLi) and tritylpotassium (TritylK) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at -78 degrees C. Polymerization proceeded selectively through methacrylate functionality of the monomer in a controlled manner and produced polymers and copolymers with narrow molecular weight distribution at low temperatures (\<=-40 degrees C). H-1 NMR of the polymer showed the presence of styrene pendants in every monomeric repeating unit. The polymerization results confirm that the resonance stabilized carbanions with an optimum pK(a) (30 \<= pK(a) \<= 32) of their conjugate acids such as DPHLi and TritylK do not react with styrene functionality at 78 degrees C. The selective initiation without cross-linking is attributed to the differences in the electronegativity between polar methacrylate and styrene functionalities and an attenuation of initiator reactivity at low temperature. Poly(4-vinylbenzyl methacrylate) and its copolymers with the vinyl pendant in close proximity with ester linkage are very reactive and unstable, readily undergoing cross-linking in solution or in solid state with or without a radical initiator.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/ma202750b}, author = {Mohan, Y. Murali and Raghunadh, V. and Sivaram, S. and Baskaran, D.} } @article {42501, title = {Recognition of Hg 2+ and Cr 3+ in physiological conditions by a rhodamine derivative and its application as a reagent for cell-imaging studies}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {51}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {336{\textendash}345}, abstract = {

A new rhodamine-based receptor, derivatized with an additional fluorophore (quinoline), was synthesized for selective recognition of Hg2+ and Cr3+ in an acetonitrile/HEPES buffer medium of pH 7.3. This reagent could be used as a dual probe and allowed detection of these two ions by monitoring changes in absorption and the fluorescence spectral pattern. In both instances, the extent of the changes was significant enough to allow visual detection. More importantly, the receptor molecule could be used as an imaging reagent for detection of Hg2+ and Cr3+ uptake in live human cancer cells (MCF7) using laser confocal microscopic studies. Unlike Hg(ClO4)2 or Hg(NO3)2 salts, HgCl2 or HgI2 failed to induce any visually detectable change in color or fluorescence upon interaction with L1 under identical experimental conditions. Presumably, the higher covalent nature of HgII in HgCl2 or HgI2 accounts for its lower acidity and its inability to open up the spirolactam ring of the reagent L1. The issue has been addressed on the basis of the single-crystal X-ray structures of L1{\textperiodcentered}HgX2 (X{\textendash} = Cl{\textendash} or I{\textendash}) and results from other spectral studies.

}, doi = {10.1021/ic2017243}, author = {Saha, Sukdeb and Mahato, Prasenjit and Reddy, Upendar G. and Suresh, E. and Chakrabarty, Arindam and Baidya, Mithu and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Das, Amitava} } @article {42500, title = {Recognition of Hg2+ion through restricted imine isomerization: crystallographic evidence and imaging in live cells}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {14}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2980{\textendash}2983}, abstract = {

A newly synthesized imine-based receptor (L) showed remarkable specificity toward the Hg2+ ion in aqueous media over other metal ions. Coordination of L to Hg2+ induces a turn-on fluorescence response. This was explained based on the restricted imine isomerization along with PET on coordination to Hg2+. X-ray structural evidence tends to favor a C{\textendash}C bond rotation rather than C=N isomerization for adopting a favorable conformation in L for coordination to Hg2+. This reagent could be used for imaging the accumulation of Hg2+ ions in HeLa cells.

}, doi = {10.1021/ol3009733}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Suresh, Moorthy and Das, Priyadip and Suresh, E. and Baidya, Mithu and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000298731600002, title = {Reply to the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}comments to CFD simulation of stirred tanks: comparison of turbulence models. part I: radial flow impellers and part II: axial flow impellers, multiple impellers and multiphase dispersions{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {90}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3-6}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.21610}, author = {Joshi, J. B. and Nere, N. K. and Rane, C. V. and Murthy, B. N. and Mathpati, Channamallikarjun S. and Patwardhan, A. W. and Ranade, V. V.} } @article {42509, title = {Restricted conformational flexibility of a triphenylamine derivative on the formation of host-guest complexes with various macrocyclic hosts}, journal = {Chemistry a European Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3906{\textendash}3917}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the host{\textendash}guest-type complex formation between the host molecules cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), and dibenzo[24]crown-8 ether (DB24C8) and a newly synthesized triphenylamine (TPA) derivative 1X3 as the guest component. The host{\textendash}guest complex formation was studied in detail by using 1H NMR, 2D NOESY, UV/Vis fluorescence, and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. The chloride salt of the TPA derivative was used for recognition studies with CB[7] and β-CD in an aqueous medium. The restricted internal rotation of the guest molecule on complex formation with either of these two host molecules was reflected in the enhancement of the emission quantum yield and the average excited-state lifetime for the triphenylamine-based excited states. Studies with DB24C8 as the host molecule were performed in dichloromethane, a medium that maximizes the noncovalent interaction between the host and guest fragments. The F{\"o}rster resonance energy transfer (FRET) process involving DB24C8 and 1(PF6)3, as the donor and acceptor fragments, respectively, was established by electrochemical, steady-state emission, and time-correlated single-photon counting studies.

}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201103079}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Suresh, Moorthy and Das, Priyadip and Das, Amitava} } @article {43314, title = {Reversible assembly and disassembly of micelles by a polymer that switches betweenhydrophilic and hydrophobic wettings}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {28}, year = {2012}, month = {JUN}, pages = {10097-10104}, abstract = {Supramolecular complexes involving nanoscopic amphiphilic assemblies (AAs) and polyelectrolytes have been used to prepare a variety of materials, wherein the dynamic AAs retain the structural features, but the polyelectrolytes undergo conformational changes. Here we show that a charge bearing rigid conjugated polymer can alter the structural features and disassemble AAs. We also demonstrate reversible assembly and disassembly of AAs by controlling the number of charges on the rigid polymer. During the disassembly, the guest molecules sequestered in the AAs are released. The rate of release has been modulated by changing the morphology of the charge bearing polymer. Concomitant to the AAs disassembly, the polymer surface becomes hydrophobic due to the binding of the amphiphiles on the charges of the polymer backbone. By controlling the charges on the polymer, the surface wettability was varied gradually from hydrophilic to hydrophobic.}, doi = {10.1021/la301760a}, author = {Dutta, Kingshuk and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {42503, title = {Rhodamine-alginate conjugate as self-indicating gel beads for efficient detection and scavenging of Hg 2+ and Cr 3+ in aqueous media}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1659-1661}, abstract = {

Effective extraction of Hg2+ and Cr3+ ions from aqueous media by novel rhodamine{\textendash}alginate polymer-based highly fluorogenic, as well as colorimetric, chemosensor beads.

}, doi = {10.1039/C1CC16554B}, author = {Saha, Sukdeb and Chhatbar, Mahesh U. and Mahato, Prasenjit and Praveen, L. and Siddhanta, A. K. and Das, Amitava} } @article {42712, title = {Ruthenium pincer-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with secondary alcohols under neutral conditions}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {354}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2403{\textendash}2406}, abstract = {

Cross-dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with secondary alcohols to obtain mixed esters with the liberation of molecular hydrogen is achieved in high yield and good selectivity under neutral conditions, using a bipyridyl-based PNN ruthenium(II) pincer catalyst.

}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201200438}, author = {Srimani, Dipankar and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000307748700004, title = {Scandium-decorated MOF-5 as potential candidates for room-temperature hydrogen storage: a solution for the clustering problem in MOFs}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {116}, number = {33}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {17336-17342}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Transition-metal-based systems show promising binding energy for hydrogen storage but suffer from clustering problem. The effect of light transition metal (M = Sc, Ti) decoration, boron substitution on the hydrogen storage properties of MOF-5, and clustering problem of metals has been investigated using ab initio density, functional theory. Our results of solid-tate calculations reveal that whereas Ti clusters strongly Sc atoms do not suffer from this problem when decorating MOF-5. Boron substitution on metal-decorated MOF-5 enhances the interaction energy of both the metals with MOF-5. Sc-decorated MOF-5 shows a hydrogen storage capacity of 5.81 wt \% with calculated binding energies of 20-40 kJ/mol, which ensures the room-teniperature applicability of this hydrogen storage material.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp302852h}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Maark, Tuhina Adit and Ghatak, Kamalika and Ahuja, Rajiv and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000301955900026, title = {Selective recognition of fluoride and acetate by a newly designed ruthenium framework: experimental and theoretical investigations}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {15}, year = {2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4484-4496}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{An effective anion sensor, [Ru-II(bpy)(2)(H2L-)](+) (1(+)), based on a redox and photoactive {Ru-II(bpy)(2)} moiety and a new ligand (H3L = 5-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxylic acid), has been developed for selective recognition of fluoride (F-) and acetate (OAc-) ions. Crystal structures of the free ligand, H3L and [1](ClO4) reveal the existence of strong intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. The structure of [1](ClO4) shows that the benzimidazole N-H of H2L- is hydrogen bonded with the pendant carboxylate oxygen while the imidazole N-H remains free for possible hydrogen bonding interaction with the anions. The potential anion sensing features of 1(+) have been studied by different experimental and theoretical (DFT) investigations using a wide variety of anions, such as F-, Cl-, Br-, I-, HSO4-, H2PO4-, OAc- and SCN-. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry established that 1(+) is an excellent electrochemical sensor for the selective recognition kof F- and OAc- anions. 1(+) is also found to be a selective colorimetric sensor for F- or OAc- anions where the MLCT band of the receptor at 498 nm is red shifted to 538 nm in the presence of one equivalent of F- or OAc- with a distinct change in colour from reddish-orange to pink. The binding constant between 1(+) and F- or OAc- has been determined to be logK = 7.61 or 7.88, respectively, based on spectrophotometric titration in CH3CN. The quenching of the emission band of 1(+) at 716 nm (lambda(ex) = 440 nm

}, doi = {10.1039/c2dt12126c}, author = {Kundu, Tanaya and Chowdhury, Abhishek Dutta and De, Dipanwita and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Datta, Anindya and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000311864500004, title = {Selectivity tuning options in hydrogenation of m-chloronitrobenzene to m-chloroaniline over mono- and bimetallic supported Pt catalysts}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {51}, number = {48}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15564-15572}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Supported monometallic (Pt, Ni,) and bimetallic (Ni-Pt) catalysts were prepared for the selective liquid phase hydrogenation of m-chlronitrobenzene to m-chloroaniline (m-CAN). It was found that the use of sodium carbonate as an additive substantially reduced the extent of dehydrohalogenation in the case of monometallic, 1\% Pt/C catalyst, to give the highest selectivity of 96\% to m-CAN. Ni-Pt bimetallic catalyst although showed almost complete selectivity (\>99\%) to m-chloroaniline; its activity was several fold lower than that of 1\% Pt/C Na2CO3 system. However, compared with Ni monometallic catalyst, bimetallic Ni-Pt showed higher activity and selectivity due to the presence of electron rich surface metallic Pt stabilized by Ni having lower ionization potential compared with Pt.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/ie301363x}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Potdar, Aparna S. and Nadgeri, Jayprakash M. and Biradar, Narayan S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000309139400020, title = {Simultaneous glycerol dehydration and in situ hydrogenolysis over Cu-Al oxide under an inert atmosphere}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {14}, number = {10}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2780-2789}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Among various catalysts screened, the Cu-Al oxide catalyst, prepared by a co-precipitation method, exhibited excellent activity for simultaneous glycerol dehydration and its hydrogenolysis without external hydrogen. Detailed characterization by XRD, XPS, HR-TEM, TPR, etc., showed evidence of Cu2+ in the form of CuO and CuAl2O4, along with Cu-0 and Cu1+ species, which are responsible for their multifunctional roles in glycerol APR, dehydration and hydrogenolysis reactions under inert conditions. This catalyst also presented consistent activity for a duration of 400 h for autogeneous hydrogenolysis of refined glycerol with 36\% selectivity to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO). Manipulating the temperature and feed flow rate conditions, meant that the selectivity to acetol and 1,2-PDO could be tailored as desired. Substantial enhancement in 1,2-PDO selectivity (75\%) was achieved for an aqueous bio-glycerol feed over the same catalyst for 50 h of testing.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c2gc35661a}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000306038600023, title = {Slow-tight binding inhibition of pepsin by an aspartic protease inhibitor from streptomyces sp MBR04}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {51}, number = {1-2}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {165-174}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The present article reports a low molecular weight aspartic protease inhibitor from a Streptomyces sp. MBR04 exhibiting a two-step inhibition mechanism against pepsin. The kinetic interactions revealed a reversible, competitive, slow-tight binding inhibition with an IC50 and K-i values of 4.5 nM and 4 nM respectively. The conformational changes induced upon inhibitor binding to pepsin was monitored by far and near UV analysis, demonstrated that the inhibitor binds to the active site and causes inactivation. Chemical modification of the inhibitor with WRK and TNBS abolished the antiproteolytic activity of the inhibitor. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aspartic protease inhibitor, Low molecular weight, Slow-tight binding inhibition}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2012.04.002}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @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 {42575, title = {Solution-processed inorganic bulk nano-heterojunctions and their application to solar cells}, journal = {Nature Photonics}, volume = {6}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {529{\textendash}534}, abstract = {

In the last decade, solution-processed quantum dot/nanocrystal solar cells have emerged as a very promising technology for third-generation thin-film photovoltaics because of their low cost and high energy-harnessing potential. Quantum dot solar cell architectures developed to date have relied on the use of bulk-like thin films of colloidal quantum dots. Here, we introduce the bulk nano-heterojunction concept for inorganic solution-processed semiconductors. This platform can be readily implemented by mixing different semiconductor nanocrystals in solution and allows for the development of optoelectronic nanocomposite materials with tailored optoelectronic properties. We present bulk nano-heterojunction solar cells based on n-type Bi2S3 nanocrystals and p-type PbS quantum dots, which demonstrate a more than a threefold improvement in device performance compared to their bilayer analogue, as a result of suppressed recombination.

}, doi = {10.1038/nphoton.2012.139}, author = {Rath, Arup Kumar and Bernechea, Maria and Martinez, Luis and Pelayo Garcia de Arquer, F. and Osmond, Johann and Konstantatos, Gerasimos} } @article { ISI:000300045200031, title = {Solvent induced crystallization of 1,2,3,4(6),5-penta-O-acetyl-6(4)-O-[(1S)-10-camphor sulfonyl]-myo-inositol diastereomers associated via weak trifurcated C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {14}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1716-1722}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The title compound produced three different types of solvent inclusion crystals having a conserved dimeric association via trifurcated C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions between the diastereomers. These {\textquoteleft}dimeric{\textquoteright} units are organized differently to produce three crystal types containing guest molecules. In type I and II, unit translated dimers created voids for guest inclusion, whereas in type III the guest sites were produced by helical association of dimers. Inclusion of dichloromethane gave two different types of crystals; however, we were unable to obtain unsolvated crystals of the title compound.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c2ce06287a}, author = {Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Shashidhar, Mysore S. and Bhadbhade, Mohan M.} } @article { ISI:000311804700002, title = {Stress inducible proteinase inhibitor diversity in capsicum annuum}, journal = {BMC Plant Biology}, volume = {12}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {217}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Wound-inducible Pin-II Proteinase inhibitors (PIs) are one of the important plant serine PIs which have been studied extensively for their structural and functional diversity and relevance in plant defense against insect pests. To explore the functional specialization of an array of Capsicum annuum (L.) proteinase inhibitor (CanPIs) genes, we studied their expression, processing and tissue-specific distribution under steady-state and induced conditions. Inductions were performed by subjecting C. annuum leaves to various treatments, namely aphid infestation or mechanical wounding followed by treatment with either oral secretion (OS) of Helicoverpa armigera or water. Results: The elicitation treatments regulated the accumulation of CanPIs corresponding to 4-, 3-, and 2-inhibitory repeat domains (IRDs). Fourty seven different CanPI genes composed of 28 unique IRDs were identified in total along with those reported earlier. The CanPI gene pool either from uninduced or induced leaves was dominated by 3-IRD PIs and trypsin inhibitory domains. Also a major contribution by 4-IRD CanPI genes possessing trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor domains was specifically revealed in wounded leaves treated with OS. Wounding displayed the highest number of unique CanPIs while wounding with OS treatment resulted in the high accumulation of specifically CanPI-4, -7 and -10. Characterization of the PI protein activity through two dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed tissue and induction specific patterns. Consistent with transcript abundance, wound plus OS or water treated C. annuum leaves exhibited significantly higher PI activity and isoform diversity contributed by 3- and 4-IRD CanPIs. CanPI accumulation and activity was weakly elicited by aphid infestation yet resulted in the higher expression of CanPI-26, -41 and -43. Conclusions: Plants can differentially perceive various kinds of insect attacks and respond appropriately through activating plant defenses including regulation of PIs at transcriptional and post-translational levels. Based on the differentially elicited CanPI accumulation patterns, it is intriguing to speculate that generating sequence diversity in the form of multi-IRD PIs is a part of elaborative plant defense strategy to obtain a diverse pool of functional units to confine insect attack.

}, keywords = {CanPI, Herbivory, Oral secretions, Pin-II type proteinase inhibitors, Plant-insect interaction}, issn = {1471-2229}, doi = {10.1186/1471-2229-12-217}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Mahajan, Neha S. and Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Baldwin, Ian T. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000309885500028, title = {Strong metal-metal coupling in mixed-valent intermediates [Cl(L)Ru(mu-tppz)Ru(L)Cl](+), L = beta-diketonato ligands, tppz=2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {41}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13429-13440}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Five diruthenium(II) complexes [Cl(L)Ru(mu-tppz)Ru(L)Cl](1-5) containing differently substituted beta-diketonato derivatives (1: L = 2,4-pentanedionato; 2: L = 3,5-heptanedionato; 3: L = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato; 4: L = 3-methyl-2,4-pentanedionato; 5: L = 3-ethyl-2,4-pentanedionato) as ancillary ligands (L) were synthesized and studied by spectroelectrochemistry (UV-Vis-NIR, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)). X-ray structural characterisation revealed anti (1, 2, 5) or syn (3) configuration as well as non-planarity of the bis-tridentate tppz bridge and strong d pi(Ru-II) -\> pi*(pyrazine, tppz) back-bonding. The widely separated one-electron oxidation steps, (RuRuII)-Ru-II/(RuRuIII)-Ru-II and (RuRuIII)-Ru-II/(RuRuIII)-Ru-III, result in large comproportionation constants (K-c) of \>= 10(10) for the mixed-valent intermediates. The syn-configurated 3(n) exhibits a particularly high K-c of 10(12) for n = 1+, accompanied by density functional theory (DFT)-calculated minimum Ru-N bond lengths for this (RuRuIII)-Ru-II intermediate. The electrogenerated mixed-valent states 1(+)-5(+) exhibit anisotropic EPR spectra at 110 K with average values \< g \> of 2.304-2.234 and g anisotropies Delta g = g(1)-g(3) of 0.82-0.99. Metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) absorptions occur for 1(+)-5(+) in the NIR region at 1660 nm-1750 nm (epsilon approximate to 2700 dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1), Delta nu(1/2) approximate to 1800 cm(-1)). DFT calculations of 1(+) and 3(+) yield comparable Mulliken spin densities of about 0.60 for the metal ions, corresponding to valence-delocalised situations (Ru-2.5)(2). Rather large spin densities of about -0.4 were calculated for the tppz bridges in 1(+) and 3(+). The calculated electronic interaction values (V-AB) for 1(+)-5(+) are about 3000 cm(-1), comparable to that for the Creutz-Taube ion at 3185 cm(-1). The DFT calculations predict that the (RuRuIII)-Ru-III forms in 12(+)-52(+) prefer a triplet (S = 1) ground state with Delta E (S = 0 - S = 1) similar to 5000 cm(-1). One-electron reduction takes place at the tppz bridge which results in species [Cl(L)Ru-II(mu-tppz(.-)) Ru-II(L)Cl](-) (1(.-)-3(.-), 5(.-)) which exhibit free radical-type EPR signals and NIR transitions typical of the tppz radical anion. The system 4(n) is distinguished by lability of the Ru-Cl bonds.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c2dt31763j}, author = {Kundu, Tanaya and Schweinfurth, David and Sarkar, Biprajit and Mondal, Tapan Kumar and Fiedler, Jan and Mobin, Shaikh M. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Kaim, Wolfgang and Lahiri, Goutam Kumar} } @article { ISI:000309645000013, title = {Studies on the resistive response of nickel and cerium doped SnO2 thick films to acetone vapor}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {38}, number = {8}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6171-6179}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Undoped and Ni, Ce-doped nanocrystalline tin oxide were synthesized by co-precipitation route. Doped as well as undoped SnO2 compositions revealed single phase structure without any impurity. The lattice constant of SnO2 increases and the grain size decreases with doping of Ni and Ce. The responses of the sensing elements are evaluated by measuring the resistance change upon exposure to various test gases such as liquid petroleum gas (LPG), acetone, ethanol and ammonia. In comparison to LPG, ethanol, and ammonia the response towards acetone vapor increases markedly on simultaneous doping of Ni and Ce. For acetone vapors with 500 ppm at 300 degrees C, the undoped SnO2 shows 31\% response, while with individual Ni or Ce doping it increases to 38 and 60\%, respectively, however with simultaneous doping of Ni and Ce there is a significant enhancement up to 92\%. The results of gas sensing measurements reveal that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen printing technique give selectively a high response of (87\%) with fast recovery (similar to 1 min) towards 100 ppm acetone at 300 degrees C. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(Ni plus Ce)-doping, Acetone vapor, Screen-printing, SnO2}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.04.068}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article {43315, title = {Supramolecular interaction facilitated small molecule films for organic field effect transistors}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {APR}, pages = {1641-1646}, abstract = {Metalloporphyrins and metal free porphyrins have been explored as active materials in field effect transistors. Amorphous forms of these porphyrins are preferred over their crystalline analogue due to the ease of solution processability. To achieve solution processability, a metalloporphyrin was anchored on a vinyl polymer by taking advantage of the supramolecular interaction between the metal and the pyridine moiety of the polymer. Non covalent bonding was preferred because it provides an opportunity to better manipulate the polymer{\textquoteright}s properties compared to its covalent bonding analogue. The binding between the porphyrin and the polymer was optimised in solution and the supramolecular complex was spun on various substrates to form thin films. The porphyrin was found to be uniformly distributed throughout the polymer films contrary to the existing approaches, wherein small molecule phase segregates in the polymer film. Field effect transistors were fabricated using the porphyrin-polymer complex and the device parameters were measured at atmospheric condition. The devices annealed at 80 degrees C showed hole carrier mobility of 2.0 x 10(-4) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) with charge trapping at the dielectric semiconductor interface. Furthermore, the high carrier mobility observed at low temperature annealing makes this supramolecular complex an attractive candidate to explore in flexible substrates.}, doi = {10.1039/c2py20146a}, author = {Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Jangid, Manoj K. and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article { ISI:000309024900024, title = {Swift heavy ion induced formation of Al/polymer composite layer for low thermal emissivity in the IR range}, journal = {Nuclear Instruments \& Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms}, volume = {287}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {135-140}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Composites of polymers with aluminium were formed by swift high energy ions of 150 MeV, which are used as low thermal emissivity materials for infrared wavelengths between 8-14 mu m. Emissivity and dielectric constants were studied for these structures. A semi-empirical model has been established to obtain the relation between emissivity and dielectric constant. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {composites, dielectric constant, Swift heavy ion, Thermal emissivity}, issn = {0168-583X}, doi = {10.1016/j.nimb.2012.06.005}, author = {Babrekar, Harshada A. and Jog, Jyoti Prakash and Mathe, Vikas L. and Avasthi, D. K. and Ojha, S. and Bhoraskar, S. V.} } @article { ISI:000307390600009, title = {Synthesis and characterization of a new diol-functionalized s-triazine-based polymerizable hindered amine light stabilizer}, journal = {Journal of Vinyl \& Additive Technology}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {204-208}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A new diol-functionalized triazine-based polymerizable hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) was synthesized in two steps. First, selective synthesis of an s-triazine containing two HALS moieties as substituents was accomplished by using phase-transfer catalysis. This step required the establishment of optimum reaction conditions (type of two-phase system, best solvent, and catalyst). In the second step, the substituted triazine was treated with diethanolamine to introduce polymerizable diol functionality. The resulting product should act as a light stabilizer, since it contains two HALS moieties anchored to a thermally stable s-triazine unit. Moreover, incorporation of the diol into a polymeric material might be expected to impart prolonged stability in weathering environments. Characterization of the diol was accomplished by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), {\textquoteleft}H NMR, and mass spectrometry. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 18:204208, 2012. (c) 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {1083-5601}, doi = {10.1002/vnl.20306}, author = {Mehare, Rupali S. and Lonkar, Sunil P. and Singh, R. P.} } @article { ISI:000309382100040, title = {Synthesis of glycidol from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate using ionic liquid as a catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {27}, year = {2012}, month = {OCT}, pages = {184-188}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Transesterification of dimethyl carbonate with glycerol has been investigated using various ionic liquids as catalysts. Synthesis of glycidol with high selectivity (78\%) has been achieved using tetramethylammonium hydroxide ([TMA][OH]) as a catalyst at 80 degrees C. Effect of various reaction conditions on the activity and selectivity was investigated and catalyst concentration had a significant influence on conversion as well as selectivity to glycidol. Activity as well as selectivity of the catalyst decreased significantly with increase in moisture content. Recycle experiment indicated slight drop in glycerol conversion and selectivity to glycidol because of dilution of reaction mixture and also the presence of products from the initial experiment. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Glycerol carbonate, Glycidol, Ionic liquid, Transesterification of glycerol}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2012.07.003}, author = {Gade, Swapna M. and Munshi, Mudassir K. and Chherawalla, Batul M. and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article {42647, title = {Synthesis of linear polylactic acid {\textendash}based urethanes using tin modified closite -30b catalyst}, journal = {Advance Material Letters}, volume = {3}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {161 - 171}, author = {Selukar, Balaji S. and Parwe, Sharad P. and Mohite, Kavita K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article {42710, title = {Synthesis of polyamides from diols and diamines with liberation of H2}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {50}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1755{\textendash}1765}, abstract = {

The amidation reaction based on catalytic coupling of alcohols with amines previously reported by us, using the pincer complexes 1 and 2 as catalysts, was applied to the generation of polyamides from nonactivated diols and diamines. A range of polymers was prepared, with Mn up to 26.9 kDa. Unlike the traditional syntheses of polyamides based on carboxylic acid derivatives, which require the use of toxic reagents and generate stoichiometric amounts of waste, this process generates only molecular hydrogen as byproduct. Both aromatic and aliphatic diols and diamines were used. Gel permeation chromatography measurements of the dimethylformamide-soluble polymers and thermal studies of the polyamides were performed. Matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) spectra are also reported. Thermogravimetric analyses studies indicate that the aromatic polyamides (with the exception of the pyridine-based polyamide) are more thermally stable than the aliphatic ones. This general, environmentally benign method for the synthesis of polyamides is homogeneously catalyzed under neutral conditions by dearomatized ruthenium-pincer complexes 1 and 2 and proceeds in 1,4-dioxane under an inert atmosphere. Conditions for polyamidation in the absence of solvent are also reported, using the pincer complex 2 as catalyst. {\textcopyright} 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012

}, doi = {10.1002/pola.25943}, author = {Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gunanathan, Chidambaram and Milstein, David} } @article {42513, title = {Taco complex derived from a bis-crown ether capable of executing molecular logic operation through reversible complexation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {77}, year = {2012}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6789{\textendash}6800}, abstract = {

As learned from natural systems, self-assembly and self-sorting help in interconnecting different molecular logic gates and thus achieve high-level logic functions. In this context, demonstration of important logic operations using changes in optical responses due to the formation of molecular assemblies is even more desirable for the construction of a molecular computer. Synthesis of an appropriate divalent as well as a luminescent crown ether based host 1 and paraquat derivatives, 2(PF6)2 and 3(PF6)2, as guests helped in demonstrating a reversible [3](taco complex) (1{\textperiodcentered}{2(PF6)2}2 or 1{\textperiodcentered}{3(PF6)2}2) formation in nonpolar solvent. Detailed 1H NMR studies revealed that two paraquat units were bound cooperatively by the two crown units in 1. Because of preorganization, the flexible host molecule 1 adopts a folded conformation, where each of two paraquat units remain sandwiched between the two aromatic units of each folded crown ether moiety in 1. Disassembly of the {\textquotedblleft}taco{\textquotedblright} complex in the presence of KPF6 and reassembly on subsequent addition of DB18C6 was initially demonstrated by 1H NMR spectral studies, which were subsequently corroborated through luminescence spectral studies. Further, luminescence spectral responses as output signals with appropriate and two independent molecular inputs could be correlated to demonstrate basic logic operation like OR and YES gates, while the results of the three molecular inputs could be utilized to demonstrate important logic operation like an INHIBIT gate.

}, doi = {10.1021/jo300622b}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Das, Priyadip and Mahato, Prasenjit and Acharya, Suhash and Das, Amitava} } @article {43253, title = {TDR Targets: a chemogenomics resource for neglected diseases}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {40}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {D1118-D1127}, abstract = {The TDR Targets Database (http://tdrtargets.org) has been designed and developed as an online resource to facilitate the rapid identification and prioritization of molecular targets for drug development, focusing on pathogens responsible for neglected human diseases. The database integrates pathogen specific genomic information with functional data (e.g. expression, phylogeny, essentiality) for genes collected from various sources, including literature curation. This information can be browsed and queried using an extensive web interface with functionalities for combining, saving, exporting and sharing the query results. Target genes can be ranked and prioritized using numerical weights assigned to the criteria used for querying. In this report we describe recent updates to the TDR Targets database, including the addition of new genomes (specifically helminths), and integration of chemical structure, property and bioactivity information for biological ligands, drugs and inhibitors and cheminformatic tools for querying and visualizing these chemical data. These changes greatly facilitate exploration of linkages (both known and predicted) between genes and small molecules, yielding insight into whether particular proteins may be druggable, effectively allowing the navigation of chemical space in a genomics context.}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkr1053}, author = {Magarinos, Maria P. and Carmona, Santiago J. and Crowther, Gregory J. and Ralph, Stuart A. and Roos, David S. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Van Voorhis, Wesley C.} } @article { ISI:000303304900028, title = {TiO2-Au plasmonic nanocomposite for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) performance}, journal = {Solar Energy}, volume = {86}, number = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1428-1434}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles dressed with gold nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal process by using mixed precursor and controlled conditions. Diffused Reflectance Spectra (DRS) reveal that in addition to the expected TiO2 interband absorption below 360 nm gold surface plasmon feature occurs near 564 nm. It is shown that the dye sensitized solar cells made using TiO2-Au plasmonic nanocomposite yield superior performance with conversion efficiency (CE) of similar to 6\% (no light harvesting), current density (J(SC)) of similar to 13.2 mA/cm(2), open circuit voltage (V-oc) of similar to 0.74 V and fill factor (FF) 0.61; considerably better than that with only TiO2 nanoparticles (CE similar to 5\%, J(SC) similar to 12.6 mA/cm(2), V-oc similar to 0.70 V, FF similar to 0.56). (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anatase TiO2, Au, Dye-sensitized solar cells, Hybrid composite, hydrothermal}, issn = {0038-092X}, doi = {10.1016/j.solener.2012.02.002}, author = {Muduli, Subas and Game, Onkar S. and Dhas, Vivek V. and Vijayamohanan, K. and Bogle, Kashinath A. and Valanoor, N. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000305204500004, title = {Trends in bioconversion of lignocellulose: biofuels, platform chemicals \& biorefinery concept}, journal = {Progress in Energy and Combustion Science}, volume = {38}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {AUG}, pages = {522-550}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Bioconversion of renewable lignocellulosic biomass to biofuel and value added products are globally gaining significant prominence. Market forces demonstrate a drive towards products benign to natural environment increasing the importance of renewable materials. The development of second generation bioethanol from lignocellulosic biomass serves many advantages from both energy and environmental point of views. Biomass an inexpensive feedstock considered sustainable and renewable, is an option with the potential to replace a wide diversity of fossil based products within the energy sector; heat, power, fuels, materials and chemicals. Lignocellulose is a major structural component of woody and non-woody plants and consists of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The effective utilization of all the three components would play a significant role in the economic viability of cellulosic ethanol. Biomass conversion process involves five major steps, choice of suitable biomass, effective pretreatment, production of saccharolytic enzymes-cellulases and hemicellulases, fermentation of hexoses and pentoses and downstream processing. Within the context of production of fuels from biomass, pretreatment has come to denote processes by which cellulosic biomass is made amenable to the action of hydrolytic enzymes. The limited effectiveness of current enzymatic process on lignocellulose is thought to be due to the relative difficulties in pretreating the feedstocks. The present review is a comprehensive state of the art describing the advancement in recent pretreaments, metabolic engineering approaches with special emphasis on the latest developments in consolidated biomass processing, current global scenario of bioethanol pilot plants and biorefinery concept for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Consolidated biomass processing, Lifecycle assessment, Lignocellulose, Pre-treatment, Saccharifying enzymes, Value-added products}, issn = {0360-1285}, doi = {10.1016/j.pecs.2012.02.002}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article {43386, title = {Trends towards zero discharge of distillery effluents}, number = {18}, year = {2012}, month = {SEP}, pages = {211 - 215}, type = {Special Report}, abstract = {In the present paper we have described briefly a customer friendly process for the treatment of distillery effluent to obtain colourless water.In order to bring about improvement of cost factor, our developmental efforts towards cheaper and efficient adsorbents have been elucidated. Further improvement of its cost factor could be achieved by enhancing the colour removal ability of the adsorbent (activecharcoal) with small quantities of oxidizing agents (in ppm level). Recent developments towards obtaining valueadded products from spent wash using various methodologies and techniques have been reviewed with a view to encourage technocrats and entrepreneurs to take lead in this challenging and economically attractive endeavor}, author = {Gokarn, A. N. and Pande, Anita R. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article { ISI:000299158700036, title = {Tuberculosis drug streptomycin as a potential cancer therapeutic: inhibition of miR-21 function by directly targeting its precursor}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {51}, number = {4}, year = {2012}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1019-1023}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {COMMERCE PLACE, 350 MAIN ST, MALDEN 02148, MA USA}, keywords = {Apoptosis, drug discovery, Gene expression, inhibitors, RNA}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201106455}, author = {Bose, Debojit and Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Suryawanshi, Hemant and Agarwala, Prachi and Pore, Subrata Kumar and Banerjee, Rajkumar and Maiti, Souvik} } @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:000295772200014, title = {Ultrasound assisted one pot synthesis of imidazole derivatives using diethyl bromophosphate as an oxidant}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {94-96}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A one pot, three-component condensation of benzoin/benzyl, an aldehyde, and ammonium acetate using diethyl bromophosphate as a mild oxidant is achieved to form trisubstituted imidazole compounds. Under ultrasound irradiation, a smooth condensation occurs to get the 2, 4, 5-triaryl-1H-imidazole compounds in good to excellent yields. The study explores the scope and limitation of diethyl bromophosphate as an oxidant and suggests advantages, viz., simplicity of operation, reduction in time, and an increase in product yields. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Diethyl bromophosphate (DEP), Imidazole, One pot synthesis, Ultrasound}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2011.05.009}, author = {Nagargoje, Deepak and Mandhane, Priyanka and Shingote, Savita and Badadhe, Pravin and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article { ISI:000300466900006, title = {Understanding the growth of micro and nano-crystalline AlN by thermal plasma process}, journal = {Journal of Crystal Growth}, volume = {339}, number = {1}, year = {2012}, month = {JAN}, pages = {36-45}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

We report the studies related to the growth of crystalline AlN in a DC thermal plasma reactor, operated by a transferred arc plasma torch. The reactor is capable of producing the nanoparticles of Al and AlN depending on the composition of the reacting gas. Al and AlN micro crystals are formed at the anode placed on the graphite and nano crystalline Al and AlN gets deposited on the inner surface of the plasma reactor. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy analysis, single crystal X-ray diffraction and TGA-DTA techniques are used to infer the purity of post process crystals as a hexagonal AlN. The average particle size using SEM was found to be around 30 mu m. The morphology of nanoparticles of Al and AlN, nucleated by gas phase condensation in a homogeneous medium were studied by transmission electron microscopy analysis. The particle ranged in size between 15 and 80 nm in diameter. The possible growth mechanism of crystalline AlN at the anode has been explained on the basis of non-equilibrium processes in the core of the plasma and steep temperature gradient near its periphery. The gas phase species of AlN and various constituent were computed using Murphy code based on minimization of free energy. The process provides 50\% yield of microcrystalline AlN and remaining of Al at anode and that of nanocrystalline h-AlN and c-Al collected from the walls of the chamber is about 33\% and 67\%, respectively. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Crystal morphology, Growth from high temperature solutions, Nitride, Semiconducting aluminum compound}, issn = {0022-0248}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2011.11.011}, author = {Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Nawale, Ashok B. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Das, Asoka K. and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article {42709, title = {Use of ruthenium complexes for formation and/or hydrogenation of amides and related carboxylic acid derivatives}, number = {US 13/471,037}, year = {2012}, month = {MAR}, type = {Grant}, chapter = {US9290441 B2}, abstract = {

A process for preparing amides by reacting a primary amine and a primary alcohol in the presence of a Ruthenium complex to generate the amide and molecular hydrogen. Primary amines are directly acylated by equimolar amounts of alcohols to produce amides and molecular hydrogen (the only byproduct) in high yields and high turnover numbers. Also disclosed are processes for hydrogenation of amides to alcohols and amines; hydrogenation of organic carbonates to alcohols; hydrogenation of carbamates or urea derivatives to alcohols and amines; amidation of esters; acylation of alcohols using esters; coupling of alcohols with water and a base to form carboxylic acids; dehydrogenation of beta-amino alcohols to form pyrazines and cyclic dipeptides; and dehydrogenation of secondary alcohols to ketones. These reactions are catalyzed by a Ruthenium complex which is based on a dearomatized PNN-type ligand of formula A1 or precursors thereof of formulae A2 or A3.

}, author = {Milstein, David and Gunanathan, Chidambaram and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy and Zhang, Jing} } @article { ISI:000310721400015, title = {Vertical arrays of SiNWs-ZnO nanostructures as high performance electron field emitters}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry}, volume = {22}, number = {43}, year = {2012}, month = {NOV}, pages = {22922-22928}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Multicomponent hybrid materials of nanostructured building blocks are essential for the development of complex devices and advanced applications due to their role as either functional or interconnecting elements. This study introduces a simple and cost effective strategy for the synthesis of vertical arrays of silicon nanowires and ZnO nanostructures (nanorod and multipod structures). Formation of vertical nanostructured arrays is confirmed by SEM and HRTEM imaging as well as XRD and Raman measurements. We have investigated field emission properties of the as-synthesized vertical nanostructured arrays. Our results show that these SiNWs-ZnO nanostructures are highly efficient and stable field emitters.

}, issn = {0959-9428}, doi = {10.1039/c2jm34224c}, author = {Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Shinde, Deodatta R. and Barka-Bouaifel, Fatiha and Yenchalwar, Sandeep G. and Boukherroub, Rabah and More, Mahendra A. and Shalke, Manjusha V.} } @article { ISI:000315775800008, title = {Acetone vapour sensing characteristics of undoped and Zn, Ce doped SnO2 thick film gas sensor}, journal = {Materials Research Innovations}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {98-105}, publisher = {MANEY PUBLISHING}, address = {STE 1C, JOSEPHS WELL, HANOVER WALK, LEEDS LS3 1AB, W YORKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The nanocrystalline materials of zinc and ceria doped tin oxide [(Zn+Ce)-SnO2] powders were synthesised by coprecipitation method and investigated for their sensing properties towards liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol, ammonia and acetone vapour. The crystal structure and phase of the as synthesised and sintered powders were characterised by X-ray diffractometer and the microstructure by scanning electron microscopy. All the doped and undoped SnO2 compositions revealed single phase solid solution formation. Transmission electron microscope results indicated that well crystallised (Zn+Ce) doped SnO2 particles of size similar to 7 nm were obtained at the annealing temperature of 650 degrees C. The reduction in grain size of the metal oxide is a key factor to enhance the gas sensing properties. The doping of zinc, ceria in SnO2 has reduced the grain size and improved the gas response. The results of gas sensing measurements showed that the thick films deposited on alumina substrates using screen printing technique exhibited high response to acetone at an operating temperature of 300 degrees C. Further, the selectivity of the sensor towards acetone with respect to other reducing gases (LPG, ethanol and ammonia) was studied.

}, keywords = {Gas, Screen printing, Sensor, SnO2}, issn = {1432-8917}, doi = {10.1179/1433075X12Y.0000000035}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Bagal, K. N. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000323842900043, title = {Active sites in modified copper catalysts for selective liquid phase dehydration of aqueous glycerol to acetol}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {37}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {16499-16508}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here the influence of oxides of various metals viz. Ba, Mg, Zr, Zn, Al, and Cr in modified copper catalysts, on the formation of different copper species and acid sites responsible for dehydration of aqueous glycerol to acetol. These catalysts were prepared by a co-precipitation method, among which the catalysts having higher acid strength and predominant Bronsted acidity (Cu-Mg, Cu-Zr and Cu-Al) gave the highest acetol selectivity (76-92\%), while the catalysts with lower acidity such as Cu-Zn showed very poor (25\%) selectivity to acetol in spite of the highest conversion of 68\%. Nevertheless, catalysts exhibiting higher activity and acetol selectivity also showed the presence of metallic Cu confirmed by XRD and XANES-EXAFS characterization. Based on these results, two different catalytic pathways have been proposed highlighting the role of Lewis and Bronsted acidity along with the metal sites in individual steps of glycerol dehydration reaction.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra42348d}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Yamaguchi, Aritomo and Malawadkar, Atul V. and Shirai, Masayuki and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000319545800013, title = {Approach towards biocatalytic valorisation of barley beta-glucan for bioethanol production using 1,3-1,4 beta-glucanase and thermotolerant yeast}, journal = {International Biodeterioration \& Biodegradation}, volume = {82}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {81-86}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The exploitation of renewable resource containing polymers other than cellulose and hemicellulose are critically important for the feasibility of biofuel production. The potential of 1,3-1,4 glucan 4-gluconohydrolyase mediated saccharification of barley beta-glucan (BG) was investigated for ethanol production using thermotolerant Saccharomyces sp. A maximum hydrolysis of 71\% was obtained in 24 h using in-house produced 1,3-1,4 beta-glucanase from an alkalothermophilic Thermomonospora sp. whereas the hydrolysis was 100\% with Accellerase (TM) 1000. The synergistic effect of beta-glucosidase and 1,3-1,4 beta-glucanase was demonstrated by the exogenous addition of beta-glucosidase to Thermomonospora 1,3-1,4 beta-glucanase which resulted in complete hydrolysis of BG. The hydrolysates of BG obtained using Accellerase or a cocktail of Thermomonospora 1,3-1,4 beta-glucanase and beta-glucosidase when fermented with free cells of Saccharomyces at 40 degrees C produced an ethanol yield of 0.44 g g(-1) and 0.46 g g(-1) respectively and when fermented with immobilized cells produced a yield of 0.49 g g(-1). The Ca-alginate immobilized yeast cells were reused nine times at 40 degrees C with 100\% fermentation efficiency. The economics of barley-to-fuel ethanol program will ameliorate if in addition to barley starch, beta-glucan is also utilized. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3-1, 4 Glucan 4-gluconohydrolyase, Barley beta-glucan, Ethanol, Hydrolysis, Synergism, Thermotolerant yeast}, issn = {0964-8305}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibiod.2013.03.002}, author = {Divate, Rupesh and Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000317094300018, title = {Azide-functionalized lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks showing selective CO2 gas adsorption and postsynthetic cavity expansion}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {3588-3590}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report herein selective CO2 gas adsorption by two azide-functionalized lanthanide-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This work also demonstrates that azide-functionalized MOFs can be used for postsynthetic cavity expansion, further corroborated by enhanced gas-sorption data.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic302823r}, author = {Ganguly, Sumi and Pachfule, Pradip and Bala, Sukhen and Goswami, Arijit and Bhattacharya, Sudeshna and Mondal, Raju} } @article {43231, title = {Band-like transport in high mobility unencapsulated single-layer MoS2 transistors}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {102}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article Number: 173107}, abstract = {Ultra-thin MoS2 has recently emerged as a promising two-dimensional semiconductor for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here, we report high mobility (>60 cm(2)/Vs at room temperature) field-effect transistors that employ unencapsulated single-layer MoS2 on oxidized Si wafers with a low level of extrinsic contamination. While charge transport in the sub-threshold regime is consistent with a variable range hopping model, monotonically decreasing field-effect mobility with increasing temperature suggests band-like transport in the linear regime. At temperatures below 100 K, temperature-independent mobility is limited by Coulomb scattering, whereas, at temperatures above 100 K, phonon-limited mobility decreases as a power law with increasing temperature. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.}, doi = {10.1063/1.4803920}, author = {Jariwala, Deep and Sangwan, Vinod K. and Late, Dattatray J. and Johns, James E. and Dravid, Vinayak P. and Marks, Tobin J. and Lauhon, Lincoln J. and Hersam, Mark C.} } @article { ISI:000324309600011, title = {Basic structural motif and major biophysical properties of Amyloid-beta are encoded in the fragment 18-35}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {422}, number = {SI}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {80-87}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Aggregation and misfolding of the amyloid beta (A beta) peptide is thought to initiate Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD). Here we study the role played by its central segment (A beta(18-35)) in determining these properties. A beta(18-35) has a solubility of 18 mu M. The soluble fraction consists mainly of small oligomers, which have mixed beta-sheet and random coil structures. The monomer is mostly a random coil with some residual compactness. Aggregated A beta(18-35) forms fibrils of width 3.0 +/- 0.7 nm, which is consistent with a hairpin shape. Each of these properties has a close similarity to A beta(40). Remarkably, solid state NMR indicates that the fibrils also retain the secondary structure and tertiary contacts of A beta(40). This is the shortest fragment of A beta reported so far which preserves its fibrillar architecture, including the hairpin turn, as well as its solution phase conformational properties. Residues 18-35 should therefore be a key target of AD therapeutics. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier B. V.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Protein aggregation, Solid-state NMR}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2013.01.010}, author = {Chandrakesan, Muralidharan and Sarkar, Bidyut and Mithu, Venus Singh and Rajiv M. Abhyankar and Bhowmik, Debanjan and Nag, Suman and Sahoo, Bankanidhi and Shah, Riddhi and Gurav, Sushma and Banerjee, Raja and Dandekar, Sucheta and Jose, Jaya C. and Sengupta, Neelanjana and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Maiti, Sudipta} } @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:000326660900038, title = {Carrier free co-immobilization of alpha amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase as combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEAs): a tri-enzyme biocatalyst with one pot starch hydrolytic activity}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {147}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {269-275}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A tri-enzyme biocatalyst {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}combi-CLEAs{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with starch hydrolytic activity was prepared from commercially available alpha amylase, glucoamylase and pullulanase preparations by aggregating enzymes with ammonium sulphate followed by cross-linking formed aggregates for 4.5 h with 40 mM glutaraldehyde. The effects of precipitant type and cross-linking were studied and the biocatalyst was characterized. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that tri-enzyme biocatalyst was of spherical structure. For one pot starch hydrolytic activity, shift in optimum pH from 6 to 7 and temperature from 65 to 75 degrees C were observed after co-immobilization of enzymes. After one pot starch hydrolysis reaction in batch mode, 100\%, 60\% and 40\% conversions were obtained with combi-CLEAs, separate CLEAs mixture and free enzyme mixture, respectively. Co-immobilization also enhanced the thermal stability of enzymes. Finally, the catalytic activity of enzymes in combi-CLEAs during one pot starch hydrolysis was well maintained up to five cycles without performance changes. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Alpha amylase, Combined cross-linked enzyme aggregates (combi-CLEAs), Glucoamylase, One pot starch hydrolysis, Pullulanase}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2013.08.035}, author = {Talekar, Sachin and Pandharbale, Amol and Ladole, Mayur and Nadar, Shamraja and Mulla, Mosin and Japhalekar, Kshitija and Pattankude, Kishori and Arage, Devika} } @article { ISI:000313230200031, title = {Catalytic and DFT study of selective ethylene oligomerization by nickel(II) oxime-based complexes}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {366}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {238-246}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The reactivity of nickel(II) thiophenealdoxime complex (3) toward oligomerization of ethylene in the presence of an alkylaluminum co-catalyst has been studied. The complex was found to be a selective ethylene dimerization catalyst in the presence of co-catalysts such as methylalumoxane (MAO) and diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC). With DEAC, the productivity was considerably higher than with MAO. Under optimum conditions the productivity reaches 388 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar with DEAC whereas for MAO this value was 119 kg/mol catalyst/h/bar. Complex 3 displays good ethylene conversions of up to a maximum of 90\% with exceptionally high alpha-selectivity for 1-butene (\>99.5\%) amongst C-4 products. Computational studies using density functional theory (DFT) were also carried out to ascertain the decomposition pathway for 3 as well as that for Ni(II) complex of the pyridine ketoxime ligand 2. The results suggest that loss of one of the two bidentate oxime ligands attached to the metal center through reaction with DEAC is likely for both 2 and 3. Further, calculations indicate that the subsequent decomposition step was significantly more probable for 3 than for 2 thus explaining why the pyridine ketoxime ligand bound nickel complex 2 was experimentally found to be more stable than the thiophene aldoxime bound nickel complex 3. Calculations also show that the proton of the -OH group (oxime) plays a major role in the stability of the molecules. This was confirmed experimentally by synthesizing the Ni(II) dichloro complex of Pyridine-2-carbaldehyde O-methyloxime 5 and reacting it with ethylene under similar conditions. 5 was found to be highly active even at low co-catalyst concentrations. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Butene-1, Ethylene dimerization, Ni(II) complex, Thiophene aldoxime}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2012.09.029}, author = {Tayade, Kamlesh N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Sen, Suman and Murthy, C. N. and Tembe, Gopal L. and Pillai, S. Muthukumaru and Vanka, Kumar and Mukherjee, Soumen} } @article { ISI:000315168800013, title = {Catalytic signal amplification using [Fe-III(biuret-amide)]-mesoporous silica nanoparticles: visual cyanide detection}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {22}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2216-2218}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Catalytic signal amplification was used for the colorimetric detection of CN- in aqueous media by using the enzyme catalase in tandem with mesoporous silica nanoparticle based synthetic HRP enzyme mimic Fe-MSNs. Signal amplification up to a maximum of eight fold was observed for the reporter {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}oxidized TMB{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} with respect to the added CN- ion.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc38932d}, author = {Panda, Chakadola and Dhar, Basab B. and Malvi, Bharmana and Bhattacharjee, Yudhajit and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {42705, title = {Catalytic transformation of alcohols to carboxylic acid salts and H2 using water as the oxygen atom source}, journal = {Nature Chemistry}, volume = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {122{\textendash}125}, abstract = {

The oxidation of alcohols to carboxylic acids is an important industrial reaction used in the synthesis of bulk and fine chemicals. Most current processes are performed by making use of either stoichiometric amounts of toxic oxidizing agents or the use of pressurized dioxygen. Here, we describe an alternative dehydrogenative pathway effected by water and base with the concomitant generation of hydrogen gas. A homogeneous ruthenium complex catalyses the transformation of primary alcohols to carboxylic acid salts at low catalyst loadings (0.2 mol\%) in basic aqueous solution. A consequence of this finding could be a safer and cleaner process for the synthesis of carboxylic acids and their derivatives at both laboratory and industrial scales.

}, doi = {10.1038/nchem.1536}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Khaskin, Eugene and Leitus, Gregory and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000313077100009, title = {Characterization of the structures and dynamics of phosphoric acid doped benzimidazole mixtures: a molecular dynamics study}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {109-118}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Benzimidazole-based polymer membranes like poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI) doped with phosphoric acid (PA) are electrolytes that exhibit high proton conductivity in fuel cells at elevated temperatures. The benzimidazole (BI) moiety is an important constituent of these membranes, so the present work was performed in order to achieve a molecular understanding of the BI-PA interactions in the presence of varying levels of the PA dopant, using classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The various hydrogen-bonding interactions, as characterized based on structural properties and hydrogen-bond lifetime calculations, show that both BI and PA molecules exhibit dual proton-acceptor/donor functionality. An examination of diffusion coefficients showed that the diffusion of BI decreases with increasing PA uptake, whereas the diffusion of PA slightly increases. The hydrogen-bond lifetime calculations pointed to the existence of competitive hydrogen bonding between various sites in BI and PA.

}, keywords = {Diffusion coefficient, Hydrogen bond, molecular dynamics, Radial distribution functions}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-012-1519-8}, author = {More, Minal and Pahari, Swagata and Roy, Sudip and Venkatnathan, Arun} } @article { ISI:000326207600012, title = {Complementation of intramolecular interactions for structural-functional stability of plant serine proteinase inhibitors}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1830}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5087-5094}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Plant protease inhibitors (PIs) constitute a diverse group of proteins capable of inhibiting proteases. Among Pls, serine Pls (SPIs) display stability and conformational restrictions of the reactive site loop by virtue of their compact size, and by the presence of disulfide bonds, hydrogen bonds, and other weak interactions. Scope of review: The significance of various intramolecular interactions contributing to protein folding mechanism and their role in overall stability and activity of SPIs is discussed here. Furthermore, we have reviewed the effect of variation or manipulation of these interactions on the activity/stability of SPIs. Major conclusions: The selective gain or loss of disulfide bond(s) in SPIs can be associated with their functional differentiation, which is likely to be compensated by non-covalent interactions (hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions). Thus, these intramolecular interactions are collectively responsible for the functional activity of SPIs, through the maintenance of scaffold framework, conformational rigidity and shape complementarities of reactive site loop. General significance: Structural insight of these interactions will provide an in-depth understanding of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters involved in the folding and stability mechanisms of SPIs. These features can be explored for engineering canonical SPIs for optimizing their overall stability and functionality for various applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Disulfide bond, hydrogen bonding, Intramolecular weak interaction, Protease, Reactive site loop, Serine proteinase inhibitor}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.07.019}, author = {Joshi, Rakesh S. and Mishra, Manasi and Suresh, C. G. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000328100400042, title = {Comprehensive study on mutual interplay of multiple V-shaped ligands on the helical nature of a series of coordination polymers and their properties}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {13}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5487-5498}, abstract = {

{V-shaped ligands are commonly used for helical coordination polymer synthesis. However, employment of multiple V-shaped ligands does not always lead to a helical network. The mutual interplay of two V-shaped ligands, which is neither easily predictable nor well documented, plays a major role directing the self-assembly of the resultant network. We report here the construction of a series of novel coordination polymers {[Ni(OBA)(H2MDP)(H2O)]center dot(DMF)(3)}(n) (1),{[Ni(FBA)(H2MDP)]center dot(H2O)(3)center dot(DMF)\

}, author = {Goswami, Arijit and Bala, Sukhen and Pachfule, Pradip and Mondal, Raju} } @article { ISI:000312944900011, title = {Controlled synthesis of aligned Bi2S3 nanowires, sharp apex nanowires and nanobelts with its morphology dependent field emission investigations}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {15}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {890-896}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Well-aligned ultra-long Bi2S3 nanowire arrays with three kinds of apex morphology - abruptly sharpened apex, thin belt and flat - have been systematically fabricated on tungsten (W) foil by a facile hydrothermal method. The structural and morphological studies reveal formation of distinct tip morphologies, possessing high aspect ratio, single crystalline nature and growth along the orthorhombic [001] axis. A plausible growth mechanism has been proposed on the basis of observed experimental results. The field emission properties of Bi2S3 nanowires and sharp apex Bi2S3 nanowires are investigated. From the field emission studies, the values of the turn-on field, required to draw emission current density of similar to 0.1 mu A cm(-2), are observed to be similar to 2.01 and 1.21 V mu m(-1) for nanowires and sharp apex nanowires, respectively. Furthermore, ultra-long Bi2S3 nanowires are also grown on the W microtip (brush-like) from which very high emission current density similar to 11 mA cm(-2) has been drawn. These results are helpful for the design, fabrication and optimization of integrated field emitters using 1D nanostructures as cold cathode material.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c2ce26588e}, author = {Warule, Sambhaji S. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Kale, Bharat B. and Pandiraj, S. and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000319275700021, title = {Copolymerization of ethylene with unsaturated alcohols and methylmethacrylate using a silylated alpha-diimine nickel catalyst: molecular modeling and photodegradation studies}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {129}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1820-1832}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

In this article, the experimental results obtained in the copolymerization of ethylene with polar monomers using a silylated -diimine nickel catalyst are described and compared with those obtained with a non-silylate similar one. The results show that the introduction of a siliyl group in the para-position of the imine moiety turns the catalyst less sensitive toward polar functionalities. However, the reactivity observed in copolymerization reactions was found to be reduced both the global polymerization and incorporation rates. Molecular modeling calculation allowed us to understand both the preferred insertion mode and the intermediate product structures for E/MMA copolymerization. Photodegradation studies showed that the presence of polar groups in the copolymers increases their rate of oxidation and turn them more easily degradable. The stabilization performed by Tinuvin 770 showed that for long-exposure times, it is not very effective regardless it is only mixed or grafted to the copolymer. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {ageing, copolymers, Degradation, grafting}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.38889}, author = {Matos, Ines and Fernandes, Susete N. and Liu, Hua-Rong and Tevtia, Amit K. and Singh, R. P. and Manda, Lemos and Lemos, Francisco and Marques, Maria M.} } @article { ISI:000316341000001, title = {Crystalline xylitol production by a novel yeast, pichia caribbica (HQ222812), and its application for quorum sensing inhibition in gram-negative marker strain chromobacterium violaceum CV026}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {169}, number = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1753-1763}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Xylitol, a sugar alcohol, is fast gaining ground over other artificial sugar substitutes owing to its advantageous properties. Xylitol is a safer alternative for diabetics because of insulin-independent metabolism. It has beneficial properties suitable to form an important part of odontological formulations. Conventional commercial production of xylitol involves harsh chemical method operating at high temperature and pressure. Thus, microbial production of xylitol is preferred over chemical method, and yeasts have been extensively exploited for this purpose. In the present manuscript, quantitative production of xylitol from d-xylose with the yield of 0.852 gm/gm and volumetric productivity of 1.83 gm/l/h in crystalline form, using novel yeast Pichia caribbica is reported. Also, a mild, safe procedure for product extraction is described. The ability of xylitol to act as a quorum sensing antagonist in gram-negative marker strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026 has been demonstrated for the first time.

}, keywords = {Crystallization, CV026, Pichia caribbica, Quorum sensing antagonist, xylitol}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-012-0039-4}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000323644600046, title = {Defluoridation of drinking water using pural (R) MG-20 mixed hydroxide adsorbent}, journal = {Water Air and Soil Pollution}, volume = {224}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1727}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The potential ofmixed alumina-magnesia hydroxide adsorbent (PURAL (R) MG-20) for defluoridation of drinking water using batch and continuous mode of operations has been reported in the present article. Systematic adsorption experiments were carried out to elucidate the effects of different process parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial fluoride concentration, pH of the solution and effect of other ions (usually present in groundwater). These studies were aimed to understand the adsorption behaviour of the PURAL (R) MG-20 adsorbents. Fluoride adsorption by PURAL (R) MG-20 sorbent was found pH dependent. Maximum fluoride removal efficiency was observed in the range of pH 5-7. Langmuir isotherm described the data better than Freundlich and Temkin isotherm models and the adsorption capacity was found to be 5.62 mg g(-1) at initial fluoride concentration of 5.13 mg L-1, pH 7 and contact time 24 h. The kinetic result shows that the fluoride sorption follows pseudo-second-order kinetics. Column breakthrough studies were performed to test the performance of the adsorbent media at continuous mode of operation. Thus, it can be concluded that PURAL (R) MG-20 adsorbent can be used directly for field applications since it shows high fluoride uptake capacity under simulated drinking water conditions and it is also commercially available.

}, keywords = {Breakthrough studies, Defluoridation of drinking water, Kinetic modelling, Mixed hydroxide adsorbent}, issn = {0049-6979}, doi = {10.1007/s11270-013-1727-6}, author = {Patankar, Gaurang V. and Tambe, Amruta S. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. and Malyshew, Alexander and Kamble, Sanjay P.} } @article { ISI:000325194900021, title = {Designing a thiol specific fluorescent probe for possible use as a reagent for intracellular detection and estimation in blood serum: kinetic analysis to probe the role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {11}, number = {38}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6604-6614}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new and simple chemodosimetric probe L-1 is utilized for the selective detection of biothiols in the presence of other relevant amino acids under physiological conditions (pH = 7.4). This eventually led to a turn-off luminescence response due to an effective photoinduced electron transfer based signaling mechanism. A comparison of the results of the fluorescence kinetic analysis and H-1 NMR studies of the reaction between thiol and L-1 or the analogous compound L-2 revealed the role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding in activating the imine functionality towards nucleophilic addition. Such an example is not common in contemporary literature. Conventional MTT assay studies revealed that this probe (L-1) has low cytotoxicity. Results of the cell imaging studies revealed that this probe was cell membrane permeable and could detect the intracellular distribution of biothiols within living HeLa cells. Furthermore, our studies with human blood plasma demonstrated the possibility of using this reagent for the quantitative optical detection of total biothiols in biological fluid. Such an example for the detection of biothiols in real biological samples is rare in the contemporary literature. These results clearly demonstrate the possibility of using this reagent in medicinal biology and diagnostic applications.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c3ob41284a}, author = {Das, Priyadip and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Reddy, Upendar G. and Baidya, Mithu and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000318901000001, title = {Draft genome of ochrobactrum intermedium strain M86 isolated from non-ulcer dyspeptic individual from India}, journal = {GUT Pathogens}, volume = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {7}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Ochrobactrum intermedium is an emerging opportunistic pathogen of humans that is closely related to members of the genus Brucella. Earlier, we reported the case of an Indian subject with non-ulcer dyspeptic symptoms whose urease positive gastric biopsy revealed the presence of Helicobacter pylori along with non-Helicobacter like bacteria, eventually cultured and identified as O. intermedium strain M86. Results: Here, we describe the unclosed draft genome of the strain M86 with a length of 5,188,688 bp and mean G+C content of 57.9\%. We have also identified many putative gene clusters that might be responsible for its persistence in the gastric mucosa. Comparative analysis of genomic features of Ochrobactrum intermedium strain M86 and Ochrobactrum intermedium LMG 3301(T) was also done. Conclusions: This paper attempts to gain whole-genome based insights into the putative gene determinants of O. intermedium for survival in the highly acidic stomach lumen environment. Identification of genes putatively involved in the various metabolic pathways may lead to a better understanding of the survival of O. intermdedium in acidic condition.

}, issn = {1757-4749}, doi = {10.1186/1757-4749-5-7}, author = {Kulkarni, Girish and Dhotre, Dhiraj and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Shetty, Sudarshan and Chowdhury, Somak and Misra, Vatsala and Misra, Sriprakash and Patole, Milind and Shouche, Yogesh} } @article { ISI:000317909500043, title = {Dual action of BPC194: a membrane active peptide killing bacterial cells}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {8}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {e61541}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Membrane active peptides can perturb the lipid bilayer in several ways, such as poration and fusion of the target cell membrane, and thereby efficiently kill bacterial cells. We probe here the mechanistic basis of membrane poration and fusion caused by membrane-active, antimicrobial peptides. We show that the cyclic antimicrobial peptide, BPC194, inhibits growth of Gram-negative bacteria and ruptures the outer and inner membrane at the onset of killing, suggesting that not just poration is taking place at the cell envelope. To simplify the system and to better understand the mechanism of action, we performed Forster resonance energy transfer and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy studies in model membranes and show that the BPC194 causes fusion of vesicles. The fusogenic action is accompanied by leakage as probed by dual-color fluorescence burst analysis at a single liposome level. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations reveal how the peptides are able to simultaneously perturb the membrane towards porated and fused states. We show that the cyclic antimicrobial peptides trigger both fusion and pore formation and that such large membrane perturbations have a similar mechanistic basis.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0061541}, author = {Moiset, Gemma and Cirac, Anna D. and Stuart, Marc C. A. and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Sengupta, Durba and Poolman, Bert} } @article { ISI:000320836600009, title = {Effect of different arginine methylations on the thermodynamics of tat peptide binding to HIV-1 TAR RNA}, journal = {Biochimie}, volume = {95}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1422-1431}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

RNA-binding proteins are an important class of mediators that regulate cell function and differentiation. Methylation of arginine, a post-translational modification (PTM) found in these proteins, can modulate their function. Arginine can be monomethylated or dimethylated, depending on the type of methyl transferases involved. This paper describes a comparative study of the thermodynamics of unmodified and modified Tat peptide interaction with TAR RNA, where the peptide is methylated at epsilon (epsilon) and eta (eta) nitrogen atoms of guanidinium group of arginine side chain at position 52 or 53. The results indicate that monomethylation of arginine at epsilon (epsilon) nitrogen atom enhances binding affinity, owing to a more favourable enthalpy component which overrides the less favourable entropy change. In contrast, monomethylation of arginine residue at eta nitrogen results in reduced binding affinity originating exclusively from a less favourable enthalpy change leaving entropic component unaffected. However, in case of simultaneous methylation at epsilon and eta positions, the binding parameters remain almost unaffected, when compared to the unmodified peptide. In case of symmetric dimethylation at eta position the observed enthalpy change of the binding was found to be smaller than the values obtained for the unmodified peptide. Asymmetric dimethylation at eta position showed the most reduced binding affinities owing to less favourable enthalpy changes. These results provide insights that enable elucidation of the biological outcome of arginine methylation as PTMs that regulate protein function, and will contribute to our understanding of how these PTMs are established in vitro and in vivo. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HIV-1, Post-translational modification, Protein methylation, RNA-protein interaction, Thermodynamics}, issn = {0300-9084}, doi = {10.1016/j.biochi.2013.03.008}, author = {Kumar, Santosh and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000320640600005, title = {Effect of loops and G-quartets on the stability of RNA G-quadruplexes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {117}, number = {23}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6896-6905}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The loop length, loop composition, salt concentration, and number of G-quartets are major determinants of G-quadruplex stability. We examined the effect of each of these factors on the thermal stability and folding topology of a library of RNA quadruplexes. The thermal stability of G2 and G3 RNA quadruplexes was investigated upon varying the loop length (from 1-1-1 to 15-15-15) and salt concentration (from sequence 1 to 100 mM KCl), while the effect of loop composition was explored using 18 naturally occurring potential RNA quadruplexes predicted in untranslated regions (UTRs). We found loop length and quadruplex stability to be inversely related for G2 RNA quadruplexes and G3 RNA quadruplexes with shorter loops. However, melting temperature saturates for G3 RNA quadruplexes with longer loops. RNA G-quadruplexes with longer loops (G3 15-15-15) displayed T-m values significantly higher than the physiological temperature. This study thus highlights the need to modify the consensus motif presently used by quadruplex prediction tools. An increase in the loop size from 7 bases to IS bases in the consensus motif will add to its predictive value for the discovery of potential RNA quadruplexes across transcriptomes.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp401739m}, author = {Pandey, Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000326022200050, title = {Effect of N-acetylation and N-methylation of lysine residue of tat peptide on its interaction with HIV-1 TAR RNA}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {8}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {UNSP e77595}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Post-translational modification (PTM) of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a very important role in determining their binding to cognate RNAs and therefore regulate the downstream effects. Lysine can undergo various PTMs and thereby contribute to the regulation of different cellular processes. It can be reversibly acetylated and methylated using a pool of respective enzymes, to act as a switch for controlling the binding efficiency of RBPs. Here we have delineated the thermodynamic and kinetic effects of N-acetylation and N-monomethylation of lysine on interaction between HIV-1 TAR RNA and its cognate binder Tat peptide (a model system). Our results indicate that acetylation of lysine 50 (K50), leads to eight-fold reduction in binding affinity, originating exclusively from entropy changes whereas, lysine 51 (K51) acetylation resulted only in three fold decrease with large enthalpy-entropy compensation. The measurement of kinetic parameters indicated major change (4.5 fold) in dissociation rate in case of K50 acetylation however, K51 acetylation showed similar effect on both association and dissociation rates. In contrast, lysine methylation did not affect the binding affinity of Tat peptide to TAR RNA at K50, nonetheless three fold enhancement in binding affinity was observed at K51 position. In spite of large enthalpy-entropy compensation, lysine methylation seems to have more pronounced position specific effect on the kinetic parameters. In case of K50 methylation, simultaneous increase was observed in the rate of association and dissociation leaving binding affinity unaffected. The increased binding affinity for methylated Tat at K51 stems from faster association rate with slightly slower dissociation rate.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0077595}, author = {Kumar, Santosh and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000315936700014, title = {Efficient and stereoselective nitration of mono- and disubstituted olefins with AgNO2 and TEMPO}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {135}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3355-3358}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Nitroolefin is a common and versatile reagent. Its synthesis from olefin is generally limited by the formation of mixture of cis and trans compounds. Here we report that silver nitrite (AgNO2) along with TEMPO can promote the regio- and stereoselective nitration of a broad range of olefins. This work discloses a new and efficient approach wherein starting from olefin, nitroalkane radical formation and subsequent transformations lead to the desired nitroolefin in a stereoselective manner.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja311942e}, author = {Maity, Soham and Manna, Srimanta and Rana, Sujoy and Naveen, Togati and Mallick, Arijit and Maiti, Debabrata} } @article { ISI:000320914200003, title = {Efficient bakers{\textquoteright} yeast-catalyzed multicomponent synthesis of -aminophosphonates in one pot}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {43}, number = {19}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2583-2589}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Utilizing bakers{\textquoteright} yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a biocatalyst, synthesis of -aminophosphonates in one pot has been accomplished by the three-component reaction of an aldehyde, an amine, and diethyl phosphite in moderate to good yields under solvent-free reaction conditions. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher{\textquoteright}s online edition of Synthetic Communications (R) to view the free supplemental file.

}, keywords = {-aminophosphonates, aldehydes, amines, green chemistry, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, solvent-free conditions}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2012.721918}, author = {Bhattacharya, Asish K. and Mujahid, Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000322343100023, title = {Electron rich porous extended framework as a heterogeneous catalyst for Diels-Alder reactions}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {49}, number = {67}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7439-7441}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An electron rich porous metal-organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized, which acts as an effective heterogeneous catalyst for Diels-Alder reactions through encapsulation of the reactants in confined nano-channels of the framework.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc43681k}, author = {Gole, Bappaditya and Bar, Arun Kumar and Mallick, Arijit and Banerjee, Rahul and Mukherjee, Partha Sarathi} } @article { ISI:000321605900046, title = {Enantioselective total synthesis of desbromoarborescidines A-C and the formal synthesis of (S)-deplancheine}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {13}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6802-6808}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Starting from Boc-protected tryptamine and (S)-tetrahydro-5-oxo-2-furancarboxylic acid, facile enantioselective total synthesis of desbromoarborescidines A-C and the formal synthesis of (S)-deplancheine have been accomplished via a common intermediate (S)-indolo[2,3-a]quinolizine. Synthesis of enantiomerically pure (S)-acetoxyglutarimide, stereoselective reductive intramolecular cyclization, hydroxyl group assisted in situ N-Boc-deprotection, selective deoxygenation, of the xanthate ester, and lactam hydrolysis followed by an appropriate exchange of nitrogen regioselectivity in intramolecular cyclization were the decisive steps.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo401079v}, author = {Mondal, Pravat and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000321481300045, title = {Enhanced electrochromic coloration in Ag nanoparticle decorated WO3 thin films}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {102}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {358-368}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

WO3/Ag composite thin films were prepared by microwave assisted sol-gel synthesis (MW-SGS) of WO3 followed by vacuum evaporation of Ag nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochromic coloration was investigated. The composition and morphology of WO3 thin films with different thickness of Ag layer obtained by vacuum evaporation were investigated. Distinct plasmon absorption bands of Ag nanoparticle thin films were obtained. The optical band gap energy of WO3/Ag films decreased with increasing the Ag layer thickness. The surface of these films has been examined using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to gain information about the chemical states of species present at surfaces. Experimental results indicated that the conductivity of the films increased after surface modification by Ag layer. To investigate the origin of enhanced electrochromic absorption in optical properties, working electrode consisting of WO3/Ag thin film was used and observed the optical properties during electrochemical reaction. It was found that composite electrode shows enhancement in electrochromic properties in terms of optical modulation (Delta OD) and coloration efficiency (eta). (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag2WO4, CIE coordinates, Electrochromism, SPR, WO3/Ag composite thin films}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2013.03.123}, author = {Kharade, Rohini R. and Mali, Sawanta S. and Patil, Satish P. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Gang, Myong G. and Patil, Pramod S. and Kim, Jin H. and Bhosale, Popatrao N.} } @article {43230, title = {Enhanced field-emission behavior of layered MoS2 sheets}, journal = {Small}, volume = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2730-2734}, abstract = {Field emission studies are reported for the first time on layered MoS2 sheets at the base pressure of approximate to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn-on field required to draw a field emission current density of 10 A/cm(2) is found to be 3.5 V/m for MoS2 sheets. The turn-on values are found to be significantly lower than the reported MoS2 nanoflowers, graphene, and carbon nanotube-based field emitters due to the high field enhancement factor (approximate to 1138) associated with nanometric sharp edges of MoS2 sheet emitter surface. The emission current-time plots show good stability over a period of 3 h. Owing to the low turn-on field and planar (sheetlike) structure, the MoS2 could be utilized for future vacuum microelectronics/nanoelectronic and flat panel display applications.}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201300002}, author = {Kashid, Ranjit V. and Late, Dattatray J. and Chou, Stanley S. and Huang, Yi-Kai and De, Mrinmoy and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A. and Dravid, Vinayak P.} } @article { ISI:000323241100045, title = {Enhanced hole carrier transport due to increased intermolecular contacts in small molecule based field effect transistors}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {5}, number = {15}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7086-7093}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Small molecules and oligomers can be synthesized with very high purity and precise molecular weights, but they often do not form uniform thin films while processed from solution. Decreased intermolecular contacts between the small molecules are another disadvantage. To increase the intermolecular contacts in small molecules, we have chosen i-indigo, as one of the conjugated molecular units. The electron poor i-indigo has been connected with electron rich triphenylamine to synthesize a donor-acceptor-donor type small molecule. The propeller shaped triphenylamine helps to increase the solubility of the small molecule as well as isotropic charge transport. The intermolecular spacing between the molecules has been found to be low and did not vary as a function of thermal annealing. This implies that the intermolecular contacts between the small molecules are enhanced, and they do not vary as a function of thermal annealing. Organic field effect transistors (OFET) fabricated using a small molecule exhibited a hole carrier mobility (mu) of 0.3 cm(2)/(V s) before thermal annealing. A marginal increase in mu was observed upon thermal annealing at 150 degrees C, which has been attributed to changes in thin film morphology. The morphology of the thin films plays an important role in charge transport in addition to the intermolecular spacing that can be modulated with a judicious choice of the conjugated molecular unit.

}, keywords = {hole mobility, i-indigo, organic field effect transistor, quadrupole interaction, small molecules, triphenylamine}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am401379a}, author = {Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Das, Chayanika and Muddellu, Pooja and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article { ISI:000320099400002, title = {Enzymatic degumming of silk with microbial proteases}, journal = {Journal of Natural Fibers}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {98-111}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Degumming of Chinese bivoltine silk with alkaline proteases from various microbial sources was investigated and compared with commercial enzymes. Among the proteases tested, two fungal and two actinomycete proteases were promising, which showed weight loss similar to conventional method (19.58\% to 21.78\%). Conidiobolus brefeldianus and BOA-2 proteases were best enzymes, which showed weight loss similar to conventional method with low enzyme concentrations and in shorter time. No significant differences were found in tensile strength or elongation at break by enzymatic degumming indicating that there was no damage to the fiber. Scanning electron micrographs showed the sericin deposits were removed and the fibers were separated.

}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, bivoltine, degumming, microbial, Silk, weight loss}, issn = {1544-0478}, doi = {10.1080/15440478.2012.761114}, author = {More, Shivaji V. and Khandelwal, Harish B. and Joseph, M. A. and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000314692400006, title = {Evaluation of ethanol production by a new isolate of yeast during fermentation in synthetic medium and sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate}, journal = {Annals of Microbiology}, volume = {63}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {63-70}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A new xylose fermenting yeast was isolated from over-ripe banana by enrichment in xylose-containing medium. The phylogenetic analysis of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region sequences of ribosomal RNA of isolate BY2 revealed that it shows affiliation to genus Pichia and clades with Pichia caribbica. In batch fermentation, Pichia strain BY2 fermented xylose, producing 15 g l(-1) ethanol from 30 g l(-1) xylose under shaking conditions at 28A degrees C, with ethanol yield of 0.5 g g(-1) and volumetric productivity of 0.31 g l(-1) h(-1). The optimum pH range for ethanol production from xylose by Pichia strain BY2 was 5-7. Pichia strain BY2 also produced 6.08 g l(-1) ethanol from 30 g l(-1) arabinose. Pichia strain BY2 can utilize sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose acid hydrolysate for alcohol production, efficiency of fermentation was improved by neutralization, and sequential use of activated charcoal adsorption method. Percent total sugar utilized and ethanol yield for the untreated hydrolysate was 17.14\% w/v and 0.33 g g(-1), respectively, compared with 66.79\% w/v and 0.45 g g(-1), respectively, for treated hemicellulose acid hydrolysate. This new yeast isolate showed ethanol yield of 0.45 g g(-1) and volumetric productivity of 0.33 g l(-1) h(-1) from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose hydrolysate detoxified by neutralization and activated charcoal treatment, and has potential application in practical process of ethanol production from lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

}, keywords = {D-xylose, Ethanol, Pichia, Sugarcane bagasse hemicellulose}, issn = {1590-4261}, doi = {10.1007/s13213-012-0445-4}, author = {Hande, Aparna and Mahajan, Siddharth A. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000327467000003, title = {Evolution and magnetic characteristics of NiO-Ni(OH)(2) core-shell nanostructures}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {15}, number = {48}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20808-20812}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The evolution and magnetic behaviour of NiO-Ni(OH)(2) core-shell nanostructures with different thicknesses of the hydroxide shell have been studied. The nickel hydroxide shell is found to alter the magnetic characteristics of nickel oxide at low temperatures and explains the origin of the exchange bias effect due to the anti-ferromagnetic NiO core and a ferromagnetic nickel hydroxide shell.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c3cp53612b}, author = {Mahajan, Mangesh B. and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000319006300007, title = {Extended coupled cluster through nth perturbation order for molecular response properties: a comparative study}, journal = {Chemical Physics}, volume = {417}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {45-51}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this paper, we have presented and analyzed the extended coupled cluster (ECC) energy functional, truncated up to nth perturbation order in which expansion is limit to operators of the single and double excitations. The expression for the first order energy derivatives based on the above truncation schemes has been derived and numerically analyzed. We have done a comparative study for dipole moment in various perturbative ECC (n) methods (2 \<= n \<= 5) for three systems (HF, H2O and BH) at equilibrium geometry. We have particularly studied two variants of ECC (4) and ECC (5*) method for stretched geometry. We have analyzed the contribution of important terms present in ECC functional based on perturbative argument. We have compared our results with standard coupled cluster (CCSD) as well as cubic truncated ECC and also benchmarked with the full CI results wherever available. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dipole moment, Energy functional, Extended coupled cluster}, issn = {0301-0104}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphys.2013.03.012}, author = {Gupta, Jitendra and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Ghosh, Aryya and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000317836000016, title = {Extra- and intracellular gold nanoparticles synthesis using live peanut callus cells}, journal = {Current Nanoscience}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {107-112}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

An important challenge of considerable topical significance in nanotechnology is the development of eco-friendly experimental processes for the synthesis of nanomaterials in large quantities with variable sizes, shapes and chemical compositions. Green synthesis routes for the production of inorganic metal nanoparticles using whole cell of microorganisms and plant extracts are gaining tremendous popularity as these are non-toxic, cheap and occur at ambient conditions. The present work emphasizes on gold nanoparticles synthesis protocol using live plant callus cells. Peanut callus cells when incubated with HAuCl4 solution in ambient conditions reduced the precursor and lead to formation of well dispersed, water soluble extracellular and intracellular gold nanoparticles within 24 hours. The biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles was monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and further characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). The particle size distribution shows that the average particle size is 50 nm for extra-and 31 nm for intracellular gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may be stabilized by proteins secreted by callus cells. The reduction process is believed to occur enzymatically, thus creating the possibility of a rational, plant cell-based method for the synthesis of nanoparticles over a wide range of chemical compositions.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, callus, gold nanoparticles, live cells, Peanut, TEM}, issn = {1573-4137}, author = {Raju, D. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {42490, title = {First demonstration of two-step FRET in a synthetic supramolecular assembly}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2380-2386}, abstract = {

We report a trichromophoric pseudorotaxane (3NPC) that demonstrates a two-step FRET-based relay comprising of primary donor{\textendash}primary acceptor/secondary donor{\textendash}secondary acceptor pairs. To achieve this, naphthalene (1) and coumarin (3) were used as the primary donor and secondary acceptor, respectively; while pyrene (2 or T) unit, having spectral overlap with both 1 and 3, was used as the primary acceptor as well as the secondary donor. Results of time resolved and steady-state emission studies reveal that sequential resonance energy transfer (FRET 1 {\textrightarrow} 2 {\textrightarrow} 3) and direct resonance energy transfer (FRET 1 {\textrightarrow} 3) processes are operational simultaneously. In the sequential energy transfer process (1 {\textrightarrow} 2 {\textrightarrow} 3) of the triad system, pyrene acts as a transmitter and makes the whole supramolecular assembly behave as a linear energy transferring wire. Sensitised emission of the coumarin moiety, i.e. the secondary and eventual final acceptor, offers the possibility of evaluating the performance of this linear trichromophoric system by one and two-step FRET mechanisms. Formation of an interwoven complex between the host (NCC24O8) and the guest (T) components, utilizing various non-bonding interactions (intercomponent [N+{\textendash}H...O], [C{\textendash}H...O] and π{\textendash}π stacking interactions) has been confirmed by 1H NMR studies in solution and a single crystal X-structural study in the solid state. The formation constant (Kf = 2.31 {\texttimes} 103 M-1) for the [2]pseudorotaxane was evaluated using isothermal titration calorimetric studies. The complex gives rise to the first crystal structure of a self-assembled [2]pseudorotaxane that demonstrates sequential two-step FRET based energy transfer in a self-assembled triad that is held in an assembly through non-covalent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and π{\textendash}π stacking.

}, doi = {10.1039/C3SC50282A}, author = {Suresh, Moorthy and Mandal, Amal Kumar and Suresh, E. and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000316691100012, title = {Fluorescent sophorolipid molecular assembly and its magnetic nanoparticle loading: a pulsed laser process}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {15}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {943-953}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report realization of strong green fluorescence in a fully biocompatible highly spherical mesoscale molecular assembly of sophorolipid created by pulsed UV laser processing of a water-based dispersion of sophorolipid. Remarkably, the said fluorescence is totally absent in the original molecule of sophorolipid and is thus the property of the pulsed laser induced modifications in the molecule and the assembly. We have separately examined the consequences of laser irradiation for glucose and oleic acid components which form the sophorolipid. This fluorescence character appears to be driven by the oleic acid component while the assembly process is assisted by the glucose component. Importantly the laser synthesized mesostructures can be easily redispersed in an aqueous medium after being dried and can also be loaded with magnetic nanoparticles (magnetite) for inducing the hyperthermia effect.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c3gc40108a}, author = {Singh, Pradeep Kumar and Mukherji, Ruchira and Joshi-Navare, Kasturi and Banerjee, Abhik and Gokhale, Rohan and Nagane, Satyawan and Prabhune, Asmita and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {42701, title = {Formation of tertiary amides and H2 by dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with secondary amines catalyzed by ruthenium bipyridine-based pincer complexes}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {355}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2525{\textendash}2530}, abstract = {

Dehydrogenative coupling of primary alcohols with secondary amines to form tertiary amides and dihydrogen (H2) is efficiently catalyzed by bipyridyl-based ruthenium pincer complexes (0.2{\textendash}1 mol\%) under neutral conditions (in case of the dearomatized complexes), or with added catalytic amount of base. The reaction is sensitive to steric hindrance; in the case of amidation of bulky secondary amines a less sterically hindered complex is more efficient. Selective acylation of primary amines in the presence of secondary amines was also demonstrated.

}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.201300620}, author = {Srimani, Dipankar and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Hu, Peng and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000313165500067, title = {Functional characterization, homology modeling and docking studies of beta-glucosidase responsible for bioactivation of cyanogenic hydroxynitrile glucosides from Leucaena leucocephala (subabul)}, journal = {Molecular Biology Reports}, volume = {40}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1351-1363}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Glycosyl hydrolase family 1 beta-glucosidases are important enzymes that serve many diverse functions in plants including defense, whereby hydrolyzing the defensive compounds such as hydroxynitrile glucosides. A hydroxynitrile glucoside cleaving beta-glucosidase gene (Llbglu1) was isolated from Leucaena leucocephala, cloned into pET-28a (+) and expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells. The recombinant enzyme was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. The optimal temperature and pH for this beta-glucosidase were found to be 45 A degrees C and 4.8, respectively. The purified Llbglu1 enzyme hydrolyzed the synthetic glycosides, pNPGlucoside (pNPGlc) and pNPGalactoside (pNPGal). Also, the enzyme hydrolyzed amygdalin, a hydroxynitrile glycoside and a few of the tested flavonoid and isoflavonoid glucosides. The kinetic parameters K (m) and V (max) were found to be 38.59 mu M and 0.8237 mu M/mg/min for pNPGlc, whereas for pNPGal the values were observed as 1845 mu M and 0.1037 mu M/mg/min. In the present study, a three dimensional (3D) model of the Llbglu1 was built by MODELLER software to find out the substrate binding sites and the quality of the model was examined using the program PROCHEK. Docking studies indicated that conserved active site residues are Glu 199, Glu 413, His 153, Asn 198, Val 270, Asn 340, and Trp 462. Docking of rhodiocyanoside A with the modeled Llbglu1 resulted in a binding with free energy change (Delta G) of -5.52 kcal/mol on which basis rhodiocyanoside A could be considered as a potential substrate.

}, keywords = {Glycosyl hydrolase family 1, homology modeling, Leucaena leucocephala, Molecular docking}, issn = {0301-4851}, doi = {10.1007/s11033-012-2179-6}, author = {Shaik, Noor M. and Misra, Anurag and Singh, Somesh and Fatangare, Amol B. and Ramakumar, Suryanarayanarao and Rawal, Shuban K. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad} } @article { ISI:000313903700015, title = {Glycated proteome: from reaction to intervention}, journal = {Proteomics Clinical Applications}, volume = {7}, number = {1-2, SI}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {155-170}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Glycation, a nonenzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and proteins, is a proteome wide phenomenon, predominantly observed in diabetes due to hyperglycemia. Glycated proteome of plasma, kidney, lens, and brain are implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, including diabetic complications, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and aging. This review discusses the strategies to characterize protein glycation, its functional implications in different diseases, and intervention strategies to protect the deleterious effects of protein glycation.

}, keywords = {aging, Diabetes, Glycation, RAGE}, issn = {1862-8346}, doi = {10.1002/prca.201200101}, author = {Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Korwar, Arvind M. and Mary, Sheon and Bhonsle, Hemangi S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000315844500003, title = {G-quadruplex augments translation in the 5 {\textquoteleft} untranslated region of transforming growth factor beta 2}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1528-1538}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF beta 2) is a versatile cytokine with a prominent role in cell migration, invasion, cellular development, and immunomodulation. TGF beta 2 promotes the malignancy of tumors by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression. As it is well-documented that nucleic acid secondary structure can regulate gene expression, we assessed whether any secondary motif regulates its expression at the post-transcriptional level. Bioinformatics analysis predicts an existence of a 23-nucleotide putative G-quadruplex sequence (PG4) in the 5{\textquoteright} untranslated region (UTR) of TGF beta 2 mRNA. The ability of this stretch of sequence to form a highly stable, intramolecular parallel quadruplex was demonstrated using ultraviolet and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Footprinting studies further validated its existence in the presence of a neighboring nucleotide sequence. Following structural characterization, we evaluated the biological relevance of this secondary motif using a dual luciferase assay. Although PG4 inhibits the expression of the reporter gene, its presence in the context of the entire 5{\textquoteright} UTR sequence interestingly enhances gene expression. Mutation or removal of the G-quadruplex sequence from the 5{\textquoteright} UTR of the gene diminished the level of expression of this gene at the translational level. Thus, here we highlight an activating role of the G-quadruplex in modulating gene expression of TGF beta 2 at the translational level and its potential to be used as a target for the development of therapeutics against cancer.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi301365g}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Mapa, Koyeli and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000326292100005, title = {G-Quadruplexes as tools for synthetic biology}, journal = {Chembiochem}, volume = {14}, number = {16}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2077-2081}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

With the potential to engineer biological systems, synthetic biology is an emerging field that combines various disciplines of sciences. It encompasses combinations of DNA, RNA and protein modules for constructing desired systems and the rewiring of existing signalling networks. Despite recent advances, this field still lags behind in the artificial reconstruction of cellular processes, and thus demands new modules and switches to create genetic circuits. The widely characterised noncanonical nucleic acid secondary structures, G-quadruplexes are promising candidates to be used as biological modules in synthetic biology. Structural plasticity and functional versatility are significant G-quadruplex traits for its integration into a biological system and for diverse applications in synthetic circuits.

}, keywords = {G-quadruplexes, ribozymes, synthetic biology, topology, zipcodes}, issn = {1439-4227}, doi = {10.1002/cbic.201300456}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000317799700001, title = {Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using sunlight}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry}, volume = {258}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {1-9}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are currently among the most widely used man-made nanomaterials, present in a huge range of consumer products. Here we report a simple {\textquoteleft}green{\textquoteright} method of AgNP synthesis of using an anionic surfactant without use of any additional reducing agents. It was observed that synthesis of AgNPs at room temperature (25-35 degrees C) using sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and sunlight. The nanoparticles have been characterised using high-resolution transmission electron spectroscopy (HRTEM), UV-vis spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and are found to have an average diameter of 30 nm. The nanoparticles are water soluble and the nature of the process is amenable to scaling up. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {photochemistry, silver nanoparticles, Sodium dodecyl sulphate, XPS}, issn = {1010-6030}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotochem.2013.02.015}, author = {Bhaduri, Gaurav A. and Little, Ross and Khomane, Ramdas B. and Lokhande, Suhas U. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D. and Mendis, Budhika G. and Siller, Lidija} } @article { ISI:000316583700015, title = {Heterogeneous Co3O4 catalyst for selective oxidation of aqueous veratryl alcohol using molecular oxygen}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {33}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {66-69}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nano-structured, spinel Co3O4 catalyst was developed for the aqueous phase oxidation of veratryl alcohol, which showed the highest conversion of 85\% with 96\% selectivity to veratryl aldehyde. The co-existence of Co3+ and Co2+ species in the octahedral and tetrahedral positions respectively, was confirmed by XPS, cyclic voltammogram, TPR and TPO characterization. The rod-like morphology of Co3O4 catalyst was confirmed by HRTEM. The effects of various reaction parameters namely, catalyst concentration, temperature and partial oxygen pressure on conversion and selectivity patterns were also studied for the oxidation of veratryl alcohol. This catalyst also showed an excellent stability as evidenced by successful reusability for three times. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {Co3O4, Cyclic voltammogram, Liquid phase oxidation, Molecular oxygen, Veratryl alcohol, XPS}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2012.12.015}, author = {Mate, Vivek R. and Shirai, Masayuki and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {42573, title = {Heterovalent cation substitutional doping for quantum dot homojunctions}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article number: 2981}, abstract = {

Colloidal quantum dots have emerged as a material platform for low-cost high-performance optoelectronics. At the heart of optoelectronic devices lies the formation of a junction, which requires the intimate contact of n-type and p-type semiconductors. Doping in bulk semiconductors has been largely deployed for many decades, yet electronically active doping in quantum dots has remained a challenge and the demonstration of robust functional optoelectronic devices had thus far been elusive. Here we report an optoelectronic device, a quantum dot homojunction solar cell, based on heterovalent cation substitution. We used PbS quantum dots as a reference material, which is a p-type semiconductor, and we employed Bi-doping to transform it into an n-type semiconductor. We then combined the two layers into a homojunction device operating as a solar cell robustly under ambient air conditions with power conversion efficiency of 2.7\%.

}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms3981}, author = {Stavrinadis, Alexandros and Rath, Arup Kumar and Pelayo Garcia de Arquer, F. and Diedenhofen, Silke L. and Magen, Cesar and Martinez, Luis and So, David and Konstantatos, Gerasimos} } @article { ISI:000322587800006, title = {High efficiency electron field emission from protruded graphene oxide nanosheets supported on sharp silicon nanowires}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {1}, number = {33}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5040-5046}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Graphene oxide (GO) potentially has applications in vacuum microelectronic devices for realization of field emission displays. Graphene and its derivatives are expected to be efficient field emitters due to their unique electrical properties. However, the flat sheet structure of graphene or GO allows electron field emission only from the edges of graphene and GO nanosheets. In order to extract maximum field emission current density at lower applied voltage from the GO nanosheets, we supported and stretched them on sharp tips of silicon nanowires (SiNWs). Highly efficient and stable field emission with low turn-on field was observed for these SiNW-GO heterostructures. The sharp protrusions created by stretching of the GO nanosheets on SiNWs locally enhance the electric field and thus enhance the field emission characteristics. The dominant use of silicon in electronic devices makes this approach robust for the development of field emission devices using graphene based field emitters.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/c3tc30904e}, author = {Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Deshmukh, Ashvini B. and Sharma, Ponchami and Das, Manash R. and More, Mahendra A. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article { ISI:000324099300024, title = {High magnetostriction coefficient of Mn substituted cobalt ferrite sintered from nanocrystalline powders and after magnetic field annealing}, journal = {Current Applied Physics}, volume = {13}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1697-1701}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Magnetostriction characteristics of Mn substituted cobalt ferrite, CoFe2-xMnxO4 (0 \<= x \<= 0.3), sintered from nanocrystalline powders of average particle size of similar to 4 nm have been studied. Larger value of magnetostriction at lower magnetic field is achieved after substitution of Mn for Fe. The maximum value of magnetostriction coefficient is not much affected and the slope of the magnetostriction is increased with increasing Mn content. Higher maximum value of magnetostriction coefficient (lambda) of 234 ppm comparable to that of the unsubstituted composition with larger strain derivative (d lambda/dH) is obtained for x = 0.2 in CoFe2-xMnxO4. The magnetostriction coefficient is increased to 262 ppm with further enhancement in the strain derivative after annealing the sintered compact at 300 degrees C in a magnetic field of 400 kA/m for 30 min. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, Magnetic field annealing, Magnetostriction, Mn substitution, Nanocrystalline}, issn = {1567-1739}, doi = {10.1016/j.cap.2013.06.030}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000327053200023, title = {High-resolution outgoing longwave radiation dataset from Kalpana-1 satellite during 2004-2012}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {105}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1124-1133}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Long record of high-resolution quality-controlled outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from geostationary platforms like Kalpana-1 has the potential not only to provide detailed information of cloud types contributing to the measure of rain, but also helps unravel convective cloud organization in the tropics from small scale to meso- and synoptic scales. A research quality product of three hourly OLR for the period May 2004 June 2012 is produced from Kalpana-1 very high resolution radiometer (VHRR) radiances over the Indian region (40 degrees S-40 degrees N, 25-125 degrees E) in a regular grid of 0.25 x 0.25 degrees. The quality and usefulness of the dataset is demonstrated here using some illustrative examples. Although these data are available for a relatively short-period, it is shown that they will be potentially more useful than the widely used OLR from NOAA satellites in representing the annual cycles, particularly over the desert and humid oceans, due to their frequent sampling and quality. The active-break periods in the Indian summer monsoon picked up by both the OLR match well. This three hourly OLR estimated from Kalpana-1 VHRR is able to describe the fine-scale structure of the diurnal variation over the region.

}, keywords = {Active break periods, diurnal variation, geostationary platforms, outgoing longwave radiation}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mahakur, M. and Prabhu, A. and Sharma, A. K. and Rao, V. R. and Senroy, S. and Singh, Randhir and Goswami, B. N.} } @article { ISI:000328437200053, title = {Hydrolytic conversion of a metal-organic polyhedron into a metal-organic framework}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {52}, number = {51}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13755-13759}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, keywords = {cage compounds, crystal engineering, hydrophobic effect, metal-organic frameworks, Self-assembly}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201307486}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Garai, Bikash and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000317399600014, title = {Hydrophobic and hydrophilic balance and its effect on mesophase behaviour in hydroxyalkyl ethers of methyl glucopyranoside}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {19}, number = {16}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {5041-5049}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Four series of monosubstituted methyl -D-glucopyranoside hydroxyalkyl ethers were prepared and their thermotropic and lyotropic self-organising properties were investigated in terms of the hydrophobichydrophilic balance with respect to their molecular structures. The results obtained lead us to a new understanding of the forces that drive the formation of condensed soft-matter phases.

}, keywords = {carbohydrates, liquid crystals, mesophases, Self-assembly, soft matter}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201202933}, author = {Singh, Madan K. and Xu, Rui and Moebs, Sylvie and Kumar, Anil and Queneau, Yves and Cowling, Stephen J. and Goodby, John W.} } @article { ISI:000209475700357, title = {Hydroxyl radical generation in mycobacterial cell is an essential process for breaking dormancy and maintenance of active state by stepwise metabolic shift}, journal = {Free Radical Biology and Medicine}, volume = {65}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {S146}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, issn = {0891-5849}, doi = {10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2013.10.764}, author = {Mishra, Abhishek} } @article {42574, title = {Imprinted electrodes for enhanced light trapping in solution processed solar cells}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {26}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {443{\textendash}448}, doi = {10.1002/adma.201303674}, author = {Mihi, Agustin and Beck, Fiona J. and Lasanta, Tania and Rath, Arup Kumar and Konstantatos, Gerasimos} } @article {42776, title = {Improvement of regenerative rankine cycle using absorption heat boosters}, journal = {International Journal of Exergy}, volume = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {298-322}, doi = {10.1504/IJEX.2013.054115}, author = {Mali, Nilesh A. and Mudadi, Rohit H. and Bhagwat, Sunil S.} } @article { ISI:000326366800071, title = {Influence of charge and ligand on the finite temperature behavior of gold clusters: a BOMD study on Au-6 cluster}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {117}, number = {40}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20982-20990}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Conformation and electronic charge on a gold cluster are known to determine its catalytic property. However, little is known on the finite temperature behavior of various gold cluster conformations. Much less is known on the role of charge or a ligand in stabilizing a conformation at finite temperatures. In this work, we have carried out relativistic density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamical simulations on neutral and charged Au-6 clusters with an aim of understanding the stability of ground state conformations as a function of charge on the cluster. Our simulations reveal that cationic and anionic Au-6 clusters undergo conformational transitions at 500 K where as neutral Au-6 cluster retains its ground state conformation up to a temperature of 1100 K. In order to look into the factors leading to the stabilization of neutral Au-6 cluster (or destabilization of cationic and anionic Au-6 clusters), structural and electronic properties are analyzed. Factors such as charge redistribution within the atoms and composition of molecular orbitals are seen to contribute towards stronger Au-Au bonds in Au-6(0) thereby stabilizing it considerably. Following the analysis, simulations are also extended to neutral, cationic, and anionic Au-6-COn (n = 1,2) complexes. In the case of CO chemisorbed Au-6 clusters, neutral and negatively charged ground state conformations are stable up to nearly 800 K, while the positively charged Au-6 ground state conformation collapses at room temperature. This work, in short demonstrates how charge or even a ligand can be used to moderate the physical properties of a gold cluster.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp407081m}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article { ISI:000324311200017, title = {Influence of initial particle size on the magnetostriction of sintered cobalt ferrite derived from nanocrystalline powders}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {346}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {96-102}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The role of initial particle size on the magnetostriction coefficient of sintered cobalt ferrite derived from nanocrystalline powders is studied. Nanoparticles of cobalt ferrite with different sizes in the range 3-80 nm are synthesized by an autocombustion method using metal nitrates and glycine. It has been observed that the initial particle size of the starting powders has a strong influence on the magnetostrictive behavior of sintered cobalt ferrite. Highest magnetostrictive strain and strain derivative are obtained for sintered ferrite derived from nanoparticles of size \< 5 nm. The results show that higher magnetostriction coefficient for sintered cobalt ferrite can be achieved by compacting nanocrystalline particles of very small size. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, magnetic properties, Magnetostriction, Microstructure, Nanocrystalline, Particle size}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2013.07.016}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000318577600145, title = {Liquefied petroleum gas sensing performance of cerium doped copper ferrite}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5901-5907}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Undoped and cerium (Ce) doped nanocrystalline copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) materials were synthesized via the molten-salt (M-S) method. Effects of Ce doping on the structural, morphological and gas sensing properties of the CuFe2O4 ferrite have been investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of spinel CuFe2O4. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations showed that the synthesized ferrite is made up of very fine spherical nanoparticles. Moreover, the gas sensing properties of sintered samples were studied towards different reducing gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), acetone, ethanol and ammonia. The sample with 4\% cerium doped CuFe2O4 (Ce4) showed the maximum gas sensitivity (86\%) towards LPG with fast response time of 5 s and good recovery time of 68 s. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ferrite, Gas sensor, Molten-salt method, TEM}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.01.010}, author = {Khandekar, M. S. and Tarwal, N. L. and Patil, J. Y. and Shaikh, F. I. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000320005100018, title = {Mapping ion-induced mesophasic transformation in lyotropic in situ gelling system and its correlation with pharmaceutical performance}, journal = {Pharmaceutical Research}, volume = {30}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1906-1914}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

To investigate influence of ion induced mesophasic transformation on pharmaceutical performance of in situ gelling system consisting of glyceryl monooleate. The prepared system showed mesophasic transformation during its conversion from sol to gel upon controlled hydration. The process of mesophasic transformation was studied by SAXS, DSC, rheology and plane polarized light microscopy. Further the influence of additives i.e. naproxen salts (sodium and potassium) and naproxen (base) on the process of mesophasic transformation was also elucidated. It was observed that addition of salt form of naproxen transformed W/O emulsions into cubic mesophase whereas addition of base form of naproxen formed reverse hexagonal (H-II) phase upon controlled hydration. The cubic mesophase formed by naproxen salts retarded the drug release for initial 3 h whereas H-II phase showed sustained drug release characteristics for naproxen base following Higuchi drug release kinetics. The current work suggests that formulations with tailor made pharmaceutical performance can be developed by selecting proper additives in the system so as to obtain the desired mesophase {\textquoteleft}on demand{\textquoteright} thereby controlling drug release characteristics.

}, keywords = {cubic phase, hexagonal phase, liquid crystal, mesophasic transformation, sustained drug release}, issn = {0724-8741}, doi = {10.1007/s11095-013-1033-4}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000326207600024, title = {Mechanism of action of novel synthetic dodecapeptides against Candida albicans}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1830}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5193-5203}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Three de novo designed low molecular weight cationic peptides (IJ2, IJ3 and IJ4) containing an unnatural amino acid alpha,beta-didehydrophenylalanine (APhe) exhibited potent antifungal activity against fluconazole (FLC) sensitive and resistant clinical isolates of Candida albicans as well as non-albi cans and other yeast and filamentous pathogenic fungi. In the present study, their synthesis, susceptibility of different fungi and the mechanism of anti-candidal action have been elucidated. Methods: The antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were synthesized by solid-phase method and checked for antifungal activity against different yeasts and fungi by broth microdilution method. Anti-candidal mode of action of the peptides was investigated through detecting membrane permeabilization by confocal microscopy, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation by fluorometry, apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry and cell wall damage using Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Results and conclusions: The MIC of the peptides against C. albicans and other yeast and filamentous fungal pathogens ranged between 3.91 and 250 mu M. All three peptides exhibited effect on multiple targets in C. albi cans including disruption of cell wall structures, compromised cell membrane permeability leading to their enhanced entry into the cells, accumulation of ROS and induction of apoptosis. The peptides also showed synergistic effect when used in combination with fluconazole (FLC) and caspofungin (CAS) against C. albi cans. General significance: The study suggests that the AMPs alone or in combination with conventional antifungals hold promise for the control of fungal pathogens, and need to be further explored for treatment of fungal infections. (C) 2013 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antifungal peptide, Antimicrobial peptide (AMP), Apoptosis, Candida albicans, Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.07.016}, author = {Maurya, Indresh Kumar and Thota, Chaitanya Kumar and Sharma, Jyotsna and Tupe, Santosh Genba and Chaudhary, Preeti and Singh, Manoj Kumar and Thakur, Indu Shekhar and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Prasad, Rajendra and Chauhan, Virander Singh} } @article { ISI:000317255200008, title = {Mechanistic approach for expeditious and solvent-free synthesis of alpha-hydroxy phosphonates using potassium phosphate as catalyst}, journal = {Comptes Rendus Chimie}, volume = {16}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {148-152}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

An extremely simple, high yielding, highly rapid and solvent-free protocol has been described for hydrophosphylation of aldehydes using potassium phosphate as catalyst. Easy commercial availability of the reusable catalyst, operational simplicity at ambient temperature and avoidance of conventional work-up as well as purification procedure makes this solvent-free protocol a near-ideal synthesis. (C) 2012 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alpha-hydroxy phosphonates, Hydrophosphylation, Potassium phosphate, Solvent-free}, issn = {1631-0748}, doi = {10.1016/j.crci.2012.10.009}, author = {Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Lad, Uday P. and Desai, Uday V. and Mitragotri, Satish D. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000316018200011, title = {Mechanistic insights into the inhibition of endo-beta 1,4 xyloglucan hydrolase by a classical aspartic protease inhibitor}, journal = {Journal of Fluorescence}, volume = {23}, number = {2}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {311-321}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

This is the first report of inactivation of xyloglucanase from Thermomonospora sp by pepstatin A, a specific inhibitor towards aspartic proteases. The steady state kinetics revealed a reversible, competitive, two-step inhibition mechanism with IC (50) and K (i) values of 3.5 +/- 0.5 mu M and 1.25 +/- 0.5 mu M respectively. The rate constants determined for the isomerization of EI to EI* and the dissociation of EI* were 14.5 +/- 1.5 x 10(-5) s(-1) and 2.85 +/- 1.2 x 10(-8) s(-1) respectively, whereas the overall inhibition constant K (i) (*) was 27 +/- 1 nM. The conformational changes induced upon inhibitor binding to xyloglucanase were monitored by fluorescence analysis and the rate constants derived were in agreement with the kinetic data. The abolished isoindole fluorescence of o-phthalaldehyde (OPTA)-labeled xyloglucanase and far UV analysis suggested that pepstatin binds to the active site of the enzyme. Our results revealed that the inactivation of xyloglucanase is due to the interference in the electronic microenvironment and disruption of the hydrogen-bonding network between the essential histidine and other residues involved in catalysis.

}, keywords = {4 xyloglucan hydrolase, Endo-beta 1, Enzyme kinetics, Inactivation mechanism, Pepstatin, Slow-tight binding}, issn = {1053-0509}, doi = {10.1007/s10895-012-1149-7}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000318589100018, title = {Metal or nonmetal cooperation with a phenyl group: route to catalysis? a computational investigation}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {3}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {920-927}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Full quantum mechanical calculations demonstrate that cooperativity in the form of the activation of the M-C bond (M: transition metal or boron, C: the ipso carbon of the coordinated phenyl group) can lead to effective catalysis pathways. Calculations show that the presence of an aromatic bidentate ligand attached to a transition metal, or even a main group element, such as boron, can lead to effective catalysts for,a, range of important reactions, such as the dehydrogenation of ammonia borane and formic acid and the activation of the N-H, bond in aromatic amities. Moreover, it is shown that the design of tridentate pincer complexes with the aromatic group at a terminal end can lead to effective M-C cooperativity. As such, the current work introduces a new concept in cooperativity and bond activation chemistry.

}, keywords = {catalysis, Density functional theory, metal-ligand cooperativity, small molecule activation}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/cs400174u}, author = {Ghatak, Kamalika and Mane, Manoj and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000319458900005, title = {Modified zeolite immobilized palladium for ligand-free suzuki-miyaura cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {738}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {29-34}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A palladium-based catalyst supported on modified ZSM-5 was successfully prepared by a facile procedure. The prepared heterogeneous catalyst Pd@desilicated ZSM-5 showed an excellent catalytic activity at very low Pd loading (0.02 mol\%) for the ligand-free Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions of various aryl bromides affording excellent yields of the products. The prepared catalyst presents good recyclability, over four catalytic cycles. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, zeolite}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2013.03.031}, author = {Kumbhar, Arjun and Kamble, Santosh and Mane, Anand and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Salunkhe, Rajashri} } @article { ISI:000330159500007, title = {Molecular interactions, proton exchange, and photoinduced processes prompted by an inclusion process and a [2]pseudorotaxane formation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {18}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9004-9012}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Appropriate design of the host and guest components allows formation of a novel [2]pseudorotaxane complex with an interrupted photoinduced electron transfer (PET)-coupled fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) response. This is the first example of an inclusion complex with NO6-based azacrown ether as the host unit (H). Different guest molecules (G1, G2, G3, and G4) with varying stopper size are used for the studies. Unlike G1, G2, and G3, G4 with a relatively bulkier stopper fails to form a [2]pseudorotaxane complex. Isothermal titration microcaloiimetry measurements reveal a systematic increase in the association constant for H.G1, H.G2, and H.G3 with a change in the stopper size. Thermodynamic data suggest that the formation of H.G1/H.G2/H.G3 is exclusively driven by a large positive entropic gain (T Delta S = 19.69/26.80/21.81 kJ.mol(-1)), while the enthalpy change is slightly negative for H.G1/H.G3 (-2.61/-1.97 kJ.mol(-1)) and slightly positive for H.G2 (Delta H = 5.98 kJ.mol(-1)). For these three inclusion complexes, an interrupted PET-coupled FRET response is observed with varying efficiency, which is attributed to the subtle differences in acidity of the NH2+ unit of the guest molecules and thus the proton exchange ability between the host and respective guest. This is substantiated by the results of the computational studies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo400752d}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Suresh, Moorthy and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Agrawal, Manoj and Boricha, Vinod P. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000319720700012, title = {Molecular-beacon-based screen for small molecule inhibitors of miRNA maturation}, journal = {ACS Chemical Biology}, volume = {8}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {930-938}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate about 60\% of mammalian genes by modulating their transcript levels. Network scale studies of miRNA-mediated regulatory circuits demonstrate the central importance of this class of small RNA in the maintenance of biological robustness. More recently, several reports have described the deregulation of numerous miRNA to be causally associated with many diseases, including cancer. These studies have highlighted the potential for development of therapeutic modalities against miRNA. Previous screening protocols, for small molecules targeting miRNA function, are either costly or technically too complex to be applied in a high-throughput manner in standard chemical laboratories. We describe a simple in vitro screening method using a DNA-based molecular beacon that overcomes the limitations associated with earlier screens. We used this method to identify inhibitors of miR-27a function from a library of 14 aminoglycosides as a pilot study. Inhibitory molecules identified were further scrutinized to identify the validity of screen. With this proof of concept we illustrate the utility of a scalable molecular-beacon-based screening strategy for miRNA inhibitors.

}, issn = {1554-8929}, doi = {10.1021/cb300650y}, author = {Bose, Debojit and Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Kumar, Santosh and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000327312400019, title = {New enantioselective synthesis of the anticonvulsant drug pregabalin (lyrica) based on a hydrolytic kinetic resolution method}, journal = {Chirality}, volume = {25}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {965-969}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A practical and efficient enantioselective synthesis of the anticonvulsant drug pregabalin is described for the first time using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution of a terminal epoxide as a key step and a source of chirality. Chirality 25:965-969, 2013. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {anticonvulsant drug, Hydrolytic kinetic resolution, pregabalin}, issn = {0899-0042}, doi = {10.1002/chir.22253}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000318393000028, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene catalyzed oxidative stannylation of aldehydes: a facile entry to organotin(IV) carboxylates}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {54}, number = {21}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2679-2681}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple protocol is described for the oxidative transformation of aldehydes to the corresponding organotin(IV) carboxylates in high yields (up to 90\%) that utilizes atmospheric O-2 as the sole oxidant, N-heterocyclic carbene as catalyst (at 10 mol \%), and tributyl tin chloride as stannylating agent. The uniqueness of the reaction lies in the direct conversion of aldehydes to the corresponding organotin(IV) carboxylates via stannylation of carboxylic acids, generated from the reaction of a Breslow intermediate with O-2. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carboxylic acid stannanes, N-Heterocyclic carbene, Oxidative stannylation, oxygen, Tributyltin chloride}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.03.050}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Malekar, Pushpa V. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000325194900006, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene catalyzed regioselective oxo-acyloxylation of alkenes with aromatic aldehydes: a high yield synthesis of alpha-acyloxy ketones and esters}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {11}, number = {38}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6477-6482}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed reaction of alkenes with aromatic aldehydes providing for a high yield synthesis of alpha-acyloxy ketones and esters has been described. This unprecedented regioselective oxidative process employs NBS and Et3N in stoichiometric amounts and O-2 (1 atm) as an oxidant under ambient conditions in DMSO as a solvent.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c3ob41551a}, author = {Reddi, Rambabu N. and Malekar, Pushpa V. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article { ISI:000325950600094, title = {Novel and efficient synthesis of azaarene-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles via sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes over a heterogeneous, reusable silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid catalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {43}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {20281-20286}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel and efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of azaarene-substituted 3-hydroxy-2-oxindoles via sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes with isatin in good to excellent yield. This is the first example in which heterogeneous, reusable silica supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyzed sp(3) C-H functionalization of 2-substituted azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra43515f}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S.} } @conference { ISI:000317266700656, title = {Novel, band-controlled metal oxide compositions for semiconductor-mediated photocatalytic splitting of water to produce H-2}, booktitle = { 57th DAE Solid State Physics Symposium}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1512}, year = {2013}, note = {57th DAE Solid State Physics Symposium, Indian Inst Technol, Bombay, INDIA, DEC 03-07, 2012}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1321}, publisher = {Gov India, Dept Atom Energy (DAE), Board Res Nucl Sci (BRNS)}, organization = {Gov India, Dept Atom Energy (DAE), Board Res Nucl Sci (BRNS)}, address = {Indian Institute of Bombay, India }, isbn = {978-0-7354-1133-3}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4791546}, author = {Gupta, Narendra M.}, editor = {Chauhan, A. K. and Murli, C. and Gadkari, S. C.} } @article { ISI:000316238400025, title = {One pot synthesis, growth mechanism and optical properties of Zn1-xCdxSe graded core/shell and alloy nanocrystals}, journal = {Journal of Luminescence}, volume = {135}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {154-159}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Comparatively higher photoluminescence yield along with robustness of core/shell semiconductor nanocrystals make them attractive candidates for studying intricate quantum size effects. Here, we report, one pot synthesis of Zn1-xCdxSe graded core/shell structures by exploiting change in the reactivity of precursors. Optical and structural measurements indicate formation of graded structure. Growth mechanism probed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy shows formation of graded core/shell structure, with CdSe rich core and ZnSe rich shell. Annealing these nanocrystals, in chemical bath, leads to diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Formation of Zn1-xCdxSe alloy is also observed in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements, confirming the diffusion of Cd from core to shell region. Substantially high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 60\% with narrow line width of about 27 nm, was observed and is attributable to the reduced strain due to graded core/shell structure. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Graded core/shell, II-VI Semiconductor, Luminescence, Optical properties, Semiconductor alloy}, issn = {0022-2313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jlumin.2012.10.042}, author = {Sonawane, Kiran G. and Patil, K. R. and Mahamuni, Shailaja} } @article { ISI:000316351800012, title = {One size does not fit all: on how markov model order dictates performance of genomic sequence analyses}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {41}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1416-1424}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The structural simplicity and ability to capture serial correlations make Markov models a popular modeling choice in several genomic analyses, such as identification of motifs, genes and regulatory elements. A critical, yet relatively unexplored, issue is the determination of the order of the Markov model. Most biological applications use a predetermined order for all data sets indiscriminately. Here, we show the vast variation in the performance of such applications with the order. To identify the {\textquoteleft}optimal{\textquoteright} order, we investigated two model selection criteria: Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). The BIC optimal order delivers the best performance for mammalian phylogeny reconstruction and motif discovery. Importantly, this order is different from orders typically used by many tools, suggesting that a simple additional step determining this order can significantly improve results. Further, we describe a novel classification approach based on BIC optimal Markov models to predict functionality of tissue-specific promoters. Our classifier discriminates between promoters active across 12 different tissues with remarkable accuracy, yielding 3 times the precision expected by chance. Application to the metagenomics problem of identifying the taxum from a short DNA fragment yields accuracies at least as high as the more complex mainstream methodologies, while retaining conceptual and computational simplicity.

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gks1285}, author = {Narlikar, Leelavati and Mehta, Nidhi and Galande, Sanjeev and Arjunwadkar, Mihir} } @article { ISI:000315968900025, title = {Organophotocatalysis in nanostructured soft gel materials as tunable reaction vessels: comparison with homogeneous and micellar solutions}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {1}, number = {14}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4577-4588}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Riboflavin tetraacetate-catalyzed aerobic photooxidation of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethanol was investigated as a model reaction under blue visible light in different soft gel materials, aiming to establish their potential as reaction vessels for photochemical transformations. Three strategies involving different degrees of organization of the catalyst within the gel network were explored, and the results compared to those obtained in homogeneous and micellar solutions. In general, physical entrapment of both the catalyst and the substrate under optimized concentrations into several hydrogel matrices (including low-molecular-weight and biopolymer-based gels) allowed the photooxidation with conversions between 55 and 100\% within 120 min (TOF similar to 0.045-0.08 min(-1); k(obs) similar to 0.011-0.028 min(-1)), albeit with first-order rates ca. 1-3-fold lower than in solution under comparable non-stirred conditions. Remarkably, the organogel made of a cyclohexane-based bisamide gelator in CH3CN not only prevented the photodegradation of the catalyst but also afforded full conversion in less than 60 min (TOF similar to 0.167 min(-1); k(obs) similar to 0.073 min(-1)) without the need of additional proton transfer mediators (e. g., thiourea) as it occurs in CH3CN solutions. In general, the gelators could be recycled without detriment to their gelation ability and reaction rates. Moreover, kinetics could be fine-tuned according to the characteristics of the gel media. For instance, entangled fibrillar networks with relatively high mechanical strength were usually associated with lower reaction rates, whereas wrinkled laminated morphologies seemed to favor the reaction. In addition, the kinetics results showed in most cases a good correlation with the aeration efficiency of the gel media.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c3ta01109g}, author = {Bachl, Jurgen and Hohenleutner, Andreas and Dhar, Basab Bijayi and Cativiela, Carlos and Maitra, Uday and Koenig, Burkhard and Diaz, David Diaz} } @article { ISI:000320148900002, title = {Phytosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by semecarpus anacardium L. leaf extract}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {102}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5-7}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using Semecmpus anacardium L leaf extract was studied. The reduction of silver (Ag+) ions was characterized by using UV-vis spectrophotometer showing formation of AgNPs within 15-20 mm. A time dependent reaction showed the increase in the nanoparticles (NPs) with time. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that the synthesized AgNPs varied from 10 to 25 nm and has spherical shape. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis showed that phenols and protein were responsible for the formation of the AgNPs. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis confirms the formed NPs were of silver. The quantification of AgNPs was studied by inductive coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP-AES). The important outcome of this work can be value addition to the medicinal plants in synthesis of NPs for biomedical applications. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {FTIR, Leaf extract, Nanoparticles, Semecarpus anacardium, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2013.03.091}, author = {Raju, D. and Hazra, Sulekha and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article {42623, title = {Plasticity of protease gene expression in helicoverpa armigera upon exposure to multi-domain capsicum annuum protease inhibitor}, journal = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects}, volume = {1830}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3414{\textendash}3420}, abstract = {

Background A multi-domain Pin-II type protease inhibitor from Capsicum annuum (CanPI-7) is known to be effective against the insect pest, Helicoverpa armigera. The present study is an attempt to investigate the optimal dose of recombinant CanPI-7 (rCanPI-7) for effective antibiosis to H. armigera and further to characterize the responses of digestive proteases upon rCanPI-7 ingestion. Methods The gut protease activity was assessed biochemically and transcript accumulation pattern for selected trypsin and chymotrypsin genes was analyzed by quantitative Real-Time PCR. Results The growth retardation upon exposure to rCanPI-7 was more prominent in neonates as compared to third instar larvae. Influence of stage and dosage of rCanPI-7 was conspicuous on the expression and regulation of candidate trypsin and chymotrypsin genes in H. armigera. The transcript accumulation pattern correlated with the protease activity in rCanPI-7 exposed larvae. Conclusions We conclude that early exposure and specific dose of protease inhibitor are essential for effective antibiosis despite the large diversity and plasticity in the expression of protease genes in H. armigera. Moreover, it is also evident that the regulation and expression of H. armigera gut proteases are specific to the stage of PI exposure. General significance These results highlight the requirement of optimal PI concentration for effective growth retardation and for inhibiting the major gut proteases of H. armigera.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.03.017}, author = {Mahajan, Neha S. and Mishra, Manasi and Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {42702, title = {PNN-Ru pincer complexes based on phosphinated 2,2{\textquoteright}-dipyridinemethane- and 2,2{\textquoteright}-oxobispyridine. metal-ligand cooperation in cyclometallation and catalysis}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {32}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2973{\textendash}2982}, abstract = {

The synthesis of novel PNN ruthenium pincer complexes based on 2,2'-dipyridinemethane phosphine derivatives, as well as on 2,2'-oxobispyridine phosphine ligands, and their reactivity toward dearomatization and cyclometalation are described. The dearomatized compounds 7a,b undergo cyclometalation to yield complexes 8a,b. In order for cyclometalation to proceed, the coordination sphere around the Ru center has to rearrange, and this depends on the flexibility of the system, showing that the cyclometalation is qualitatively faster in the case of the dimethyl derivative 7a than in the case of the spyrocyclopentyl derivative 7b. The cyclometalation occurs diastereoselectively and leads to only one diastereomer of the cyclometalated compounds. In the case of the 2,2'-oxobispyridine complex 6c, the dearomatized complex was too unstable to be isolated; however it was possible to isolate and characterize a stable dicarbonyl-dearomatized ruthenium(II) complex, 9c, when the deprotonation was performed under a CO atmosphere. Dearomatization of 6a under CO also led to dicarbonyl-dearomatized ruthenium(II) complex 9a, which slowly rearranged into the dicarbonyl-aromatized ruthenium(0) complex 10a. These complexes were tested in catalytic alcohol{\textendash}amine coupling, esterification of primary alcohols, and hydrogenation of secondary amides. Moderate activity was observed in hydrogenation of amides to alcohols and amines and low activity in the other transformations, owing mainly to the formation of stable cyclometalated compounds.

}, doi = {10.1021/om400194w}, author = {Barrios-Francisco, Rigoberto and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Leitus, Gregory and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000320305100009, title = {Purification and characterization of a thermolysin like protease from thermoactinomyces thalpophilus MCMB-380}, journal = {Protein and Peptide Letters}, volume = {20}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {918-925}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

The extracellular thermolysin like protease (TLP) was purified and characterized from Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus MCMB-380 (Genbank Accession No. EF397000). The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by successive ultra filtration steps using 50 kDa and 10 kDa membrane filters followed by anion exchange chromatography. The molecular mass and isoelectric point of the enzyme were found to be 34.4 kDa and 9.5, respectively. The proteolytic activity was inhibited by EDTA and the enzyme required Ca2+ to show the full activity as well as thermostability. The T-50 of the enzyme at 80 degrees C was 1 h and the activation energy was estimated to be 11.02 Kcal / mol. Atomic absorption spectrophotometric analysis revealed the presence of Zn2+ ion in the protein core indicating that it is a metalloprotease. This protease has commercial potential in catalyzing the condensation reaction of two amino acids for production of the dipeptide aspartame, an artificial sweetener. The one hour time-frame is significantly faster than that of the enzyme thermolysin from Bacillus thermoproteolyticus. Moreover the TLP was stable at 80 degrees C for one hour which makes it industrially robust. The Zn2+ ion in the T. thalpophilus protease appears to be necessary for maintaining the active conformation of the enzyme molecule.

}, keywords = {Metalloprotease, Thermostability, TLP}, issn = {0929-8665}, author = {Majumder, Devipriya R. and Kanekar, Pradnya P. and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article {PACHFULE, title = {Realistic host-vector transmission model for describing malaria prevalence pattern}, journal = {Bulletin of Mathematical Biology}, volume = {75}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2499-2528}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Malaria continues to be a major public health concern all over the world even after effective control policies have been employed, and considerable understanding of the disease biology have been attained, from both the experimental and modelling perspective. Interactions between different general and local processes, such as dependence on age and immunity of the human host, variations of temperature and rainfall in tropical and sub-tropical areas, and continued presence of asymptomatic infections, regulate the host-vector interactions, and are responsible for the continuing disease prevalence pattern. In this paper, a general mathematical model of malaria transmission is developed considering short and long-term age-dependent immunity of human host and its interaction with pathogen-infected mosquito vector. The model is studied analytically and numerically to understand the role of different parameters related to mosquitoes and humans. To validate the model with a disease prevalence pattern in a particular region, real epidemiological data from the north-eastern part of India was used, and the effect of seasonal variation in mosquito density was modelled based on local climactic data. The model developed based on general features of host-vector interactions, and modified simply incorporating local environmental factors with minimal changes, can successfully explain the disease transmission process in the region. This provides a general approach toward modelling malaria that can be adapted to control future outbreaks of malaria.

}, keywords = {Basic reproduction number, Environmental effects, Malaria model, Prevalence data, Stability analysis}, issn = {0092-8240}, doi = {10.1007/s11538-013-9905-7}, author = {Mandal, Sandip and Sinha, Somdatta and Sarkar, Ram Rup} } @article {42740, title = {Recent advances in transition-metal-free direct C{\textendash}C and C{\textendash}heteroatom bond forming reactions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {11957-11986}, abstract = {

The efficient generation of biaryl compounds and heterocycles via the advent of the transition-metal-free coupling reaction constitutes an important development in the last few years. Although early methods for the construction of such molecules involved transition metals, recent advances in the field have witnessed a myriad of elegant reports without the use of metal sources. The serendipitous discovery and observation of synthetic chemists have realized that there lies a great potential in exploiting the inherent reactivity of molecules in absence of transition metal. The key to the success of such coupling reactions is the use of a strong base, oxidant and a catalytic amount of N-donor ligands which contribute significantly. This review aims to highlight the recent progress in the field of transition-metal-free direct C{\textendash}C and C{\textendash}heteroatom bond forming reactions via the use of a strong base and (or) an oxidant.

}, doi = {10.1039/C3RA40813B}, author = {Mehta, Vaibhav P. and Punji, Benudhar} } @article { ISI:000324223600112, title = {Response to the comments on {\textquoteleft}Investigations on Ru doped ZnO: strain calculations and gas sensing study{\textquoteright}}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {186}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {826}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2013.05.089}, author = {Navale, Shalaka C. and Ravi, V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article { ISI:000326296800033, title = {Role of substituents on the reactivity and electron density profile of diimine ligands: a density functional theory based study}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {125}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1247-1258}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

In this paper, we study the reactivity of diimines like 2, 2({\textquoteright})-bipyridine, 1, l0-phenanthroline and 1, 2, 4-triazines using density-based reactivity descriptors. We discuss the enhancement or diminution in the reactivity of these ligands as a function of two substituent groups, namely methyl (-CH3) group and phenyl (-C6H5) group. The global reactivity descriptors explain the global affinity and philicity of these ligands, whereas the local softness depicts the particular site selectivity. The inter-molecular reactivity trends for the same systems are analysed through the philicity and group philicity indices. The sigma-donor character of these ligands is quantified with the help of electron density profile. In addition, the possible strength of interaction of these ligands with metal ions is supported with actual reaction energies of Ru-L complexes.

}, keywords = {2, 2 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine, DFT, diimine, Reactivity descriptors, Ru-ligand interaction, substituent effects}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-013-0469-8}, author = {Kulkarni, Bhakti S. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000326716300008, title = {Seasonal prediction of Indian summer monsoon in NCEP coupled and uncoupled model}, journal = {Theoretical and Applied Climatology}, volume = {114}, number = {3-4}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {459-477}, publisher = {SPRINGER WIEN}, address = {SACHSENPLATZ 4-6, PO BOX 89, A-1201 WIEN, AUSTRIA}, abstract = {

This study has identified probable factors that govern ISMR predictability. Furthermore, extensive analysis has been performed to evaluate factors leading to the predictability aspect of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall (ISMR) using uncoupled and coupled version of National Centers for Environmental Prediction Coupled Forecast System (CFS). It has been found that the coupled version (CFS) has outperformed the uncoupled version [Global Forecast System (GFS)] of the model in terms of prediction of rainfall over Indian land points. Even the spatial distribution of rainfall is much better represented in the CFS as compared to that of GFS. Even though these model skills are inadequate for the reliable forecasting of monsoon, it imparts the capacious knowledge about the model fidelity. The mean monsoon features and its evolution in terms of rainfall and large-scale circulation along with the zonal and meridional shear of winds, which govern the strength of the monsoon, are relatively closer to the observation in the CFS as compared to the GFS. Furthermore, sea surface temperature-rainfall relation is fairly realistic and intense in the coupled version of the model (CFS). It is found that the CFS is able to capture El Nio Southern Oscillation ISMR (ENSO-ISMR) teleconnections much strongly as compared to GFS; however, in the case of Indian Ocean Dipole ISMR teleconnections, GFS has the larger say. Coupled models have to be fine-tuned for the prediction of the transition of El Nio as well as the strength of the mature phase has to be improved. Thus, to sum up, CFS tends to have better predictive skill on account of following three factors: (a) better ability to replicate mean features, (b) comparatively better representation of air-sea interactions, and (c) much better portrayal of ENSO-ISMR teleconnections. This study clearly brings out that coupled model is the only way forward for improving the ISMR prediction skill. However, coupled model{\textquoteright}s spurious representation of SST variability and mean model bias are detrimental in seasonal prediction.

}, issn = {0177-798X}, doi = {10.1007/s00704-013-0854-8}, author = {Chaudhari, Hemantkumar S. and Pokhrel, Samir and Mohanty, Sachiko and Saha, Subodh K.} } @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 {42703, title = {Stepwise metal-ligand cooperation via a reversible aromatization-deconjugation-sequence in ruthenium complexes with a tetradentate phenanthroline-based ligand}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {19}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3407{\textendash}3414}, abstract = {

The synthesis and reactivity of ruthenium complexes containing the tetradentate phenanthroline-based phosphine ligand 2,9-bis((di-tert-butylphosphino)methyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (PPhenP) is described. The hydrido chloro complex [RuHCl(PPhenP)] (2) undergoes facile dearomatization upon deprotonation of the benzylic position, to give [RuH(PPhenP-H)] (4). Addition of dihydrogen to 4 causes rearomatization of the phenanthroline moiety to trans-[Ru(H)2(PPhenP)] (5), followed by hydrogenation of an aromatic heterocycle in the ligand backbone, to give a new dearomatized and deconjugated complex [RuH(PPhenP*-H)] (6). These aromatization/deconjugation steps of the coordinated ligand were demonstrated to be reversible and operative in the dehydrogenation of primary alcohols without the need for a hydrogen acceptor. This aromatization/deconjugation sequence constitutes an unprecedented mode of a stepwise cooperation between the metal center and the coordinated ligand.

}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201204003}, author = {Langer, Robert and Fuchs, Ido and Vogt, Matthias and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Ben-David, Yehoshoa and Milstein, David} } @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 { ISI:000314376100032, title = {Structural-functional insights of single and multi-domain capsicum annuum protease inhibitors}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, volume = {430}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1060-1065}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE}, address = {525 B ST, STE 1900, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-4495 USA}, abstract = {

Pin-II protease inhibitors (PIs) are the focus of research interest because of their large structural-functional diversity and relevance in plant defense. Two representative Capsicum annuum PI genes (CanPI-15 and -7) comprising one and four inhibitory repeat domains, respectively, were expressed and recombinant proteins were characterized. beta-Sheet and unordered structure was found predominant in CanPI-15 while -7 also displayed the signatures of polyproline fold, as revealed by circular dichroism studies. Inhibition kinetics against bovine typsin indicated three times higher potency of CanPI-7 (K-i similar to 57 mu M) than -15 (similar to 184 mu M). Activity and structural stability of these CanPIs were revealed under various conditions of pH, temperature and denaturing agent. Structure prediction, docking studies with proteases and mass spectroscopy revealed the organization of multiple reactive site loops of multi domain PIs in space as well as the steric hindrances imposed while binding to proteases due to their close proximity. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CanPI, Circular dichroism, Disulfide bonding, Potato type-II protease inhibitors, Protein stability}, issn = {0006-291X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2012.12.038}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Gaikwad, Sushama M. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000312452700005, title = {Structure-property relationship of different types of polyester industrial yarns}, journal = {Journal of the Textile Institute}, volume = {104}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {JAN}, pages = {35-45}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Four major types of polyester industrial yarns (1000 Denier) which are used commercially were studied for their key structural parameters. An attempt has been made to establish a relationship between morphology and properties of these yarns. High tenacity (HT) polyester yarn has the highest birefringence, amorphous orientation, and long period but is relatively less crystalline. High shrinkage characteristic of HT polyester yarn can be accounted for its higher amorphous orientation. High modulus low shrinkage (HMLS) polyester yarn has higher crystallinity and crystal size compared to HT yarn. Fraction of tie molecules of these yarns has been calculated and found that low shrinkage (LS) and super low shrinkage (SLS) yarns have lesser tie molecules. These LS and SLS yarns are tailor-made to achieve lower shrinkage and at the same time maintaining a good level of tenacity. This is achieved with lower amorphous orientation in the final drawn yarn structure. Amorphous orientation was found to have stronger influence than any other structural parameter on the key yarn properties like modulus, tenacity, elongation, and shrinkage.

}, keywords = {modulus, orientation, polyester, shrinkage, structure}, issn = {0040-5000}, doi = {10.1080/00405000.2012.693277}, author = {Samui, Barun Kumar and Prakasan, Manikanda Priya and Ramesh, C. and Chakrabarty, Debabrata and Mukhopadhyay, R.} } @article { ISI:000326207900011, title = {Study of hydration of sarcosine, formation of its zwitterion and their different oligomers in aqueous media: a Raman spectroscopic and theoretical study}, journal = {Spectrochimica Acta Part A-Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy}, volume = {116}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {74-83}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

{Raman spectra of the biologically important molecule sarcosine (SAR) (C3H7NO2) were studied experimentally in aqueous solution at different concentrations. These spectra were also calculated theoretically using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31 1++G(d,p) level. Further, all the observed normal modes were assigned through potential energy distribution (PED). Geometry optimization of SAR produced its three conformers with slightly different energies. The lowest energy conformer of SAR was selected for a systematic solvation study wherein different numbers of water molecules (nW

}, keywords = {DFT calculations, Hydration, Oligomer, Raman spectra, Sarcosine, Zwitterion}, issn = {1386-1425}, doi = {10.1016/j.saa.2013.06.041}, author = {Sharma, Poornima and Singh, Dheeraj K. and Gupta, Vineet and Asthana, B. P. and Mishra, P. C. and Singh, Ranjan K.} } @article { ISI:000327521300003, title = {Superior field emission properties of layered WS2-RGO nanocomposites}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3282}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here the field emission studies of a layered WS2-RGO composite at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn on field required to draw a field emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 3.5, 2.3 and 2 V/mu m for WS2, RGO and the WS2-RGO composite respectively. The enhanced field emission behavior observed for the WS2-RGO nanocomposite is attributed to a high field enhancement factor of 2978, which is associated with the surface protrusions of the single-to-few layer thick sheets of the nanocomposite. The highest current density of similar to 800 mu A/cm(2) is drawn at an applied field of 4.1 V/mu m from a few layers of the WS2-RGO nanocomposite. Furthermore, first-principles density functional calculations suggest that the enhanced field emission may also be due to an overalp of the electronic structures of WS2 and RGO, where graphene-like states are dumped in the region of the WS2 fundamental gap.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep03282}, author = {Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Joshi, Padmashree D. and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A. and Simbeck, Adam J. and Washington, Morris and Nayak, Saroj K. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000328941200014, title = {Supramolecular nanoparticles that target phosphoinositide-3-kinase overcome insulin resistance and exert pronounced antitumor efficacy}, journal = {Cancer Research}, volume = {73}, number = {23}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6987-6997}, publisher = {AMER ASSOC CANCER RESEARCH}, address = {615 CHESTNUT ST, 17TH FLOOR, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106-4404 USA}, abstract = {

The centrality of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) in cancer etiology is well established, but clinical translation of PI3K inhibitors has been limited by feedback signaling, suboptimal intratumoral concentration, and an insulin resistance {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}class effect.{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} This study was designed to explore the use of supramolecular nanochemistry for targeting PI3K to enhance antitumor efficacy and potentially overcome these limitations. PI3K inhibitor structures were rationally modified using a cholesterol-based derivative, facilitating supramolecular nanoassembly with L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine and DSPE-PEG [1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino(polythylen e glycol)]. The supramolecular nanoparticles (SNP) that were assembled were physicochemically characterized and functionally evaluated in vitro. Antitumor efficacy was quantified in vivo using 4T1 breast cancer and K-Ras(LSL/+)/Pten(fl/fl) ovarian cancer models, with effects on glucose homeostasis evaluated using an insulin sensitivity test. The use of PI103 and PI828 as surrogate molecules to engineer the SNPs highlighted the need to keep design principles in perspective; specifically, potency of the active molecule and the linker chemistry were critical principles for efficacy, similar to antibody-drug conjugates. We found that the SNPs exerted a temporally sustained inhibition of phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR, S6K, and 4EBP in vivo. These effects were associated with increased antitumor efficacy and survival as compared with PI103 and PI828. Efficacy was further increased by decorating the nanoparticle surface with tumor-homing peptides. Notably, the use of SNPs abrogated the insulin resistance that has been associated widely with other PI3K inhibitors. This study provides a preclinical foundation for the use of supramolecular nanochemistry to overcome current challenges associated with PI3K inhibitors, offering a paradigm for extension to other molecularly targeted therapeutics being explored for cancer treatment. (C)2013 AACR.

}, issn = {0008-5472}, doi = {10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-12-4477}, author = {Kulkarni, Ashish A. and Roy, Bhaskar and Rao, Poornima S. and Wyant, Gregory A. and Mahmoud, Ayaat and Ramachandran, Madhumitha and Sengupta, Poulomi and Goldman, Aaron and Kotamraju, Venkata Ramana and Basu, Sudipta and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Ruoslahti, Erkki and Dinulescu, Daniela M. and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000314475700026, title = {Synergistic action of flavin containing NADH dependant azoreductase and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase in azoaromatic mineralization}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {3}, number = {9}, year = {2013}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3062-3070}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An alkaliphilic strain Bacillus lentus Bl377 was isolated from contaminated soil of the textile area of Solapur, India. The strain was able to degrade almost 98\% of recalcitrant azoic compounds by a mutually regulated process of azoreductase and a monooxygenase system. An enzyme activity study and a periodical carbon monoxide (CO) binding spectra study on a UV-visible spectrophotometer revealed that the intermediate amines formed by typical azoreduction (N=N cleavage), subsequently underwent hydroxylation by the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP450) system. Azoreductase was purified by chromatographic techniques and characterization by MALDI-TOF substantiated its identity as FMN containing NADH dependent azoreductase of 32 kDa in size. Surprisingly, purified azoreductase showed the highest activity at 80 degrees C and pH 8.0. An increase in the activity of superoxide dismutase after decolorization confirmed the signature of oxidative stress and its involvement in the dismutation of reactive metabolites. Intermediate metabolite analysis by HPLC, GC-MS and FTIR and the removal of total organic carbon (TOC) suggested the azoaromatics{\textquoteright} degradation leads to mineralization via a TCA cycle.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c2ra21389c}, author = {Oturkar, Chetan C. and Othman, Munif A. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Madamwar, Datta and Gawai, Kachru R.} } @article { ISI:000320979500046, title = {Syntheses and determination of absolute configurations and biological activities of the enantiomers of the longtailed mealybug pheromone}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6281-6284}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Preparation and assignment of absolute configurations to both enantiomers of the sex pheromone of the longtailed mealybug, an irregular monoterpenoid with extraordinary biological activity, has been completed. Comparison of the biological activities of both enantiomers and the racemate in field trials showed that the (S)-(+)-enantiomer was highly attractive to male mealybugs, strongly suggesting that female longtailed mealybugs produce this enantiomer. The (R)-(-)-enantiomer was benign, being neither attractive nor inhibitory.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo400491n}, author = {Ramesh, Remya and Swaroop, Pandrangi Siva and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Thirupath, Choppari and Waterworth, Rebeccah A. and Millar, Jocelyn G. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000314693400052, title = {Synthesis and antitubercular activity of amino alcohol fused spirochromone conjugates}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {23}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1416-1419}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of 21 new amino alcohol fused spirochromone conjugates have been synthesized, characterized with analytical data and evaluated their antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (virulent strain H37Rv) in vitro. Some of the compounds exerted significant inhibition, in particular, compound 4f found to be the most potent derivative exhibiting MIC = 3.13 mu g/mL. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Amino alcohol, Antitubercular activity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Spirochromones}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2012.12.073}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Yogeeswari, P. and Sriram, D. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000317596800004, title = {Synthesis and catalytic activity of monodisperse gold-mesoporous silica core-shell nanocatalysts}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {3}, number = {5}, year = {2013}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1190-1193}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Core-shell nanostructures, where gold nanoparticles of sub 10 nm size are successfully encapsulated inside porous silica spheres, have been prepared. The detailed characterization of the catalyst shows a high surface area and good mesoporosity. The sinter resistance of the catalyst under repeated cycles of the CO oxidation reaction is observed.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c3cy20772b}, author = {Sekhar, A. C. Sunil and Meera, C. J. and Kottavarithottil Ziyad and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Vinod, C. P.} } @article { ISI:000323468500032, title = {Synthesis and molecular structure of a zinc complex of the vitamin K-3 analogue phthiocol}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1048}, year = {2013}, month = {SEP}, pages = {223-229}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The complex [Zn(phthiocol)(2)(H2O)(2)]; 1, where phthiocol is 2-hydroxy-3-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, electrochemical and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The v(C=O) stretch shifts to lower frequencies upon complexation of phthiocol to Zn2+. H-1 NMR spectra show an upfield shift of the benzenoid ring protons in 1. There is a bathochromic shift of the LMCT band in the UV-vis spectra of 1. Single crystal X-ray structure of 1 show distorted octahedral geometry around Zn2+. Two phthiocol ligands are in plane with the metal, while water molecules are trans to this plane. Coordination of deprotonated phthiocol ligands is {\textquoteleft}trans, trans{\textquoteright} to Zn2+. Intra as well as intermolecular interactions are observed in 1. Molecules of 1 show three dimensional network through C-H center dot center dot center dot O and O-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. Additional anodic peaks are observed in cyclic voltammogram of phthiocol ligand due to oxidation of reduced species formed during reduction. One-electron reduction of 1 is shown to be reversible and DFT studies define this redox event as ligand-centered. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {hydrogen bonding, Naphthoquinone, Phthiocol, Trans coordination, Vitamin K-3, Zinc complex}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.05.057}, author = {Kathawate, Laxmi and Sproules, Stephen and Pawar, Omkar and Markad, Ganesh and Haram, Santosh K. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000319721200044, title = {Synthesis of 3,5-Bis(acrylaldehyde) boron-dipyrromethene and application in detection of cysteine and homocysteine in living cells}, journal = {Journal Of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {10}, year = {2013}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5056-5060}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis, characterization, and spectral and electrochemical properties of 3,5-bis(acrylaldehyde) BODIPY are described. The compound exhibited higher selectivity toward cysteine/homocysteine than toward other amino acids and thiol-containing compounds as shown by absorption and emission titration experiments and by experiments in living cells.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo4004597}, author = {Madhu, Sheri and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ravikanth, Mangalampalli} } @article { ISI:000325763700047, title = {Synthesis of Ag-glyconanoparticles using C-glycosides, their lectin binding studies and antibacterial activity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {37}, number = {11}, year = {2013}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3716-3720}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two 12-C-glycosyl dodecanoic acids, namely, 1-(alpha-D-mannopyranosyl)-12-dodecanoic acid and 1-(alpha-D-glucopyranosyl)-12-dodecanoic acid were synthesized. Their ability to act as reducing and capping agents for the synthesis of water re-dispersible silver nanoparticles is displayed. These Ag C-glycosyl nanoparticles were later utilized to investigate the carbohydrate-lectin interactions. Furthermore, the specificity of mannoside binding to the surface of the Gram negative bacterium Escherichia coli has been utilized to demonstrate the enhanced antibacterial activity of Ag-C-mannosyl nanoparticles towards this bacterium as compared to Ag-C-glycosyl nanoparticles.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c3nj00496a}, author = {Ramtenki, Vilas and Raju, D. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ramana, C. V. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000316024500022, title = {Synthesis of low coercive BaFe12O19 hexaferrite for microwave applications in low-temperature cofired ceramic}, journal = {Journal of Electronic Materials}, volume = {42}, number = {4}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {761-768}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Polycrystalline M-type barium hexaferrite (BaFe12O19) samples have been synthesized by solution combustion route at different pH and calcination conditions in order to reduce the coercivity for microwave applications in low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) substrates. Structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of BaFe12O19 were studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The formation of a single-phase hexagonal structure was confirmed by XRD. The Raman spectra reveal all characteristic peaks of BaFe12O19, illustrating the phase purity and crystal lattice symmetry of the synthesized material. Mossbauer spectra illustrate the existence of Fe3+ cations at all five crystallographic lattice sites. The microstructural features observed by FESEM disclose the growth of nanoregime particles into hexagonal platelet particles after calcination at temperatures from 800A degrees C to 1200A degrees C. The VSM results show a lower coercivity (1350 Oe to 3500 Oe) together with reasonably high saturation magnetization (55 emu/g to 60 emu/g) and a high bulk resistivity (\> 10(9) Omega-cm) at room temperature. The dependence of magnetic and electrical properties on the preparation and processing conditions is also discussed.

}, keywords = {Barium hexaferrite, coercivity, LTCC, Mossbauer spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy}, issn = {0361-5235}, doi = {10.1007/s11664-012-2398-6}, author = {Rane, Vivek A. and Meena, Sher Singh and Gokhale, Suresh P. and Yusuf, S. M. and Phatak, Girish J. and Date, Sadgopal K.} } @article { ISI:000317094300015, title = {Synthesis, structure, and H-2/CO2 adsorption in a three-dimensional 4-connected triorganotin coordination polymer with a sqc topology}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {52}, number = {7}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {3579-3581}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A 4-connected triorganotin 3D coordination polymer in a sqc topology has been shown to possess 1D microchannels along its crystallographic a axis. This main-group-element-containing framework structure shows selective gas adsorption, preferring CO2 and H-2 over N-2.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic302528b}, author = {Chandrasekhar, Vadapalli and Mohapatra, Chandrajeet and Banerjee, Rahul and Mallick, Arijit} } @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:000311822100011, title = {Thermodynamics and solvation dynamics of BIV TAR RNA-Tat peptide interaction}, journal = {Molecular Biosystems}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {88-98}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The interaction of the trans-activation responsive (TAR) region of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) RNA with the Tat peptide is known to play important role in viral replication. Despite being thoroughly studied through a structural point of view, the nature of binding between BIV TAR RNA and the BIV Tat peptide requires information related to its thermodynamics and the nature of hydration around the TAR-Tat complex. In this context, we carried out the thermodynamic study of binding of the Tat peptide to the BIV TAR RNA hairpin through different calorimetric and spectroscopic measurements. Fluorescence titration of 2-aminopurine tagged BIV TAR RNA with the Tat peptide gives their binding affinity. The isothermal titration calorimetric experiment reveals the enthalpy of binding between BIV TAR RNA and the Tat peptide to be largely exothermic with the value of -11.7 (SEM 0.2) kcal mol(-1). Solvation dynamics measurements of BIV TAR RNA having 2-AP located at the bulge region have been carried out in the absence and presence of the BIV Tat peptide using the time correlated single photon counting technique. The solvent cage around the Tat binding site of RNA appears to be more rigid in the presence of the Tat peptide as compared to the free RNA. The displacement of solvent and ions on RNA due to peptide binding influences the entropic contributions to the total binding energy.

}, issn = {1742-206X}, doi = {10.1039/c2mb25357g}, author = {Goel, Teena and Kumar, Santosh and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000322288600009, title = {T-regulatory cell-mediated immune tolerance as a potential immunotherapeutic strategy to facilitate graft survival}, journal = {Blood Transfusion}, volume = {11}, number = {3}, year = {2013}, month = {JUL}, pages = {357-363}, publisher = {SIMITI SERVIZI SRL}, address = {VIA DESIDERIO 21, MILAN, 20131, ITALY}, keywords = {organ transplantation, tolerance induction, tregs}, issn = {1723-2007}, doi = {10.2450/2013.0258-12}, author = {Khan, Mohammad A. and Moeez, Sana and Akhtar, Suhail} } @article { ISI:000319708300034, title = {Triazole-linked anthracenyl-appended calix[4]arene conjugate as receptor for Co(II): synthesis, spectroscopy, microscopy, and computational studies}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {78}, number = {8}, year = {2013}, month = {APR}, pages = {3570-3576}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new triazole-linked anthracenyl-appended calix[4]arene-1,3-diconjugate (L) has been synthesized and characterized, and its single crystal XRD structure has been established. Binding properties of L toward different biologically relevant metal ions have been studied by fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy in ethanol. L exhibits selective recognition of Co2+ and can detect down to a concentration of 55 ppb (0.92 mu M). The roles of the calix[4]arene platform as well as the preorganized binding core in L{\textquoteright}s selective recognition have been demonstrated by studying appropriate control molecules. The mode of binding of L with Co2+ has been modeled both by DFT and MD computational calculations. L and its Co2+ complex could be differentiated on the basis of the nanostructural features observed in AFM and TEM.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo400038x}, author = {Mummidivarapu, V. V. Sreenivasu and Hinge, Vijaya Kumar and Tabbasum, Khatija and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Rao, Chebrolu P.} } @article { ISI:000325389000001, title = {Understanding the orientation of water molecules around the phosphate and attached functional groups in a phospholipid molecule: a DFT-based study}, journal = {Molecular Simulation}, volume = {39}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {OCT}, pages = {937-955}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The adsorption of water molecules around a polar region (in particular around the phosphate moiety) in the phospholipid molecules is studied in this work. Phospholipid molecules with different functional groups are known to respond differently to the water molecules. Hence, we attempt to study the adsorption of water molecules around the phosphate group as a consequence of the change of functional group attached to the phosphate group, viz. phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE), phosphatidyl choline (PC) and phosphatidyl glycerol (PG). As the latter is anionic in nature, the charge is compensated by Na+ counterion. Up to seven water molecules are adsorbed around the phosphate groups in model systems mimicking phospholipid molecule. The corresponding changes in the structural and electronic aspects are analysed. The significant difference between the PE and PC model systems is the formation of clathrate-like structure in the latter. Itisnoticed that as the number of water molecules increases to seven, both the hydrogen atoms in the water molecule participate in hydrogen bonding. However, in the PG model system, the charge-compensating counterion prevents the water molecule to form clathrate-like structures. The adsorption sites for water molecules are validated by density functional theory-based reactivity descriptors, viz. Fukui functions in the PE model system.

}, keywords = {cHelpG, DMPC, DMPE, DMPG, Fukui functions, Hydration}, issn = {0892-7022}, doi = {10.1080/08927022.2013.783701}, author = {Mishra, Deepti and Das, Susanta and Krishnamurthy, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000317032400005, title = {Why does water accelerate organic reactions under heterogeneous condition?}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {117}, number = {12}, year = {2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2446-2454}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An exhaustive kinetic analysis has been carried out to offer the convincing evidence of the involvement of the oil water interface in guiding {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}on water organic reaction{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} mechanism. We have tuned the interface to prove its indispensable efficacy to make on water reaction a unique type among water mediated organic reactions. Sensitive techniques have established the preferential salvation of polarizable ions at the water surface. The experimental methods have been developed to control the molecular structure of oil water interface in situ. Temperature-dependent analyses have also been presented to understand the enthalpic and entropic modifications of the interfacial water molecules during a heterogeneous reaction. Both of our kinetic and thermodynamic outcomes have univocally established that the hydrogen-bonding ability of the surface water molecules plays a critical role in deciding the on water organic reaction mechanism. The results have important implications on understanding the role of small water molecules adjacent to the reactants during the reactions discussed in this investigation.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/jp4002934}, author = {Manna, Arpan and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000338486300020, title = {1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU): a highly efficient catalyst in glycerol carbonate synthesis}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {391}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {144-149}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Transesterification of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with glycerol (GLY) was investigated using various amines as catalysts. Amidines like 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) and 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN) were found to be the best catalysts for this reaction. Best results: 98\% conversion of GLY with 96\% selectivity to GC (TON: 9408), were obtained with DBU as a catalyst. Effect of various reaction conditions on activity and selectivity were investigated using DBU as catalyst. The mechanism of the reaction was investigated with the help of H-1, C-13 and N-15 NMR analysis and OFT calculations. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DBU, Glycerol, Glycerol carbonate, transesterification}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2014.04.016}, author = {Munshi, Mudassir K. and Gade, Swapna M. and Mane, Manoj V. and Mishra, Deepti and Pal, Sourav and Vanka, Kumar and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article { ISI:000331413700027, title = {3D micro-porous conducting carbon beehive by single step polymer carbonization for high performance supercapacitors: the magic of in situ porogen formation}, journal = {Energy \& Environmental Science}, volume = {7}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {728-735}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report non-templated synthesis of interconnected microporous carbon (IMPC) sheets having beehive morphology by direct pyrolysis of poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt in inert atmosphere without any activation. The presence of the alkali metal in the selected polymer precursor results in a high specific surface area of 1327 m(2) g(-1). Importantly, 80\% of the pore volume is contributed by micropores with pore size ranging from 1-2 nm which is ideal for use as an electrode for supercapacitors. Whereas the rest of the surface area was contributed by a small fraction of mesopores and macropores due to the interconnected structure. The presence of three different types of pores make the material ideal for supercapacitor electrodes. IMPC was tested as an electrode in both aqueous and non-aqueous supercapacitors. All the aqueous measurements were done in 1 M H2SO4 solution with a potential window 1 V. A specific capacitance of 258 F g(-1) was realized at a constant charge-discharge current of 0.5 A g(-1) and it maintained at a value of 150 F g(-1) at 30 A g(-1). A long cycle stability of 90\% capacitance retention was observed after 5000 charge-discharge cycles at a current density of 2 A g(-1). At the highest power density 13 600 W kg(-1) the energy density was found to be 3.1 W h kg(-1). Non aqueous performance was tested in the presence of 1 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate-di-methyl carbonate with 5 mg active material loading. A specific capacitance of 138 F g(-1) was obtained at a current density of 0.25 A g(-1) and it retained at a value of 100 F g-1 at 10 A g(-1). The material can deliver an energy density of 31 W h kg(-1) at its highest power density of 11 000 W kg(-1) in a two electrode system based on active material loading.

}, issn = {1754-5692}, doi = {10.1039/c3ee42551g}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {43369, title = {Acidic ionic liquids catalyzed depolymerization of lignin}, number = {PCT/IN2014/000320}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, abstract = {The present invention discloses a process for depolymerization of lignin to yield substituted phenolic monomers using Br{\"o}nsted ionic liquid as catalyst under mild reaction conditions to obtain an overall yield of monomers up to 97\%.}, author = {Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant and Kelkar, Ashutosh Anant and Matsagar, Babasaheb Mansub and Singh, Sandip Kumar} } @article { ISI:000350032000042, title = {Advanced cell-based high-throughput screening assays targeting active and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {185}, number = {S}, year = {2014}, note = {European Biotechnology Congress, Lecce, ITALY, MAY 15-18, 2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {S18}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2014.07.061}, author = {Shurpali, Ketaki Dilip and Singh, Upasana and Sarkar, Shamim Akhtar Sampa and Mishra, Abhishek and Kulkarni, Roshan and Joshi, Swati P. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000334599800029, title = {Anti-cancer therapeutic potential of quinazoline based small molecules via global upregulation of miRNAs}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {35}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4639-4642}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Three quinazoline based small molecules showed global upregulation of miRNA expression with a selective enrichment of tumor suppressor miRNAs. The target genes of the upregulated miRNAs were predicted to be enriched for apoptotic pathways. Apoptotic induction following treatment with quinazoline compounds was confirmed by in cellulo studies. Thus, these small molecules having the core structural moiety (2,4-diphenyl-quinazoline) can be used as scaffolds to design activators of miRNA expression paving the way for novel anti-cancer drugs.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c3cc49337g}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Bose, Debojit and Panja, Sumit Kumar and Saha, Satyen and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000332756200019, title = {Atypical energetic and kinetic course of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in room-temperature protic ionic liquids}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {118}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2487-2498}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer (ESIPT) process in 1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone (18DHAQ) dye has been investigated in protic ionic liquid (PIL) solvents using photochemical measurements. The results demonstrate noteworthy modulations in both steady-state and time-resolved emission characteristics of excited normal (N*) and tautomeric (T*) forms of the dye. That the emission of T* increases unexpectedly upon increasing solvent viscosity indicates that subsequent to the initial forward ESIPT, there is also a relatively slower back ESIPT process involved for the excited dye. It is inferred that the propensity of this back ESIPT process is determined by the dynamics of the diffusive solvent relaxation, a process that is known to be strongly viscosity-dependent in ionic liquids. Evidence of both forward and back ESIPT for the dye has been obtained from femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion measurements. While an unusually fast forward ESIPT is clearly observed in all of the PILs studied, the uncommon back ESIPT process is distinctly indicated in PIL solvents having lower viscosities, certainly due to reasonably fast diffusive solvent relaxation in these solvents that causes a temporal modulation in the energies of the normal and tautomeric forms within a reasonably short time and thereby brings down the energy of N* compared to that of T*, triggering the back ESIPT process. Observation of solvent-viscosity-dependent back ESIPT is an intriguing finding for the present study as to the best of our knowledge, such a behavior has so far not been reported in the literature for the ESIPT reaction.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp500281z}, author = {Manna, Arpan and Sayed, Mhejabeen and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas} } @article { ISI:000329293600019, title = {Bacillus enclensis sp nov., isolated from sediment sample}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {105}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {199-206}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, type = {Article}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel bacterial strain, designated SGD-1123(T) was isolated from Chorao Island, in Goa Province, India. The strain was found to be able to grow at 15-42 A degrees C, pH 5-12 and 0-12 \% (w/v) NaCl. The whole cell hydrolysates were found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid, galactose and arabinose. The major fatty acids were identified as iso-C-15:0 and anteiso-C-15:0, MK-7 was identified as the predominant menaquinone and the predominant polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an unidentified aminolipid. The genomic DNA G+C content was determined to be 44.6 mol\%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate within the genus Bacillus and further revealed that strain SGD-1123(T) had highest sequence similarity with Bacillus aquimaris, and forms a separate clade with its closest relatives i.e. B. aquimaris, Bacillus vietnamensis and Bacillus marisflavi, with which it shares 94.5, 94.1 and 94.1 \% similarity respectively. The phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic analyses indicated that strain SGD-1123(T) represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus enclensis is proposed. The type strain is SGD-1123(T) (NCIM 5450(T)=CCTCC AB 2011125(T)).

}, keywords = {Bacillus sp, Marine sediment, Polyphasic}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-013-0066-3}, author = {Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Tang, Shan-Kun and Srinivasan, Krishnamurthi and Ramana, V. Venkata and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000338818800044, title = {Biological synthesis of cationic gold nanoparticles and binding of plasmid DNA}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {129}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {159-161}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Nanobiotechnology is the development of eco-friendly experimental processes for the synthesis of nanomaterials. The present work focuses on synthesis of cationic gold nanoparticles (C-GNPs) for biological applications, especially in gene and drug delivery studies. A biosynthesis methodology has been developed for the functionalization of gold nanoparticles to cationic nature. The synthesis of C-GNPs was done by using peanut leaf extract in the presence of cysteamine. The formed C-GNPs were characterized by using UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), the particles sizes and shapes were confirmed by a Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and crystallinity of C-GNPs was characterized by diffraction. The binding of plasmid DNA on the C-GNPs was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biomaterials, Cationic, Nanoparticles, Plasmid DNA, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2014.05.021}, author = {Raju, D. and Vishwakarma, Rishi K. and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000330143000008, title = {CdS nanowires: ultra-long growth and enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {Vaccum}, volume = {101}, number = {SI}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {38-45}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here, we report the synthesis of ultra-long CdS nanowires with aspect ratio similar to 8 x 10(4) by simple route of thermal evaporation technique. A change in the vertical arrangement of quartz boats leads in to the synthesis of ultra-long CdS nanovvires via high degree of condensation. This technique is seen to be cost effective and easy. The growth of the nanowires is found to be increased very rapidly from few micrometers to few millimeters. The possible reason for the growth of the ultra-long CdS nanowires is discussed in detail. The turn-on field defined for the current density of similar to 0.1 mu A/cm(2) has been found to be similar to 1.4, 1.45, 1 and 0.17 V/mu m for specimen A, B, C and D (specimens A-D, synthesized by variation in synthesis parameters) respectively. The turn-on field of the specimen D (similar to 0.17 V/mu m) is found to be quite superior than the value reported for other CdS nanoforms which is very remarkable. Simple way of bulk fabrication leads to the low turn-on value which indicates a possible use of the present emitter in the micro/nanoelectronics devices. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, synthesis}, issn = {0042-207X}, doi = {10.1016/j.vacuum.2013.07.019}, author = {Chavan, Padmakar G. and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Badhade, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S.} } @article { ISI:000331624700039, title = {Chitosan and chitosan-co-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) grafted multiwalled carbon nanotube transducers for vapor sensing}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2425-2435}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, type = {Article}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Vapor sensitive transducer films consisting of chitosan grafted (CNT-CS) and chitosan-co-polycaprolactone grafted (CNT-CS-PCL) multiwalled carbon nanotubes were prepared using a spray layer-by-layer technique. The synthesized materials (CNT-CS and CNT-CS-PCL) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, C-13 CP/MAS solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Both CNT-CS and CNT-CS-PCL transducers were analyzed for the response of volatile organic compounds and toluene vapors. The ranking of the relative resistance (A(r)) for both chitosan based transducers were as follows: toluene \< chloroform \< ethanol \< methanol. The CNT transducer (CNT-CS) was correlated selectively with an exponential law to the inverse of Flory-Huggins interaction parameters, chi(12). Dosing the films on the interdigitated electrodes with methanol, ethanol, chloroform and toluene vapors increased the film resistance of CNT-CS but decreased the resistance of CNT-CS-PCL compared to that of the reported transducers.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, Chitosan, MWCNTs, Poly(epsilon-caprolactone), Vapour Sensing}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2014.8498}, author = {Rana, Vijay Kumar and Akhtar, Shamim and Chatterjee, Sudipta and Mishra, Satyendra and Singh, Raj Pal and Ha, Chang-Sik} } @article { ISI:000342018100001, title = {Cholesterol depletion by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin augments tamoxifen induced cell death by enhancing its uptake in melanoma}, journal = {Molecular Cancer}, volume = {13}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article No. 204}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Despite modern advances in treatment, skin cancer is still one of the most common causes of death in the western countries. Chemotherapy plays an important role in melanoma management. Tamoxifen has been used either alone or in-combination with other chemotherapeutic agents to treat melanoma. However, response rate of tamoxifen as a single agent has been comparatively low. In the present study, we investigated whether treatment with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD), a cholesterol depleting agent, increases the efficacy of tamoxifen in melanoma cells. Methods: This was a two-part study that incorporated in vitro effects of tamoxifen and MCD combination by analyzing cell survival, apoptosis and cell cycle analysis and in vivo antitumor efficacy on tumor isografts in C57BL/6J mice. Results: MCD potentiated tamoxifen induced anticancer effects by causing cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Sensitization to tamoxifen was associated with down regulation of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, up-regulation of proapoptotic protein Bax, reduced caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and decreased pAkt/pERK levels. Co-administration of tamoxifen and MCD caused significant reduction in tumor volume and tumor weight in mice due to enhancement of drug uptake in the tumor. Supplementation with cholesterol abrogated combined effect of tamoxifen and MCD. Conclusion: Our results emphasize a potential synergistic effect of tamoxifen with MCD, and therefore, may provide a unique therapeutic window for improvement in melanoma treatment.

}, keywords = {Caveolin-1, Cholesterol, Methyl beta-cyclodextrin, Tamoxifen}, issn = {1476-4598}, doi = {10.1186/1476-4598-13-204}, author = {Mohammad, Naoshad and Malvi, Parmanand and Meena, Avtar Singh and Singh, Shivendra Vikram and Chaube, Balkrishna and Vannuruswamy, Garikapati and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Bhat, Manoj Kumar} } @article {46397, title = {Cocrystals/salts of Furosemide : Interesting case of colour cocrystal polymorphism}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C724}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Color cocrystal polymorphism, Sandwich assembly, Stacking interactions}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Sangtani, Ekta and Jha, Kunal and Munshi, Parthapratim and Gonnade, Rajesh} } @article { ISI:000330489500002, title = {Controlled release of antimicrobial Cephalexin drug from silica microparticles}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-14}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Release of antimicrobial drugs in a controlled fashion for extended duration of time has been investigated for long. Such controlled-drug-releasing materials show promising applications in medicinal bandages. Along with antimicrobial agents, one could also incorporate other therapeutic drugs, to make such bandages more versatile. In this context, silica micro particles were synthesized using direct reduction method, in which the synthesis was done in the presence of Cephalexin. Cephalexin was chosen as an antimicrobial candidate. The morphological characterization shows formation of monodispersed, silica microparticles of similar to 200 nm in size. The FTIR spectroscopy shows weak interaction of the drug molecule at its hydroxide (OH) site with oxygen ions on the silica surface. Upon conjugation, the UV-vis spectroscopy shows persistence of the Cephalexin signature, especially its R group, confirming its antimicrobial activity even after conjugation. Loading studies reveal 12\% Cephalexin loading on silica. The antimicrobial studies were done on three micro-organisms, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Using zone-of-inhibition studies, it was found that E. coli, did not respond to the delivery of Cephalexin either directly or via microparticles. However, for both S. aureus and B. subtilis, the particles showed controlled release of Cephalexin for the duration of 48 h and continued maintenance and even increase in the zone of inhibition. This work demonstrates an effective protocol to prepare antimicrobial patches for controlled drug delivery. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial, Medicinal bandage, Silica microparticles, sustained drug release}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2013.10.002}, author = {Rao, B. V. Bhaskara and Mukherji, Ruchira and Shitre, G. and Alam, F. and Prabhune, Asmita and Kale, Sangeeta N.} } @article {43370, title = {Conversion of hemicellulose using acidic ionic liquids}, number = {PCT/IN2015/050007}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {The present invention discloses one pot process for the conversion of hemicellulose into C5 sugars using ionic liquids in water media.}, author = {Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant and Matsagar, Babasaheb Mansub} } @article { ISI:000332716400001, title = {Counter-ion dependent, longitudinal unzipping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to highly conductive and transparent graphene nanoribbons}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article No. : 4363}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, type = {Article}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Here we report for the first time, a simple hydrothermal approach for the bulk production of highly conductive and transparent graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) using several counter ions from K2SO4, KNO3, KOH and H2SO4 in aqueous media, where, selective intercalation followed by exfoliation gives highly conducting GNRs with over 80\% yield. In these experiments, sulfate and nitrate ions act as a co-intercalant along with potassium ions resulting into exfoliation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in an effective manner. The striking similarity of experimental results in KOH and H2SO4 that demonstrates partially damaged MWCNTs, implies that no individual K+, SO42- ion plays a key role in unwrapping of MWCNTs, rather this process is largely effective in the presence of both cations and anions working in a cooperative manner. The GNRs can be used for preparing conductive 16 k Omega sq(-1), transparent (82\%) and flexible thin films using low cost fabrication method.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep04363}, author = {Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Majumder, Mainak and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {46389, title = {Crystal structure of AtGet3 Delta L, a chloroplast Get3 from Arabidopsis thaliana}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C1179}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Arabidopsis thaliana, Get3, protein targeting}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Manu, M. S. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar} } @article { ISI:000330340200002, title = {Crystalline metal-organic frameworks (MOFs): synthesis, structure and function}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section B-Structural Science}, volume = {70}, number = {1, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3-10}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, type = {Article}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of hybrid network supramolecular solid materials comprised of organized organic linkers and metal cations. They can display enormously high surface areas with tunable pore size and functionality, and can be used as hosts for a range of guest molecules. Since their discovery, MOFs have experienced widespread exploration for their applications in gas storage, drug delivery and sensing. This article covers general and modern synthetic strategies to prepare MOFs, and discusses their structural diversity and properties with respect to application perspectives.

}, issn = {0108-7681}, doi = {10.1107/S2052520613029557}, author = {Dey, Chandan and Kundu, Tanay and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Mallick, Arijit and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000331347300019, title = {Culturable bacterial phylogeny from a shallow water hydrothermal vent of espalamaca (Faial, Azores) reveals a variety of novel taxa}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {106}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {58-69}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, type = {Article}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Phylogenetic diversity of the 16S rRNA gene associated with the domain bacteria was examined at the level of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) using the rarefaction analysis from a newly identified shallow water hydrothermal vent, Espalamaca in the Azorean Island Faial (Horta), North Atlantic Ocean. Diluted sea water nutrient agar amended with metals manganese, lead, iron and element sulphur, could help in retrieving highest OTUs (95) from the vent and 39 OTUs from nonvent. Molecular tools implemented on bacterial census indicated the occupancy of gamma-Proteobacteria by 55.78\%, alpha-Proteobacteria by 21.05\% and 12.63\% of Bacteroidetes in the total population. Occurrence of novel species maximized with alpha-Proteobacteria (11/20) followed by Bacteroidetes (5/12) signified the necessity of studying these groups to strengthen the biodiversity database. Shannon index (H{\textquoteright}) and the Chao I richness estimator illustrated a strong bacterial community in the venting area. The current study confers many bacterial genera which were not reported earlier in any of the shallow water vents and adds 33 new taxa to the database.

}, keywords = {Bacterial phylogeny, metals, novel taxa, rarefaction analysis, shallow vent}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Mohandass, Chellandi and Colaco, Ana and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Santos, Ricardo Serrao and Meena, Ram Murti} } @article { ISI:000334902400006, title = {Defects in chemically synthesized and thermally processed ZnO nanorods: implications for active layer properties in dye-sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {3961-3972}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We have carried out the effect of post annealing temperatures on the performance of solution-grown ZnO rods as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Keeping our basic objective of exploring the effect of native defects on the performance of DSSC, we have synthesized ZnO rods having length in the range of 2-5 mu m by a modified sonication-induced precipitation technique. We performed extensive characterization on the samples annealed at various temperatures and confirmed that annealing at 300 degrees C results in ZnO rods with minimum native defects that have been identified as doubly ionized oxygen vacancies. The electron paramagnetic resonance measurements on the samples, on the other hand, confirmed the presence of shallow donors in the low temperature annealed samples. We also carried out electrochemical impedance measurements to understand the transport properties at different interfaces in the solar cell assembly. We could conclude that solution-processed ZnO rods annealed at 300 degrees C are better suited for fabricating DSSC with improved efficiency (1.57\%), current density (5.11 mA/cm(2)), and fill factor (45.29\%). On the basis of our results, we were able to establish a close connection between the defects in the metal oxide electron transporting nano system and the DSSC performance.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/ic500279q}, author = {Das, Partha Pratim and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Mukhopadhyay, Soumita and Manju, Unnikrishnan and Ogale, Satishchandra B. and Devi, P. Sujatha} } @article {43307, title = {Determination of optimum values of descriptors to set filters for synthetic tri-pyrrole derivatives (prodiginines) against multi drug resistant strain of plasmodium falciparum}, journal = {Current Research in Drug Discovery}, volume = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {51-59}, abstract = {

Abstract: In the present study, we have carried out extensive non-linear Quantitative-Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) analysis to correlate in vitro anti-malarial activity against multi drug resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum. Forty-three synthetic prodiginines with different structural features were used for their potential antimalarial activity. Linear, bilinear, biexponential and parabolic equations were developed. These equations were compared to determine the optimum values of descriptors for very useful and easily interpretable descriptors. The optimum values of these descriptors could be helpful in finding and optimizing a good lead compound. Obtained correlations reveal that various factors like lipophilicity, molecular weight and number of bonds have non-linear relation with the anti-malarial activity. Keywords: Prodiginines, Anti-Malarial Activity, Optimum/Desirability Values, Hybrid Inverse-QSAR

}, doi = {10.3844/crddsp.2014.51.59}, author = {Masand, Vijay H. and Mahajan, Devidas T. and Pourbasheer, Eslam and Hadda, Taibi Ben and Chauhan, Harsh and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Alafeefy, A. M.} } @article { ISI:000344448000007, title = {Development of bioconjugate from streptomyces tyrosinase and gold nanoparticles for rapid detection of phenol constituents}, journal = {Indian Journal of Experimental Biology}, volume = {52}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1071-1081}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Most of the phenol compounds are toxic and have been considered as hazardous pollutants. Several physicochemical and biological methods are available to detect and monitor the phenol pollutants in water and soil. In the present study, phenol constituents of winery, paper and plastic industrial effluents were successfully detected employing tyrosinase-gold nanoparticles bioconjugate. The synthesis of extracellular tyrosinase and gold nanoparticles was achieved by a single isolate of Streptomyces sp. DBZ-39. Enhanced production (369.41 IU) of tyrosinase was produced in submerged bioprocess employing response surface method with central composite design. Extracellular gold nanoparticles synthesized (12-18 nm) by Streptomyces sp. DBZ-39 were characterized with TEM, EDAX and FTIR analysis. A rapid detection (within 10 min) of phenol constituents from winery effluents was achieved by bioconjugate, when compared to tyrosinases and gold nanoparticles independently. Streptomyces tyrosinase could exhibit relatively a better performance than commercially available mushroom tyrosinase in the detection of phenol constituents. Winery effluent has shown much higher content (0.98 O.D) of phenol constituents than paper and plastic effluents based on the intensity of color and U.V absorption spectra.

}, keywords = {Bioconjugate, gold nanoparticles, Phenol detection, Streptomyces, Tyrosinase}, issn = {0019-5189}, author = {Zainab, Mazhari Bi Bi and Madhusudhan, D. N. and Raghavendra, H. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Dayanand, Agsar} } @article { ISI:000338023000039, title = {Direct allylation of in situ generated aldehyde acyl anions by synergistic NHC and palladium catalysis}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {53}, number = {27}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {7038-7042}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The direct regioselective allylation of in situ generated aldehyde acyl anions has been achieved by synergistic NHC and Pd catalysis. It provides an efficient access to valuable beta,gamma-unsaturated ketones under mild reaction conditions starting from easily accessible allylic carbonates and aldehydes without any preactivation. The synergistic catalysis method demonstrated herein adds a new dimension to the area of metal-mediated C allylation.

}, keywords = {aldehyde umpolung, C allylation, N-heterocyclic carbenes, Palladium, synergistic catalysis}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201400623}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000363220800003, title = {Diversity oriented convergent access for collective total synthesis of bioactive multifunctional carbazole alkaloids: synthesis of carbazomycin A, carbazomycin B, hyellazole, chlorohyellazole, and clausenaline D}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {16}, number = {20}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5470-5473}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, type = {Article}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Facile syntheses of imperative carbazole alkaloids carbazomycin A, carbazomycin B, hyellazole, chlorohyellazole, and clausenaline D have been demonstrated starting from readily available Boc-protected 3-formylindole and dimethyl maleate. The suitably substituted aromatic rings have been designed comprising three/four significant C-C bond forming reactions. The competent Wittig reaction, selective monoalkylations, one-pot regioselective Weinreb amide formation and Boc-deprotection, well designed Grignard reactions, dehydrative intramolecular cyclizations, and Baeyer-Villiger rearrangement of aromatic aldehydes were the main features.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol502721r}, author = {Markad, Shivaji B. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000348622000027, title = {Domibacillus enclensis sp nov., isolated from marine sediment, and emended description of the genus domibacillus}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {64}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4098-4102}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, type = {Article}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel red-pigmented bacterial strain, designated NIO-1016(T), was isolated from a sediment sample from Chorao Island, India and was investigated by a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The strain was Gram-reaction-positive, strictly aerobic, motile and catalase-positive and produced spherical to slightly ellipsoidal endospores with subterminal position on swollen sporangia. The genomic DNA G+C content was 46.9 molok. The major fatty acids were anteiso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-17:0, iSO-C-15:0 and C-16:0. The predominant quinones were MK-6 (89.3 \%) and MK-7 (8.7 \%). The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and an unidentified phospholipid. meso-Diaminopimelic acid (type My) was present in the cell-wall peptidoglycan and the major whole-cell sugars were glucose and ribose. The closest phylogenetic neighbours were identified as Domibacillus robiginosus DSM 25058(T) (98.0\% similarity) and Domibacillus indicus DSM 28032(T) (97.2\% similarity), other species of the genus Bacillus displayed below 96\% similarity. Phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and morphological differences between strain NI0-1016(T) and its closest neighbours indicate that this strain represents a novel species in the genus Domibacillus in the family Bacillaceae for which the name Domibacillus enclensis sp. nov. is proposed with the type species N10-1016(T) (=DSM 25145(T)=NCIM 5462(T)=CCTCC AB 2011121(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/s.0.068924-0}, author = {Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Tang, Shan-Kun and Dastager, Syed Gulam} } @article { ISI:000337689900034, title = {Effect of composition and pretreatment parameters on activity and stability of Cu-Al catalysts for water-gas shift reaction}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {6}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1698-1706}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

We investigated various Cu species responsible for highly efficient Cu-Al oxide catalyst for the water-gas shift reaction (WGSR). The formation of various Cu species was achieved by systematically varying the Cu-Al composition in the coprecipitated mixed Cu-Al oxides. The Cu-Al composition of 70:30 (Cu-Al-7) was the best for WGSR using the reformate gas composition. In addition, the Cu-Al-7 catalyst reduced under 100\% H-2, was relatively stable with time on stream of 100 h, at higher gas hourly space velocity of 36201 h(-1). The structural investigation of our coprecipitated catalysts with varying Cu-Al compositions revealed the formation of nonzero oxidation state copper and metallic Cu to be essential for the observed WGSR activity. In addition, the highest activity and stability of Cu-Al-7 catalysts reduced under 100\% H-2 at lower temperature was attributed to particle-size stabilization and a lower extent of Cu aggregation by Cu2O and boehmite phases, respectively, along with the formation of various Cu species during the activation protocol for 12 h. Complete CO2 selectivity without methanation was observed for all the Cu-Al compositions irrespective of their pretreatment conditions.

}, keywords = {aluminum, Copper, fuel cells, Hydrogen, reduction}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201301049}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Jeong, Dae-Woon and Malawadkar, Atul V. and Roh, Hyun-Seog and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000349128700077, title = {Effect of gold nanoparticle on structure and fluidity of lipid membrane}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {9}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article No. : e114152}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, type = {Article}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

This paper deals with the effect of different size gold nanoparticles on the fluidity of lipid membrane at different regions of the bilayer. To investigate this, we have considered significantly large bilayer leaflets and incorporated only one nanoparticle each time, which was subjected to all atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We have observed that, lipid molecules located near to the gold nanoparticle interact directly with it, which results in deformation of lipid structure and slower dynamics of lipid molecules. However, lipid molecules far away from the interaction site of the nanoparticle get perturbed, which gives rise to increase in local ordering of the lipid domains and decrease in fluidity. The bilayer thickness and area per head group in this region also get altered. Similar trend, but with different magnitude is also observed when different size nanoparticle interact with the bilayer.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0114152}, author = {Mhashal, Anil R. and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000345479000014, title = {Effect of preparation parameters on characterization and activity of Co3O4 catalyst in liquid phase oxidation of lignin model substrates}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {487}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {130-138}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The nano structured spinel cobalt oxide (Co3O4) was prepared via simple co-precipitation method and its catalytic activity was evaluated for the liquid phase aerobic oxidation of lignin sub structure compounds such as veratryl alcohol. Catalyst preparation parameters influenced its morphology eventually affecting its oxidation activity. Thus, nano rod shaped CO3O4 catalyst showed 75\% and 38\% conversion of veratryl alcohol with complete selectivity to veratryl aldehyde in toluene and water, respectively, under base free condition. The influence of reaction conditions, such as temperature, oxygen pressure and catalyst loading was studied to obtain the optimum product yield and selectivity to the desired product. Furthermore, oxidation of various sub-structures of lignin model compounds was also studied over the same catalyst which was found to be in the following order: secondary alcohol \>di-substituted \> tri-substituted \> monosubstituted \> non-substitution. The stability of the catalyst was confirmed by its successful recycle for three times. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Coniferyl alcohol, Nano Co3O4, Sinapyl alcohol, TPR, Veratryl alcohol}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2014.08.023}, author = {Mate, Vivek R. and Jha, Ajay and Joshi, U. D. and Patil, K. R. and Shirai, M. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {46365, title = {Effect of silicon doping on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, year = {2014}, month = {APR }, pages = {7501-7507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Doping is known to be an excellent and simple way of catalyst design. Although notable progress has been made in understanding the reactivity and catalytic activity of gas-phase and supported gold clusters, very few studies have been carried out on the doped gold clusters. In the present work, we have carried out density functional theory calculations to investigate the effect of silicon doping on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold nanoclusters. The present work particularly focuses on the adsorption and activation of molecular oxygen on the pristine and silicon-doped gold clusters. The results confirm that the silicon-doped Au7Si cluster shows considerable binding and activation of the O-2 molecule in comparison to the pristine Au-8 cluster as reflected in the relevant geometrical parameters (O-O and Au-O bond lengths) and O-O stretching frequency. However, silicon doping has no contrasting effect on the reactivity and catalytic activity of the Au-7 cluster. In addition to the stronger binding and activation of the O-2 molecule, the doped Au7Si cluster leads to a significant reduction in the activation barrier (0.57 eV) for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction in contrast to the catalytically inactive pristine Au-8 cluster (1.22 eV). Thus, our results highlight the critical role of doping foreign impurities for future endeavors in the field of gold nanocatalysis.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp501611t}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000328665300008, title = {Effect of SnO2/Al2O3 ratio of Si-based MFI on its acidity and hydrophobicity: application in selective hydroxyalkylation of p-cresol}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {44}, number = {SI}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {29-34}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Silica based MR type molecular sieves with various SnO2/Al2O3 ratios were synthesized from gels having molar compositions SiO2:xSnO(2):yAl(2)O(3):0.23(TPA)(2)O:35H(2)O where 0 \<= x \<= 0.02 and 0 \<= y \<= 0.01. Recyclable, Al-free Sn-MFI catalyst showed 31\% conversion of formaldehyde with 100\% selectivity to 2,2{\textquoteright}-methylenebis(4-methylphenol) in hydroxyalkylation of p-cresol with formaldehyde on account of moderate acidity and higher hydrophobicity. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.A. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Al-27 MAS NMR, Hydroxyalkylation, Molecular sieves, p-Cresol, Stannosilicate}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2013.08.002}, author = {Garade, Ajit C. and Malwadkar, A. V. and Niphadkar, P. S. and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Joshi, P. N. and Rode, C. V.} } @article { ISI:000335226700033, title = {Efficient synthesis of glycerol carbonate/glycidol using 1,8-diazabicyclo [5.4.0] undec-7-ene (DBU) based ionic liquids as catalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {17124-17128}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Transesterification of dimethyl carbonate with glycerol to glycerol carbonate has been catalyzed efficiently using basic ionic liquids as catalysts. Activity of all the ILs tested is very high and the best result (96\% conversion with 82\% selectivity to glycerol carbonate and 18\% selectivity to glycidol) was obtained using IL1 as catalyst. The effect of catalyst loading has significant influence on the selectivity pattern. The higher activity of the ionic liquid is explained with a plausible mechanism based on the co-operative effect of both cation and anion.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra47433j}, author = {Munshi, Mudassir K. and Biradar, Pradeep S. and Gade, Swapna M. and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @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.} } @conference {46368, title = {Electrokinetic properties of PMAA functionalized NiFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by thermal plasma route}, booktitle = {Solid State Physics: Proceedings of the 58th Dae Solid State Physics Symposium 2013, PTS A \& B}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, publisher = {Board Res Nucl Sci; Dept Atom Energy; Govt India}, organization = {Board Res Nucl Sci; Dept Atom Energy; Govt India}, address = {2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1NO1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The magnetic nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) nanoparticles with an average size of 30nm were synthesised by Transferred arc DC Thermal Plasma route. The synthesized nickel ferrite nanoparticles were characterized by TEM and FTIR techniques. The synthesized nickel ferrite nanoparticles were further functionalized with PMAA (polymethacrylic acid) by self emulsion polymerization method and subsequently were characterized by FTIR and Zeta Analyzer. The variation of zeta potential with pH was systematically studied for both PMAA functionalized (PNFO) and uncoated nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NFO). The IEP (isoelectric points) for PNFO and NFO was determined from the graph of zeta potential vs pH. It was observed that the IEP for NFO was at 7.20 and for PNFO it was 2.52. The decrease in IEP of PNFO was attributed to the COOH functional group of PMAA.

}, keywords = {IEP, NiFe2O4, PMAA, Thermal plasma, Zeta potential}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1225-5}, doi = {10.1063/14873080}, author = {Bhosale, Shivaji V. and Mhaske, Pravin and Kanhe, N. and Navale, A. B. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Mathe, V. L. and Bhatt, S. K.}, editor = {Murli, C and Bhattacharyya, D and Gadkari, SC} } @article { ISI:000344989500005, title = {Electrostatics determine vibrational frequency shifts in hydrogen bonded complexes}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {16}, number = {46}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {25247-25250}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The red-shifts in the acetylenic C-H stretching vibration of C-H center dot center dot center dot X (X = O, N) hydrogen-bonded complexes increase with an increase in the basicity of the Lewis base. Analysis of various components of stabilization energy suggests that the observed red-shifts are correlated with the electrostatic component of the stabilization energy, while the dispersion modulates the stabilization energy.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp04617j}, author = {Dey, Arghya and Mondal, Sohidul Islam and Sen, Saumik and Ghosh, Debashree and Patwari, G. Naresh} } @article { ISI:000344389000066, title = {Emulsion ionic liquid membranes (EILMs) for removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solutions}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {94}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {52316-52323}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Ionic liquids (ILs) are playing increasingly important roles in the membrane separation processes. The present manuscript discusses the removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution using an emulsion ionic liquid membrane (EILM) process. Initially, the emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) was prepared by stirring strip phase (sulphuric acid) and organic phase (surfactant: span 80, extractant: D2EHPA, diluent: hexane) together under high speed agitation. Note that, the parameters of the ELM process such as emulsification speed, pH of the feed phase, treat ratio, extractant and surfactant concentrations were studied for the maximum removal of Pb(II) ions. The role of IL was explored by adding hydrophobic IL, octylmethylimidazole hexafluorophosphine ([OMIM][PF6]), in the organic phase. The performance of ELM with and without IL was compared on the basis of stability, enrichment factor and the removal efficiency for Pb(II). The results showed that the percentage of Pb(II) extraction was complete by the emulsion membrane with IL (EILM) in comparison to the 97\% achieved by neat ELM. Further, the stability and the enrichment factor of the EILM were found to be 2-3 times greater than that of the ELM. The FT-IR spectroscopic analysis revealed that bond interactions between IL and membrane phase components avoided the coalescence of internal phase droplets and enhanced the emulsion stability. The results obtained in this work support the use of the IL [OMIM][PF6] as both a stabilizer and carrier for the overall improvement of the ELM process.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra06485b}, author = {Lende, Avinash B. and Dinker, Manish K. and Bhosale, Vikas K. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Meshram, Pawan D. and Kulkarni, Prashant S.} } @article { ISI:000364426500019, title = {Enantioselective heterogeneous bronsted acid catalysis}, journal = {Organic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {1}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {582-586}, publisher = {CHINESE CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {PO BOX 1-18, NANKANG, TAIPEI 115, TAIWAN}, abstract = {

This highlight describes the synthesis and catalytic activities of heterogeneous chiral Bronsted acid catalysts. The heterogeneous catalysts are stable, easily separable from the reaction mixture and can be used multiple times without any loss of activity. As a remarkable particularity, the use of heterogeneous catalyst systems has been exemplified for designing continuous flow reactors.

}, issn = {2052-4129}, doi = {10.1039/c4qo00051j}, author = {Mutyala, Anil Kumar and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000341152600073, title = {Enhanced field emission properties of doped graphene nanosheets with layered SnS2}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {105}, number = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {043109}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We report here our experimental investigations on p-doped graphene using tin sulfide (SnS2), which shows enhanced field emission properties. The turn on field required to draw an emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is significantly low (almost half the value) for the SnS2/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposite (2.65 V/mu m) compared to pristine SnS2 (4.8 V/mu m) nanosheets. The field enhancement factor beta (similar to 3200 for the SnS2 and similar to 3700 for SnS2/RGO composite) was calculated from Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots, which indicates that the emission is from the nanometric geometry of the emitter. The field emission current versus time plot shows overall good emission stability for the SnS2/RGO emitter. The magnitude of work function of SnS2 and a SnS2/graphene composite has been calculated from first principles density functional theory (DFT) and is found to be 6.89 eV and 5.42 eV, respectively. The DFT calculations clearly reveal that the enhanced field emission properties of SnS2/RGO are due to a substantial lowering of the work function of SnS2 when supported by graphene, which is in response to p-type doping of graphene. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4892001}, author = {Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Joshi, Padmashree D. and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A. and Simbeck, Adam J. and Washington, Morris and Nayak, Saroj K. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000341059100015, title = {Enhanced interaction of molecular oxygen with amino acid complexes of silver and gold clusters}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section A-Inorganic Bio-Inorganic Physical Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {8-9, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {996-1000}, publisher = {NATL INST SCIENCE COMMUNICATION-NISCAIR}, type = {Article}, address = {DR K S KRISHNAN MARG, PUSA CAMPUS, NEW DELHI 110 012, INDIA}, abstract = {

Density functional theory calculations have been carried out to study the effect of amino acid adsorption on the reactivity of silver and gold clusters with molecular oxygen. It is found that the amino acids glycine and alanine form stable complexes with both Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters. However, the extent of interaction is more in the case of the Au-4 cluster, as reflected from the increase in binding energy in the amino acid Au-4 complexes. Our results confirm that the adsorption of amino acids glycine and alanine enhances the reactivity of Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters towards O-2 molecule. The enhanced reactivity of O-2 molecule towards the amino acid metal cluster complexes is manifested by an increase in the O-2 binding energy and a decrease in the M-O (M = Ag, Au) bond length. Moreover, it is found that the co-adsorption of amino acids and O-2 molecule on the Ag-4 and Au-4 clusters is cooperative.

}, keywords = {Amino acid complexes, Density functional calculations, Gold clusters, Metal clusters, Silver clusters, Theoretical chemistry}, issn = {0376-4710}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @conference { ISI:000352795700066, title = {Enhancement in the field emission behavior of graphene in N-2/O-2 high vacuum ambience}, booktitle = {2014 27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC) }, series = {International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference}, year = {2014}, note = {27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), Engelberg, SWITZERLAND, JUL 06-10, 2014}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, organization = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Engelberg, Switzerland}, abstract = {

Herein we report, pressure dependent field emission (FE) behaviour of a few-layer graphene emitter. Gas dependent FE properties have been investigated in ultra high vacuum (UHV), as well as in N-2 and O-2 ambience at base pressure similar to 1x10(-6) torr. Interestingly, the graphene emitter when operated in N-2/O-2 ambience exhibits lower turn-on field and higher emission current density, as compared to the UHV conditions. The emission current stability investigated at preset value of similar to 1 mu A over the period of more than 2 hrs is found better in the N2 ambience and is characterized by fewer fluctuations, in contrast to the behaviour in the O-2 ambience. The observed enhanced electron emission behavior in N-2/O-2 ambience is attributed to modulation of the work function of graphene emitter.

}, keywords = {graphene, Pressure Dependent Field Emission}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5306-6}, issn = {2164-2370}, doi = {10.1109/IVNC.2014.6894791}, author = {Suryawanshi, S. R. and Kolhe, Pankaj S. and Gavhane, D. S. and Patil, S. S. and Chavan, P. G. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.}, editor = {Tsujino, S. and Gobrecht, J. and Paraliev, M. and Braun, H. H. and Groening, O. and Feurer, T.} } @article { ISI:000343630500001, title = {Expedient preparative isolation and tandem mass spectrometric characterization of C-seco triterpenoids from neem oil}, journal = {Journal of Chromatography A}, volume = {1366}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1-14}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

C-seco triterpenoids are widely bioactive class of natural products with high structural complexity and diversity. The preparative isolation of these molecules with high purity is greatly desirable, although restricted due to the complexity of natural extracts. In this article we have demonstrated a Medium Pressure Liquid Chromatography (MPLC) based protocol for the isolation of eight major C-seco triterpenoids of salannin skeleton from Neem (Azadirachta indica) oil. Successive application of normal phase pre-packed silica-gel columns for the fractionation followed by reverse phase in automated MPLC system expedited the process and furnished highly pure metabolites. Furthermore, eight isolated triterpenoids along with five semi-synthesized derivatives were characterized using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-quadrupole/orbitrap-MS/MS spectrometry as a rapid and sensitive identification technique. The structure-fragment relationships were established on the basis of plausible mechanistic pathway for the generation of daughter ions. The MS/MS spectral information of the triterpenoids was further utilized for the identification of studied molecules in the complex extract of stem and bark tissues from Neem. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ESI(+)-quadrupole/orbitrap-MS/MS, MPLC, Neem oil, Preparative isolation, Salannin, Triterpenoids}, issn = {0021-9673}, doi = {10.1016/j.chroma.2014.09.006}, author = {Haldar, Saikat and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Dandekar, Devdutta S. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {45977, title = {Extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles using living peanut seedling}, journal = {Applied Nanoscience}, volume = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {875-879}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of nanoparticles by environment friendly method is an important aspect of nanotechnology. In the present study, extracellular reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles was carried out using living peanut plant. The electron microscopic analysis shows that the formed nanoparticles were of different shapes and sizes. The formed nanoparticles were polydispersed. The shapes of the nanoparticles were spherical, square, triangle, hexagonal and rod. Most of the particles were spherical and 56 nm in size. EDS analysis confirmed the formed nanoparticles were of silver. The crystalline nature of nanoparticles was confirmed by diffraction. This method opens up an exciting possibility of plant-based synthesis of other inorganic nanomaterials. This study confirms the synthesis of extracellular silver nanoparticles by living plant.

}, keywords = {Nanoparticles, Shapes, Silver, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {2190-5509}, doi = {10.1007/s13204-013-0269-y}, author = {Raju, D. and Paneliya, Nikita and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article { ISI:000340306500026, title = {Facile esterification of carboxylic acid using amide functionalized benzimidazolium dicationic ionic liquids}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {482}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {214-220}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the synthesis of a new series of amide functionalized dicationic benzimidazolium based ionic liquids (DBimILs) and appraised their efficacy towards perceptive esterification of carboxylic acids with alkyl/allyl/aryl halides in presence of triethylamine. The amide groups present in this new series of DBimILs are expected to form hydrogen bonding with the carboxylic acids and this could facilitate the esterification reactions under mild conditions devoid of any added catalyst or organic solvent. The plausible mechanism for the enhanced catalytic activity in presence of this new series of ILs has been proposed. The corresponding alkyl/allyl/aryl esters isolated from this reaction were of high purity after simple extraction, which wipe out the necessity for further purification. This protocol addresses clean methodology and the efficient recyclability as well as reusability of the catalyst. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Benzimidazolium, Dicationic ionic liquids, Esterification, Homogenous catalysis}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2014.06.004}, author = {Muskawar, Prashant Narayan and Thenmozhi, K. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Bhagat, Pundlik Rambhau} } @article {45972, title = {Facile gamma radiolytic synthesis of synergistic Co3O4-rGO nanocomposite: direct use in photocatalytic water splitting}, journal = { Materials Research Express}, volume = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {045507}, type = {Artical}, abstract = {

Nanostructured Co3O4 was synthesized through a gamma (gamma)-radiolysis technique using alcoholic (iso-propanol) salt solutions of cobalt ions with and without suspended graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles, respectively. Formation of Co3O4 accompanied with GO reduction takes place simultaneously (in situ) upon.-ray exposure carried out at a rate of 5.1 KGy h(-1). Reduction of GO and formation of Co3O4 were confirmed by XRD, Raman and UV-vis spectroscopy. XRD and HRTEM results supports the embedding of nano-crystalline Co3O4 in an amorphous matrix. Relatively larger crystallites of cobalt oxide obtained in the presence of rGO proved to be a decisive supporting material for the directional growth of Co3O4. Electrochemical characterization established the fact that rGO is indeed considered as a proficient medium for electrochemical electron transfer process. Photo-assisted H-2 generation studies using Co3O4 and Co3O4-rGO nano-composite yielded 3 and 30 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) of hydrogen (H-2) generation, respectively, supports the action of rGO as an electron trap.

}, keywords = {nano cobalt oxide, photocatalytic hydrogen production, Reduced graphene oxide}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/1/4/045507}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Matthews, Tom and Dash, S. and Tyagi, A. K.} } @article {46390, title = {Ferromagnetic tetranuclear Cu(II) complex: catecholase and phenoxazinone synthase activities}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C926}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {catalysis, Ferromagnetic, Tetranuclear copper}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Mitra, Merry and Kundu, Tanay and Kaur, Gurpreet and Sharma, Gyaneswar and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Singh, Yogesh and Ghosh, Rajarshi} } @article { ISI:000341122000068, title = {Fe-TAML encapsulated inside mesoporous silica nanoparticles as peroxidase mimic: femtomolar protein detection}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {16}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13866-13873}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Peroxidase, such as horseradish peroxidase (HRP), conjugated to antibodies are routinely used for the detection of proteins via an ELISA type assay in which a critical step is the catalytic signal amplification by the enzyme to generate a detectable signal. Synthesis of functional mimics of peroxidase enzyme that display catalytic activity which far exceeds the native enzyme is extremely important for the precise and accurate determination of very low quantities of proteins (fM and lower) that is necessary for early clinical diagnosis. Despite great advancements, analyzing proteins of very low abundance colorimetrically, a method that is most sought after since it requires no equipment for the analysis, still faces great challenges. Most reported HRP mimics that show catalytic activity greater than native enzyme (similar to 40-fold) are based on metal/metal-oxide nanoparticles such as Fe3O4. In this paper, we describe a second generation hybrid material developed by us in which approximately 25 000 alkyne tagged biuret modified Fetetraamido macrocyclic ligand (Fe-TAML), a very powerful small molecule synthetic HRP mimic, was covalently attached inside a 40 nm mesoporous silica nanopartide (MSN). Biuret-modified Fe-TAMLs represent one of the best small molecule functional mimics of the enzyme HRP with reaction rates in water close to the native enzyme and operational stability (pH, ionic strength) far exceeding the natural enzyme. The catalytic activity of this hybrid material is around 1000-fold higher than that of natural HRP and 100-fold higher than that of most metal/metal oxide nanoparticle based HRP mimics reported to date. We also show that using antibody conjugates of this hybrid material it is possible to detect and, most importantly, quantify femtomolar quantities of proteins colorimetrically in an ELISA type assay. This represents at least 10-fold higher sensitivity than other colorimetric protein assays that have been reported using metal/metal oxide nanoparticles as HRP mimic. Using a human IgG expressing cell line, we were able to demonstrate that the protein of interest human IgG could be detected from a mixture of interfering proteins in our assay.

}, keywords = {colorimetrically, immuno assay, MSN, peroxidase mimic, signal amplification}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am503275g}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Dhar, Basab B. and Panda, Chakadola and Meena, Abhishek and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000330953700003, title = {Fictibacillus enclensis sp nov., isolated from marine sediment}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {105}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {461-469}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel Gram-positive strain, designated NIO-1003(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the Chorao Island, Goa Provence, India. Strain NIO-1003(T) was found to be strictly aerobic, motile, endospore-forming rods. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NIO-1003(T) belongs to the genus Fictibacillus and to be most closely related to Fictibacillus rigui KCTC 13278(T), Fictibacillus solisalsi KCTC 13181(T) and Fictibacillus barbaricus DSM 14730(T) with 98.2, 98.0 and 97.2 \% similarity and 25, 28, 39 nucleotide differences respectively. Strain NIO-1003(T) was characterized by having cell-wall peptidoglycan based on meso-diaminopimelic acid and MK-7 as the predominant menaquinone. The polar lipid profile exhibited the major compounds diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. In addition, minor amounts of an aminophospholipid were detected. The major fatty acids were identified as ai-C-15:0, iso-C-15:0, ai-C-17:0 and C-16:0, supporting the grouping of strain NIO-1003(T) into the family Bacillaceae. The DNA G+C content of strain NIO-1003(T) was determined to be 42.6 mol\%. On the basis of phenotypic properties, phylogeny and DNA-DNA hybridisation analysis, strain NIO-1003(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Fictibacillus for which the name Fictibacillus enclensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NIO-1003(T) (= NCIM 5458(T) = DSM 25142(T)).

}, keywords = {Chorao Island, Fictibacillus sp., Polyphasic taxonomy}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-013-0097-9}, author = {Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Srinivasan, Krishnamurthi and Tang, Shan-Kun and Lee, Jae-Chan and Ramana, V. Venkata and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000346266000074, title = {Field emission properties of ZnO nanosheet arrays}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {105}, number = {23}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {233101}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

{Electron emission properties of electrodeposited ZnO nanosheet arrays grown on Indium tin oxide coated glass substrates have been studied. Influence of oxygen vacancies on electronic structures and field emission properties of ZnO nanosheets are investigated using density functional theory. The oxygen vacancies produce unshared d electrons which form an impurity energy state; this causes shifting of Fermi level towards the vacuum, and so the barrier energy for electron extraction reduces. The ZnO nanosheet arrays exhibit a low turn-on field of 2.4 V/mu m at 0.1 mu A/cm(2) and current density of 50.1 mu A/cm(2) at an applied field of 6.4 V/mu m with field enhancement factor

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4903271}, author = {Naik, Kusha Kumar and Khare, Ruchita T. and Chakravarty, Disha and More, Mahendra A. and Thapa, Ranjit and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000340267600082, title = {Flexible microwave absorbers based on barium hexaferrite, carbon black, and nitrile rubber for 2-12 GHz applications}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {116}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {024902}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {CIRCULATION \& FULFILLMENT DIV, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, STE 1 N O 1, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Flexile single layer electromagnetic wave absorbers were designed by incorporating appropriate amounts of carbon black in a nitrile butadiene rubber matrix along with an optimized amount of magnetic counterpart, namely, barium hexaferrite for applications in S, C, and X-bands. Effective dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability were measured using cavity perturbation method in the frequency range of 2-12 GHz. The microwave absorbing characteristics of the composites were studied in the S, C, and X-bands employing a model in which an electromagnetic wave is incident normally on a metal terminated single layer. Reflection loss exceeding -20 dB is obtained for all the samples in a wide frequency range of 2-12 GHz when an appropriate absorber thickness between 5 and 9 mm is chosen. The impact of carbon black is clearly observed in the optimized composites on the mechanical strength, thickness, band width of absorption, dielectric properties, and absorptivity. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-8979}, doi = {10.1063/1.4886382}, author = {Vinayasree, S. and Soloman, M. A. and Sunny, Vijutha and Mohanan, P. and Kurian, Philip and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Anantharaman, Maliemadom R.} } @article {46360, title = {From waste paper basket to solid state and Li-HEC ultracapacitor electrodes: a value added journey for shredded office paper}, journal = {Small}, volume = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4395-4402}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrothermal processing followed by controlled pyrolysis of used white office paper (a globally collectable shredded paper waste) are performed to obtain high surface area carbon with hierarchical pore size distribution. The BET specific surface area of such carbon is 2341 m 2 g(-1). The interconnected macroporous structure along with the concurrent presence of mesopores and micropores makes the material ideal for ultracapacitor application. Such waste paper derived carbon (WPC) shows remarkable performance in all solid-state supercapacitor fabricated with ionic liquid-polymer gel electrolyte. At room temperature, the material exhibits a power density of 19 000 W kg(-1) with an energy capability of 31 Wh kg(-1). The Li-ion electrochemical capacitor constructed using WPC as cathode also shows an excellent energy storage capacity of 61 Wh kg(-1)

}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201401041}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {46361, title = {Fungus-mediated preferential bioleaching of waste material such as fly - ash as a means of producing extracellular, protein capped, fluorescent and water soluble silica nanoparticles}, journal = {PLoS One}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP }, pages = {e107597}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, we for the first time show the ability of the mesophilic fungus Fusarium oxysporum in the bioleaching of waste material such as Fly-ash for the extracellular production of highly crystalline and highly stable, protein capped, fluorescent and water soluble silica nanoparticles at ambient conditions. When the fungus Fusarium oxysporum is exposed to Fly-ash, it is capable of selectively leaching out silica nanoparticles of quasi-spherical morphology within 24 h of reaction. These silica nanoparticles have been completely characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy dispersive analysis of Xrays (EDAX).

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0107597}, author = {Khan, Shadab Ali and Uddin, Imran and Moeez, Sana and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000338042500011, title = {Green synthesis of polysaccharide stabilized gold nanoparticles: chemo catalytic and room temperature operable vapor sensing application}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {46}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {24014-24019}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A facile, one pot, completely green, and cheap route for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been developed by using locust bean gum (LBG), both as a reducing and a stabilizing agent. Synthesized AuNPs were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, dynamic light scattering analysis (DLS) and EDAX. A characteristic surface plasmon peak at 537 nm confirmed the formation of AuNPs. Synthesized AuNPs were found to be an efficient catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The reaction follows pseudo-first order kinetics with a rate constant of 14.46 X 10(-2) min(-1). Furthermore, the catalytic efficiency of AuNPs for ethanol vapor sensing was investigated by doping AuNPs in a tin oxide (SnO2) matrix synthesized by a single step thermal decomposition method. The AuNPs doped SnO2 sensor showed a fast response (similar to 5 seconds) and excellent ethanol sensing behavior in the range of 10 to 120 ppm at room temperature. A two fold increase in ethanol vapor sensing response was observed with AuNPs doped SnO2 as compared with the pure SnO2 sensor.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra02972k}, author = {Tagad, Chandrakant K. and Rajdeo, Kishor S. and Kulkarni, Atul and More, Pooja and Aiyer, Rohini C. and Sabharwal, Sushma G.} } @article { ISI:000334168400024, title = {Ground state of naphthyl cation: singlet or triplet?}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {140}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {114312}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We present a benchmark theoretical investigation on the electronic structure and singlet- triplet(ST) gap of 1- and 2-naphthyl cations using the CCSD(T) method. Our calculations reveal that the ground states of both the naphthyl cations are singlet, contrary to the results obtained by DFT/B3LYP calculations reported in previous theoretical studies. However, the triplet states obtained in the two structural isomers of naphthyl cation are completely different. The triplet state in 1-naphthyl cation is (pi,sigma) type, whereas in 2-naphthyl cation it is (pi,sigma) type, The S-T gaps in naphthyl cations and the relative stability ordering of the singlet and the triplet states are highly sensitive to the basis set quality as well as level of correlation, and demand for inclusion of perturbative triples in the coupled-cluster ansatz. (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/1.4868485}, author = {Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Manohar, Prashant Uday and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000341165000020, title = {High magnetostriction parameters for low-temperature sintered cobalt ferrite obtained by two-stage sintering}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {371}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {121-129}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

From the studies on the magnetostriction characteristics of two-stage sintered polycrystalline CoFe2O4 made from nanocrystalline powders, it is found that two-stage sintering at low temperatures is very effective for enhancing the density and for attaining higher magnetostriction coefficient. Magnetostriction coefficient and strain derivative are further enhanced by magnetic field annealing and relatively larger enhancement in the magnetostriction parameters is obtained for the samples sintered at lower temperatures, after magnetic annealing, despite the fact that samples sintered at higher temperatures show larger magnetostriction coefficients before annealing. A high magnetostriction coefficient of similar to 380 ppm is obtained after field annealing for the sample sintered at 1100 degrees C, below a magnetic field of 400 kA/m, which is the highest value so far reported at low magnetic fields for sintered polycrystalline cobalt ferrite. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, Magnetostriction, Two-stage sintering}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2014.07.013}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @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:000330241000045, title = {Highly efficient one-pot multi-component synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonates and bis-alpha-aminophosphonates catalyzed by heterogeneous reusable silica supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) at ambient temperature and their antitubercular eval}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {15}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {7666-7672}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A highly efficient one-pot multi-component reaction (MCR) protocol over DTP/SiO2 has been developed for the synthesis of alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives (4a-x) in excellent yields. The alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives were for the first time evaluated for their antitubercular activity against the M. tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) strain. An evaluation of the data on the cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity shows that 4n and 4v are promising antitubercular agents.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra45853a}, author = {Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Gample, Suvarna P. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000332835300494, title = {Homogeneous water oxidation using peroxidase mimic [Fe-III(biuret-amide)] and analyte detection via signal amplification}, journal = {Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {19}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, note = {16th International Conference on Biological Inorganic Chemistry (ICBIC), Grenoble, FRANCE, JUL 22-26, 2013}, month = {MAR}, pages = {S557}, publisher = {Int Organizing Comm; Natl Organizing Comm; SBIC; Veolia Environm; Arcane; Grenoble Innovat Adv New Technologies; LOREAL; Soc Chimique France; CEA, Life Sci Div; SHIMADZU; High Tech Mat; CEA, Div Matter Sci; IFP Energies Nouvelles; Univ Joseph Fourier; Spr}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, issn = {0949-8257}, author = {Panda, C. and Dhar, B. B. and Ghosh, Munmun and Malvi, Bharmana and Bhattacharjee, Yudhajit and Sengupta, S.} } @article { ISI:000347360200068, title = {Hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters as highly active catalysts for oxygen activation and co oxidation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {51}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {30057-30062}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Using oxygen activation and carbon monoxide oxidation as a probe, we have carried out density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the effect of hydrogen atom chemisorption on the reactivity and catalytic activity of gold nanoclusters. In the present work, we particularly focus on the closed shell neutral Au-n (n = 2, 4, 6, 8) gold clusters which are reported to be chemically inert and catalytically less active. The results confirm that the hydrogen atom chemisorption activates the inert clusters, thereby leading to enhanced binding and activation of the O-2 molecule. A significant amount of increase in the O-O and decrease in the Au-O bond lengths together with a pertinent red shift in the O-O stretching frequencies clearly indicates the stronger binding and activation of oxygen molecule in the case of AunH clusters. Further, our results reveal that the hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters are catalytically more active with low activation barriers for the CO oxidation reaction compared to the parent less active closed shell gold clusters. Thus, in short the current theoretical observation provides key inputs for enhancing the reactivity and catalytic activity of inert gold clusters through the adsorption of a small atom or a molecule.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp510488v}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42484, title = {Hydrogen bonding interaction between active methylene hydrogen atoms and an anion as a binding motif for anion recognition: experimental studies and theoretical rationalization}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {118}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2656{\textendash}2666}, abstract = {

Two new reagents, having similar spatial arrangements for hydrogen atoms of the active methylene functionalities, were synthesized and interactions of such reagents with different anionic analytes were studied using electronic spectroscopy as well as by using 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopic methods. Experimental studies revealed that these two reagents showed preference for binding to F{\textendash} and OAc{\textendash}. Detailed theoretical studies along with the above-mentioned spectroscopic studies were carried out to understand the contribution of the positively charged phosphonium ion, along with methylene functionality, in achieving the observed preference of these two receptors for binding to F{\textendash} and OAc{\textendash}. Observed differences in the binding affinities of these two reagents toward fluoride and acetate ions also reflected the role of acidity of such methylene hydrogen atoms in controlling the efficiencies of the hydrogen bonding in anion{\textendash}Hmethylene interactions. Hydrogen bonding interactions at lower concentrations of these two anionic analytes and deprotonation equilibrium at higher concentration were observed with associated electronic spectral changes as well as visually detectable change in solution color, an observation that is generally common for other strong hydrogen bond donor functionalities like urea and thiourea. DFT calculations performed with the M06/6-31+G**//M05-2X/6-31G* level of theory showed that F{\textendash} binds more strongly than OAc{\textendash} with the reagent molecules. The deprotonation of methylene hydrogen atom of receptors with F{\textendash} ion was observed computationally. The metal complex as reagent showed even stronger binding energies with these analytes, which corroborated the experimental results.

}, doi = {10.1021/jp501769y}, author = {Agarwalla, Hridesh and Jana, Kalyanashis and Maity, Arunava and Kesharwani, Manoj K. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article {CSIR, title = {Hydrogenation of polar bonds catalysed by ruthenium-pincer complexes}, journal = {Ruthenium in Catalysis}, volume = {48}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, note = {3rd International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics (ICACCI), New Delhi, INDIA, SEP 24-27, 2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {19-43}, publisher = {IEEE Commun Soc; IEEE Syst Man \& Cybernet Soc; Galgotias Coll Engn \& Technol; Hochschule Offenburg Univ Appl Sci; Int Neural Network Soc; India Chapter \& Res Publishing Serv; Madhyam; WizIQ; ICACCI; IEEE}, address = {HEIDELBERGER PLATZ 3, D-14197 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Catalytic hydrogenation of polar bonds using molecular hydrogen is an important, atom-economical synthetic reaction. Classical reduction methods of polar bond often require reactive metal-hydride reagents in stoichiometric amount and produce copious waste. Hydrogenation of carbonyl compounds in particular provides {\textquoteleft}green{\textquoteright} approaches to synthetically important building blocks, such as alcohols and amines. We have designed and synthesized several ruthenium-based pincer catalysts for unprecedented hydrogenation reactions including: (1) amides to alcohols and amines, (2) biomass-derived di-esters to 1,2-diols and (3) CO2 and CO derivatives to methanol. These atom-economical reactions operate under neutral, homogeneous conditions, at mild temperatures, mild hydrogen pressures, and can operate in absence of solvent with no generation of waste. The postulated mechanisms involve metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) by aromatization-dearomatization of the heteroaromatic pincer core.

}, keywords = {Amides, Carbon dioxide, Esters, Hydrogen, Hydrogenation, Metal-ligand cooperation, Pincer complexes, ruthenium}, isbn = {978-3-319-08482-4; 978-3-319-08481-7}, issn = {1436-6002}, doi = {10.1007/3418_2014_77}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Milstein, David}, editor = {Bruneau, C. and Dixneuf, P. H.} } @article { ISI:000344440500015, title = {Identification and expression profiling of helicoverpa armigera microRNAs and their possible role in the regulation of digestive protease genes}, journal = {Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}, volume = {54}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {129-137}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The present investigation is an effort to determine the possible roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the regulation of protease gene expression in Helicoverpa armigera upon exposure to plant protease inhibitors (PIs). Using Illumina platform, deep sequencing of 12 small RNA libraries was performed from H. armigera larvae fed on artificial diet (AD) or recombinant Capsicum annuum PI-7 (rCanPI-7) incorporated diet, at various time intervals (0.5, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h). Sequencing data were analyzed with miRDeep2 software; a total of 186 unique miRNAs were identified from all the 12 libraries, out of which 96 were conserved while 90 were novel. These miRNAs showed all the conserved characteristics of insect miRNAs. Homology analysis revealed that most of the identified miRNAs were insect-specific, and more than 50 miRNAs were Lepidoptera-specific. Several candidate miRNAs (conserved and novel) were differentially expressed in rCanPI-7 fed larvae as compared to the larvae fed on AD. H. armigera miRNAs were found to have target sites in several protease genes as well as in protease regulation related genes such as serine PI and immune reactive PI. As expected, negative correlation in the relative abundance miRNAs and their target mRNAs was evident from qualitative real time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The investigation revealed potential roles of miRNAs in H. armigera protease gene regulation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Deep sequencing, Helicoverpa armigera, miRNAs, Protease gene regulation, Protease inhibitors}, issn = {0965-1748}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2014.09.008}, author = {Lomate, Purushottam R. and Mahajan, Neha S. and Kale, Sandip M. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000331953400004, title = {Immune response to chemically modified proteome}, journal = {Proteomics Clinical Applications}, volume = {8}, number = {1-2, SI}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {19-34}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Both enzymatic and nonenzymatic PTMs of proteins involve chemical modifications. Some of these modifications are prerequisite for the normal functioning of cell, while other chemical modifications render the proteins as neo-self antigens, which are recognized as non-self leading to aberrant cellular and humoral immune responses. However, these modifications could be a secondary effect of autoimmune diseases, as in the case of type I diabetes, hyperglycemia leads to protein glycation. The enigma of chemical modifications and immune response is akin to the chick-and-egg paradox. Nevertheless, chemical modifications regulate immune response. In some of the well-known autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis, chemically modified proteins act as autoantigens forming immune complexes. In some instances, chemical modifications are also involved in regulating immune response during pathogen infection. Further, the usefulness of proteomic analysis of immune complexes is briefly discussed.

}, keywords = {Autoantibody, Autoimmune diseases, Immune complex, Immunoproteomics, PTMs}, issn = {1862-8346}, doi = {10.1002/prca.201300068}, author = {Bhat, Shweta and Mary, Sheon and Banarjee, Reema and Giri, Ashok P. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {46362, title = {Improving the energy density of Li-ion capacitors using polymer-derived porous carbons as cathode}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {130}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN }, pages = {766-770}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

High energy density Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors (Li-HEC) are fabricated with 3 D architectured high surface area porous carbon (HSPC) derived from the poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt in a single step without any activating agent. The obtained HSPC exhibits high specific surface area of 1490 m(2) g(-1) and characterized with several analytical techniques. Li-HEC is fabricated with insertion type Li4Ti5O12 anode by adjusting the mass balance based on the single electrode performance with Li. The Li-HEC delivered the maximum energy density of similar to 55 Wh kg(-1), which is much higher than commercially available activated carbon (similar to 36 Wh kg(-1)). Further HSPC based Li-HEC delivered excellent cycleability and rendered similar to 87\% of initial value after 2000 cycles. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {energy density, Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors, non-aqueous, porous carbon}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2014.03.079}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000333057300005, title = {In situ pH management for microbial culture in shake flasks and its application to increase plasmid yield}, journal = {Journal of Industrial Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {41}, number = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {647-655}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Shake flasks are widely used to culture microorganisms, but they do not allow for pH control without additional infrastructure. In the presence of a carbon source like glucose, culture pH typically decreases due to overflow metabolism and can limit the growth of microorganisms in shake flasks. In this study, we demonstrate the use of magnesium hydroxide-loaded pH managing hydrogels (m-pHmH) for in situ base release to counter the decrease in culture pH in shake flasks using Escherichia coli as a model organism, in both complex and mineral salts medium. Base release from m-pHmH is shown to increase with decreasing pH (22-fold increase in release rate from pH 8 to 5), thus providing feedback from culture pH. The addition of m-pHmH resulted in better pH maintenance and higher biomass yields of E. coli K12 in media containing glucose as a carbon source. The use of m-pHmH with additional buffer resulted in pH being maintained above 6.9 while pH decreases below 5 without m-pHmH. We demonstrate one application of such in situ pH management to increase the volumetric plasmid yield from E. coli in shake flask culture. In situ glucose release through a hydrogel to mimic fed-batch culture along with the addition of m-pHmH resulted in a 395 \% increase in volumetric plasmid yield to 38 mu g/ml in shake flask culture.

}, keywords = {In situ pH control, Magnesium hydroxide, pH-responsive base release, Shake flask culture}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-014-1405-8}, author = {Sanil, Reenu and Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article { ISI:000330489500020, title = {In situ synthesized BSA capped gold nanoparticles: effective carrier of anticancer drug methotrexate to MCF-7 breast cancer cells}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials For Biological Applications}, volume = {34}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {158-167}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The proficiency of MTX loaded BSA capped gold nanoparticles (Au-BSA-MTX) in inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells MCF-7 as compared to the free drug Methotrexate (MTX) is demonstrated based on MTT and Ki-67 proliferation assays. In addition, DNA ladder gel electrophoresis studies, flow cytometry and TUNEL assay confirmed the induction of apoptosis by MTX and Au-BSA-MTX in MCF-7 cells. Notably, Au-BSA-MTX: was found to have higher cytotoxicity on MCF-7 cells compared with an equivalent dose of free MTX. The enhanced activity is attributed to the preferential uptake of Au-BSA-MTX particles by MCF-7 cells due to the presence of BSA that acts as a source of nutrient and energy to the rapidly proliferating MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the targeting ability of the drug MTX to the over expressed folate receptors on MCF-7 cells also contributes to the enhanced uptake and activity. Taken together, these results unveil that Au-BSA-MTX could be more effective than free drug for cancer treatment. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Apoptosis, Bovine serum albumin, Cancer therapy, Cytotoxicity, Dual active agents, gold nanoparticles}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2013.09.004}, author = {Murawala, Priyanka and Tirmale, Amruta and Shiras, Anjali and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000337645600001, title = {In the sense of transcription regulation by G-quadruplexes: asymmetric effects in sense and antisense strands}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {23}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3711-3718}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

G-Quadruplexes occupy important regulatory regions in the genome. DNA G-quadruplexes in the promoter regions and RNA quadruplexes in the UTRs (untranslated regions) have been individually studied and variously implicated at different regulatory levels of gene expression. However, the formation of G-quadruplexes in the sense and antisense strands and their corresponding roles in gene regulation have not been studied in much detail. In the present study, we have elucidated the effect of strand asymmetry in this context. Using biophysical methods, we have demonstrated the formation of stable G-quadruplex structure in vitro using CD and UV melting. Additionally, ITC was employed to demonstrate that a previously reported selective G-quadruplex ligand was able to bind and stabilize the G-quadruplex in the present sequence. Further, we have shown using reporter constructs that although the DNA G-quadruplex in either strand can reduce translation efficiency, transcriptional regulation differs when G-quadruplex is present in the sense or antisense strand. We demonstrate that the G-quadruplex motif in the antisense strand substantially inhibits transcription, while when in the sense strand, it does not affect transcription, although it does ultimately reduce translation. Further, it is also shown that the G-quadruplex stabilizing ligand can enhance this asymmetric transcription regulation as a result of the increased stabilization of the G-quadruplex.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi401451q}, author = {Agarwal, Tani and Roy, Saumya and Kumar, Santosh and Chakraborty, Tushar Kanti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000340353100013, title = {In1-XGaXN@ZnO: a rationally designed and quantum dot integrated material for water splitting and solar harvesting applications}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {43}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {12546-12554}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The highly desirable combination of the visible light absorption properties of In1-xGaxN Quantum dots (QD) along with the multifunctionality of ZnO into a single integrated material was prepared for solar harvesting. This is the first report on InGaN QD integrated with ZnO (InGaN@ZnO), synthesized by a highly reproducible, simple combustion method in 15 min. Structural, microstructural and electronic integration of the nitride and oxide components of InGaN@ZnO was demonstrated by appropriate characterization methods. Self-assembly of InGaN QD is induced in growing nascent zinc oxo nanoclusters taking advantage of the common wurtzite structure and nitrogen incorporation at the expense of oxygen vacancies. Direct integration brings about a single phase structure exhibiting extensive visible tight absorption and high photostability. InGaN@ZnO suggests synergistic operation of tight harvesting and charge conducting components for solar H-2 generation without using any co-catalyst or sacrificial agent, and a promising photocurrent generation at 0 V under visible light illumination. The present study suggests a direct integration of QD with the host matrix and is a potential method to realize the advantages of QDs.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c4dt01268b}, author = {Rajaambal, Sivaraman and Mapa, Maitri and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000345226100028, title = {Indanthrone derived disordered graphitic carbon as promising insertion anode for sodium ion battery with long cycle life}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {146}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {218-223}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report facile, one step synthesis of disordered graphitic carbon by high temperature (1000 degrees C) pyrolysis of indanthrone dye (ID). The pyrolysed carbon is disordered in nature and the same is clearly evidenced by various analytical techniques like X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Na-insertion properties of such indanthrone dye derived disordered graphitic carbon (IDDGC) is evaluated in half-cell assembly (Na/IDDGC). The test cell delivered a reversible capacity of similar to 160 mAh g(-1) at current density of 25 mAg 1. In addition, excellent cycling profiles are noted for such IDDGC, which retains 67\% of initial reversible capacity after 500 cycles. The present study clearly highlights the importance of disorder in the graphitic carbon for efficient Na-ion storage. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {anode, disordered carbon, indanthrone, Na-ion battery}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2014.09.052}, author = {Suryawanshi, Anil and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Nagane, Satyawan and Patil, Shankar and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Ogale, Satishchandra and Srinivasan, Madhavi} } @article { ISI:000344339700002, title = {Interactions of a low molecular weight inhibitor from streptomyces sp. MBR04 with human cathepsin D: implications in mechanism of inactivation}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {174}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1705-1723}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Cathepsin D, a lysosomal aspartic protease, is of potential interest as a target for drug design due to its implication in breast and ovarian cancer. The article reports a low molecular weight cathepsin D inhibitor from Streptomyces sp. MBR04. The M-r of the inhibitor was 1,078 Da as determined by MALDI-TOF, and the amino acid analysis showed the presence of Asp, Asp, Gly, Ala, Lys, Leu, Tyr, Trp residues. The steady-state kinetic interactions revealed reversible, competitive, slow-tight-binding nature of the inhibitor with an IC50 and K (i) values of 3.2 and 2.5 nM, respectively. The binding of the inhibitor with the enzyme and the subsequent conformational changes were monitored by exploiting the intrinsic fluorescence of the surface exposed Trp-54 residue. Based on the fluorescence and circular dichroism studies, we demonstrate that the inhibitor binds to the active site of cathepsin D and causes inactivation. All these kinetic, thermodynamic, and quenching studies suggest that the newly isolated peptidic inhibitor could be a potential scaffold to study and can be used to develop new potent therapeutic lead molecule for the development of drugs. The inhibitor will be significant as a potential lead molecule to target cathepsin D.

}, keywords = {Cancer treatment, Cathepsin D inhibitor, Inactivation mechanism, Slow-tight-binding inhibition, Streptomyces sp MBR04}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-014-1009-9}, author = {Menon, Vishnu and Rao, Mala} } @article { ISI:000344451800020, title = {Interchain relay of antiferromagnetic ordering in 1D Co(II) coordination polymers via pi-pi interactions}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {16}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8523-8530}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce01010h}, author = {Ahmad, Musheer and Das, Raja and Mrozinski, Jerzy and Bienko, Alina and Poddar, Pankaj and Bharadwaj, Parimal K.} } @article { ISI:000342770500024, title = {Invoking pairwise interactions in water-promoted diels-alder reactions by using ionic liquids as cosolvents}, journal = {Chemphyschem}, volume = {15}, number = {14}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3067-3077}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Rate constants and derived activation parameters of organic reactions in aqueous media, in particular Diels-Alder reactions, are sensitive to the presence of cosolvents in water. To enhance the solubility window of water, we introduced ionic liquids as cosolvents in the aqueous Diels-Alder reaction between anthracene-9-carbinol and N-ethylmaleimide. The reactive potentials of the organic compounds are parameterized by using semi-empirical quantum chemical methods. The principle of Savage-Wood additivity of group interactions is used to quantify the pairwise group interactions among chemically inert ionic liquids and organic reactants, both at initial and transition states of the reaction. The present approach shows promise, as the use of simple calculations from easily available kinetic data can help researchers to understand the versatility of green ionic-liquid alternatives to volatile organic solvents.

}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.201402338}, author = {Manna, Arpan and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000341783900004, title = {Isolation of streptococcus tigurinus - a novel member of streptococcus mitis group from a case of periodontitis}, journal = {FEMS Microbiology Letters}, volume = {357}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {131-135}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Streptococcus tigurinus is a new member of the Streptococcus viridians group and is closely related to Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pseudopneumoniae, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus infantis. The type strain AZ_3a(T) of S. tigurinus was originally isolated from a patient with infective endocarditis. Accurate identification of S. tigurinus is facilitated only by newer molecular methods like 16S rRNA gene analysis. During the course of study on bacteraemia and infective endocarditis with reference to periodontitis and viridians group of streptococci, a strain of S. tigurinus isolated from subgingival plaque of a patient with periodontitis identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis, which was originally identified as Streptococcus pluranimalium by Vitek 2. Confirmation by 16S rRNA gene analysis showed 99.39\% similarity (1476/1485 bp) with S. tigurinus AZ_3a(T) (AORU01000002). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of isolation of S. tigurinus from the oral cavity of a periodontitis patient.

}, keywords = {periodontitis, Streptococcus tigurinus, VGS}, issn = {0378-1097}, doi = {10.1111/1574-6968.12519}, author = {Dhotre, Shree V. and Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Suryawanshi, Namdev M. and Nagoba, Basavraj S.} } @article {46404, title = {Large scale synthesis of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) from waste biomass and their use as an efficient and selective photoluminescence on-off-on probe for Ag+ ions}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {11664-11670}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are synthesized from bio-waste and are further modified to produce amine-terminated GQDs (Am-GQDs) which have higher dispersibility and photoluminescence intensity than those of GQDs. A strong fluorescence quenching of Am-GQDs (switch-off) is observed for a number of metal ions, but only for the Ag+ ions is the original fluorescence regenerated (switch-on) upon addition of L-cysteine.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr02494j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Anil and Biswal, Mandakini and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Gokhale, Rohan and Patil, Shankar and Guin, Debanjan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000336107400002, title = {Living plant-mediated synthesis of different shaped gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters}, volume = {6}, number = {4}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {279-283}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

We demonstrate extracellular green synthesis of gold nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes by using live Prosopis juliflora L. seedling. The conversion of ionic to metallic gold nanoparticles by P. juliflora seedling was carried out in short period. The formed nanoparticles were characterized by UV, TEM, Diffraction and EDS. TEM shows well dispersed particles of different shapes and sizes. The percentage of different shapes of nanoparticles was calculated, most of the particles were spherical in shape (75\%). The triangle nanoparticles were 10\%, followed by squares (8\%), hexagonal (5\%) and rods (2\%). The diffraction shows the formed nanoparticles are crystalline in nature and EDS confirms the formed nanoparticles are of gold. This shows P. juliflora seedling can synthesis different shapes of well dispersed nanoparticles.

}, keywords = {Gold, Nanoparticles, Prosopis juliflora, Shapes, synthesis, TEM}, issn = {1941-4900}, doi = {10.1166/nnl.2014.1756}, author = {Raju, D. and Paneliya, Nikita and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article { ISI:000327686200049, title = {Magnesia doped Ag/Al2O3 - sulfur tolerant catalyst for low temperature HC-SCR of NOx}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {144}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {408-415}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A series of magnesia doped Ag/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by modified impregnation method using boehmite as alumina precursor. The prepared catalysts were characterized and tested for the SCR of NOx using propene as reductant under lean condition. Doping of magnesia improved the low temperature catalytic activity for HC-SCR of NOx as well as sulfur tolerance. Maximum 98\% NO conversion with 100\% selectivity for N-2 was obtained at 350 degrees C with 7\% Mg doping to Ag/Al2O3. The improvement in low temperature activity and the sulfur tolerance has been correlated to decreased acidity after addition of magnesia to alumina support. In situ FTIR study showed that the deactivation in the presence of SO2 was due to the sulfation of silver and aluminum sites in Ag/Al2O3 catalyst, however its formation was suppressed in case of magnesia doped Ag/Al2O3 improving its sulfur tolerance. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HC-SCR, Low temperature activity, NOx, Sulfur tolerance}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2013.07.044}, author = {More, Pavan M. and Jagtap, Neelam and Kulal, Atul B. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar} } @article { ISI:000339540900006, title = {Matter of Size}, journal = {Scientist}, volume = {28}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {24-25}, publisher = {LABX MEDIA GROUP}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 216, 478 BAY ST, MIDLAND, ONTARIO L4R 1K9, CANADA}, issn = {0890-3670}, author = {McNeil, Scott} } @article { ISI:000340469800044, title = {Mechanical downsizing of a gadolinium(iii)-based metal-organic framework for anticancer drug delivery}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {20}, number = {33}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {10514-10518}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A Gd-III-based porous metal-organic framework (MOF), Gd-pDBI, has been synthesized using fluorescent linker pDBI (pDBI=(1,4-bis(5-carboxy-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl)benzene)), resulting in a three-dimensional interpenetrated structure with a one-dimensional open channel (1.9x1.2nm) filled with hydrogen-bonded water assemblies. Gd-pDBI exhibits high thermal stability, porosity, excellent water stability, along with organic-solvent and mild acid and base stability with retention of crystallinity. Gd-pDBI was transformed to the nanoscale regime (ca. 140nm) by mechanical grinding to yield MG-Gd-pDBI with excellent water dispersibility (\>90min), maintaining its porosity and crystallinity. In vitro and in vivo studies on MG-Gd-pDBI revealed its low blood toxicity and highest drug loading (12wt\%) of anticancer drug doxorubicin in MOFs reported to date with pH-responsive cancer-cell-specific drug release.

}, keywords = {ball-milling, doxorubicin, drug delivery, metal-organic frameworks, nanocarriers}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201402244}, author = {Kundu, Tanay and Mitra, Shouvik and Patra, Prasun and Goswami, Arunava and Diaz, David Diaz and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000344791100009, title = {Metallic few-layer flowerlike VS2 nanosheets as field emitters}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {31}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5331-5336}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

We report first-principles DFT calculations of the single-layer VS2 work function, the experimental synthesis of flower-like few-layer-thick VS2 nanosheets by a simple one-step hydrothermal method, and the investigation of their field emission properties. The turn-on field required to draw emission current densities of 1 and 10 mu A/cm(2) were 4 and 5.01 V/mu m, respectively. The observed turn-on field values are attributed to the high field enhancement factor (ca. 2500), which is due to presence of sharp protrusions in the VS2 nanosheets. Furthermore, the field-emission current stability of the VS2 emitter shows stable behavior over a period of 12 h. Further, DFT calculations show that the work function (f) of the single-layer VS2 emitter is 6.01 eV.

}, keywords = {Density functional calculations, field emission, Layered compounds, Nanostructures, Sulfur, Vanadium}, issn = {1434-1948}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.201402448}, author = {Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Khare, Ruchita T. and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Joag, Dilip S. and More, Mahendra A. and Lanzillo, Nicholas A. and Washington, Morris and Nayak, Saroj K. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000331132300040, title = {MicroRNA156: a potential graft-transmissible microrna that modulates plant architecture and tuberization in solanum tuberosum ssp andigena}, journal = {Plant Physiology}, volume = {164}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1011-1027}, publisher = {AMER SOC PLANT BIOLOGISTS}, address = {15501 MONONA DRIVE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20855 USA}, abstract = {

MicroRNA156 (miR156) functions in maintaining the juvenile phase in plants. However, the mobility of this microRNA has not been demonstrated. So far, only three microRNAs, miR399, miR395, and miR172, have been shown to be mobile. We demonstrate here that miR156 is a potential graft-transmissible signal that affects plant architecture and tuberization in potato (Solanum tuberosum). Under tuber-noninductive (long-day) conditions, miR156 shows higher abundance in leaves and stems, whereas an increase in abundance of miR156 has been observed in stolons under tuber-inductive (short-day) conditions, indicative of a photoperiodic control. Detection of miR156 in phloem cells of wild-type plants and mobility assays in heterografts suggest that miR156 is a graft-transmissible signal. This movement was correlated with changes in leaf morphology and longer trichomes in leaves. Overexpression of miR156 in potato caused a drastic phenotype resulting in altered plant architecture and reduced tuber yield. miR156 overexpression plants also exhibited altered levels of cytokinin and strigolactone along with increased levels of LONELY GUY1 and StCyclin D3.1 transcripts as compared with wild-type plants. RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends analysis validated SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING-LIKE3 (StSPL3), StSPL6, StSPL9, StSPL13, and StLIGULELESS1 as targets of miR156. Gel-shift assays indicate the regulation of miR172 by miR156 through StSPL9. miR156-resistant SPL9 overexpression lines exhibited increased miR172 levels under a short-day photoperiod, supporting miR172 regulation via the miR156-SPL9 module. Overall, our results strongly suggest that miR156 is a phloem-mobile signal regulating potato development.

}, issn = {0032-0889}, doi = {10.1104/pp.113.230714}, author = {Bhogale, Sneha and Mahajan, Ameya S. and Natarajan, Bhavani and Rajabhoj, Mohit and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @article { ISI:000333567300064, title = {MOF-derived crumpled-sheet-assembled perforated carbon cuboids as highly effective cathode active materials for ultra-high energy density Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors (Li-HECs)}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {6}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4387-4394}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lithium ion hybrid capacitors (Li-HECs) have attracted significant attention for use in next generation advanced energy storage technologies to satisfy the demand of both high power density as well as energy density. Herein we demonstrate the use of very high surface area 3D carbon cuboids synthesized from a metal-organic framework (MOF) as a cathode material with Li4Ti5O12 as the anode for high performance Li-HECs. The energy density of the cell is similar to 65 W h kg(-1) which is significantly higher than that achievable with commercially available activated carbon (similar to 36 W h kg(-1)) and a symmetric supercapacitor based on the same MOF-derived carbon (MOF-DC similar to 20 W h kg(-1)). The MOF-DC/Li4Ti5O12 Li-HEC assembly also shows good cyclic performance with similar to 82\% of the initial value (similar to 25 W h kg(-1)) retained after 10 000 galvanostatic cycles under high rate cyclic conditions. This result clearly indicates that MOF-DC is a very promising candidate for future P-HEVs in a Li-HEC configuration.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c4nr00025k}, author = {Banerjee, Abhik and Upadhyay, Kush Kumar and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000331157500011, title = {Molecular structures and biological evaluation of 2-chloro-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-napthoquinone derivatives as potent antifungal agents}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1059}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {68-74}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Derivatives of 2-chloro-3-(n-alkylamino)-1,4-naphthoquinone (1-alkyl: methyl; L-1, ethyl; L-2, propyl; L-3 and butyl; L-4) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, H-1 NMR, UV-visible spectroscopy, LC-MS and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Antifungal activity of L-1 to L-4 has been evaluated against Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans and Cladosporium herbarum. The intramolecular hydrogen bonding affects the N-H vibrational frequency in L-2 (3273 cm(-1)). The single crystal X-ray structure reveal that L-1 and L-3 crystallizes in triclinic P-1, whereas L-2 crystallizes in orthorhombic Pca2(1), space group. An extensive intra and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions were observed in L-1 to L-3 which leads to molecular association. Intramolecular N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonding were observed in L-1 to L-3. Moreover pi-pi stacking interactions were observed between the quinonoid rings of L-1 and L-3, however no such interactions were observed in L-2. An electrochemical study showed molecular association of L-1 to L-4 in DMSO solution. Compounds L-1 to L-4 were found to be potent antifungal agents against all the three strains, especially against C. tropicalis. Amongst these promising antifungal candidates, L-1 showed better activity compared to the clinically administered antifungal drug Amphotericin B and Nitrofurantoin with MIC = 1.25 mu g ml(-1) and MIC = 0.025 mu g ml(-1) respectively against C. albicans. Structure and activity relationship (SAR) study suggest a LogP value of similar to 2.0 and the cyclic voltammetry studies reveals additional chemical processes for L-1, which exhibits maximum activity against all fungal strains. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone, Antifungal activity, LogP, Naphthosemiquinone, pi-pi stacking}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2013.11.029}, author = {Pawar, Omkar and Patekar, Ashwini and Khan, Ayesha A. and Kathawate, Laxmi and Haram, Santosh K. and Markad, Ganesh and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article { ISI:000344470100036, title = {Molybdenum(VI) dioxo complexes for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols and olefins}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {772}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {271-279}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Several molybdenum(VI) dioxo complexes have been investigated as catalyst precursors for allylic alcohol epoxidation using mainly hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. All catalysts proved to be efficient and selective for the epoxidation of allylic alcohols provided the olefins were rather electron rich. Indeed, electron poor substrates could be converted selectively into the corresponding unsaturated aldehydes. A chiral dioxomolybdenum complex based on an optically pure tridentate Schiff base ligand was synthesized and characterized. Though that complex provided an efficient epoxidation catalyst for allylic alcohols and olefins, no chiral induction was observed. During the X-ray diffraction analysis, the cooling at 100 K led to the appearance of super-lattice reflections on diffraction patterns reflecting an ordering of the structure. Instead of one organometallic species observed at 298 K, three similar complexes of the same molecular structure could be observed in the asymmetric unit at 100 K. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Allylic alcohol, epoxidation, Molybdenum, Oxidation, Peroxide}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2014.09.029}, author = {Pandhare, Swati L. and Jadhao, Rajesh R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Capet, Frederic and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Michon, Christophe and Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine} } @article { ISI:000332059600003, title = {Morphological effects of G-quadruplex stabilization using a small molecule in zebrafish}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {7}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1117-1124}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos are transparent and advantageous for studying early developmental changes due to ex utero development, making them an appropriate model for studying gene expression changes as a result of molecular targeting. Zebrafish embryos were injected with a previously reported G-quadruplex selective ligand, and the phenotypic changes were recorded. We report marked discrepancies in the development of intersegmental vessels. In silico analysis determined that the putative G-quadruplex motif occur in the upstream promoter region of the Cdh5 (N-cadherin) gene. A real-time polymerase chain reaction-based investigation indicated that in zebrafish, CDH-2 (ZN-cad) was significantly downregulated in the ligand-treated embryos. Biophysical characterization of the interaction of the ligand with the G-quadruplex motif found in this promoter yielded strong binding and stabilization of the G-quadruplex with this ligand. Hence, we report for the first time the phenotypic impact of G-quadruplex targeting with a ligand in a vertebrate organism. This study has unveiled not only G-quadruplex targeting in non-human animal species but also the potential that G-quadruplexes can provide a ready tool for understanding the phenotypic effects of targeting certain important genes involved in differentiation and developmental processes in a living eukaryotic organism.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi4009352}, author = {Agarwal, Tani and Lalwani, Mukesh Kumar and Kumar, Santosh and Roy, Saumya and Chakraborty, Tushar Kanti and Sivasubbu, Sridhar and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000330820500057, title = {Nanocrystalline Ce doped CoFe2O4 as an acetone gas sensor}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {40}, number = {1, A}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {447-452}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Nanocrystalline CoFe2-xCexO4 ferrites (x=0, 0.04, 0.08) were synthesized by using the inexpensive, simple and eco-friendly molten-salt (M-S) method. Effects of Ce doping on the structural, morphological and gas sensing properties of the CoFe2O4 ferrite were investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the formation of spinel CoFe2O4. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations showed that the synthesized ferrite is made up of very fine spherical nanoparticles. Furthermore, the gas response of nanocrystalline ferrite materials was investigated in the temperature range of 200-450 degrees C toward the reducing gases like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), acetone, ethanol and ammonia. The sensor response was found to be sensitive and selective toward acetone as compared to other reducing gases. It is observed that the addition of Ce (4 wt\%) strongly influenced the response and the operating temperature of the sensor material and thus can serve as acetone-sensing sensors. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CoFe2O4, Ferrite, Gas sensor, Molten-salt method, TEM}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.06.021}, author = {Khandekar, M. S. and Tarwal, N. L. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000336700700003, title = {New enantioselective synthesis of (S)-2-ethoxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)Propanoic acid esters (EEHP and IEHP), useful pharmaceutical intermediates of PPAR agonists}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {21}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3223-3226}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, type = {Article}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new enantioselective synthetic route to the title compounds has been developed in a simple and practical way with high enantiopurity using commercially available starting material. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {EEHP, Epoxide, IEHP, PPAR agonists}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2014.04.021}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Kunte, S. S. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000338109600007, title = {New enantioselective synthesis of the anti-parkinson agent safinamide}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {46}, number = {13}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1751-1756}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, type = {Article}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

An alternative highly enantioselective synthesis of the anti-Parkinson agent safinamide from simple, commercially available, starting materials is described. The protocol might also be useful in the synthesis of structural variants of safinamide, such as ralfinamide or related analogues

}, keywords = {Amides, medicinal chemistry, safinamide, stereoselective synthesis}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0033-1341104}, author = {Reddi, Anjaneyulu and Mujahid, Mohammad and Sasikumar, Murugesan and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000334485400001, title = {New role for penicillin acylases: degradation of acyl homoserine lactone quorum sensing signals by Kluyvera citrophila penicillin G acylase}, journal = {Enzyme and Microbial Technology }, volume = {56}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1-7}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, type = {Article}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

Use of penicillin acylases for the production of semi-synthetic penicillins is well-known. Escherichia coli penicillin G acylase (EcPGA) has been extensively used for this purpose; however, Kluyvera citrophila penicillin G acylase (KcPGA) is assumed to be a better substitute, owing to its increased resilience to extreme pH conditions and ease of immobilization. In the present article we report a new dimension for the amidase activity of KcPGA by demonstrating its ability to cleave bacterial quorum sensing signal molecules, acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) with acyl chain length of 6-8 with or without oxo-substitution at third carbon position. Initial evidence of AHL degrading capability of KcPGA was obtained using CV026 based bioassay method. Kinetic studies performed at pH 8.0 and 50 degrees C revealed 3-oxo-C6 HSL to be the best substrate for the enzyme with V-max and K-m values of 21.37+0.85 mM/h/mg of protein and 0.1+0.01 mM, respectively. C6 HSL was found to be the second best substrate with V-max. and K-m value of 10.06+0.27 mM/h/mg of protein and 0.28+0.02 mM, respectively. Molecular modeling and docking studies performed on the active site of the enzyme support these findings by showing the fitting of AHLs perfectly within the hydrophobic pocket of the enzyme active site. (c) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acyl homoserine lactones, CV026, KcPGA, Quorum quenching}, issn = {0141-0229}, doi = {10.1016/j.enzmictec.2013.12.010}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Varshney, Nishant Kumar and Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Suresh, C. G. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000344459400014, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes via alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azoliums}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {93}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14539-14542}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Highly enantioselective NHC-organocatalyzed synthesis of functionalized cyclopentenes proceeding via alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediates is reported. The organocascade reaction of modified enals with malonic ester derivatives having a gamma-benzoyl group involves the Michael-intramolecular aldol-beta-lactonization-decarboxylation sequence to deliver cyclopentenes in good yields and excellent ee values.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc07433e}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Patra, Atanu and Kunte, Sunita S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000330425000001, title = {Novel glycolipids synthesized using plant essential oils and their application in quorum sensing inhibition and as antibiofilm agents}, journal = {Scientific World Journal}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {890709}, publisher = {HINDAWI PUBLISHING CORP}, address = {410 PARK AVENUE, 15TH FLOOR, \#287 PMB, NEW YORK, NY 10022 USA}, abstract = {

Essential oils (EOs) form an important part of traditional medicine so their anti-microbial and, in the recent past, antiquorum sensing activity has been well studied. However it is likely that due to their hydrophobic nature and reduced solubility in aqueous environments full potential of their activity cannot be realized. hence it is only rational to formulate a process to make these molecules more polar in nature. The present paper reports synthesis of sophorolipids using 12 different essential oils as substrates, thus providing surfactant-like properties to these EOs. The synthesis protocol makes the use of Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 as producer organism. The production process required 7 days of incubation at 28 degrees C and 180 rpm. Preliminary characterization of the synthesized essential oil sophorolipids (EOSLs) was performed using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, essential oils that were incapable of mediating quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) on their own became potent quorum sensing inhibitors upon conversion into their corresponding EOSLs. Antibiofilm potential of these EOSLs was also demonstrated using V. cholerae as test organism. Use of essential oils as substrates for glycolipid synthesis has not been attempted previously, and hence this is the first report.

}, issn = {1537-744X}, doi = {10.1155/2014/890709}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000340975900102, title = {Novel precursors for anatase nanorods and their application in DSSCs}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {147}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1110-1116}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Syntheses for the formation of two new precursors for TiO2 nanorods: titanium propanediolate and titanium erythritolate, have been detailed. These precursors have a rod like morphology and have been found to have higher thermal stability than commercially available precursors. The conversion of the precursors to anatase phase of TiO2 involves a simple heating protocol and importantly the morphology is conserved. The resulting anatase nanorods have been characterised and evaluated as photoanodes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Overall device efficiencies of 3.2\% and 2.3\% were achieved when anatase rods (obtained from titanium propanediolate and titanium erythritolate respectively) were used. These values are higher than the 1.1\% efficiency obtained from the control device (made with spherical anatase nanoparticles). It is found that forming ordered 1-D rods leads to enhanced charge transport and charge collection at the electrode along with a commensurate decrease in charge recombination. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Inorganic compounds, Nanostructures, Non-crystalline materials, Sol-gel growth}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2014.06.065}, author = {Mishra, Biswajit and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Khushalani, Deepa} } @article { ISI:000348013600024, title = {Novel synthesis and characterization of CuO nanomaterials: biological applications}, journal = {Chinese Chemical Letters}, volume = {25}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1615-1619}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC}, address = {360 PARK AVE SOUTH, NEW YORK, NY 10010-1710 USA}, abstract = {

CuO nanoparticles were synthesized at a relatively low temperature (80 degrees C) for 2 h using polyethylene glycol-glycerol mixture which acts as a capping agent. A detailed characterization of the synthesized nanomaterials were performed utilizing X-ray diffraction (XRD), infra-red spectroscopy (IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) by studying its crystalline phase, vibrational mode, thermal analysis, morphology and photoluminescence properties. The effect of annealing on the as-prepared nanoparticles were studied and compared with their corresponding bulk counterpart. The synthesized nanoparticles have been screened for in vitro cytotoxicity (IC50) studies against the human cervical adenocarcinoma cell line (HeLa) using MTT assay methods. The as-prepared nanoparticle inhibits the proliferation of this HeLa cell. The standard disc diffusion method has been used to study the antibacterial activity of the samples against the human pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli (MTCC 729), Proteus mirabilis (MTCC 425) and Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae (MTCC 432). The results have been compared with the positive control antibiotic gentamycin. The synthesized nanoparticles would provide a potential alternative to antibiotics for controlling some of the microorganisms causing urolithiasis. (C) 2014 Meitram Niraj Luwang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Annealing, Antibacterials, CuO nanoparticles, Cytotoxicity, HeLa cell lines}, issn = {1001-8417}, doi = {10.1016/j.cclet.2014.07.014}, author = {Devi, Ayekpam Bimolini and Moirangthem, Dinesh Singh and Talukdar, Narayan Chandra and Devi, M. Damayanti and Singh, N. Rajen and Luwang, Meitram Niraj} } @article { ISI:000341619600016, title = {Observation of the marcus inverted region for bimolecular photoinduced electron-transfer reactions in viscous media}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {118}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10704-10715}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The general observation of Marcus inverted region (MIR) for bimolecular electron-transfer (ET) reactions in different viscous media, e.g., micelles, reverse micelles, vesicles, ionic liquids, DNA scaffold, etc. has been doubted in some recent publications arguing limitations in SternVolmer (SV) analysis to account for the static and transient stages of quenching in these slow diffusing media. Thus, following a theoretical treatment based on a spherically symmetric diffusion equation coupled with conventional Marcus ET description, it has been suggested that the MIR observed in viscous media arises due to the inadequate consideration of different quenching regimes and also due to the differential excited-state lifetimes of the fluorophores used than a genuine one (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 11396). However, the overall treatment in this study is severely compromised by setting the minimum solvent reorganization energy (?s) to (lambda) to similar to 0.96 eV while fitting the experimental data, which unambiguously suggests that the inversion in ET rate will never appear in the exergonicity (-Delta G(0)) range of 0.16 to 0.71 eV, as is the case for the studied ET systems. Besides, the applicability of the conventional Marcus ET model (instead of Sumi-Marcus two-dimensional ET model) in such extremely viscous media with exceptionally slow solvent response is highly debatable and perhaps is the main cause of the failure in fitting the experimental data quite satisfactorily. In the present study involving ultrafast ET quenching for coumarin derivatives by dimethylaniline donor in viscous ionic liquid media, we demonstrate clear MIR for the intrinsic ET rates, directly obtained from the ultrafast decay components of 110 ps, a time scale in which diffusion of reactants is negligible and the ET rates are either faster than or, at the most, competitive with the solvent reorganization. The appearance of MIR at ?Delta G(0) similar to-0.5 eV, significantly lower than expected from the lambda(s) value, further substantiate the nonapplicability of conventional ET description but certainly advocate for the applicability of the SumiMarcus two-dimensional ET model in such media. Moreover, no obvious correlation has experimentally been observed between the excited-state lifetimes of the coumarin derivatives and the ET rates for a large number of dyes used in the present study. On the basis of the present results and drawing inferences from reported literatures in viscous media, we conclude that not only is the appearance of MIR very genuine but also the mechanistic model necessary to account the observed facts for the bimolecular ET reactions in a viscous medium is the two-dimensional ET description, which deals with an extremely slow relaxing solvent coordinate and a fast relaxing intramolecular coordinate to describe the ET reactions.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/jp506885r}, author = {Kumbhakar, Manoj and Manna, Arpan and Sayed, Mhejabeen and Kumar, Anil and Pal, Haridas} } @article { ISI:000344132400051, title = {Oligomer-salt derived 3D, heavily nitrogen doped, porous carbon for Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitors application}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {80}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {462-471}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

3D high surface area porous carbon is seen to form via self assembly of porous graphene sheets by direct pyrolysis of an oligomer salt tailored for the realization of molecular level activation. The oligomer salt was derived from 4-amino benzoic acid as the monomer by a facile free radical polymerization process. Incorporation of the functional groups (-COONa) eliminate the need for any external activating agents (KOH, ZnCl2, etc.) and also render high degree of sub-nanoscale homogeneity. This oligomer derived carbon (ODC) exhibits efficient performance in non-aqueous charge storage application namely Li-ion hybrid electrochemical capacitor (Li-HEC) owing to its high surface area, 3D interconnectivity and an appropriate pore size distribution. The Li-HEC fabricated with ODC based electrodes delivered a maximum energy density of similar to 63 Wh kg(-1) with spinel L4Ti5O12 as the anode. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2014.08.086}, author = {Gokhale, Rohan and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Yadav, Prasad and Jain, Srashti and Phase, Deodatta and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000341288500041, title = {Overview of the recent developments on Hg2+ recognition}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {68}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {36140-36174}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Adverse influences of mercury on living organisms are well known. Despite efforts from various regulatory agencies, the build-up of Hg2+ concentration in the environment is of serious concern. This necessitates the search for new and efficient reagents for recognition and detection of Hg2+ in environmental samples as well as for application in diagnostics. Among various detection processes adopted for designing such reagents, generally methodologies that allow associated changes in spectra properties are preferred for the obvious ease in the detection process. Significant changes in the electronic spectral pattern in the visible region of the spectrum also induce detectable changes in solution colour for naked-eye detection and are useful for developing reagents for in-field sample analysis with yes-no type binary responses. However, reagents that allow detection of Hg2+ with associated fluorescence on response are useful for detection of Hg2+ in environmental samples, as well as for use as an imaging reagent, for detection of cellular uptake. High spin-orbit coupling constant for Hg2+ along with its high solvation energy in aqueous medium poses a challenge in developing efficient reagents with fluorescence on response that work in aqueous medium/physiological condition. To get around this problem, several methodologies, like conversion of rhodamine derivative spirolactam to strongly fluorescent xanthenes that form on binding to Hg2+, chemodosimetric reaction for generation of a new luminescent derivative, have been adopted. Apart from these, modified charge transfer processes on binding to Hg2+ have also been utilized for designing reagents for optical detection of Hg2+. Immobilization of such reagents on solid surfaces also led to the development of self-indicating Hg2+ ion scavengers. All such examples are discussed in the present review.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra03594a}, author = {Mahato, Prasenjit and Saha, Sukdeb and Das, Priyadip and Agarwalla, Hridesh and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000330489600005, title = {PBI-BuI and PAN-PSSALi based UF membranes: effects of solute and membrane surface interactions on rejection and flux}, journal = {Desalination}, volume = {333}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {45-51}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Ultrafiltration membrane using tert-butylpolybenzimidazole (PBI-BuI) was prepared and characterized for flux and rejection performance using Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC). Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) with different molecular weights were used as the solutes. While using feed solution containing mixture of PEGs, higher rejection was observed than using individual PEG. The water flux of PBI-BuI membrane after passing individual PEG solutions showed considerable (similar to 36\%) reduction, which could be attributable to the PEG adsorption on the membrane pore surface. PEG adsorption was further substantiated by SEM, IR and TGA. The amphoteric nature of PBI-BuI could cause H-bonding between membrane surface and PEG molecules, leading to PEG adsorption on the membrane and pore surface. To ascertain this postulation, a study with PAN-PSSALi (which does not contain H-bonding) based UF membrane containing negatively charged -SO3- group was done. It was found that PEG adsorption in this case is not as predominant as in earlier case. This membrane showed marginal reduction in water flux of 8\%, vis-a-vis 36\% reduction shown by PBI-BuI based membrane. This indicated that H-bonding present in PBI-BuI is mainly responsible for the PEG adsorption on its membrane and pore surface, in spite of PEG being a neutral molecule. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gel permeation chromatography, Polybenzimidazole, Rejection, Solute adsorption, Ultrafiltration}, issn = {0011-9164}, doi = {10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.036}, author = {Bhagat, Deepti G. and Mule, Bhavana and Mandlekar, Neeraj and Pandare, Kiran and Kharul, Ulhas K.} } @article { ISI:000335720200011, title = {Phosphoric acid loaded azo (-N=N-) based covalent organic framework for proton conduction}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {136}, number = {18}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6570-6573}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Two new chemically stable functional crystalline covalent organic frameworkds (COFs) (Tp-Azo and Tp-Stb) were synthesized using the Schiff base reaction between triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and 4,4{\textquoteright}-azodianiline (Azo) or 4,4{\textquoteright}-diaminostilbene (Stb), respectively. Both COFs show the expected keto-enamine form, and high stability toward boiling water, strong acidic, and basic media. H3PO4 doping in Tp-Azo leads to immobilization of the acid within the porous framework, which facilitates proton conduction in both the hydrous (sigma = 9.9 X 10(-4) S cm(-1)) and anhydrous state (sigma = 6.7 X 10(-5) S cm-1). This report constitutes the first emergence of COFs as proton conducting materials.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/ja502212v}, author = {Chandra, Suman and Kundu, Tanay and Kandambeth, Sharath and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Kunjir, Shrikant M. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @conference { ISI:000352795700039, title = {Photo-enhanced field emission studies of tapered CdS nanobelts}, booktitle = {2014 27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC) }, series = {International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference}, year = {2014}, note = {27th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC), Engelberg, SWITZERLAND, JUL 06-10, 2014}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, organization = {Paul Scherrer Inst; EMPA, Mat Sci \& Technol; Swiss Nanoscience Inst; Appl MicroSWISS; Amer Elements; Amer Vacuum Soc; IEEE, Electron Devices Soc}, address = {345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

Field emission and photo-enhanced field emission characteristics of single crystalline tapered CdS nanobelts have been investigated. The turn-on field for the emission current density of similar to 0.1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be similar to 2.1 V/mu m, which is much lower than reported values for various CdS nanostructures. The photo-enhanced field emission current shows a reproducible photo-switching behavior with rise in current level nearly four times that of its initial preset value (similar to 1 mu A) which is found to be very remarkable. Possible mechanism of photo-enhanced field emission is discussed.

}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, Nanobelts, Photoswitching}, isbn = {978-1-4799-5306-6}, issn = {2164-2370}, author = {Chavan, Padmakar G. and More, Mahendra A. and Joag, Dilip S. and Badadhe, Satish S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.}, editor = {Tsujino, S. and Gobrecht, J. and Paraliev, M. and Braun, H. H. and Groening, O. and Feurer, T.} } @article { ISI:000333205200008, title = {Photophysical and photoconductivity properties of thiol-functionalized graphene-CdSe QD composites}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {27}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13788-13795}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Graphene-semiconductor QD hybrid nanostructure materials have recently emerged as a new class of functional materials because of their potential applications in solar energy conversion, optoelectronic devices, sensing etc. Here, oleic acid-capped CdSe QDs are attached to -PhSH functionalized graphene by ligand exchange via bonding with the -SH group. The shifting of the G-band and D-band due to structural changes for the attachment of QD with graphene has been evaluated by using Raman spectroscopy. Steady state photoluminescence (PL) and time resolved fluorescence measurements have been employed to understand the electronic interactions between graphene and CdSe QDs. A time resolved fluorescence spectroscopic study has been used to understand the fluorescence dynamics of the photoexcitated CdSe QDs in the presence of graphene. It is evident that the electron transfer occurs from photoexcited QDs to graphene and the electron transfer rate is found to be 12.8 x 10(8) s(-1) for 3.8 nm CdSe QDs. Photoconductivity properties of the graphene-QD device under illumination have been examined and it is to be noted that 2-3 fold increase in the photocurrent is found in this composite device in presence of 1.5 AM solar simulated light. The enhancement of the photocurrent in this hybrid device is found to be suitable for potential applications in optoelectronic and solar cell systems.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra47420h}, author = {Debgupta, Joyashish and Mandal, Sadananda and Kalita, Hemen and Aslam, Mohammed and Patra, Amitava and Pillai, Vijayamohanan} } @article { ISI:000340975900071, title = {Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-few walled carbon nanotube (PEDOT-FWCNT) nanocomposite based thin films for Schottky diode application}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {147}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {867-877}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Transparent, conductive films of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-few walled carbon nanotube (PEDOT-FWCNT) nanocomposite were synthesized by in-situ oxidative polymerization and investigated for their Schottky diode property. The prepared films were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), surface resistivity, cyclic voltametery, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). SEM reveals the formation of homogeneous and adhesive polymer films while HRTEM confirms the uniform wrapping of polymer chains around the nanotube walls for PEDOT-FWCNT film. Improved thermal stability, conductivity and charge storage property of PEDOT in the presence of FWCNT is observed. Among different compositions, 5 wt. \% of FWCNT is found to be optimum with sheet resistance and transmittance of 500 Omega sq(-1) and 77\%, respectively. Moreover, the electronic and junction properties of polymer films were studied and compared by fabricating sandwich type devices with a configuration of Al/PEDOT or PEDOT-FWCNT nanocomposite/indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass. The measured current density-voltage characteristics show typical rectifying behavior for both configurations. However, enhanced rectification ratio and higher forward current density is observed in case of PEDOT-FWCNT based Schottky diode. Furthermore, reliability test depicts smaller hysteresis effect and better performance of PEDOT-FWCNT based diodes. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Composite materials, Electrical properties, Polymer, Thin films}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2014.06.032}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Mehta, Minisha and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Kamalakannan, R. and Dash, Sitaram and Kamruddin, M. and Tyagi, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000330822000009, title = {Polystyrene/TiO2 composite electrospun fibers as fillers for poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate): Structure, morphology and properties}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {50}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {78-86}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this work, composite polystyrene/titanium dioxide (PS/TiO2) electrospun fibers were used as a reinforcement for a poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) matrix. The structure, morphology, mechanical properties and degradation behavior of such materials were investigated, finding that, as a function of their TiO2 content, the fibers exerted different effects. The main mechanism through which the fibers modified the structure and morphology of the polymer matrix is by altering its crystallization kinetics. The presence of TiO2 modified the roughness of the fibers and therefore affected the interfacial adhesion between the filler and the matrix. The modulus of PBSA was improved, even though the brittleness of the materials was increased by the presence of the fibers. Different amounts of TiO2 within the fibers allowed to tune the hydrolytic degradation rate of the composites. This paper shows the potential of using composite electrospun fibers as effective fillers for the preparation of polymer-based composites. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradable polymers, Degradation, electrospinning, Morphology, Nanocomposites, Polycaprolactone}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2013.11.002}, author = {Neppalli, Ramesh and Causin, Valerio and Benetti, Edmondo Maria and Ray, Suprakas Sinha and Esposito, Antonella and Wanjale, Santosh and Birajdar, Mallinath S. and Saiter, Jean-Marc and Marigo, Antonio} } @article {46392, title = {Porous porphyrin organic polymer for visible light triggered hydrogen production}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C1145}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {Photocatalysis, Porous Porphyrin Organic Polymer (PPOP), titania}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Mukherjee, Gargi} } @article { ISI:000342525100047, title = {Preparation and characterization of porous fly ash/NiFe2O4 composite: promising adsorbent for the removal of congo red dye from aqueous solution}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {148}, number = {1-2}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {371-379}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

A series of fly ash/NiFe2O4 composites were prepared using fly ash and aqueous solutions of Ni, Fe nitrate salts and NaOH by co-precipitation followed by calcination method. The \% mass ratio of fly ash: NiFe2O4 was varied in the range of 0:100 to 100:0. Samples were characterized by powder XRD, SEM, FTIR and N-2 adsorption-desorption measurements. These samples were further evaluated for their adsorptive performance in removal of Congo red (CR) dye from an aqueous solution. In all the composites, spinel nickel ferrite phase was found to be capable to get anchored with the fly ash surface and exhibited more crystalline nature as compared to pure NiFe2O4 phase. The BET surface area and porous character of the composite were found to increase with the decrease in the contribution of the fly ash, reach to maximum and then decreases on further decrease in fly ash. The composite having \% mass ratio of fly ash: NiFe2O4 = 50:50 exhibited maximum CR adsorption from the aqueous solution on account of the higher BET surface area, more porous character, favorable condition for diffusion of dye molecules and combined effect of chemisorption and physisorption. Under optimum conditions, it has shown the recyclability with adsorption capacity of the magnitude 23.33 mg g(-1), which is much higher than individual fly ash, NiFe2O4 and other composites. The sorption data provided good fit with pseudo-second order kinetic model. The analyses of the adsorption data indicated that, the Langmuir model provides better correlation with the experimental data. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Composite material, Electron microscopy (SEM), Inorganic compounds, powder diffraction, Precipitation}, issn = {0254-0584}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2014.07.057}, author = {Sonar, Shilpa K. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Mayadevi, S. and Joshi, Praphulla N.} } @article { ISI:000330417100005, title = {Proposing efficient new pendant group polymer electrolyte membranes for fuel cells: a computational study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {118}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {784-795}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

There is a need to develop new membranes for fuel cells that can conduct protons with high efficiency and at high temperatures. This paper reports a theoretical study of proton transfer barriers in newly proposed polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs), having pendant nitrogen containing crown ether groups on an alkyl backbone. The proton transfer in the proposed pendant group PEMs would occur without the need of an external agent such as water or phosphoric acid, and without the need for the pendant groups to rotate and reorient themselves after each proton transfer. The current study shows that this would make the proposed PEMs very efficient, with low proton transfer barriers. This has been seen to be true for a range of different PEM cases considered, differing in the number of linker atoms in the alkyl backbone and in the number of nitrogens contained in each pendant group, thus, indicating the potential of the proposed structures as PEMs for fuel cells.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp4081349}, author = {Mane, Manoj V. and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000346161500008, title = {Protecting-group-free diastereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-6-epi-cleistenolide and chemoenzymatic synthesis of (-)-6-epi-cleistenolide}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {36}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8049-8054}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A short, efficient, practical, and protecting-group-free diastereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-6-epi-cleistenolide (1) has been achieved in five steps in 60\% overall yield. The use of a chemoenzymatic approach also gave (-)-6-epi-cleistenolide (1) (\>99.9\% ee). The Achmatowicz reaction, chemoselective oxidation of a hemiacetal, diastereoselective 1,3-anti reduction of alpha-hydroxy ketone, and enzymatic resolution of a 1,3-diol are the key features of this linear total synthesis. The synthetic strategy demonstrated in this paper could be extended for an asymmetric total synthesis of (-)-cleistenolide (1) and related biologically active natural products.

}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, diastereoselectivity, Enzyme catalysis, Lipases, Oxygen heterocycles, Total synthesis}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201403123}, author = {Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000336464400074, title = {Protein mediated synthesis of Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {124}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {271-274}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

There is growing need to develop environment friendly method for synthesis of bimetallic nanoparticle that do not use toxic chemicals during their synthesis process. Here, we report synthesis of Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles by using macerase enzyme as reducing agent at different temperatures. Bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized at 80 and 90 degrees C. The intensity of formation of nanoparticles was more at 80 degrees C. The bimetallic nanoparticles are characterized by using UV-vis, TEM and EDAX. The TEM study shows the inner gold and outer silver bimetallic nanoparticles. The formed nanoparticles are 4-20 nm in size and spherical in shape. EDAX confirms the formed bimetallic nanoparticles are of gold and silver. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Enzyme, Gold, Macerase, Particles, Silver, synthesis}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2014.03.087}, author = {Raju, D. and Mendapara, Ritul and Mehta, Urmil J.} } @article {43330, title = {Proteomic analysis of human plasma in chronic rheumatic mitral stenosis reveals proteins involved in the complement and coagulation cascade}, journal = {Clinical Proteomics}, volume = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 35}, abstract = {Background: Rheumatic fever in childhood is the most common cause of Mitral Stenosis in developing countries. The disease is characterized by damaged and deformed mitral valves predisposing them to scarring and narrowing (stenosis) that results in left atrial hypertrophy followed by heart failure. Presently, echocardiography is the main imaging technique used to diagnose Mitral Stenosis. Despite the high prevalence and increased morbidity, no biochemical indicators are available for prediction, diagnosis and management of the disease. Adopting a proteomic approach to study Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis may therefore throw some light in this direction. In our study, we undertook plasma proteomics of human subjects suffering from Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis (n = 6) and Control subjects (n = 6). Six plasma samples, three each from the control and patient groups were pooled and subjected to low abundance protein enrichment. Pooled plasma samples (crude and equalized) were then subjected to in-solution trypsin digestion separately. Digests were analyzed using nano LC-MSE. Data was acquired with the Protein Lynx Global Server v2.5.2 software and searches made against reviewed Homo sapiens database (UniProtKB) for protein identification. Label-free protein quantification was performed in crude plasma only. }, doi = {10.1186/1559-0275-11-35}, author = {Mukherjee, Somaditya and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Banerjee, Tanima and Ghosh, Sudip K. and Biswas, Monodeep and Dutta, Santanu and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pattari, Sanjib and Bandyopadhyay, Arun} } @article { ISI:000339880300021, title = {Proteomics of arsenic stress in the gram-positive organism Exiguobacterium sp PS NCIM 5463}, journal = {Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology}, volume = {98}, number = {15}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6761-6773}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The general responses of microorganisms to environmental onslaughts are modulated by altering the gene expression pattern to reduce damage in the cell and produce compensating stress responses. The present study attempts to unravel the response of the Gram-positive Exiguobacterium sp. PS NCIM 5463 in the presence of [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] using comparative proteomics via two-dimension gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with identification of proteins using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI-TOF/MALDI-TOF/TOF). Out of 926 Coomassie-stained proteins, 45 were differentially expressed (p \< 0.05). Considering the resolution and abundance level, 24 spots (peptides) were subjected to MALDI analysis, identified and categorised into several functional categories, viz., nitrogen metabolism, energy and stress regulators, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis components and others. A functional role of each protein is discussed in Exiguobacterium sp. PS 5463 under arsenic stress and validated at their transcript level using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Unlike previous reports that unravel the responses toward arsenic stress in Gram-negative organisms, the present study identified new proteins under arsenic stress in a Gram-positive organism, Exiguobacterium sp. PS NCIM 5463, which could elucidate the physiology of organisms under arsenic stress.

}, keywords = {Arsenic, Exiguobacterium, proteomics, Stress, Transcriptomics}, issn = {0175-7598}, doi = {10.1007/s00253-014-5873-6}, author = {Sacheti, Poonam and Patil, Rajendra and Dube, Ankita and Bhonsle, Hemangi S. and Thombre, Dipalee and Marathe, Sayali and Vidhate, Ravindra and Wagh, Priyanka and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Rapole, Srikanth and Gade, Wasudeo N.} } @article { ISI:000342328300031, title = {Pulsed laser-deposited MoS2 thin films on W and Si: field emission and photoresponse studies}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {18}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15881-15888}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We report field electron emission investigations on pulsed laser-deposited molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) thin films on W-tip and Si substrates. In both cases, under the chosen growth conditions, the dry process of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is seen to render a dense nanostructured morphology of MoS2, which is important for local electric field enhancement in field emission application. In the case of the MoS2 film on silicon (Si), the turn-on field required to draw an emission current density of 10 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 2.8 V/mu m. Interestingly, the MoS2 film on a tungsten (W) tip emitter delivers a large emission current density of similar to 30 mA/cm(2) at a relatively lower applied voltage of similar to 3.8 kV. Thus, the PLD-MoS2 can be utilized for various field emission-based applications. We also report our results of photodiode-like behavior in (n- and p- type) Si/PLDMoS2 heterostructures. Finally we show that MoS2 films deposited on flexible kapton substrate show a good photoresponse and recovery. Our investigations thus hold great promise for the development of PLD MoS2 films in application domains such as field emitters and heterostructures for novel nanoelectronic devices.

}, keywords = {field emission, MoS2, photodiode heterostructures, pulsed laser deposition, thin film}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am503464h}, author = {Late, Dattatray J. and Shaikh, Parvez A. and Khare, Ruchita T. and Kashid, Ranjit V. and Chaudhary, Minakshi V. and More, Mahendra A. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000327236600002, title = {Remarkable efficiency of a pin-II proteinase inhibitor sans two conserved disulfide bonds is due to enhanced flexibility and hydrogen bond density in the reactive site loop}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {32}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13-26}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {325 CHESTNUT ST, SUITE 800, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Capsicum annuum (L.) expresses diverse potato type II family proteinase inhibitors comprising of inhibitory repeat domain (IRD) as basic functional unit. Most IRDs contain eight conserved cysteines forming four disulfide bonds, which are indispensible for their stability and activity. We investigated the functional significance of evolutionary variations in IRDs and their role in mediating interaction between the inhibitor and cognate proteinase. Among the 18 IRDs encoded by C. annuum, IRD-7, -9, and -12 were selected for further characterization on the basis of variation in their reactive site loop, number of conserved cysteine residues, and higher theoretical G(bind) for interaction with Helicoverpa armigera trypsin. Moreover, inhibition kinetics showed that IRD-9, despite loss of some of the disulfide bonds, was a more potent proteinase inhibitor among the three selected IRDs. Molecular dynamic simulations revealed that serine residues in the place of cysteines at seventh and eighth positions of IRD-9 resulted in an increase in the density of intramolecular hydrogen bonds and reactive site loop flexibility. Results of the serine residues chemical modification also supported this observation and provided a possible explanation for the remarkable inhibitory potential of IRD-9. Furthermore, this natural variant among IRDs showed special attributes like stability to proteolysis and synergistic inhibitory effect on other IRDs. It is likely that IRDs have coevolved selective specialization of their structure and function as a response towards specific insect proteases they encountered. Understanding the molecular mechanism of pest protease-plant proteinaceous inhibitor interaction will help in developing effective pest control strategies.An animated interactive 3D complement (I3DC) is available in Proteopedia at http://proteopedia.org/w/Journal:JBSD:39

}, keywords = {Capsicum annuum, Helicoverpa armigera, Proteases, Proteinase inhibitor}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2012.745378}, author = {Joshi, Rakesh S. and Mishra, Manasi and Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Ghosh, Anirban and Sonavane, Uddhavesh and Suresh, C. G. and Joshi, Rajendra and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000342883100029, title = {Rhodococcus enclensis sp nov., a novel member of the genus rhodococcus}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {64}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2693-2699}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel actinobacterial strain, designated, NIO-1009(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from Chorao Island, Goa, India. Phylogenetic analysis comparisons based on 16S rRNA gene sequences between strain MO-1009(T) and other members of the genus Rhodococcus revealed that strain NI0-1009(T) had the closest sequence similarity to Rhodococcus kroppenstedtii DSM 44908(T) and Rhodococcus corynebacterioides DSM 20151(T) with 99.2 and 99.1\%, respectively. Furthermore, DNA-DNA hybridization results showed that R. kroppenstedtii DSM 44908(T) and R. corynebacterioides DSM 20151(T) were 39.5 (3.0\%) and 41.7 (2.0\%) with strain NIO-1009(T), respectively, which were well below the 70\% limit for any novel species proposal. Phylogenetically strain NIO-1009(T) forms a stable clade with and R. kroppenstedtii DSM 44908(T) and R. corynebacterioides DSM 201511 with 100\% bootstrap values. Strain NI-1009(T) contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid and galactose and arabinose as the cell wall sugars. The major fatty acids were C-16:0, C-18:1 omega 9c, C-16:1(omega 6C and/or omega 7c) and 10-methyl C-18:0. The only menaquinone detected was MK-8(H-2), while the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and one unknown phospholipid. The G + C content of the genomic DNA was 66.9 molok. The phenotypic and genotypic data showed that strain NIO-1009(T) warrants recognition as a novel species of the genus Rhodococcus for which the name Rhodococcus enclensis sp. nov., is proposed; the type strain is NIO-1009(T) (=NCIM 5452(T)=DSM 45688(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijs.0.061390-0}, author = {Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Tang, Shan-Kun and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Ramana, V. Venkata and Joseph, Neeta and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000340427600012, title = {Role of cation-anion cooperation in the selective synthesis of glycidol from glycerol using DABCO-DMC ionic liquid as catalyst}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {61}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {32127-32133}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Transesterification of dimethyl carbonate with glycerol has been investigated using 1,4-diazabicyclo [2.2.2] octane (DABCO) based ionic liquid as a catalyst. DABCO reacted with dimethyl carbonate to form ionic liquid as the reaction progressed. Though the basicity of DABCO based ionic liquid was lower than that of DABCO, the catalytic activity and selectivity to glycidol was higher with DABCO based ionic liquid as a catalyst, indicating that basicity may not be the only criterion in deciding activity and selectivity of the reaction. The cooperative effect of the cation and anion of the ionic liquid is responsible for the observed results. The best results (97\% glycerol conversion with 83\% selectivity to glycidol and 17\% selectivity to glycerol carbonate) were obtained using DABCO based ionic liquid as a catalyst. A plausible mechanism involving the role of both the cation and anion of the ionic liquid has been proposed.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra04290e}, author = {Munshi, Mudassir K. and Gade, Swapna M. and Rane, Vilas H. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A.} } @article { ISI:000343847000023, title = {Role of G-quadruplex located at 5 end of mRNAs}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1840}, number = {12}, year = {2014}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3503-3510}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Background: Secondary structures in 5{\textquoteright} UTR of mRNAs play a critical role in regulating protein synthesis. Though studies have indicated the role of secondary structure G-quadruplex in translational regulation, position-specific effect of G-quadruplex in naturally occurring mRNAs is still not understood. As a pre-initiation complex recognises 5{\textquoteright} cap of the mRNA and scans along the untranslated region (UTR) before initiating translation, the presence of G-quadruplex in 5{\textquoteright} region may have a significant contribution in regulating translation. Here, we investigate the role of G-quadruplex located at the 5{\textquoteright} end of an mRNA. Methods: Biophysical characterisation of putative G-quadruplexes was performed using UV and CD spectroscopy. Functional implication of G-quadruplex in the context of their location was assessed in cellulo using gRT-PCR and dual luciferase assay system. Results: PG4 sequences in 5{\textquoteright} UTR of AICT interacting protein (AKTIP), cathepsin B (CTSB) and forkhead box E3 (FOXE3) mRNAs form G-quadruplex whereas it is unable to form G-quadruplex in apolipoprotein A-I binding protein (APOA1BP). Our results demonstrated diverse roles of G-quadruplex located at 5{\textquoteright} end of mRNAs. Though G-quadruplex in AKTIP and CTSB mRNA act as inhibitory modules, it activates translation in FOXE3 mRNA. Conclusions: Our works suggests that G-quadruplex present at the 5{\textquoteright} terminal of an mRNA behaves differently in a different gene context. It can activate or inhibit gene expression. General significance: This study demonstrated that it is difficult to predict the role of G-quadruplex on the basis of its position in 5{\textquoteright} UTR. The neighbouring nucleotide sequence, the intracellular milieu and the interacting partners might render diverse functions to this secondary structure. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {AKTIP, APOA1BP, CTSB, FOXE3, G-quadruplex, UTR}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2014.08.017}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000344330800015, title = {Role of nanointerfaces in Cu- and Cu plus Au-based near-ambient-temperature CO oxidation catalysts}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {6}, number = {11}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3116-3124}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Disordered mesoporous Cu-doped ceria-zirconia (Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2), and gold deposited (Au/Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2) catalysts were synthesized and evaluated for CO oxidation. Onset of CO oxidation activity, and 50\% (100\%) CO2 formation occurs at room temperature (RT), and 77 (120)degrees C, respectively, with Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2. A small amount of gold on Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2 induces the sustainable oxidation catalysis around RT. Onset of copper reduction temperature decreases from 110 degrees C on Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2 to 48 degrees C with Au/Cu0.1Ce0.85Zr0.05O2, highlighting the direct interaction between Cu and Au through a Cu-Au interface. Au particles with a (00 1) facet deposit on an oxygen-deficient site of (111) facet of CeO2-ZrO2. Any decrease in surface Cu-content with increasing Au-content further supports the Au-Cu-Ce/Zr interface interactions. Nanointerfaces of Au clusters on Cu next to oxygen-deficient sites of CeO2-ZrO2 facilitate all the elementary steps of the CO + O-2 reaction to occur in close proximity at ambient conditions.

}, keywords = {carbon monoxide, Gold, heterogeneous catalysis, Oxidation, redox}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201402581}, author = {Gnanakumar, Edwin S. and Naik, Jarpla Madhusudhan and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article { ISI:000330953700014, title = {Roseovarius azorensis sp nov., isolated from seawater at espalamaca, azores}, journal = {Antonie van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {105}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {571-578}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A Gram-negative, motile, non-spore forming, rod shaped aerobic bacterium, designated strain SSW084(T), was isolated from a surface seawater sample collected at Espalamaca (38A degrees 33{\textquoteright}N; 28A degrees 39{\textquoteright}W), Azores. Growth was found to occur from 15 to 40 A degrees C (optimum 30 A degrees C), at pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and with 25-100 \% seawater or 0.5-7.0 \% NaCl in the presence of Mg2+ and Ca2+; no growth was found with NaCl alone. Colonies on seawater nutrient agar were observed to be punctiform, white, convex, circular, smooth, and translucent. Strain SSW084(T) did not grow on Zobell marine agar and tryptic soy agar even when seawater supplemented. The major respiratory quinone was found to be Q-10 and the G + C content was determined to be 61.9 mol\%. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain SSW084(T) belongs to the genus Roseovarius and that its closest neighbours are Roseovarius tolerans EL-172(T), Roseovarius mucosus DFL-24(T) and Roseovarius lutimaris 112(T) with 95.7, 95.4 and 95.3 \% sequence similarity respectively. The remaining species of Roseovarius showed \< 95 \% similarity. The polar lipids of strain SSW084(T) were determined to be phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, an unidentified lipid and one unidentified aminolipid. The major fatty acids identified were identified as C-18:1 omega 7c (52.5 \%) and C-16:0 (13.8 \%). On the basis of phenotypic, molecular and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain SSW084(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Roseovarius, for which Roseovarius azorensis sp. nov is proposed. The type strain is SSW084(T) (=KCTC 32421(T) = MTCC 11812(T)).

}, keywords = {Espalamaca, Polyphasic taxonomy, Roseovarius azorensis sp nov, Seawater}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-013-0109-9}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Mohandass, Chellandi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Liu, Qing and Thi-Nhan Khieu and Chu Ky Son and Li, Wen-Jun and Colaco, Ana} } @article { ISI:000336351800043, title = {Solar photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue using doped TiO2 nanoparticles}, journal = {Solar Energy}, volume = {103}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {473-479}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Doped-TiO2 nanoparticles (M:TiO2: Fe, Zn, Zr, Sb, Ce and nM:TiO2: B, C, N, P, S) with anatase structure were prepared by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Brunauer-Teller method (BET), UV-Vis diffuses reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Results revealed that the anatase structure is highly stable for all doped TiO2 prepared compounds with enhancement in the surface area. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra showed that these dopants were responsible for narrowing the band gap of TiO2 and shifting its optical response from ultraviolet to visible-light region. The photocatalytic activities of these multi-doped TiO2 catalysts were investigated by degradation methylene blue in aqueous solution under solar-light illumination. The results showed an appreciable enhancement in the photoactivity of the C-doped TiO2 as compared to other multi-doped TiO2 because of the formation of Ti+3 species which prevent the recombination of electron-hole pairs in C-doped TiO2. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Carbon, iron, Methylene blue, Solar photocatalysis}, issn = {0038-092X}, doi = {10.1016/j.solener.2014.02.043}, author = {Bhosale, R. R. and Pujari, S. R. and Muley, G. G. and Patil, S. H. and Patil, K. R. and Shaikh, M. F. and Gambhire, A. B.} } @article { ISI:000341544200034, title = {Sol-gel assisted fabrication of collagen hydrolysate composite scaffold: a novel therapeutic alternative to the traditional collagen scaffold}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {17}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15015-15025}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Collagen is one of the most widely used biomaterial for various biomedical applications. In this Research Article, we present a novel approach of using collagen hydrolysate, smaller fragments of collagen, as an alternative to traditionally used collagen scaffold. Collagen hydrolysate composite scaffold (CHCS) was fabricated with sol-gel transition procedure using tetraethoxysilane as the silica precursor. CHCS exhibits porous morphology with pore sizes varying between 380 and 780 mu m. Incorporation of silica conferred CHCS with controlled biodegradation and better water uptake capacity. Notably, 3T3 fibroblast proliferation was seen to be significantly better under CHCS treatment when compared to treatment with collagen scaffold. Additionally, CHCS showed excellent antimicrobial activity against the wound pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli due to the inherited antimicrobial activity of collagen hydrolysate. In vivo wound healing experiments with full thickness excision wounds in rat model demonstrated that wounds treated with CHCS showed accelerated healing when compared to wounds treated with collagen scaffold. These findings indicate that the CHCS scaffold from collagen fragments would be an effective and affordable alternative to the traditionally used collagen structural biomaterials.

}, keywords = {collagen, collagen hydrolysate, scaffold, sol-gel, tissue engineering, wound Healing}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am502948g}, author = {Ramadass, Satiesh Kumar and Perumal, Sathiamurthi and Gopinath, Arun and Nisal, Anuya and Subramanian, Saravanan and Madhan, Balaraman} } @article { ISI:000331848900023, title = {Stress inducible proteomic changes in capsicum annuum leaves}, journal = {Plant Physiology and Biochemistry}, volume = {74}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {212-217}, publisher = {ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER}, address = {23 RUE LINOIS, 75724 PARIS, FRANCE}, abstract = {

Herbivore attack induces defense responses in plants, activating several signaling cascades. As a result, molecules deterrent to the herbivores are produced and accumulated in plants. Expression of defense mechanism/traits requires reorganization of the plant metabolism, redirecting the resources otherwise meant for growth. In the present work, protein profile of Capsicum annuum leaves was examined after herbivore attack/induction. Majority of proteins identified as differentially accumulated, were having roles in redox metabolism and photosynthesis. For example, superoxide dismutase and NADP oxidoreductase were upregulated by 10- and 6-fold while carbonic anhydrase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase were downregulated by 9- and 4-fold, respectively. Also, superoxide dismutase, NADPH quinone oxidoreductase and NADP dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase transcripts showed a higher accumulation in induced leaf tissues at early time points. In general, proteins having role in defense and damage repair were upregulated while those involved in photosynthesis appeared downregulated. Thus metabolic reconfiguration to balance defense and tolerance was evident in the stress-induced leaves. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Capsicum annuum, Oxidative stress, Wounding}, issn = {0981-9428}, doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2013.11.017}, author = {Mahajan, Neha S. and Mishra, Manasi and Tamhane, Vaijayanti A. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46391, title = {Structural studies on an atypical Rho GTPase RhoH}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica A-Foundation and Advances}, volume = {70}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {C389}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, keywords = {lymphoma, RhoH, TCR signalling}, issn = {2053-2733}, author = {Motiwala, Zenia and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article { ISI:000335660200006, title = {Studies on morphology of polyaniline films formed at liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces at 25 and 5 A degrees C, respectively, and effect of doping}, journal = {Colloid and Polymer Science}, volume = {292}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1079-1089}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

It is well accepted that the morphology of the nanomaterials has great effect on the properties and hence their applications. Therefore, morphology of materials has become a focus of research in the scientific world. The present study shows that interfacial polymerization and subsequent self-assembly provides a control over the morphology, nanorod/nanosheet, of polyaniline (PANI) films synthesized by liquid-liquid interface reaction technique and solid-liquid interface reaction technique. The synthesized PANI films and its particulate structure are characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques such as UV-visible, ATR-IR, Raman and XPS. The study confirmed the formation, the structure, the size and shape of particles and morphology of PANI by using analytical techniques namely, SAED, SEM and TEM. An important observation is that doping with HCl significantly improves the nanorod formation at the interface. The doped PANI electrode exhibits a higher area with rectangular shape in CV cycle and better cycle stability when compared with the performance of undoped PANI films. We believe that the results of these studies can give valuable leads to manoeuvre formation of PANI films with desired morphology for various applications.

}, keywords = {interfacial polymerization, Liquid-liquid interface, Nanorods, nanosheets, polyaniline, Self-assembly, Solid-liquid interface, Thin films}, issn = {0303-402X}, doi = {10.1007/s00396-013-3150-3}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Patil, Sagar H. and Jahagirdar, Mandar M. and Patil, Virendra S. and Waichal, Rupali P. and Malkhede, Dipalee D. and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R.} } @article { ISI:000329554400013, title = {Studies on the effect of sintering conditions on the magnetostriction characteristics of cobalt ferrite derived from nanocrystalline powders}, journal = {Journal of the European Ceramic Society}, volume = {34}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {677-686}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The effect of sintering conditions on the magnetostriction characteristics of sintered cobalt ferrite derived from nanocrystalline powders is studied. It is observed that the magnetostriction coefficient as well as the slope of the magnetostriction as a function of field depends on the microstructure of the sintered product. There is a direct correlation between the magnetostriction characteristics and density as well as porosity of the sintered products. Intragranular pores are found to be strongly influencing the magnetostriction characteristics. Similarly, correlation is found between the magnetostriction parameters and the Curie temperature, indicating the role of cation distribution which affects the magnetic anisotropy. Sintering the compacts made from nanocrystalline powders at 1450 degrees C for a very short duration is found to give high values of magnetostriction coefficient. However, higher values of magnetostriction at low magnetic fields are obtained for samples sintered at lower temperatures for longer duration and having relatively lower density. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, Magnetostriction, Microstructure, Nanocrystalline, Sintering}, issn = {0955-2219}, doi = {10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2013.09.018}, author = {Mohaideen, Kamal Khaja and Joy, Pattayil Alias} } @article { ISI:000340538400005, title = {Subtilase from Beauveria sp.: conformational and functional investigation of unusual stability}, journal = {European Biophysics Journal With Biophysics Letters}, volume = {43}, number = {8-9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {393-403}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Retention of total activity of the subtilisin-like serine protease from Beauveria sp. MTCC 5184 (Bprot) in the vicinity of (1) 3 M GdnHCl for 12 h, (2) 50 \% methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide each for 24 h, and (3) proteolytic enzymes (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and proteinase K) for 48 h led to expect the enzyme to be a kinetically stable protein. Also, the structure of the protein was stable at pH 2.0. Biophysical characterization and conformational transitions were monitored using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence, FTIR, and CD spectroscopy. Single tryptophan in the protein exists as two conformers, in hydrophobic and polar environment. The secondary structure of Bprot was stable in 3 M GdnHCl as seen in far-UV CD spectra. The active fraction of Bprot obtained from size-exclusion chromatography in the presence of GdnHCl (1.0-3.0 M) eluted at reduced retention time. The peak area of inactive or denatured protein with the same retention time as that of native protein increased with increasing concentration of denaturant (1.0-4.0 M GdnHCl). However, the kinetics of GdnHCl-induced unfolding as studied from intrinsic fluorescence revealed k (unf) of native protein to be 5.407 x 10(-5) s(-1) and a half-life of 3.56 h. The enzyme is thermodynamically stable in spite of being resistant to the denaturant, which could be due to the effect of GdnHCl imparting rigidity to the active fraction and simultaneously unfolding the partially unfolded protein that exists in equilibrium with the folded active protein. Thermal and pH denaturation of Bprot exhibited interesting structural transitions.

}, keywords = {Beauveria, Chemical denaturation, Conformational transitions, Serine protease, Subtilase, Thermal denaturation, Thermodynamic stability}, issn = {0175-7571}, doi = {10.1007/s00249-014-0971-z}, author = {Dalal, Sayli A. and More, Snehal V. and Shankar, Shiv and Laxman, Ryali Seeta and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article { ISI:000331191200046, title = {Surface synergism of an Ag-Ni/ZrO2 nanocomposite for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of bio-derived platform molecules}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {19}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {9730-9736}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Levulinic acid was completely and selectively converted to GVL, in the presence of formic acid over an Ag-Ni/ZrO2 catalyst. The synergism between Ag and Ni in transfer hydrogenation eliminates the need for external hydrogen, making the process safer. The magnetic nature of the catalyst offers easy recovery for efficient recycling. This approach is standardized for the hydrogenation of several C-3-C-6 platform molecules in an aqueous medium.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c3ra46495d}, author = {Hengne, Amol M. and Malawadkar, Atul V. and Biradar, Narayan S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000341779000037, title = {Surfactant free gram scale synthesis of mesoporous Ni(OH)(2)-r-GO nanocomposite for high rate pseudocapacitor application}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {4}, number = {75}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {39875-39883}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a single-step surfactant-free gram scale hydrothermal synthesis of mesoporous Ni(OH)(2) nanoparticles and the Ni(OH)(2)-reduced graphene oxide (Ni(OH)(2)-r-GO) nanocomposite. Interesting morphological features are noted. These nanomaterials are examined and compared as cathode materials for pseudo-capacitor application through detailed characterizations. A high specific capacitance (C-s) of 1538 F g(-1) is observed for Ni(OH)(2)-r-GO even at a high current density of 40 A g(-1), whereas at the same current rate, bare Ni(OH)(2) shows C-s of only 936 F g(-1).

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra06601d}, author = {Singh, Upendra and Banerjee, Abhik and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Suryawanshi, Anil and Upadhyay, Kush Kumar and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000340017000020, title = {Sustainable polyacetals from isohexides}, journal = { Green Chemistry}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3810-3818}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A single step synthetic protocol to access a small family of renewable diacetals was established. The resultant chiral diacetals are valuable building blocks in pharmaceuticals and materials science. To demonstrate their synthetic competence, isohexide-diacetals (2a-c) were subjected to acetal metathesis polymerization and the corresponding polymers (poly2a-c) were isolated as white solids with molecular weights in the range 3200-27 600 (g mol(-1)). The semi-crystalline polymers displayed glass transition temperatures between 38-65 degrees C and melting temperatures in the range 103-156 degrees C. The isohexide derived polyacetats are stable under practical washing and rinsing conditions but degrade in slightly acidic media.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c4gc00543k}, author = {Rajput, B. S. and Gaikwad, S. R. and Menon, Shamal K. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article { ISI:000364541100006, title = {Syntheses, X-ray structures, catalytic activity and magnetic properties of two new coordination polymers of Co(II) and Ni(II) based on benzenedicarboxylate and linear N,N {\textquoteleft}-donor Schiff base linkers}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers}, volume = {1}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {APR}, pages = {414-425}, abstract = {

{Two isostructural coordination polymers based on Co(II) and Ni(II), {[M(azpy)(3)(p-bdc)(2)(H2O)(4)]center dot(CH3OH)(2)(H2O)(3)}(n) [where M = Co (1) and Ni (2); azpy = N,N{\textquoteright}-bis-pyridin-4-ylmethylene-hydrazine and p-bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate], have been synthesized using mixed ligand systems at room temperature and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and other physicochemical methods. Structure determination reveals that both the complexes crystallize in the monoclinic space group C2/c and exhibit one-dimensional (1D) ladder like structures constructed by p-bdc and azpy ligands in which Schiff base (azpy) linkers serve as a bridging as well as pendent ligands. These pendent ligands are involved in H-bonding and pi-pi interactions with lattice water, methanol molecules and bridging azpy ligands, to form the 3D supramolecular structure. Notably, both the frameworks efficiently catalyze the Knoevenagel condensation reactions of a wide range of substituted benzaldehydes with active methylene compounds in heterogeneous medium under environmentally friendly conditions and the products were obtained in excellent yields. These catalysts were also found to exhibit excellent recyclability and re-usability without any significant loss of activity. A variable temperature magnetic study of both compounds was carried out and their magnetic properties justified on the basis of their crystal structure.

}, author = {Bhattacharya, Biswajit and Maity, Dilip Kumar and Pachfule, Pradip and Colacio, Enrique and Ghoshal, Debajyoti} } @article { ISI:000333231700009, title = {Synthesis and characterization of azoxy based mesogenic diols}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {359-362}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Azoxy based rigid mesogenic diols have been synthesized using two steps. Phenol/cresol is used as starting material. Synthesized diols are characterized by IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR, and mass spectroscopic methods. Thermal properties have been determined by thermo gravimetric analysis method and crystallinity patterns have been obtained by wide angle X-ray diffiactogram. Substituted phenol (methyl) is used to study the effect of substitution on physical and thermal properties of rigid azoxy mesogenic diol. The detailed characterization of azoxy based rigid diols is reported in this communication, which is highly useful for fundamental and applied research, particularly in liquid crystals and liquid crystalline polymers. The experimental results reveal that phenol based rigid mesogenic diols have high thermal stability and degree of crystallinity than methyl substituted rigid mesogenic diols.

}, keywords = {Azoxy, degree of crystallinity, diol, mesogen, phenol, thermal stability}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ganjave, Nitin V. and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000343341100006, title = {Synthesis and characterization of hypercrosslinked hydroxyl functionalized co-polymer beads}, journal = {European Polymer Journal}, volume = {59}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {46-58}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hydroxyl functionalized beaded copolymers were synthesized from 2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate by suspension polymerization using two different crosslinking agents (EDMA, DVB) and diluents (1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, 1,2-dichlorobenzene). Microporous beads with high surface area were successfully synthesized and characterized by different techniques. Maximum surface area obtained was 564 m(2)/g bearing uniform, spherical as well as non-aggregation images of beads. Thermal properties such as DTG and DSC reveal that, type of crosslinker (flexible/rigid) is major while its concentration is minor parameter that affect decomposition and softening temperature of copolymer. Swelling ratio of copolymer beads was examined as a function of crosslinker and crosslink density. Swelling behavior is in accordance with copolymer-solvent interaction parameter. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Copolymer, Morphology, surface area, Suspension polymerization, Swelling ratio}, issn = {0014-3057}, doi = {10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2014.07.001}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000336353000001, title = {Synthesis and characterization of triad based rigid mesogenic diols derived from hydroquinone and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {5}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {591-596}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

Triad based rigid mesogenic diols have been synthesized by four step synthesis method using protection-deprotection method. Hydroquinone and 4-hydroxy benzoic acid have been used as starting materials. Synthesized diols have been characterized by IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR, and mass spectroscopic methods. Thermal properties have been determined by thermo gravimetric analysis method and degree of crystallinity have been measured by wide angle X-ray technique. Substituted hydroquinones (methyl and chloro) have been used to study the effect of substitution on physical and thermal properties. Synthesis of rigid mesogenic diol monomer using p-hydroxy benzoic acid and hydroquinone is reported, which is a facile route. Hydrolysis of diacetate derivatives of rigid mesogenic diols is performed in good yields, even though two types of ester groups present in the same moiety, aromatic and aliphatic. The experimental results reveal that hydroquinone based rigid triad mesogenic diol have high thermal stability and degree of crystallinity as compared to methyl-and chloro-substituted rigid triad mesogenic diols.

}, keywords = {degree of crystallinity, ester hydrolysis, Mesogenic diols, spectral properties, Thermal properties}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Ganjave, Nitin V. and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000343671700036, title = {Synthesis, characterization and in vitro study of biocompatible cinnamaldehyde functionalized magnetite nanoparticles (CPGF Nps) for hyperthermia and drug delivery applications in breast cancer}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {9}, number = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {SEP}, pages = {e107315}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Cinnamaldehyde, the bioactive component of the spice cinnamon, and its derivatives have been shown to possess anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines. However, its hydrophobic nature invites attention for efficient drug delivery systems that would enhance the bioavailability of cinnamaldehyde without affecting its bioactivity. Here, we report the synthesis of stable aqueous suspension of cinnamaldehyde tagged Fe3O4 nanoparticles capped with glycine and pluronic polymer (CPGF NPs) for their potential application in drug delivery and hyperthermia in breast cancer. The monodispersed superparamagnetic NPs had an average particulate size of similar to 20 nm. TGA data revealed the drug payload of similar to 18\%. Compared to the free cinnamaldehyde, CPGF NPs reduced the viability of breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and MDAMB231, at lower doses of cinnamaldehyde suggesting its increased bioavailability and in turn its therapeutic efficacy in the cells. Interestingly, the NPs were non-toxic to the non-cancerous HEK293 and MCF10A cell lines compared to the free cinnamaldehyde. The novelty of CPGF nanoparticulate system was that it could induce cytotoxicity in both ER/PRpositive/Her2 negative (MCF7) and ER/PRnegative/Her2 negative (MDAMB231) breast cancer cells, the latter being insensitive to most of the chemotherapeutic drugs. The NPs decreased the growth of the breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner and altered their migration through reduction in MMP-2 expression. CPGF NPs also decreased the expression of VEGF, an important oncomarker of tumor angiogenesis. They induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells through loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and activation of caspase-3. Interestingly, upon exposure to the radiofrequency waves, the NPs heated up to 41.6 degrees C within 1 min, suggesting their promise as a magnetic hyperthermia agent. All these findings indicate that CPGF NPs prove to be potential nano-chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0107315}, author = {Wani, Kirtee D. and Kadu, Brijesh S. and Mansara, Prakash and Gupta, Preeti and Deore, Avinash V. and Chikate, Rajeev C. and Poddar, Pankaj and Dhole, Sanjay D. and Kaul-Ghanekar, Ruchika} } @article { ISI:000340525300012, title = {Synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated delta-lactones by vinyl acetate mediated asymmetric cross-aldol reaction of acetaldehyde: mechanistic insights}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {24}, year = {2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5247-5255}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A tandem asymmetric cross-aldol reaction involving the in situ generation of acetaldehyde from vinyl acetate has been developed that may resolve the challenges associated with the handling of acetaldehyde. The simple protocol, mild reaction conditions and unique harmony of an organocatalyst with a biocatalyst make this method a valuable tool for the synthesis of asymmetric beta-hydroxy aldehydes. By using this methodology we have accessed alpha,beta-unstaurated delta-lactones as well as isochromenones with high enantioselectivities from both asymmetric beta-hydroxy aldehydes and ketones. Systemic density functional theory (DFT) studies were also performed to gain mechanistic insights into the role of hydrogen bonding in the asymmetric cross-aldol reaction of acetaldehyde and in the key cis/trans isomerisation step in the synthesis of d-lactones.

}, keywords = {Aldol reactions, asymmetric catalysis, lactones, reaction mechanisms}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201402551}, author = {Kumar, Manjeet and Kumar, Arvind and Rizvi, Masood and Mane, Manoj and Vanka, Kumar and Taneja, Subhash C. and Shah, Bhahwal Ali} } @article { ISI:000333686000001, title = {Synthesis of ciprofloxacin-conjugated poly(L-lactic acid) polymer for nanofiber fabrication and antibacterial evaluation}, journal = {International Journal of Nanomedicine}, volume = {9}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1463-1477}, publisher = {DOVE MEDICAL PRESS LTD}, address = {PO BOX 300-008, ALBANY, AUCKLAND 0752, NEW ZEALAND}, abstract = {

Ciprofloxacin was conjugated with polylactide (PLA) via the secondary amine group of the piperazine ring using PLA and 7-(4-(2-Chloroacetyl) piperazin-1-yl)-1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1, 4-dihydro-4-oxoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid. Zinc prolinate, a biocompatible catalyst was synthesized, characterized, and used in ring opening polymerization of L-lactide. Five different kinds of OH-terminated poly(L-lactide) (two-, three-, four-, six-arm, star-shaped) homopolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of L-lactide in the presence of dodecanol, glycerol, pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol as initiator and zinc prolinate as a catalyst. The structures of the polymers and conjugates were thoroughly characterized by means of gel permeation chromatography, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. PLA (molecular weight = 100,000) and ciprofloxacin conjugated PLA were used for fabrication of nonwoven nanofiber mat (diameter ranges; 150-400 nm) having pore size (62-102 nm) using electrospinning. The microbiological assessment shows that the release of ciprofloxacin possesses antimicrobial activity. The drug-release behavior of the mat was studied to reveal potential application as a drug delivery system. The result shows that the ciprofloxacin release rates of the PLA conjugate nonwoven nanofiber mat could be controlled by the drug loading content and the release medium. The development of a biodegradable ciprofloxacin system, based on nonwoven nanofiber mat, should be of great interest in drug delivery systems.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, ciprofloxacin conjugated polylactides, CP-PLA, drug release, electrospinning, MDR, nonwoven nanofibers, zinc prolinate}, issn = {1178-2013}, doi = {10.2147/IJN.S54971}, author = {Parwe, Sharad P. and Chaudhari, Priti N. and Mohite, Kavita K. and Selukar, Balaji S. and Nande, Smita S. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article { ISI:000342568800011, title = {Synthesis of (+)-harmicine}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {46}, number = {19}, year = {2014}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2591-2594}, publisher = {GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG}, address = {RUDIGERSTR 14, D-70469 STUTTGART, GERMANY}, abstract = {

A facile convergent access to the important indole alkaloid (+)-harmicine is described, starting from tryptamine and (R)-acetoxysuccinic anhydride via the corresponding acetoxysuccinimide in very good overall yield. Regioselective reduction of an unsymmetrical imide carbonyl group and acid-catalyzed stereoselective intramolecular cyclization were the key features involved. The directing group to induce asymmetry was finally detached via the corresponding iodide by using tributyltin hydride chemistry.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, cyclization, imides, reduction, stereoselective synthesis}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0034-1378381}, author = {Mondal, Pravat and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000331483800028, title = {Synthesis, structure, spectral, electrochemical and sensing properties of 3-amino boron-dipyrromethene and its derivatives}, journal = {Dyes and Pigments}, volume = {102}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {218-227}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of 3-amino boron-dipyrromethene (3-amino BODIPY) by treating 3-bromo boron-dipyrromethene (3-bromo BODIPY) initially with sodium azide in acetonitrile followed by tri-phenylphosphine(PPh3)/H2O in tetrahydrofuran in three steps under mild reaction conditions. In this reaction, 3-azido BODIPY which formed in the first step was not isolated but the 3-iminophosphorane BODIPY which formed in the second step was isolated and characterized crystallographically. The 3-amino BODIPY was characterized by various spectroscopic and X-ray analytical techniques. To test the reactivity of amine functionality on BODIPY core, we prepared 1-(meso-anisyl BODIPY)-3-phenyl urea/thiourea derivatives under simple reaction conditions. Our studies indicated that 1-(meso-anisyl BODIPY)-3-pheny thiourea can act as specific chemodosimetric sensor for Hg2+ ion and 1-(meso-anisyl BODIPY)-3-phenyl urea as colorimetric and ratiometric sensor for F- ion. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3-Amino boron dipyrromethene, Chemodosimeter, F sensor, Fluorescent probes, Iminophosphorane BODIPY, Mercury(II) sensor}, issn = {0143-7208}, doi = {10.1016/j.dyepig.2013.10.038}, author = {Ganapathi, Emandi and Madhu, Sheri and Chatterjee, Tamal and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Ravikanth, Mangalampalli} } @article { ISI:000209665000005, title = {Synthetic precursor to vertical TiO2 nanowires}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {1}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {025005}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An easy protocol for improvement in formation of the photoanode in a dye sensitized solar cell is addressed. Specifically, a novel synthesis for the formation of a TiO2 precursor: titanium butanediolate, is detailed. This precursor is found to have higher thermal and temporal stability than commercially available TiO2 precursors and it has successfully been employed in the one-pot synthesis of rutile nanowires grown directly on a conducting substrate: fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO). This synthesis has been further extended to directly form a mixed phase TiO2 film consisting of rutile nanowires along with anatase spherical particles on FTO and this assembly has been used as the photoanode in a dye-sensitized solar cell. The synergistic effect of the two phases has provided a net DSSC efficiency of 4.61\% with FF = 61\%.

}, keywords = {Nanomaterials, Nanowires, TiO2}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/1/2/025005}, author = {Mishra, Biswajit and Ghildiyal, P. and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Khushalani, Deepa} } @article { ISI:000336248900015, title = {Total synthesis of the putative structure of xylarinol B}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {9}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1557-1562}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of the putative structure of xylarinolB is described and the need to revise its structure is demonstrated. The central benzoxepine skeleton was constructed by employing a cobalt-mediated bimolecular [2+2+2] Reppe-Vollhardt alkyne cycloaddition reaction.

}, keywords = {Chiral pool, cobalt, Natural products, structure elucidation, Total synthesis}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201301647}, author = {More, Atul A. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000339367300057, title = {Transition-metal-free C-S bond formation: a facile access to aryl sulfones from sodium sulfinates via arynes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {16}, number = {14}, year = {2014}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3836-3839}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Sulfones have been attractive targets for synthetic organic chemists owing to their immense applications in medicinal, material, and synthetic chemistry. In this context, an efficient transition-metal-free process has been demonstrated, wherein a broad range of alkyl/aryl/heteroaryl sodium sulfinates react with varyingly substituted aryne precursors (o-silyl aryl triflates) under mild reaction conditions to afford structurally diverse sulfones in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/ol5018646}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000336158700036, title = {Triple nanocomposites of CoMn2O4, Co3O4 and reduced graphene oxide for oxidation of aromatic alcohols}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {4}, number = {6}, year = {2014}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1771-1778}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A composite of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with oxides of manganese and cobalt together was prepared by a solvothermal method. During synthesis, both the reduction of graphene oxide as well as the growth of nanorod shaped CoMn2O4 and Co3O4 occurred simultaneously having a crystallite size of similar to 8 nm calculated from X-ray diffraction (XRD). The as-obtained triple nanocomposite material designated as RGO-MnCoO exhibited excellent activity for the liquid phase aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols under base-free conditions selectively giving the corresponding aldehydes (\>85\%). RGO loading was varied in the range of 1-10\%, among which 1\% RGO-MnCoO showed maximum catalytic activity enhancement of 24\% as compared to the bare mixed oxide (MnCo-MO) for the oxidation of vanillyl alcohol. HR-TEM of RGO-MnCoO revealed that it was a composite material having uniform nanotubes of similar to 25 nm length and 6 nm diameter with a fringe pattern showing the (103) and (004) planes and lattice spaces of 0.26 nm and 0.22 nm, respectively, for the spinel CoMn2O4. The detailed studies on the morphology, size and composition of the as-prepared RGO-MnCoO nanocomposite by XRD, XPS, N-2-adsorption/desorption and O-2-TPD techniques were used to understand the role of RGO in the enhancement of catalytic activity for oxidation reaction.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c3cy01025b}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Mhamane, Dattakumar and Suryawanshi, Anil and Joshi, Sameer M. and Shaikh, Parvez and Biradar, Narayan S. and Ogale, Satishchandra and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article { ISI:000333235600009, title = {Understanding the effect of locked nucleic acid and 2 {\textquoteleft}-O-methyl modification on the hybridization thermodynamics of a miRNA-mRNA pair in the presence and absence of AfPiwi protein}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {53}, number = {10}, year = {2014}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1607-1615}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

miRNAs are some of the key epigenetic regulators of gene expression. They act through hybridization with their target mRNA and modulate the level of respective proteins via different mechanisms. Various cancer conditions are known to be associated with up- and downregulation of the oncogenic and tumor suppressor miRNAs, respectively. The levels of aberrantly expressed oncogenic miRNAs can be downregulated in different ways. Similarly, restoration of tumor suppressor miRNAs to their normal levels can be achieved using miRNA mimics. However, the use of miRNA mimics is limited by their reduced biostability and function. We have studied the hybridization thermodynamics of the miRNA 26a (11-mer, including the seed sequence) guide strand with the mRNA (11-mer) target strand in the absence and presence of AfPiwi protein. We have also inserted locked nucleic acids (LNAs) and 2{\textquoteright}-O-methyl-modified nucleotides into the guide strand, in a walk-through manner, to assess their effect on the binding efficiency between guide and target RNA. Insertion of LNA and 2{\textquoteright}-O-methyl-modified nucleotides into the guide strand helped to strengthen the binding affinity irrespective of the position of insertion. However, in the presence of AfPiwi protein, these modifications reduced the binding affinity to different extents depending on the position of insertion. Insertion of a modification leads to an increase in the enthalpic contribution with an increased unfavorable entropic contribution, which negatively compensates for the higher favorable enthalpy.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/bi401677d}, author = {Kumar, Santosh and Mapa, Koyeli and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000329960500033, title = {Unexpected observations during the total synthesis of calothrixin B-sodium methoxide as a source of hydride}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {55}, number = {1}, year = {2014}, month = {JAN}, pages = {155-162}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

During the total synthesis of calothrixin B, various novel and unexpected results were noticed such as cleavage of C-N bond in imine using sodium cyanoborohydride, sodium methoxide as a hydride source for reduction, deformylation in the presence of bromine, and deacylation using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN). A detailed mechanism has been proposed for the unexpected results and a few of them are generalized. Temperature dependent NMR studies have been carried out for confirmation of the structure of one of the intermediates in the synthetic sequence. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Azoxybenzene, Calothrixin B, reduction, Sodium cyanoborohydride, Sodium methoxide}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.10.140}, author = {Bhosale, Shrikar M. and Momin, Aadil A. and Kunjir, Shrikant and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Kusurkar, Radhika S.} } @article { ISI:000330812400027, title = {Uptake of Azo dyes into silk glands for production of colored silk cocoons using a green feeding approach}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {2}, number = {2}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {312-317}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Dyeing of textile fabrics is considered to be one of the most polluting industries today, and there is a need to develop green processes that can reduce this pollution. A promising technology that can potentially cleanup the dyeing of silk fibers that are widely used for textile applications would involve the generation of intrinsically colored silk cocoons. This can be achieved by feeding of Bombyx mori silkworm larvae with a modified feed of mulberry leaves containing a sprayed dye solution. This process significantly reduces the need for treating toxic dye effluents that are generated in traditional dyeing processes. In this report, we have evaluated a set of seven different azo dyes that are used in the textile industry for dyeing to produce intrinsically dyed silk. The dyes used in the study had similar chemical structures with systematically varying partition coefficients. The results suggest that while some dyes produced intrinsically colored silk other did not. Careful evaluation of the physical properties of these related azo dyes suggest that the balance of hydrophobic and hydrophilic character is necessary for diffusion of the dye from the alimentary canal of the silkworm larva into the hemolymph and later into the silk glands. The partition coefficient of the dye also determines the preferential association of the dye with either sericin or fibroin protein in the silkworm gland and finally into the cocoon. These insights are extremely important in development of novel dye molecules that can be successfully fed to Bombyx mori silkworm larvae for producing intrinsically colored silk of various colors and shades.

}, keywords = {Azo dyes, Biochemical pathways, Color silk, Dye uptake, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} Green {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright} silk}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/sc400355k}, author = {Nisal, Anuya and Trivedy, Kanika and Mohammad, Hasan and Panneri, Suyana and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Lele, Ashish K. and Manchala, Ramesh and Kumar, Nirmal S. and Gadgil, Mugdha and Khandelwal, Harish B. and More, Snehal and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000331493200090, title = {Vapor-liquid-solid growth of one-dimensional tin sulfide (sns) nanostructures with promising field emission behavior}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2014}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2018-2025}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Single-crystalline ultralong tin sulfide (SnS) nanowires has been grown by a thermal evaporation technique under optimized conditions on gold-coated silicon substrates, and for the first time, field emission investigations on the SnS nanowires at the base pressure of 1 X 10(-8) mbar are reported. It has been revealed that the surface morphology of the as-synthesized SnS nanostructures is significantly influenced by the deposition temperature and duration. Structural and morphological analyses of as-synthesized SnS nanostructures have been carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To understand the optical and electronic properties of as-synthesized SnS nanowires, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), photo-luminescence (PL), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies were carried out. The SEM and TEM measurements reveal the formation of ultralong SnS nanowires, with an average diameter of 80 nm. A plausible explanation on the vapor-solid-liquid (VLS) growth mechanism based on the experimental results and reported literature has been presented. Furthermore, the field emission characteristics of the SnS nanowires are found to be superior to the other metal chalcogenide nanostructures. The synthesized SnS nanowire emitter delivers a high current density of similar to 2.5 mA/cm(2) at an applied electric field of similar to 4.55 V/mu m. The emission current stability over a period of 6 h is observed to be good. The observed results demonstrate the potential of the SnS nanowire emitter as an electron source for practical applications in vacuum nano/microelectronic devices.

}, keywords = {Electron emission, ID nanostructure, SnS nanowires, thermal evaporation, vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/am405039j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Warule, Sambhaji S. and Patil, Sandip S. and Patil, Kashinath R. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000344906500001, title = {Way toward {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}dietary pesticides{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}: molecular investigation of insecticidal action of caffeic acid against helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry}, volume = {62}, number = {45}, year = {2014}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10847-10854}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Bioprospecting of natural molecules is essential to overcome serious environmental issues and pesticide resistance in insects. Here we are reporting insights into insecticidal activity of a plant natural phenol. In silico and in vitro screening of multiple molecules supported by in vivo validations suggested that caffeic acid (CA) is a potent inhibitor of Helicoverpa armigera gut proteases. Protease activity and gene expression were altered in CA-fed larvae. The structure-activity relationship of CA highlighted that all the functional groups are crucial for inhibition of protease activity. Biophysical studies and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that sequential binding of multiple CA molecules induces conformational changes in the protease(s) and thus lead to a significant decline in their activity. CA treatment significantly inhibits the insect{\textquoteright}s detoxification enzymes, thus intensifying the insecticidal effect. Our findings suggest that CA can be implicated as a potent insecticidal molecule and explored for the development of effective dietary pesticides.

}, keywords = {Caffeic acid, Helicoverpa armigera, insecticidal activity, protease inhibitor}, issn = {0021-8561}, doi = {10.1021/jf503437r}, author = {Joshi, Rakesh S. and Wagh, T. P. and Sharma, N. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Sonavane, U. and Thulasiram, H. V. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000355001000007, title = {3D Hetero-architecture of GdB6 nanoparticles on lessened cubic Cu2O nanowires: enhanced field emission behaviour}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {17}, number = {21}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3936-3944}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The field emission properties (FE) of a heteroarchitecture comprised of gadolinium hexaboride nanoparticles uniformly decorated over Cu2O nanoneedles (GdB6/Cu2O) have been investigated at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. Under the optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD), a well-adhered coating of GdB6 nanoparticles on chemically synthesized cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoneedles has been obtained. A plausible growth mechanism of the hierarchical assembly of GdB6 nanoparticles on the Cu2O nanoneedles is explained on the basis of structural analysis carried out using SEM and TEM. A low turn-on field of similar to 2.3 V mu m(-1) (to draw an emission current density similar to 1 mu A cm(-2)) is observed along with stable emission current at the preset value of similar to 2 mu A over 4 h. The enhanced emission behaviour of the GdB6/Cu2O heteroarchitecture, in contrast to the pristine Cu2O nanoneedles, is attributed to its high aspect ratio and low work function. The observed FE results demonstrate GdB6/Cu2O heteroarchitecture as a potential candidate for application in various vacuum nano/microelectronic devices.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce02530j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Singh, Anil K. and Deo, Meenal S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sinha, Sucharita and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000354505100017, title = {Activation by pretreatment of Ag-Au/Al2O3 bimetallic catalyst to improve low temperature HC-SCR of NOx for lean burn engine exhaust}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {174}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {145-156}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Bimetallic Ag-Au/Al2O3 catalyst was synthesised by successive impregnation of 1\% Au and 1\% Ag on in-house prepared high surface area alumina (450 m(2)/g). The corresponding monometallic catalysts were also prepared by loading 1\% Ag or 1\% Au on the same high surface area alumina for comparison. The catalysts were characterised by various physico-chemical techniques and tested for SCR activity under lean burn engine exhaust conditions. Ag-Au/Al2O3 catalyst prepared by successive impregnation method showed considerably higher NO reduction (100\%) to N-2 compared to 1\% Au/Al2O3 (70\%) whereas the activity was comparable with that of 1\% Ag/Al2O3 (96\%). The effect of various pretreatments on SCR activity of Ag-Au/Al2O3 was studied and pretreatment at 250 degrees C in flow of hydrogen was found to give the best results with 100\% NO conversion to N-2 at 353 degrees C. Further ageing of the catalyst under reaction feed at 500 degrees C resulted in considerable increase in low temperature activity of bimetallic catalyst with similar to 40\% NO conversion at 222 degrees C. Even though the SCR activity of pretreated Ag-Au/Al2O3 and Ag/Al2O3 were comparable, after ageing the Ag-Au/Al2O3 showed significantly higher NO conversion (95\%) compared to Ag/Al2O3 (83\%) and Au/Al2O3 (70\%). The formation of H-2 and CO due to steam reforming of higher hydrocarbon (decane) was evidenced at the temperature of highest deNO(x) activity. Detailed investigation of the textural properties of the pretreated and aged catalysts showed presence of well dispersed metallic Au and Ag-n(delta+) clusters after pretreatment in hydrogen at 250 degrees C. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag-Au bimetallic catalyst, Catalyst ageing, dispersion, Low temperature HC-SCR, Steam reforming}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2015.02.035}, author = {More, Pavan M. and Nguyen, Duy L. and Granger, Pascal and Dujardin, Christophe and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar} } @book {43005, title = {Advances and recent applications in LC-MS and HPLC}, year = {2015}, pages = {94}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {

Advances and Recent Applications in LC-MS and HPLC presents the most recent developments in liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques. The book{\textquoteright}s content reaches across a range of disciplines and cites several case studies to effectively capture the advanced applications that make LC-MS and HPLC multifunctional and exacting techniques. Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry systems generate chromatograms of column peaks and can provide molecular weights of separated materials and their solvent complexes. However, while these systems can provide structural information to confirm the identity of the compounds separated, the process is very expensive. This book provides identification of simple compounds resulting from fragmentation studies and their subsequent results, offering the reader access to information unavailable elsewhere and allowing researchers to avoid incurring the costs associated with obtaining the hands-on results that LC-MS systems generate. Applicable to chemical analysis, bioanalysis, and medicinal chemistry, as well as pharmaceutical science, synthetic chemistry, and industrial chemistry, Advances and Recent Applications in LC-MS and HPLC is a multidisciplinary reference that arms scientists with the latest research. Detailed case studies enable researchers to make the book{\textquoteright}s concepts immediately implementable.

}, author = {Azharuddin, Quazi Syed and Mahajan, Devidas T. and Masand, Vijay H. and Alafeefy, Ahmed M. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and El-Sayed, Nahed Nasser Eid and Wajid, Abdul and Mohammad, Noor} } @article { ISI:000365952200050, title = {Ammonium persulfate activated DMSO as a one-carbon synthon for the synthesis of methylenebisamides and other applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {123}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {101641-101646}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Activation of DMSO to work as an economical and environmentally benign one-carbon synthon has been achieved by using a bench-top reagent ammonium persulfate for general and efficient access to symmetrical methylenebisamides from primary amides. This methodology was used to achieve a three-component Mannich reaction using acetophenone, saccharin and DMSO to furnish a beta-amino ketone. It also provided a metal-free synthesis of thiadiazole and bis(phenyl)methane. Effectively, this method uses DMSO as a safer surrogate to formaldehyde. A mechanism for methylenebisamide formation involving radical intermediates has been proposed based on mechanistic studies.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra21801b}, author = {Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Tanpure, Subhash D. and More, Namita A. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {43003, title = {Analysis of pantaprazole na monohydrate and sesquihydrate by powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD)}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {320 - 323}, abstract = {

Pantaprazole Na monohydrate and sesquihydrate were characterized by PXRD.significant difference in the diffraction patterns of Pantaprazole Na hydrates. The sesquihydrate contains all the diffraction peaks of monohydrate in addition to peaks.

}, author = {Mahajan, Devidas T. and Mohmad, Noor and Raut, D. M. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M.} } @article { ISI:000359850300008, title = {Antimicrobial activity of plant extracts against sexually transmitted pathogens}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {29}, number = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1562-1566}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Comprehensive management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) using vaginal or rectal microbicide-based intervention is one of the strategies for prevention of HIV infection. Herbal products have been used for treating STIs traditionally. Herein, we present in vitro activity of 10 plant extracts and their 34 fractions against three sexually transmitted/reproductive tract pathogens - Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus ducreyi and Candida albicans. The plant parts were selected; the extracts/fractions were prepared and screened by disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory and minimum cidal concentrations were determined. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of selected extracts/fractions showing activity was performed. Of the extracts/fractions tested, three inhibited C. albicans, ten inhibited N. gonorrhoeae and five inhibited H. ducreyi growth. Our study demonstrated that Terminalia paniculata Roth. extracts/fractions inhibited growth of all three organisms. The ethyl acetate fraction of Syzygium cumini Linn. and Bridelia retusa (L.) Spreng. extracts was found to inhibit N. gonorrhoeae at lowest concentrations.

}, keywords = {anti-STI activity, Candida albicans, fractions, Haemophilus ducreyi, microbicide, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, plant extracts}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2014.983919}, author = {Jadhav, Nutan and Kulkarni, Sangeeta and Mane, Arati and Kulkarni, Roshan and Palshetker, Aparna and Singh, Kamalinder and Joshi, Swati P. and Risbud, Arun and Kulkarni, Smita} } @article { ISI:000363168200012, title = {Assessing the effect of different shapes of glyco-gold nanoparticles on bacterial adhesion and infections}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {86}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {15669-15672}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Achieving selective and sensitive carbohydrate-protein interactions (CPIs) using nanotechnology is an intriguing area of research. Here we demonstrate that the different shapes of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with monosaccharides tune the bacterial aggregations. The mechanism of aggregation revealed that the large number of surface interactions of rod shaped mannose-AuNPs with E. coli ORN 178 compared with spherical and star-shaped AuNPs exhibited higher avidity and sensitivity. Moreover, such sensitive binding can be used for effective inhibition of bacterial infection of cells.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc05238f}, author = {Chaudhary, Preeti Madhukar and Sangabathuni, Sivakoti and Murthy, Raghavendra Vasudeva and Paul, Ajay and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article { ISI:000361075900005, title = {Bacillus encimensis sp nov isolated from marine sediment}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {65}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1421-1425}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A Gram-stain-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming, aerobic bacterium designated SGD-V-25(T) was isolated from Veraval sediment sample, India. Strain SGD-V-25(T) was capable of growing at 25-50 degrees C (optimum 37 degrees C), pH 6-12 (optimum pH 7.0) and with 0-5 \% (w/v) NaCl. The taxonomic position of this strain was deduced using a polyphasic approach and the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the isolate belongs to the phylum Firmicutes, forming the cluster with Bacillus badius MTCC 1548(T), with which it shares highest similarity of 99.1 \% with 13 nt differences. Other type strains of the genus Bacillus showed less than 96\% similarity. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The polar lipid profile of strain SGD-V-25(T) showed the presence of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phsophoglycolipid and two aminophospholipids. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was MK-7. The major cellular fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-17:0 iso-C-16:0, C-16:1 omega 11c and C-16:0. The genomic DNA G + C content of strain SGD-V-25(T) was 37.6 molok. On the basis of phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis and DNA-DNA hybridization, strain SGD-V-25(T) could be clearly distinguished from closely related members of the genus Bacillus, and the name Bacillus encimensis sp. nov., is proposed to accommodate this strain. The type strain is SGD-V-25(T) (= NCIM 5513(T)=DSM 28241(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijs.0.000114}, author = {Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Mual, Poonam and Verma, Ashish and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Joseph, Neeta and Shouche, Yogesh S.} } @article { ISI:000348358000013, title = {Bacillus filamentosus sp nov., isolated from sediment sample}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {107}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {433-441}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel Gram-stain positive, endospore-forming bacterium, designated SGD-14(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample in Goa Province, India. Cells of the isolate were found to be strictly aerobic. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain SGD-14(T) showed a similarity of 99.5 \% with Bacillus endophyticus and similarities to other Bacillus type strains were below 96 \%. The whole-cell sugar pattern was found to consist of ribose, xylose and glucose. The predominant menaquinone was identified as MK-7 and the major fatty acids as anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-15:0, iso-C-16:0, anteiso-C-17:0, C-16:0 and iso-C-14:0. The strain was found to grow optimally at 30 A degrees C and pH 7.0-7.5. DNA G + C content was determined to be 39.6 mol\%. The phospholipid pattern was found to consist of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. DNA-DNA hybridization studies between strain SGD-14(T) and B. endophyticus CIP106778(T) showed that strain SGD-14(T) exhibited \< 70 \% similarity with B. endophyticus CIP106778(T). Differences in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics between the novel strain and B. endophyticus CIP106778(T) further confirmed that this isolate represents novel species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain SGD-14(T) fits in the same clade with B. endophyticus with 100 \% bootstrap values. Strain SGD-14(T) is therefore considered to represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus filamentosus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Bacillus filamentosus is SGD-14(T) = (=NCIM 5491(T) = DSM 27955(T)).

}, keywords = {Bacillus, Filaments, Polyphasic, Sediment}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-014-0341-y}, author = {Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Ramana, V. Venkata and Joseph, Neeta and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Dastager, Syed Gulam} } @article { ISI:000353218700026, title = {Beta, gamma-Bis-substituted PNA with configurational and conformational switch: preferred binding to cDNA/RNA and cell-uptake studies}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {36}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7693-7696}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

(S,S)- and (R,R)-beta,gamma-Bis-substituted PNAs were synthesized from the C-2 symmetric vicinal diamine system embedded in 1,4 dihydroxybutane and 1,4-dimethoxybutane scaffolds. (R,R)-beta,gamma-Bis-methoxymethyl-PNA derived from D-tartaric acid was found to be in the right configuration and conformation to be an excellent mimic of PNA, endowed with superior ability to enter into cells.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc00891c}, author = {Bose, Tanaya and Banerjee, Anjan and Nahar, Smita and Maiti, Souvik and Kumar, Vaijayanti A.} } @article { ISI:000350841100024, title = {Biophysical characterization and molecular docking studies of imidazolium based polyelectrolytes-DNA complexes: role of hydrophobicity}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {16}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {894-903}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Nonviral gene delivery vectors are acquiring greater attention in the field of gene therapy by replacing the biological viral vectors. DNA-cationic polymer complexes are one of the most promising systems to find application in gene therapy. Hence, a complete insight of their biophysical characterization and binding energy profile is important in understanding the mechanism involved in nonviral gene therapy. In this investigation, the interaction between calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) and imidazolium-based poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) also known as polyelectrolytes with three different alkyl side chains (ethyl, butyl, and hexyl) in physiological conditions using various spectroscopic experiments with constant DNA concentration and varying polyelectrolyte concentrations is reported. UV-visible absorption, fluorescence quenching studies, gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism (CD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) have confirmed the binding of polyelectrolytes with DNA. UV-vis absorption measurements and fluorescence quenching revealed that the binding between DNA and the polyelectrolyte is dominated by electrostatic interactions. Additionally, CD and FTIR results indicated that the DNA retained its B-form with minor perturbation in the phosphate backbone without significant change in the conformation of its base pairs. Preference for alkyl side chains (KPIL-Ethyl Br \< KPIL-Butyl Br \< KPIL-Hexyl Br) toward efficient binding between the polyelectrolyte and DNA was inferred from the binding and quenching constants calculated from the absorption and emission spectra, respectively. Further, in silico molecular docking studies not only validated the observed binding trend but also provided insight into the binding mode of the polyelectrolyte-DNA complex.

}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/bm5018029}, author = {Manojkumar, Kasina and Charan, K. T. Prabhu and Sivaramakrishna, Akella and Jha, Prakash C. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Siva, Ramamoorthy and Jayaraman, Gurunathan and Vijayakrishna, Kari} } @article { ISI:000352315600048, title = {Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles by using ganoderma-mushroom extract}, journal = {Modern Physics Letters B}, volume = {29}, number = {6-7, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1540047}, publisher = {WORLD SCIENTIFIC PUBL CO PTE LTD}, address = {5 TOH TUCK LINK, SINGAPORE 596224, SINGAPORE}, abstract = {

Present study reports the biochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) from aqueous medium by using the extract of medicinal mushroom Ganoderma, as a reducing and stabilizing agents. The Ag-NPs are prepared at room temperature by the reduction of Ag+ to Ag in aqueous solution of AgNO3. The resultant particles are characterized by using UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurement techniques. The formation of Ag-NPs is confirmed by recording the UV-visible absorption spectra for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) where peak around 427 nm. The prominent changes observed in FTIR spectra supported the reduction of Ag+ to Ag. The morphological features of Ag-NPs are evaluated from HRTEM. The spherical Ag-NPs are observed in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The particle size distribution is found to be nearly uniform with average particle size of 2 nm. The Ag-NPs aged for 15, 30, 60 and 120 days showed no profound effect on the position of SPR peak in UV-visible studies, indicating the protecting/capping ability of medicinal mushroom Ganoderma in the synthesis of AgNPs.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis, Ganoderma, medicinal mushroom, silver nanoparticles, UV-visible spectroscopy}, issn = {0217-9849}, doi = {10.1142/S0217984915400473}, author = {Ekar, S. U. and Khollam, Y. B. and Koinkar, Pankaj M. and Mirji, S. A. and Mane, R. S. and Naushad, M. and Jadhav, S. S.} } @proceedings {42927, title = {Black phosphorous nanosheets: prospective field emitter}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {94-95}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Guangzhou, Peoples R China}, abstract = {

We report for the first time field electron emission investigations on few layered black phosphorous nanosheets emitter{\textquoteright}s synthesized using chemical method with thickness similar to 2-5 nm. The turn-on electric field required to draw an emission current density of similar to 10 mu A/cm(2) was found to be similar to 4.2 V/mu m. Furthermore, a few layer black phosphorous nanosheets emitter deliver an large emission current density of similar to 170 mu A/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 7.5 V/mu m. The emission current versus time plot measured at the preset current values of similar to 5 mu A shows field emission current fluctuations within +/- 10\% of the average value indicating the well stable nature of black phosphorous field emitter. Thus, the two dimensional black phosphorous nanosheets synthesized using simple electrochemical exfoliation method can be realized and utilized for the next generation micro/nanoelectronics and flat panel field emission based display applications.

}, author = {Late, Dattatray J. and Erande, Manisha B. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000348358200057, title = {Bronsted acidic ionic liquid-catalyzed conversion of hemicellulose into sugars}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {531-539}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Development of a competent method for the conversion of hemicellulose, a lignocellulosic component, into sugars is essential. In a one-pot method, Bronsted acidic ionic liquid (BAIL)-catalyzed hydrolysis of hardwood hemicellulose at 160 degrees C in water media gave C5 sugars (xylose + arabinose) in 87\% yield. The efficiency of the ILs and their acid strength both followed the similar trend, [C3SO3HMIM][HSO4] \> [C3SO3HMIM][PTS] \> [C3SO3HMIM][Cl] \> [BMIM][Cl]. The ion-dipole-type interaction present between the BAIL and the substrate, which is proposed by the H-1 NMR study, is suggested to help in achieving better activity with BAIL than with mineral acid, H2SO4.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c4cy01047g}, author = {Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant} } @article {45931, title = {Chemically chargeable photo battery}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {119}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN }, pages = {14010-14016}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here we show a surrogate strategy for power production, wherein light is used to actuate a discharge Chemistry in the cathode of an aqueous rechargeable battery (ARB). The proposed photo battery consists of a titaninm nitride photoanode, promising. cathode:material iron(III) hexacyanoferrate(II) as the battery active species, and Na2S2O8 as the chemical charging agent The photo battery delivered negligible capacity in the dark and the capacity shot up to 77.8 mAh/g when artificially shined light, confirming that the battery chemistry is light driven. In the ambient light, the device retained 72\% of its artificial light discharge capacity with a stable cycling for more than 100 cycles. Further, an unprecedented means for charging the battery rapidly is presented using Na2S2O8 and it revitalized the battery in 30 s without any external bias. This methodology of expending a photoanode extends to a battery that is free from dissolution of active materials, irreversible structural changes, spontaneous deinsertion reactions, and safety concerns commonly encountered in the state of the art anode materials in ARBs. Apart from bringing out a sustainable way for power production, this device opens up avenues for charging the battery in the likely events of electrical input unavailability, while solving the critcial issues of longer charging time and higher charging voltage.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b02871}, author = {Thimmappa, Ravikumar and Paswan, Bhuneshwar and Gaikwad, Pramod and Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli and Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi and Mohan, Ramsundar Rani and Alias, Joy Pattayil and Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam} } @article { ISI:000356801300073, title = {Chemically grafted graphite nanosheets dispersed in poly(ethylene-glycol) by gamma-radiolysis for enhanced lubrication}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {66}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {53766-53775}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Graphite nanosheets (Gr-NS) dispersed in poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG200) medium were subjected to various doses of gamma-irradiation. Hydroxyl functional groups present in PEG are chemically grafted through hydrogen bonding with hydroxyl, carbonyl and carboxylic groups of Gr-NS. The grafting process is driven by the generation of active radicals from solvent radiolysis. Chemical grafting was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results of spectroscopic studies revealed reduction in oxygen functionality of PEG-Gr-NS at higher doses of gamma-irradiation. The gamma-irradiation not only bridges the functionalities between PEG and PEG-Gr-NS but edge and basal plane defects in Gr-NS are further reduced as is evident from Raman analysis. The inter-planar sheet distance in Gr-NS is increased due to intercalated chemical grafting with PEG molecules. The chemical grafting between PEG and Gr-NS and reduction in defects enhance the tribological properties with a decrease of 26\% and 32\% for the friction coefficient and wear, respectively as compared to PEG alone. The lubrication mechanism is mediated through inter-planar weak forces when PEG is chemically grafted with Gr-NS. The electrostatic interaction of PEG with Gr-NS acts as a molecular bridge thus enhancing the sustainability of tribo-stress. Additionally, in the presence of functionalized PEG-Gr-NS tribo-contact conditions, evidence of deposited graphitic tribo-film was observed from micro-Raman spectroscopy inside the steel wear track. This film further enhanced lubrication mediated through low shear strength interlayer graphite sheets and therefore, antiwear properties were synergistically improved.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra07528a}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Panda, Kalpataru and Kumar, Niranjan and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, Ashok Kumar} } @article { ISI:000360510700002, title = {Chiral aziridine ring opening: facile synthesis of (R)-modletine and (R)-phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {38}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5269-5271}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient synthesis of chiral drugs (R)-mexiletine 1, an anti-arrhythmic drug and (R)-phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride 2, an anti-hypertensive drug has been described via controlled reductive ring opening of chiral aziridine as a key step. The target compounds 1 and 2 were obtained in overall yields of 34\% and 10.5\%, respectively. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aziridine, Mexiletine, Phenoxybenzamine}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.07.032}, author = {Viswanadh, N. and Velayudham, R. and Jambu, S. and Sasikumar, M. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000358250800001, title = {Chromerid genomes reveal the evolutionary path from photosynthetic algae to obligate intracellular parasites}, journal = {Elife}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article Number: e06974}, publisher = {ELIFE SCIENCES PUBLICATIONS LTD}, address = {SHERATON HOUSE, CASTLE PARK, CAMBRIDGE, CB3 0AX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The eukaryotic phylum Apicomplexa encompasses thousands of obligate intracellular parasites of humans and animals with immense socio-economic and health impacts. We sequenced nuclear genomes of Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis, free-living non-parasitic photosynthetic algae closely related to apicomplexans. Proteins from key metabolic pathways and from the endomembrane trafficking systems associated with a free-living lifestyle have been progressively and non-randomly lost during adaptation to parasitism. The free-living ancestor contained a broad repertoire of genes many of which were repurposed for parasitic processes, such as extracellular proteins, components of a motility apparatus, and DNA-and RNA-binding protein families. Based on transcriptome analyses across 36 environmental conditions, Chromera orthologs of apicomplexan invasion-related motility genes were co-regulated with genes encoding the flagellar apparatus, supporting the functional contribution of flagella to the evolution of invasion machinery. This study provides insights into how obligate parasites with diverse life strategies arose from a once free-living phototrophic marine alga.

}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.06974}, author = {Woo, Yong H. and Ansari, Hifzur and Otto, Thomas D. and Klinger, Christen M. and Kolisko, Martin and Michalek, Jan and Saxena, Alka and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Tayyrov, Annageldi and Veluchamy, Alaguraj and Ali, Shahjahan and Bernal, Axel and del Campo, Javier and Cihlar, Jaromir and Flegontov, Pavel and Gornik, Sebastian G. and Hajduskova, Eva and Horak, Ales and Janouskovec, Jan and Katris, Nicholas J. and Mast, Fred D. and Miranda-Saavedra, Diego and Mourier, Tobias and Naeem, Raeece and Nair, Mridul and Panigrahi, Aswini K. and Rawlings, Neil D. and Padron-Regalado, Eriko and Ramaprasad, Abhinay and Samad, Nadira and Tomcala, Ales and Wilkes, Jon and Neafsey, Daniel E. and Doerig, Christian and Bowler, Chris and Keeling, Patrick J. and Roos, David S. and Dacks, Joel B. and Templeton, Thomas J. and Waller, Ross F. and Lukes, Julius and Obornik, Miroslav and Pain, Arnab} } @article { ISI:000364504500016, title = {Citreicella manganoxidans sp nov., a novel manganese oxidizing bacterium isolated from a shallow water hydrothermal vent in Espalamaca (Azores)}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {108}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1433-1439}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A Gram-stain negative, non-motile, non-spore forming, aerobic and rod or narrow lemon-shaped bacterial strain, VSW210(T), was isolated from surface seawater in a shallow water hydrothermal vent region in Espalamaca (Azores). Strain VSW210(T) was found to grow optimally at 30 A degrees C, at pH 7 and in the presence of 2-6 \% (w/v) NaCl. A neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain VSW210(T) clusters with the type strain Citreicella marina CK-I3-6(T) (sequence similarity value of 99.6 \%), but DNA-DNA hybridization showed DNA-DNA relatedness between the strain VSW210(T) and C. marina CK-I3-6(T) to be 55.8 +/- A 3.2 \%. The DNA G+C content of strain VSW210(T) was determined to be 67.4 mol\%. The cellular fatty acid profiles of strain VSW210(T) was found to contain C-18:1 omega 7c (80.1 \%) and C-16:0 (9.2 \%). The major polar lipids in strain VSW210(T) were identified as phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and an unidentified phospholipid. Strain VSW210(T) was found to be able to oxidize soluble Mn(II) to insoluble MnO2, which was confirmed with LBB staining. Differential phenotypic properties and genetic uniqueness revealed that this strain VSW210(T) is distinguishable from other species of the genus Citreicella. On the basis of the data presented, strain VSW210(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Citreicella, for which the name Citreicella manganoxidans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is VSW210(T) (=KCTC 32497(T) = MCC 2286(T)).

}, keywords = {Azores, Citreicella manganoxidans sp nov, Hydrothermal vent, Polyphasic taxonomy, Seawater}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-015-0597-x}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Mohandass, Chellandi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Liu, Qing and Li, Wen-Jun and Colaco, Ana} } @article { ISI:000355638100042, title = {Coherent fusion of water array and protonated amine in a metal-sulfate-based coordination polymer for proton conduction}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5366-5371}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new function of metal-sulfate-based co-ordination polymer (CP) for proton,conduction Was investigated through rational integration of a continuous water array and protonated amine in the coordination space of the CP. The H-bonded arrays of watet molecules along with nitrogen-rich aromatic cation (protonated melamine) facilitate proton conduction in the compound under humid conditions. Although several reports of metal-oxalate/phosphate-based CPs showing proton conduction are known, this is the first designed synthesis of a metal sulfate-based CP bearing-Water arrays functioning as a solid-state proton conductor:

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b00416}, author = {Manna, Biplab and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Desai, Aamod V. and Samanta, Partha and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article { ISI:000349943000006, title = {Computational study of metal free alcohol dehydrogenation employing frustrated lewis pairs}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {80}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2081-2091}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The catalysis of acceptorless alcohol dehydrogenation (AAD) is an important area of research. Transition metal-based systems are known to be effective catalysts for this reaction, but developing metal free catalytic systems would lead to highly desirable cheaper and greener alternatives. With this in mind, this computational study investigates design strategies than can lead to metal free frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) that can be employed for AAD catalysis. A careful study of 36 different proposed FLP candidates reveals that several new FLPs can be designed from existing, experimentally synthesized FLPs that can rival or be even better than state-of-the-art transition metal-based systems in catalyzing the alcohol dehydrogenation process.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/jo5023052}, author = {Mane, Manoj V. and Rizvi, Masood A. and Vanka, Kumar} } @article { ISI:000361085800009, title = {Construction of polynuclear lanthanide (Ln = Dy-III, Tb-III, and Nd-III) cage complexes using pyridine-pyrazole-based ligands: versatile molecular topologies and smm behavior}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8197-8206}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Employment of two different pyridyl pyrazolyl-based ligands afforded three octanudear lanthanide(III) (Ln = Dy, Tb) cage compounds and one hexanudear neodymium(III) coordination cage, exhibiting versatile molecular architectures including a butterfly core. Relatively less common semirigid pyridyl pyrazolyl-based asymmetric ligand systems show an interesting trend of forming polynuclear lanthanide cage complexes with different coordination environments around the metal centers. It is noteworthy here that construction of lanthanide complex itself is a challenging task in a ligand system as soft N-donor rich as pyridyl pyrazol. We report herein some lanthanide complexes using ligand containing only one or two O-donors compare to five N-coordinating sites. The resultant multinuclear lanthanide complexes show interesting magnetic and spectroscopic features originating from different spatial arrangements of the metal ions. Alternating current (ac) susceptibility measurements of the two dysprosium complexes display frequency- and temperature-dependent out-of-phase signals in zero and 0.5 T direct current field, a typical characteristic feature of single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior, indicating different energy reversal barriers due to different molecular topologies. Another aspect of this work is the occurrence of the not-so-common SMM behavior of the terbium complex, further confirmed by ac susceptibility measurement.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b00334}, author = {Bala, Sukhen and Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Pramanik, Bhaskar and Khanra, Sumit and Fromrn, Katharina M. and Poddar, Pankaj and Mondal, Raju} } @article { ISI:000365217600004, title = {Conversion of concentrated sugar solutions into 5-hydroxymethyl furfural and furfural using Bronsted acidic ionic liquids}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5086-5090}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Catalytic amounts of recyclable Bronsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) yielded HMF (73\%) and furfural (81\%) with high selectivity from highly concentrated solutions of D-fructose (40 wt\%) and D-xylose (3 wt\%), respectively. With a 6 wt\% D-xylose solution, 73\% yield was observed. An activity-property correlation of BAIL is established.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c5cy00858a}, author = {Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Munshi, Mudassir K. and Kelkar, Ashutosh A. and Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant} } @article { ISI:000362819600016, title = {CoSe2 supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanohorns as a methanol-tolerant cathode for air-breathing microlaminar flow fuel cells}, journal = {Chemelectrochem}, volume = {2}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1339-1345}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The synthesis of CoSe2 nanoparticles supported on nitrogendoped carbon nanohorns (CoSe2/NCNH) and the influence of the interaction of the metal centre with the NCNH on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are reported. CoSe2/NCNH shows a 50 mV lower onset overpotential and a 150 mV positive shift in the half-wave potential compared to CoSe2 supported on carbon and carbon nanohorns. This suggests that the intrinsic activity and the density of active reaction centres of CoSe2 are modified by NCNHs. An air-breathing direct meth-anol microlaminar flow fuel cell (mLFFC) is constructed using CoSe2/NCNH as a methanol-tolerant cathode catalyst. A maximum power density of 10.05 mWcm(-2) and a maximum current density of 124.20 mAcm(-2) are achieved with CoSe2/NCNH compared to the non-doped catalyst, CoSe2/C and Pt/C with 5m methanol as the fuel. The improved activity of CoSe2/ NCNH is attributed to the peculiar morphology and the nitrogen doping of the carbon nanohorns. This catalyst could be a suitable alternative to Pt.

}, keywords = {carbon nanohorns, chalcogenides, fuel cells, oxygen reduction reaction, platinum}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.201500154}, author = {Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Mora-Hernandez, Juan M. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Alonso-Vante, Nicolas} } @article { ISI:000365529900006, title = {Cyclic cationic peptides containing sugar amino acids selectively distinguishes and inhibits maturation of pre-mirnas of the same family}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {25}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {323-329}, publisher = {MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC}, address = {140 HUGUENOT STREET, 3RD FL, NEW ROCHELLE, NY 10801 USA}, abstract = {

The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) has added a new dimension to the gene regulatory networks, making aberrantly expressed miRNAs as therapeutically important targets. Small molecules that can selectively target and modulate miRNA levels can thus serve as lead structures. Cationic cyclic peptides containing sugar amino acids represent a new class of small molecules that can target miRNA selectively. Upon treatment of these small molecules in breast cancer cell line, we profiled 96 therapeutically important miRNAs associated with cancer and observed that these peptides can selectively target paralogous miRNAs of the same seed family. This selective inhibition is of prime significance in cases when miRNAs of the same family have tissue-specific expression and perform different functions. During these conditions, targeting an entire miRNA family could lead to undesired adverse effects. The selective targeting is attributable to the difference in the three-dimensional structures of precursor miRNAs. Hence, the core structure of these peptides can be used as a scaffold for designing more potent inhibitors of miRNA maturation and hence function.

}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2015.0554}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Bose, Debojit and Pal, Sudip and Chakraborty, Tushar Kanti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000346006700016, title = {Decoration of CdS nanoparticles on 3D self-assembled ZnO nanorods: a single-step process with enhanced field emission behaviour}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {140-148}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A well-defined CdS-ZnO heteroarchitecture has been synthesized via a facile single-step hydrothermal approach. The morphological and structural studies reveal the formation of 3D nano-architectures, in which self-assembled ZnO nanorods (diameter similar to 50 nm) are well decorated with single crystalline CdS nanoparticles (size similar to 10 nm). The CdS-ZnO heteroarchitecture exhibits a remarkable change in the optical absorption due to the surface modification of ZnO nanorods by CdS. Surprisingly, under identical reaction conditions, the global ZnS nanoparticles are selectively grown at the apex of ZnO nanorods on the Zn substrate. Furthermore, a plausible growth mechanism has been presented on the basis of experimental results. Interestingly, the CdS-ZnO heteroarchitecture shows enhanced field emission properties such as low turn-on field, high emission current density and better current stability in comparison to other ZnO-based nanostructures. The present CdS-ZnO heteroarchitecture could be extended to other potential applications, such as chemical sensors, photodetectors, optoelectronic devices, and photocatalysts.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c4ce01738b}, author = {Warule, Sambhaji S. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Shisode, Raju T. and Desa, Keith V. and Kale, Bharat B. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000347249500015, title = {Deinococcus enclensis sp nov., isolated from a marine sediment sample}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {107}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {141-148}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel pale-pink coloured strain, designated NIO-1023(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample from Chorao Island, Goa, India. The taxonomic position of strain NIO-1023(T) was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. The cells were observed to be Gram-stain positive, coccal shaped and non-spore forming. Phylogenetic analyses using the 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate indicated that the organism belongs to the genus Deinococcus. The strain NIO-1023(T) showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with Deinococcus ficus (97.8 \%), whereas other Deinococcus species showed less than 95 \% sequence similarity. The DNA-DNA relatedness with respect to D. ficus CC-FR2-10(T) was 23.9 \%. Chemotaxonomic data revealed that strain NIO-1023(T) contains only menaquinone MK-8 as the respiratory quinone and a complex polar lipid profile consisting of different unidentified glycolipids and polar lipids, two unknown phospholipids and three unknown phosphoglycolipids. As in other deinococci, one of these phosphoglycolipids was predominant in the profile. The predominant fatty acids were identified as C-17:1 w8c, C-16:1 w6c/w7c, C-15:1 w6c and C-17:1 w9c. The genomic DNA G + C content of strain NIO-1023(T) was determined to be 67.2 mol\%. The biochemical and chemotaxonomic properties demonstrate that strain NIO-1023(T) represents a novel species, for which the name Deinococcus enclensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NIO-1023(T) (=DSM 25127(T) = NCIM 5456(T)).

}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Deinococcus, Marine sediments, Polyphasic}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-014-0311-4}, author = {Thorat, Meghana N. and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Ramana, V. Venkata and Joseph, Neeta and Shouche, Yogesh S. and Dastager, Syed Gulam} } @article { ISI:000360825100003, title = {Design and synthesis of cauliflower-shaped hydroxyl functionalized core-shell polymer}, journal = {Designed Monomers and Polymers}, volume = {18}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {723-733}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conventional crosslinked polymers and homopolymers both have their own limitations. As a result, core-shell polymer was synthesized to obtain cauliflower-shaped and highly hydroxyl functionalized polymer. For the core, acrylate-based copolymers were synthesized by varying crosslinkers and porogens at different crosslink density. Owing to high surface area (554 m(2)/g), poly(MMA-co-DVB) was used as a core and low-molecular weight (24,600g/mol) poly(GMA) was used as a shell in core-shell approach. Average particle sizes of the core polymers were in the range of 15-75 mu m. In order to evaluate reactivity efficiency of core-shell polymer, hydroxyl content was evaluated with a value of 3.97mmol/g. Importantly, hydroxyl content demonstrated the successful increase in reactive sites of the core-shell polymer over conventional crosslinked hydroxyl polymer. Notably, synthesized core-shell polymer has more surface area and pore volume which substantially attributes for better polymer efficiency during application. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed the spherical, uniform, and slightly conglomerated properties of core-shell polymer. Due to higher reactivity, insolubility, and more surface area of hydroxyl functionalized core-shell polymer, its use become inevitably essential.

}, keywords = {C-13 solid state NMR, cauliflower-shaped porous beads, core-shell polymer, hydroxyl functionalization, surface area}, issn = {1385-772X}, doi = {10.1080/15685551.2015.1070504}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000358837400009, title = {Development of diagnostic fragment ion library for glycated peptides of human serum albumin: targeted quantification in prediabetic, diabetic, and microalbuminuria plasma by parallel reaction monitoring, SWATH, and MSE}, journal = {Molecular \& Cellular Proteomics}, volume = {14}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2150-2159}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

Human serum albumin is one of the most abundant plasma proteins that readily undergoes glycation, thus glycated albumin has been suggested as an additional marker for monitoring glycemic status. Hitherto, only Amadori-modified peptides of albumin were quantified. In this study, we report the construction of fragment ion library for Amadori-modified lysine (AML), N(epsilon)-(carboxymethyl) lysine (CML)-, and N(epsilon)-(carboxyethyl) lysine (CEL)-modified peptides of the corresponding synthetically modified albumin using high resolution accurate mass spectrometry (HR/AM). The glycated peptides were manually inspected and validated for their modification. Further, the fragment ion library was used for quantification of glycated peptides of albumin in the context of diabetes. Targeted Sequential Window Acquisition of all THeoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH) analysis in pooled plasma samples of control, prediabetes, diabetes, and microalbuminuria, has led to identification and quantification of 13 glycated peptides comprised of four AML, seven CML, and two CEL modifications, representing nine lysine sites of albumin. Five lysine sites namely K549, K438, K490, K88, and K375, were observed to be highly sensitive for glycation modification as their respective m/z showed maximum fold change and had both AML and CML modifications. Thus, peptides involving these lysine sites could be potential novel markers to assess the degree of glycation in diabetes.

}, issn = {1535-9476}, doi = {10.1074/mcp.M115.050518}, author = {Korwar, Arvind M. and Vannuruswamy, Garikapati and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Bhat, Shweta and Regin, Bhaskaran S. and Ramaswamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P. and Mohan, Viswanathan and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article { ISI:000369744300004, title = {Differential dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor in membrane bilayers of varying cholesterol content revealed by all atom molecular dynamics simulation}, journal = {Molecular Membrane Biology}, volume = {32}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {127-137}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The serotonin(1A) receptor belongs to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and is a potential drug target in neuropsychiatric disorders. The receptor has been shown to require membrane cholesterol for its organization, dynamics and function. Although recent work suggests a close interaction of cholesterol with the receptor, the structural integrity of the serotonin(1A) receptor in the presence of cholesterol has not been explored. In this work, we have carried out all atom molecular dynamics simulations, totaling to 3s, to analyze the effect of cholesterol on the structure and dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor. Our results show that the presence of physiologically relevant concentration of membrane cholesterol alters conformational dynamics of the serotonin(1A) receptor and, on an average lowers conformational fluctuations. Our results show that, in general, transmembrane helix VII is most affected by the absence of membrane cholesterol. These results are in overall agreement with experimental data showing enhancement of GPCR stability in the presence of membrane cholesterol. Our results constitute a molecular level understanding of GPCR-cholesterol interaction, and represent an important step in our overall understanding of GPCR function in health and disease.

}, keywords = {GPCR, Membrane cholesterol, molecular dynamics simulation, serotonin(1A) receptor}, issn = {0968-7688}, doi = {10.3109/09687688.2015.1096971}, author = {Patra, Swarna M. and Chakraborty, Sudip and Shahane, Ganesh and Prasanna, Xavier and Sengupta, Durba and Maiti, Prabal K. and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article { ISI:000360415500033, title = {Diffusion of small solute particles in viscous liquids: cage diffusion, a result of decoupling of solute-solvent dynamics, leads to amplification of solute diffusion}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {34}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {11169-11175}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

We study the diffusion of small solute particles through solvent by keeping the solute solvent interaction repulsive and varying the solvent properties. The study involves computer simulations, development of a new model to describe diffusion of small solutes in a solvent, and also mode coupling theory (MCT) calculations. In a viscous solvent, a small solute diffuses via coupling to the solvent hydrodynamic modes and also through the transient cages formed by the solvent. The model developed can estimate the independent contributions from these two different channels of diffusion. Although the solute diffusion in all the systems shows an amplification, the degree of it increases with solvent viscosity. The model correctly predicts that when the solvent viscosity is high, the solute primarily diffuses by exploiting the solvent cages. In such a scenario the MCT diffusion performed for a static solvent provides a correct estimation of the cage diffusion.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b03034}, author = {Acharya, Sayantan and Nandi, Manoj K. and Mandal, Arkajit and Sarkar, Sucharita and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article { ISI:000347717000009, title = {Direct synthesis of secondary amines from alcohols and ammonia catalyzed by a ruthenium pincer complex}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {145}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {139-144}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Efficient and selective direct synthesis of secondary amines from primary alcohols and ammonia with liberation of water has been achieved, with high turnover numbers and with no generation of waste. In case of benzylic alcohols, imines rather than amines are obtained. This atom economical, environmentally benign reaction is homogenously catalyzed by a well-defined bipyridine based Ru(II)-PNN pincer complex.

}, keywords = {Alcohol, Ammonia, Homogenous catalysis, Ru-pincer complex, Secondary amine}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-014-1422-2}, author = {Balaraman, Ekambaram and Srimani, Dipankar and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Milstein, David} } @article { ISI:000357468200016, title = {Discovery of rimonabant and its potential analogues as anti-TB drug candidates}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {24}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2960-2971}, publisher = {SPRINGER BIRKHAUSER}, address = {233 SPRING STREET, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Rimonabant and its analogues have been synthesized in moderate to good yields using a simple synthetic route. All the newly synthesized compounds were subjected to in vitro screening against M. tuberculosis and M. smegmatis. The most potent analogue JMG-14 exhibits MIC value of 3.13 compared to 3.25 and 50 A mu g/ml for ethambutol and pyrazinamide, respectively. The molecular docking reveals that pyrazole ring, number and position of halogen atoms play a crucial role in deciding interactions with MTCYP-121. These findings open up a new avenue in the search of potent anti-TB drugs with rimonabant and its novel analogue JMG-14 as lead molecules.

}, keywords = {Diaryl pyrazoles, H37Rv, MTCYP-121, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Rimonabant, tuberculosis}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-015-1346-4}, author = {Gajbhiye, J. M. and More, Namita A. and Patil, Manoj D. and Ummanni, R. and Kotapalli, S. S. and Yogeeswari, P. and Sriram, D. and Masand, Vijay H.} } @article { ISI:000353720700004, title = {Distinct molecular features facilitating ice-binding mechanisms in hyperactive antifreeze proteins closely related to an Antarctic sea ice bacterium}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {33}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1424-1441}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

Antifreeze proteins or ice-binding proteins (IBPs) facilitate the survival of certain cellular organisms in freezing environment by inhibiting the growth of ice crystals in solution. Present study identifies orthologs of the IBP of Colwellia sp. SLW05, which were obtained from a wide range of taxa. Phylogenetic analysis on the basis of conserved regions (predicted as the {\textquoteleft}ice-binding domain{\textquoteright} [IBD]) present in all the orthologs, separates the bacterial and archaeal orthologs from that of the eukaryotes{\textquoteright}. Correspondence analysis pointed out that the bacterial and archaeal IBDs have relatively higher average hydrophobicity than the eukaryotic members. IBDs belonging to bacterial as well as archaeal AFPs contain comparatively more strands, and therefore are revealed to be under higher evolutionary selection pressure. Molecular docking studies prove that the ice crystals form more stable complex with the bacterial as well as archaeal proteins than the eukaryotic orthologs. Analysis of the docked structures have traced out the ice-binding sites (IBSs) in all the orthologs which continue to facilitate ice-binding activity even after getting mutated with respect to the well-studied IBSs of Typhula ishikariensis and notably, all these mutations performing ice-binding using {\textquoteleft}anchored clathrate mechanism{\textquoteright} have been found to prefer polar and hydrophilic amino acids. Horizontal gene transfer studies point toward a strong selection pressure favoring independent evolution of the IBPs in some polar organisms including prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes because these proteins facilitate the polar organisms to acclimatize to the adversities in their niche, thus safeguarding their existence.

}, keywords = {antifreeze proteins, horizontal gene transfer, ice-recrystallization inhibition, Molecular docking, Phylogenetic analysis}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2014.952665}, author = {Banerjee, Rachana and Chakraborti, Pratim and Bhowmick, Rupa and Mukhopadhyay, Subhasish} } @article { ISI:000349853500010, title = {Eco-friendly enzymatic dehairing of skins and hides by C-brefeldianus protease}, journal = {Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy}, volume = {17}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {393-405}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Alkaline protease from Conidiobolus brefeldianus was efficient in unhairing various types of skins and hides. The crude protease preparation was active toward keratin-azure, elastin-orcin, azocasein, and azocoll, but did not show true collagenase activity. In addition, the crude enzyme exhibited other enzyme activities such as chondroitinase, laminarase, and chitinase. Complete hair removal of skin/hide by the protease achieved in 16-18 h. The dehaired pelt showed smooth and white appearance due to hair removal along with epidermal layer. In addition, the grain was clean and without damage in enzymatically dehaired pelts. The microscopic observation of the cross-section of dehaired goat skin and cow hide showed absence of epidermis, hair shaft with empty follicles. Enzymatic dehairing resulted in complete and uniform fiber opening in the dermis and corium region. Physical properties viz. tensile strength, elongation, and tear strength of dyed crust of enzymatically and conventionally dehaired pelts were comparable. Results were also validated on large scale with goat skins and cow hides.

}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, Conidiobolus brefeldianus, Cow hides, Dehaired pelts, Enzymatic dehairing, Sheep skins}, issn = {1618-954X}, doi = {10.1007/s10098-014-0791-y}, author = {Khandelwal, Harish B. and More, Snehal V. and Kalal, K. M. and Laxman, Ryali Seeta} } @article { ISI:000360889600001, title = {Ecological turmoil in evolutionary dynamics of plant-insect interactions: defense to offence}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {242}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {761-771}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Available history manifests contemporary diversity that exists in plant-insect interactions. A radical thinking is necessary for developing strategies that can co-opt natural insect-plant mutualism, ecology and environmental safety for crop protection since current agricultural practices can reduce species richness and evenness. The global environmental changes, such as increased temperature, CO (2) and ozone levels, biological invasions, land-use change and habitat fragmentation together play a significant role in re-shaping the plant-insect multi-trophic interactions. Diverse natural products need to be studied and explored for their biological functions as insect pest control agents. In order to assure the success of an integrated pest management strategy, human activities need to be harmonized to minimize the global climate changes. Plant-insect interaction is one of the most primitive and co-evolved associations, often influenced by surrounding changes. In this review, we account the persistence and evolution of plant-insect interactions, with particular focus on the effect of climate change and human interference on these interactions. Plants and insects have been maintaining their existence through a mutual service-resource relationship while defending themselves. We provide a comprehensive catalog of various defense strategies employed by the plants and/or insects. Furthermore, several important factors such as accelerated diversification, imbalance in the mutualism, and chemical arms race between plants and insects as indirect consequences of human practices are highlighted. Inappropriate implementation of several modern agricultural practices has resulted in (i) endangered mutualisms, (ii) pest status and resistance in insects and (iii) ecological instability. Moreover, altered environmental conditions eventually triggered the resetting of plant-insect interactions. Hence, multitrophic approaches that can harmonize human activities and minimize their interference in native plant-insect interactions are needed to maintain natural balance between the existence of plants and insects.

}, keywords = {Climatic change, Co-evolution, Ecosystem, Human interference, Plant-insect interaction}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-015-2364-7}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Lomate, Purushottam R. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000345895200048, title = {Effect of Pd and Ce on the enhancement of ethanol vapor response of SnO2 thick films}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {207}, number = {A}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {383-390}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

The undoped SnO2 and 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 were successfully synthesized by a facile co-precipitation route. The ternary systems were prepared by Pd-loading (0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 wt\%) on the 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 nanoparticles. The structure and morphology of the nanocrystalline powders were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The nanocrystalline powders were screen printed on the alumina substrates to form thick films to investigate their gas response properties. The gas response studies reveal that 4 wt\% Ce-doped SnO2 with the loading of 3.0 wt\% Pd exhibits high response (88\%) towards ethanol (100 ppm) at an operating temperature of 250 degrees C with quick response (6 s) and rapid recovery (20 s). The high ethanol vapor response at lower operating temperature of this sensor is attributed to the spill-over mechanism of Pd particles present on the SnO2 surface and enhancement in alkalescence of SnO2 due to Ce-doping. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ce-doped tin oxide, Gas sensor, Semiconductor, Thick film}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2014.10.021}, author = {Bagal, L. K. and Patil, J. Y. and Vaishampayan, M. V. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Suryavanshi, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000346405200060, title = {Efficient robust fluorite CeZrO4-delta oxide catalyst for the eco-benign synthesis of styrene}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3619-3626}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In this work, we have reported CeO2, ZrO2, physically mixed (PH)-CeO2/ZrO2 and fluorite CeZrO4-delta oxides and their catalytic activities for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethyl benzene (EB) to styrene (ST) using molecular oxygen, air and carbon dioxide as oxidants. The catalysts were prepared by a gel-combustion method followed by calcination at 600 degrees C for 6 h and subjected to catalytic activity measurements. All the catalysts were characterized and studied by various physicochemical methods. The reaction parameters were varied systematically such as different catalysts, oxidants, temperatures, EB flow and oxidant flow. CeZrO4-delta accounted for a 47\% styrene yield for 72 h without any significant deactivation under optimized reaction conditions. A thorough analysis of the spent catalysts demonstrated the robustness of the catalyst for this reaction under different oxidants and reaction conditions. Pristine CeO2 deactivated easily and the activity decreased with time on stream of the reaction.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra12355g}, author = {Periyasamy, Kaliyappan and Aswathy, Venugopalan T. and Kumar, Venugopal Ashok and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Shukla, Rakesh and Tyagi, Avesh K. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article { ISI:000357868100006, title = {Electrochemically exfoliated black phosphorus nanosheets - prospective field emitters}, journal = {European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry}, number = {19}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3102-3107}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Herein we report field emission (FE) investigations on an electrochemically exfoliated few-layered black phosphorus nanosheet emitter at a base pressure of approximately 1x10(-8) mbar. The turn-on electric field required to draw an emission current density of approximately 10 A/cm(2) is found to be about 4.2 V/m. Furthermore, few-layered black phosphorus nanosheet emitters deliver an emission current density of about 170 A/cm(2) at an applied field of about 7.5 V/m. The emission current vs. time plot measured at preset current values of about 5 A shows emission current fluctuations within +/- 10\% of the average value, indicating the highly stable nature of the black phosphorus field emitter. Thus, the 2D black phosphorus nanosheets synthesized using the simple electrochemical exfoliation method can be utilized for micro/nanoelectronics and flat panel FE display applications.

}, keywords = {field emission, Layered compounds, Nanostructures, Phosphorus}, issn = {1434-1948}, doi = {10.1002/ejic.201500145}, author = {Erande, Manisha B. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {45880, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of functionalized pyrazoles by NHC-catalyzed reaction of pyrazolones with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1417-1420}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-organocatalyzed enantioselective annulation reaction of pyrazolones with alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes proceeding via the chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azolium intermediates under oxidative conditions is presented. The reaction afforded dihydropyranone-fused pyrazoles in moderate to good yields and good er values under operationally simple and base-free conditions.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.5b00293}, author = {Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Mondal, Santigopal and Suresh, Eringathodi and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000354137000018, title = {Encapsulation of ultra small metal clusters in silica: evolution of the concept of nanoreactors and the case of Ag-Pd@SiO2 alloy catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {251}, year = {2015}, note = {7th Tokyo Conference on Advanced Catalytic Science and Technology (TOCAT), Kyoto, JAPAN, JUN 01-06, 2014}, month = {AUG}, pages = {114-120}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The concept of encapsulation of ultra small clusters within silica evolved as a means to address the sintering of active metal nanoparticles and subsequent deactivation observed in supported noble metal catalysts. It is hypothesised that sintering, which mainly occurs due to mobility of metal species on the support surfaces, can be minimised if the growth and movement of metal nanoparticles are constrained. First, nanoparticles are isolated inside 1D channels in 2D mesoporous compounds and the idea develops to complete encapsulation of thiol protected ultra small nanoclusters in silica spheres. Sintering is better controlled in the latter due to the confined space for growth of nanoparticles. Access of reactant molecules to the active metal surfaces also is ensured by porosity created in the silica matrix forming the basis of the concept of nanoreactors. In this paper, we elaborate on the evolution of this concept from our earlier work on highly sinter resistant silica encapsulated Au, Pd and Au-Pd alloys to the present system of Ag-Pd alloy encapsulated in silica. Silver, with the lowest Tammann temperature among noble metals, is highly prone to sintering which is adequately controlled by alloying with Pd as well as encapsulation in silica. Its enhanced activity in paranitrophenol reduction in comparison with pure metals indicates the advantageous effect of alloying. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ag-Pd alloy, Encapsulation, Sinter resistant, Sintering, Ultra small nanoclusters}, issn = {0920-5861}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2014.11.006}, author = {Mondal, Sourik and Samanta, Anupam and Dhar, Basab B. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article { ISI:000370057200011, title = {Enhanced electron field emission from NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {2}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {095011}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Electron emission properties of electrodeposited spinel NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays grown on Ni foam have been studied. The work function of NiCo2O4 was calculated by density functional theory using the plane-wave basis set and used to estimate the field enhancement factor. The NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays exhibited a low turn-on field of 1.86 V mu m(-1) at 1 mu A cm(-2) and current density of 686 mu A cm(-2) at 3.2 V mu m(-1), with field enhancement factor beta = 1460 and good field emission current stability. The field emission properties of the NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays showed enhanced performance compared to chemically prepared NiCo2O4 nanosheets. Hence, the nanosheet arrays have great potential as robust high performance vertical structure electron emitters for future flat panel displays and vacuum electronic device applications.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, field emission, nanosheets, NiCo2O4, spinel}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/2/9/095011}, author = {Naik, Kusha Kumar and Khare, Ruchita T. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and More, Mahendra A. and Thapa, Ranjit and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000361832600067, title = {Enhanced field emission of plasma treated multilayer graphene}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {107}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {123503}, publisher = {AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {1305 WALT WHITMAN RD, STE 300, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Electron emission properties of multilayer graphene (MLG) prepared by a facile exfoliation technique have been studied. Effect of CO2 Ar, N-2, plasma treatment was studied using Raman spectroscopy and investigated for field emission based application. The CO2 plasma treated multilayer graphene shows an enhanced field emission behavior with a low turn on field of 0.18 V/mu m and high emission current density of 1.89 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of 0.35 V/mu m. Further the plasma treated MLG exhibits excellent current stability at a lower and higher emission current value. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, issn = {0003-6951}, doi = {10.1063/1.4931626}, author = {Khare, Ruchita T. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000350191000002, title = {Enhancing efficiency of perovskite solar cell via surface microstructuring: superior grain growth and light harvesting effect}, journal = {Solar Energy}, volume = {112}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {12-19}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have introduced a novel approach to enhance the perovskite solar cell efficiency by controlling the grain growth and light harvesting properties of perovskite crystallites. Instead of using a mesoporous TiO2 layer, we have modified the surface microstructuring of the TiO2 film by dispensing nano assembled TiO2 submicron structures (nanobeads, NBs) on TiO2 compact layer. With this new approach solar cell efficiency was improved significantly through an increase in both J(sc) and V-oc. This high efficiency is attributed to crystallite size of the perovskite phase. These also act as light scattering centers giving higher current density and reduced recombination effects giving higher open circuit voltage. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Grain growth, Light harvesting, Perovskite solar cells, TiO2 nanobeads}, issn = {0038-092X}, doi = {10.1016/j.solener.2014.11.016}, author = {Tathavadekar, Mukta C. and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Game, Onkar S. and Bansode, Umesh P. and Kulkarni, Sneha A. and Mhaisalkar, Subodh G. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000361120000056, title = {Evaluation of imidazolium-based ionic liquids towards vermicidal activity: in vitro \& in silico studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {92}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {75415-75424}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of six different ionic liquids (ILs) of the kind 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide/hydroxide (IL-Br and IL-OH) tailored with different N-alkyl side chains (ethyl, butyl, octyl) were synthesized and evaluated for their vermicidal activity against the Indian earthworm, Pheretima posthuma. The percentage of paralysis and mortality of earthworms against ILs were recorded in a dose dependent (at different concentrations 2, 4, 8 and 16 mM) and time dependent manner. The ILs with hydroxide as the counter anion (IL-OH) showed higher vermicidal activity compared to their bromide counterparts (IL-Br). Moreover, the ILs with the longest alkyl chain (octyl) were observed to have significant vermicidal activity compared to the rest (ethyl and butyl) as well as the standard drug, Albendazole. Furthermore, theoretical modeling was carried out to visualize the preferential docking positions of these ILs into the active site of beta-tubulin. Fascinatingly, it was found that the ILs with longest alkyl side chain showed remarkable vermicidal activity compared to the rest, and the molecular docking studies not only validated the experimental results, but also showed per-residue interaction analysis between the ILs and the different components of beta-tubulin.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra13469b}, author = {Charan, K. T. Prabhu and Ranjan, Prabodh and Manojkumar, Kasina and Pothanagandhi, Nellepalli and Jha, Prakash C. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sivaramakrishna, Akella and Vijayakrishna, Kari} } @article { ISI:000361075900038, title = {Exiguobacterium enclense sp nov., isolated from sediment}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {65}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1611-1616}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated strain NIO-1109(T), was isolated from a marine sediment sample from Chorao Island, Goa, India. Phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics and data from phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NIO-1109(T) was related to the genus Exiguobacterium. Strain NIO-1109(T) exhibited \>98.0\% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with respect to Exiguobacterium indicum HHS 31(T) (99.5\%) and Exiguobacterium acetylicum NCIMB 9889(T) (99.1 \%); the type strains of other species showed \<98\% similarity. Levels of DNA DNA relatedness between strain NIO-1109(T) and E. acetylicum DSM 20416(T) and E indicum LMG 23471(T) were less than 70\% (33.0 +/- 2.0 and 37 +/- 32\%, respectively). Strain NIO-1109(T) also differed from these two closely related species in a number of phenotypic traits. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strain NIO-1109(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Exiguobacterium, for which the name Exiguobacterium enclense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NIO-1109(T) (=NCIM 5457(T)= DSM 25128(T)=CCTCC AB 2011124(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijs.0.000149}, author = {Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Thorat, Meghana N. and Mual, Poonam and Verma, Ashish and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Tang, Shan-Kun and Li, Wen-Jun} } @article { ISI:000363839500017, title = {Exploring microstructural changes in structural analogues of ibuprofen-hosted in situ gelling system and its influence on pharmaceutical performance}, journal = {AAPS Pharmscitech}, volume = {16}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1153-1159}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The present work explores inner structuration of in situ gelling system consisting of glyceryl monooleate (GMO) and oleic acid (OA). The system under study involves investigation of microstructural changes which are believed to govern the pharmaceutical performance of final formulation. The changes which are often termed mesophasic transformation were analysed by small angle Xray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology and plane polarised light (PPL) microscopy. The current work revealed transformation of blank system from W/O emulsion to reverse hexagonal structure upon addition of structural analogues of ibuprofen. Such transformations are believed to occur due to increased hydrophobic volume within system as probed by SAXS analysis. The findings of SAXS studies were well supported by DSC, rheology and PPL microscopy. The study established inverse relationship between log P value of structural analogues of ibuprofen and the degree of binding of water molecules to surfactant chains. Such relationship had pronounced effect on sol-gel transformation process. The prepared in situ gelling system showed sustained drug release which followed Higuchi model.

}, keywords = {flurbiprofen, hexagonal phase, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, liquid crystal, sustained drug release}, issn = {1530-9932}, doi = {10.1208/s12249-015-0308-y}, author = {Patil, Sharvil S. and Venugopal, Edakkal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Paradkar, Anant R.} } @article { ISI:000358761200004, title = {Expression of stable reference genes and SPINDLY gene in response to gibberellic acid application at different stages of grapevine development}, journal = {Biologia Plantarum}, volume = {59}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {436-444}, publisher = {ACAD SCIENCES CZECH REPUBLIC, INST EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY}, address = {ROZVOJOVA 263, PRAHA 6, CZ-165 02, CZECH REPUBLIC}, abstract = {

Gibberellic acid (GA(3)) is widely used at different stages of berry development, and to understand the molecular mechanism of its action requires identification of stable reference genes. We sprayed grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Thompson Seedless with GA(3) at rachis stage for rachis elongation, at flower cluster stage for flower thinning, and at 3 - 4 mm berry stage for berry elongation. Tissue samples were collected at different time points after GA(3) application. The expression of 10 candidate reference genes was analyzed using 4 different algorithms to assess their suitability for real time-PCR data normalization. Based on the overall ranking, PP2A, Sutra, and SAND were identified as the most stably expressed genes across all samples. With regard to different stages, tubulin, EF1 alpha, and UBC were the most stable genes during rachis elongation; PP2A, SAND, and Sutra were the most suitable at the flower cluster and berry stages. The expression of GA signaling gene SPINDLY (VvSpy) was analyzed to validate the stable reference genes. After the GA(3) application, the expression of VvSpy was reduced at the rachis stage but did not change at the flower cluster and berry stages. The expression profile of VvSpy was comparable when two or three reference genes were used for data normalization.

}, keywords = {developmental stages, Vitis vinifera}, issn = {0006-3134}, doi = {10.1007/s10535-015-0521-2}, author = {Upadhyay, A. and Jogaiah, S. and Maske, S. R. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, V. S.} } @article { ISI:000359867300004, title = {Extrusion film casting of long chain branched polypropylene}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {55}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1977-1987}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Extrusion film casting (EFC) is an important melt processing operation which is extensively used to make polypropylene (PP) films. Linear PP shows significant amount of necking and draw resonance during EFC. One of the ways to reduce necking is to introduce long chain branches (LCB) on the polymer backbone. The long branches impart extensional strain hardening behavior thereby stabilizing the melt flow. In this work, we investigate the influence of long chain branching in polypropylene on the extent of necking in the EFC process. Laboratory scale EFC experiments were performed on homopolymer PP of linear and long chain branched architectures. Simulations of the EFC process were carried out using the one-dimensional flow model of Silagy et al., Polym. Eng. Sci.,36, 2614 (1996) into which we incorporate two different multi-mode molecular constitutive equations namely, the eXtended Pom-Pom{\textquoteright} equation (XPP, for long chain branched PP) and the Rolie-Poly{\textquoteright} equation (RP-S, for linear PP). Our experimental data confirm that presence of long chain branching in PP reduces the extent of necking and our numerical predictions show qualitative agreement with experimental data, thereby elucidating the role of chain architecture on the extent of necking. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1977-1987, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.24039}, author = {Chikhalikar, Kalyani and Banik, Sourya and Azad, Lal Busher and Jadhav, Kishor and Mahajan, Sunil and Ahmad, Zubair and Kulkarni, Surendra and Gupta, Surendra and Doshi, Pankaj and Pol, Harshawardhan and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article { ISI:000353753200006, title = {Facile gamma radiolytic methodology for TiO2-rGO synthesis: effect on photo-catalytic H-2 evolution}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {40}, number = {17}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5815-5823}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

TiO2 (P25) decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is synthesized by gamma-radiolytic technique using water-ethanol solvent medium. Visible light absorpdon was confirmed by UV-Visible spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) study revealed a decline in electron-hole recombination rate signalled by a sharp fall in luminescence of TiO2. Under such scenario, electron transfer from TiO2 conduction band to the conjugated sheet becomes a preferred pathway in the presence of rGO, which is further confirmed by photocurrent measurement. TiO2 -rGO composite with 1 wt. \% rGO was found to be the best composition in terms of visible light absorption, while retaining TiO2 crystallinity. Transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopic studies confirmed the coating of rGO sheet with TiO2 nanoparticles. TiO2 -rGO was found to show about 150 times higher photocatalytic H-2 generation under 250 W UV-Visible light irradiation than pristine TiO2. In addition to this, TiO2 -rGO composite shows hydrogen production yield of 35 mu mol/h.g under visible light (lambda = 400 nm) irradiation. Thus gamma-radiolysis can be considered to be a viable technique, which helps in synthesizing photocatalytically active nanocomposite with high H-2 evolution rate. In the light of these interesting aspects, a detail investigation is carried out to study the effect of rGO concentration and illumination time on photocatalytic yield. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {gamma-radiolysis, H-2 production, Photocatalysis, Reduced graphene oxide, TiO2}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2015.02.102}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Matthews, Tom and Dhara, S. and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000354445900067, title = {Facile synthesis of Ag nanowire-rGO composites and their promising field emission performance}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {52}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {41887-41893}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Crystalline, ultra long silver nanowires (Ag NWs), few-layered rGO (reduced graphene oxide) and their rGO-Ag NW nanocomposite have been synthesized using a polyol reflux technique under optimized experimental conditions. The field emission performance of the rGO-Ag NW nanocomposite, rGO and Ag NW emitters was investigated. The turn on field required to draw an emission current density of similar to 1 mA cm(-2) was found to be similar to 5.00, 3.92 and 2.40 V mu m(-1) for the Ag NW, rGO and rGO-Ag NW nanocomposite emitters, respectively. The combined contribution of the sharp edges of the thin graphene sheets and high aspect ratio of the Ag nanowires, and their synergetic effect in the rGO-Ag NW nanocomposite, are responsible for the enhanced field emission behavior. First-principles density functional calculations show that the enhanced field emission may also be due to the overlapping of the electronic structures of the Ag NWs and rGO nanosheets.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra00308c}, author = {Samantara, Aneeya K. and Mishra, Dillip Kumar and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and More, Mahendra A. and Thapa, Ranjit and Late, Dattatray J. and Jena, Bikash Kumar and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000363916400006, title = {Feasibility of ionization-mediated pathway for ultraviolet-induced melanin damage}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {42}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {13288-13293}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Melanin is the pigment found in human skin that is responsible for both photoprotection and photodamage. Recently there have been reports that greater photodamage of DNA occurs when cells containing melanin are irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, thus suggesting that the photoproducts of melanin cause DNA damage. Photoionization processes have also been implicated in the photodegradation of melanin. However, not much is known about the oxidation potential of melanin and its monomers. In this work we calculate the ionization energies of monomers, dimers, and few oligomers of eumelanin to estimate the threshold energy required for the ionization of eumelanin. We find that this threshold is within the UV-B region for eumelanin. We also look at the charge and spin distributions of the various ionized states of the monomers that are formed to understand which of the ionization channels might favor monomerization from a covalent dimer.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b08750}, author = {Mandal, Mukunda and Das, Tamal and Grewal, Baljinder K. and Ghosh, Debashree} } @article { ISI:000346733500087, title = {Field emission properties of spinel ZnCo2O4 microflowers}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5372-5378}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

ZnCo2O4 microflowers were synthesized by a simple low temperature hydrothermal route. A single three-dimensional microflower consists of hundreds of self-assembled petals, with a thickness of several nanometers. These microflowers have exceptionally thin edges with a few petal layers. The ZnCo2O4 microflowers appeared to be stable and good field emitters.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra10246k}, author = {Ratha, Satyajit and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A. and Thapa, Ranjit and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000358610200004, title = {Fruit peel waste as a novel low-cost bio adsorbent}, journal = {Reviews in Chemical Engineering}, volume = {31}, number = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {361-381}, publisher = {WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH}, address = {GENTHINER STRASSE 13, D-10785 BERLIN, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Fruit peel waste (FPW) is abundantly available from the agricultural and food processing industry and has been studied in recent past as an adsorbent. This paper critically reviews the reported work and investigates various FPW-pollutant systems. The study includes statistics of FPW generation, modification, characterization, adsorption ability, recovery/regeneration, and modeling (isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamics) of batch adsorption. It is found that orange and banana peels are the most extensively studied adsorbents, whereas Pb2+ and methylene blue are the most efficiently removed pollutants, the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms provide the best fit in most of the cases, and in general, pseudo-second-order kinetics is followed. There are very limited column studies and no report on commercial plant. Though the reproducibility of the results is poor, FPW has a great potential in the wastewater treatment due to its abundant and cheap availability. FPW can be used for removal of heavy metals and dyes; however, removal of organic and gaseous impurities needs further investigation.

}, keywords = {adsorbent, Adsorption, fruit peel waste, organic and inorganic pollutants, wastewater}, issn = {0167-8299}, doi = {10.1515/revce-2014-0041}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000365930300028, title = {Furosemide cocrystals with pyridines: an interesting case of color cocrystal polymorphism}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {15}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {5858-5872}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Furosemide (FS), a loop diuretic drug commonly used for the treatment of hypertension and edema, exhibited color cocrystal polymorphism with coformer 4,4{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (4BPY) in the stoichiometry 2:1, albeit both the API and the cocrystal former are colorless. Crystallization from ethanol, isopropanol, ethanol-water (v/v, 1/1) mixture, and acetonitrile yielded pale yellow (form II, thin needles) and orange (form 1II, blocks) cocrystals concomitantly. Needles appeared from solution within a day, while the blocks were obtained after 1-2 days from the same flask, indicating that yellow needles were formed faster and the orange blocks were perhaps formed under thermodynamic conditions. Form 1I cocrystals could also be produced from the variety of common solvents. Cocrystallization of FS with 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine (2BPY) and 4-aminopyridine (4AP) gave colorless cocrystals 2 and 3, respectively, and did not exhibit polymorphism. The single-crystal X-ray structures, powder X-ray diffraction, photophysical characterization, differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy studies, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide insight into the structure property relationship. The common structural features observed in all of the structures is the formation of sandwich motifs comprising FS and pyridines through pi-stacking interactions. These motifs are linked differently through hydrogen bonding interactions in all three directions. The significant color difference between the two cocrystals dimorphs could be attributed to the different pi-stacking patterns and hydrogen bonding interactions between molecules of FS and 4BPY in their cocrystal structures. Investigation on the origin of the color difference using DFT calculations revealed the decrease in HOMO-LUMO gap for form 1II cocrystals (orange) compared to form 1I crystals (light yellow). The crystal-to-crystal thermal transformation of form 1I crystals to form 1II crystals of 1 suggests the role of pi-stacking assemblies in driving the self-assembly.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.5b01240}, author = {Sangtani, Ekta and Sahu, Sanjay Kumar and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gawade, Rupesh L. and Jha, Kunal K. and Munshi, Parthapratim and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article { ISI:000363184600027, title = {Gedunin and azadiradione: human pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibiting limonoids from neem (azadirachta indica) as anti-diabetic agents}, journal = {Plos One}, volume = {10}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e0140113}, publisher = {PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE}, address = {1160 BATTERY STREET, STE 100, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111 USA}, abstract = {

Human pancreatic alpha-amylase (HPA) inhibitors offer an effective strategy to lower postprandial hyperglycemia via control of starch breakdown. Limonoids from Azadirachta indica known for their therapeutic potential were screened for pancreatic alpha-amylase inhibition, a known anti-diabetic target. Studies were carried out to reveal their mode of action so as to justify their hypoglycemic potential. Of the nine limonoids isolated/semi-synthesized from A. indica and screened for alpha-amylase inhibition, azadiradione and exhibited potential inhibition with an IC50 value of 74.17 and 68.38 mu M, respectively against HPA under in vitro conditions. Further screening on AR42J alpha-amylase secretory cell line for cytotoxicity and bioactivity revealed that azadiradione and gedunin exhibited cytotoxicity with IC50 of 11.1 and 13.4 mu M. Maximal secreted alpha-amylase inhibition of 41.8\% and 53.4\% was seen at 3.5 and 3.3 mu M, respectively. Michaelis-Menten kinetics suggested a mixed mode of inhibition with maltopentaose (K-i 42.2, 18.6 mu M) and starch (K-i{\textquoteright} 75.8, 37.4 mu M) as substrate with a stiochiometry of 1: 1 for both azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. The molecular docking simulation indicated plausible p-alkyl and alkyl-alkyl interactions between the aromatic amino acids and inhibitors. Fluorescence and CD confirmed the involvement of tryptophan and tyrosine in ligand binding to HPA. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that binding is enthalpically and entropically driven with Delta G degrees of -21.25 kJ mol(-1) and -21.16 kJ mol(-1) for azadiradione and gedunin, respectively. Thus, the limonoids azadiradione and gedunin could bind and inactivate HPA (anti-diabetic target) and may prove to be lead drug candidates to reduce/control post-prandial hyperglycemia.

}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0140113}, author = {Ponnusamy, Sudha and Haldar, Saikat and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Smita S. Zinjarde and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu and RaviKumar, Ameeta} } @article { ISI:000365148500002, title = {Gelation landscape engineering using a multi-reaction supramolecular hydrogelator system}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {137}, number = {45}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14236-14239}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Simultaneous control of the kinetics and thermodynamics of two different types of covalent chemistry allows pathway selectivity in the formation of hydrogelating molecules from a complex reaction network. This can lead to a range of hydrogel materials with vastly different properties, starting from a set of simple starting compounds and reaction conditions. Chemical reaction between a trialdehyde and the tuberculosis drug isoniazid can form one, two, or three hydrazone connectivity products, meaning kinetic gelation pathways can be addressed. Simultaneously, thermodynamics control the formation of either a keto or an enol tautomer of the products, again resulting in vastly different materials. Overall, this shows that careful navigation of a reaction landscape using both kinetic and thermodynamic selectivity can be used to control material selection from a complex reaction network.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b06988}, author = {Foster, Jamie S. and Zurek, Justyna M. and Almeida, Nuno M. S. and Hendriksen, Wouter E. and le Sage, Vincent A. A. and Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan and Thompson, Amber L. and Banerjee, Rahul and Eelkema, Rienk and Mulvana, Helen and Paterson, Martin J. and van Esch, Jan H. and Lloyd, Gareth O.} } @article { ISI:000358630800013, title = {Genotype x environment interactions and QTL clusters underlying dough rheology traits in triticum aestivum L.}, journal = {Journal of Cereal Science}, volume = {64}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {82-91}, publisher = {ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {24-28 OVAL RD, LONDON NW1 7DX, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Genetic dissection of dough rheology traits (DRT) in hexaploid wheat was carried out using nine mixograph characters evaluated in two consecutive years in three agro-climatic zones in India in an RIL population (HI977 x HD2329). Pearson correlations determined in each year-location indicated 15 stable trait inter-relationships among them but inconsistent correlations with loaf volume (LV) were observed. Using AMMI analysis we derived patterns in G x E interactions (GEI) indicating 6-47\% contribution for the DRT. Composite interval mapping using a linkage map of 202 SSR markers identified 144 DRT QTLs of which, 96 were detected in single- and the rest in two to five year-locations. Sixteen QTL clusters located on ten chromosomes were identified and only three of them on chromosomes 1B, 5B and 6D involved LV QTLs. For each trait, majority of the DRT QTLs detected in single as well as multiple environments showed location-specificity and suggested that owing to GEI, breeding for wheat dough quality might need careful selection of QTLs targeted for individual agro-climatic zones. The inconsistent correlations of DRT and LV and differential locations of their QTLs in this population corroborated that using dough rheological traits alone to predict LV might pose challenges during wheat improvement. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {AMMI analysis, Dough rheology, Mixograph, QTL}, issn = {0733-5210}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcs.2015.05.002}, author = {Prashant, Ramya and Mani, Elangovan and Rai, Richa and Gupta, R. K. and Tiwari, Ratan and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Oak, Manoj and Roeder, Marion and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {42859, title = {Gold(I)/chiral br{\o}nsted acid catalyzed enantioselective hydroamination-hydroarylation of alkynes: effect of remote hydroxyl group in the reactivity and enantioselectivity}, journal = {Chemistry - A European Journal}, volume = {21}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {975-979}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201405061}, author = {Shinde, Valmik S. and Mane, Manoj V. and Vanka, Kumar and Mallick, Arijit and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {42919, title = {Graphene nanoribbons as prospective field emitter}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {106}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article Number: 023111}, abstract = {

Field emission characteristics of graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) synthesized by unzipping of multiwall carbon nanotubes using a facile hydrothermal route have been investigated at a base pressure of 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The values of turn-on field, required to draw an emission current densities of 1 and 10 mu A/cm(2), are found to be 2.8 and 5.8 V/mu m, respectively, and a maximum emission current density of 500 mu A/cm(2) has been drawn at an applied field of 9.8 V/mu m. The emission current stability of the GNRs emitter was studied at preset values of 1 and 10 mu A over a period of 3 h, and is found to be excellent. The field emission results demonstrated herein suggest that GNRs based field emitters can open up many opportunities for their potential utilization as large area field emitters in various vacuum micro-nanoelectronic devices such as flexible field emission displays, portable X-ray, and microwave tubes. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

}, doi = {10.1063/1.4905473}, author = {Khare, Ruchita T. and Shinde, Dhanraj B. and Bansode, Sanjeewani and More, Mahendra A. and Majumder, Mainak and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000349434300057, title = {Hierarchical CdS nanostructure by Lawesson{\textquoteright}s reagent and its enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {18}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {13715-13721}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Lawesson{\textquoteright}s reagent (LR) has been effectively exploited for the synthesis of hierarchical architectures of cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanostructures for the first time. The X-ray diffractograms of the as synthesised CdS nanostructures confirm the formation of hexagonal CdS. The broadness of the XRD peaks clearly indicates the nanocrystalline nature of CdS with average crystallite size of 4 nm. A FESEM study revealed the formation of hierarchical nanostructures, whereas a TEM study showed that the hierarchical arrangement is composed of nanosized CdS particles. A band-gap i.e. 2.4 eV was derived from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photoluminescence spectrum showed an emission peak at 535 and 568 nm which can be attributed to band-edge emission and surface emissions or possible metal vacancies, respectively. Considering the band-gap within the visible region, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of these CdS nanostructures was performed under visible light irradiation from hydrogen sulphide and water, respectively. Utmost hydrogen evolution i.e. 14 136 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) and 2065 mu mol h(-1) g(-1) was observed over a naked CdS nanostructure via H2S and water decomposition, respectively. The amount of hydrogen obtained by H2S splitting is much higher as compared to earlier reports.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c4ra15138k}, author = {Pandit, Vikram U. and Arbuj, Sudhir S. and Hawaldar, Ranjit R. and Kshirsagar, Pradnya V. and Deshmukh, Amarsinh J. and Ambekar, Jalindar D. and Mulik, Uttam P. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article { ISI:000365525900102, title = {High performance single crystalline PbWO4 nanorod field effect transistor}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {26}, number = {12, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10044-10048}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The highly crystalline PbWO4 nanorods were synthesized using simple co-precipitation method which has application in field effect transistor. The synthesized PbWO4 nanorods were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, TEM and HRTEM indicating highly crystalline nature. Field effect transistor was fabricated on pre-patterned 300 nm SiO2/Si substrates using photolithography technique with channel length 1 A mu m and width 20 A mu m. Thin film (similar to 100 nm) was made up of PbWO4 nanorods by spin coating on the pre-patterned device used as channel layer. The field effect mobility was observed to be 4.7 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and I-ON/OFF ratio similar to 10(3) which is far better than the organic molecules due to single crystalline nature and rod like morphology of the PbWO4 providing direct path for charges to transport towards channel.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-015-3685-9}, author = {Walke, Pravin S. and Patil, Vandana B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {42996, title = {High surface area porous carbon for ultracapacitor application by pyrolysis of polystyrene containing pendant carboxylic acid groups prepared via click chemistry}, journal = {Materials Today Communications}, volume = {4}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {166-175}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtcomm.2015.07.002}, author = {Chhatre, Shraddha and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Banerjee, Abhik and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @conference {42974, title = {High throughput screening of inhibitors for tuberculosis at NCL : a novel drug discovery initiative from CSIR}, booktitle = {73rd CSIR Foundation Day, at CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, publisher = {CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, organization = {CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, address = {CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune}, abstract = {

Discover and develop novel drugs that are effective at curing latent, drug sensitive and drug resistant TB Study the biology of tuberculosis bacilli in great detail to identify new metabolic pathways that may be vulnerable to drugs Test thousands of potential drugs in our screening facility to find new compounds or new compound classes that kill TB bacteria Increase throughput up to 20,000 compounds at a time Develop novel screens using conditions that mimic those the TB bacteria encounters in the human body Utilize medical chemistry to optimize the structures of compounds so that they kill TB bacteria in a more potent fashion and are non-toxic Meet the challenges from industry

}, author = {Manek, Hardik and Nawale, Laxman and Jadhav, Nandadeep J. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000355925900027, title = {Highly efficient regioselective synthesis of pyrroles via a tandem enamine formation-Michael addition-cyclization sequence under catalyst- and solvent-free conditions}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {17}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {3415-3423}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A convenient catalyst-free, three-component procedure was developed for the synthesis of tetrasubstituted pyrroles under solvent-free conditions and in green solvents glycerol, PEG-200 and water. A sequential enamine-formation, Michael addition and intramolecular cyclization of primary amines, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and isatin-derived Michael acceptors afforded 3-(1H-pyrrol-3-yl)indolin-2-ones in excellent yields. In this simple one-pot transformation the requirement of column chromatography purification of the products was completely avoided. Besides, the method is highly environmentally benign and atom-economical, and the only side product of this reaction was two molecules of water. A comparative study for the four developed conditions showed that the solvent-free conditions were superior regardless of the nature of the starting materials, and the green solvents were effective for alkyl and benzylamines affording higher yields compared to arylamines. The preliminary in vitro cytotoxic studies of a representative compound against Ehrlich{\textquoteright}s ascites carcinoma (EAC) tumor cells showed significant activity with a CTC50 value of 15.64 mu M.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c5gc00365b}, author = {Vivekanand, Thavaraj and Vinoth, Perumal and Agieshkumar, B. and Sampath, Natarajan and Sudalai, Arumugam and Menendez, Carlos and Sridharan, Vellaisamy} } @article { ISI:000363666000023, title = {Highly emissive organic solids with remarkably broad color tunability based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organoborons}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {89}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {16115-16118}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Molecular fluorophores based on N,C-chelate, four-coordinate organo-borons exhibit tunable solid-state emission colors that cover the whole visible region from blue to red. The emission color can be tuned through the substituents on either quinolines or the boron center.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc06351e}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Ranade, Dnyanesh S. and Thorat, Shridhar and Maity, Arunava and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Munshi, Parthapratim and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000363996300005, title = {Highly enantioselective Pd-catalyzed synthesis of P-stereogenic supramolecular phosphines, self-assembly, and implication}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {34}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {4802-4805}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Metal-catalyzed asymmetric addition of a secondary phosphine to an aryl halide is one of the most efficient and reliable approaches for the construction of enantiopure carbon phosphorus bonds. An isolated Pd(II) complex (5) catalyzes the carbon phosphorus coupling reaction between tolylphenylphosphine (la) and 3-iodophenylurea (2b), which proceeds with an unprecedented enantiomeric excess (ee) of 97\%. The generality of the strategy has been demonstrated by preparing a small library of a new class of P-stereogenic phosphines with an in-built hydrogen bonding motif for the first time. The P-stereogenic phosphines self-assemble on a metal template via deliberately installed hydrogen-bonding motifs and mimic the bidentate ligand coordination. Interestingly, when it was employed in asymmetric hydrogenation, the supramolecular phosphine {1-(3-(phenyl(o-toly)phosphanyl)pheny)ureal} (6b) produced the corresponding hydrogenated product with the highest enantiomeric excess of 99\% along with excellent conversion, demonstrating the potential of these enantioenriched P-chirogenic supramolecular phosphines in asymmetric catalysis.

}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.5b00664}, author = {Koshti, Vijay S. and Mote, Nilesh R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article { ISI:000354578900029, title = {High-throughput simulations of dimer and trimer assembly of membrane proteins. the DAFT approach}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2278-2291}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Interactions between membrane proteins are of great biological significance and are consequently an important target for pharmacological intervention. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to obtain detailed views on such interactions, both experimentally, where the environment hampers atomic resolution investigation, and computationally, where the time and length scales are problematic. Coarse grain simulations have alleviated the later issue, but the slow movement through the bilayer, coupled to the long life times of nonoptimal dimers, still stands in the way of characterizing binding distributions. In this work, we present DAFT, a Docking Assay For Transmembrane components, developed to identify preferred binding orientations. The method builds on a program developed recently for generating custom membranes, called insane (INSert membrANE). The key feature of DAFT is the setup of starting structures, for which optimal periodic boundary conditions are devised. The purpose of DAFT is to perform a large number of simulations with different components, starting from unbiased noninteracting initial states, such that the simulations evolve collectively, in a manner reflecting the underlying energy landscape of interaction. The implementation and characteristic features of DAFT are explained, and the efficacy and relaxation properties of the method are explored for oligomerization of glycophorin A dimers, polyleucine dimers and trimers, MS1 trimers, and rhodopsin dimers. The results suggest that, for simple helices, such as GpA and polyleucine, in POPC/DOPC membranes series of 500 simulations of 500 ns each allow characterization of the helix dimer orientations and allow comparing associating and nonassociating components. However, the results also demonstrate that short simulations may suffer significantly from nonconvergence of the ensemble and that using too few simulations may obscure or distort features of the interaction distribution. For trimers, simulation times exceeding several microseconds appear needed, due to the increased complexity. Similarly, characterization of larger proteins, such as rhodopsin, takes longer time scales due to the slower diffusion and the increased complexity of binding interfaces. DAFT and its auxiliary programs have been made available from http://cgmartini.nl/, together with a working example.

}, issn = {1549-9618}, doi = {10.1021/ct5010092}, author = {Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Pluhackova, Kristyna and Moussatova, Anastassiia and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Tieleman, D. Peter and Boeckmann, Rainer A.} } @article { ISI:000357618200043, title = {Hollow tubular porous covalent organic framework (COF) nanostructures}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {58}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {11717-11720}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Hollow and tubular TpPa-COF structures have been synthesized by template-assisted replication of nanometer sized ZnO-nanorods. The hollow structures composed of microporous TpPa shells have high periodicity, moderate porosity, chemical stability and capsule shaped morphology as revealed by X-ray diffraction, porosity measurements, and SEM and TEM analyses.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc04130a}, author = {Pachfule, Pradip and Kandmabeth, Sharath and Mallick, Arijit and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000352329300007, title = {Human telomeric RNA G-quadruplex response to point mutation in the G-quartets}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {13}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {4617-4627}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Many putative G-quadruplex forming sequences have been predicted to exist in the human genome and transcriptome. As these sequences are subject to point mutations or SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) during the course of evolution, we attempt to understand impact of these mutations in context of RNA G-quadruplex formation using human telomeric RNA (TERRA) as a model sequence. Our studies suggest that G-quadruplex stability is sensitive to substitution of the guanines comprising G-quartets. While central G-quartet plays a crucial role in maintaining the DNA G-quadruplex stability as evident in literature, there is equal importance of three G-quartets in the stability of RNA quadruplex structure. The work here highlights the alterations in the G-quartet are detrimental to the integrity of overall RNA G-quadruplex structure. Furthermore, TmPyP4 molecules are shown to exhibit similar binding behavior toward telomeric RNA G-quadruplex harboring base substitutions employing CD titrations and isothermal titration calorimetry; well indicating that mutation does not influence TmPyP4 recognition ability as it affects the stability of RNA G-quadruplex. Thus, our study implicates that mutation in G-quartets causes destabilization of RNA G-quadruplex without affecting its trans factor binding ability.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b00619}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Kumar, Santosh and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000354199900081, title = {Hyperhydrophilic three-dimensional crosslinked beads as an effective drug carrier in acidic medium: adsorption isotherm and kinetics appraisal}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3835-3844}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conventional drug delivery materials are known to provide slow and low drug loading in aqueous medium due to the hydrophobic or less hydrophilic properties of the carrier. However, the present study explored the synthesis of cheaply available metals modified with a hyperhydrophilic polymer. Hyperhydrophilic three-dimensional crosslinked beads as a drug carrier were synthesized with desirable properties that substantially influence the polymer efficiency. These synthesized polymers were characterized for surface area, particle size, acid content and morphology, and the metal modification was evaluated to obtain an efficient polymer for drug adsorption in an acidic medium. Contact time, which significantly affects drug adsorption was comparatively evaluated using the cheaply available metals, cobalt and nickel. Interestingly, an adsorption study revealed that gradual drug loading occurs during the initial 12 h. Afterwards, adsorption increases steadily and then stabilizes. Furthermore, theoretical predictions of adsorption, including Langmuir adsorption isotherm and pseudo order kinetics, were also evaluated. Remarkably, polymer supported Co/Ni demonstrated 85 and 78\% metoprolol drug adsorption, respectively, at an optimum pH of 3 after 24 h. Langmuir adsorption isotherm revealed monolayer adsorption on the polymer supported Co/Ni. Pseudo first and second order kinetics were also evaluated and demonstrated the adsorption mechanism and equilibrium adsorption capacity, respectively.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj01999g}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000358370700007, title = {Identifying solid luminogens through gold-catalysed intramolecular hydroarylation of alkynes}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, number = {22}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4860-4867}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The identification of a new class of luminogens based on pyrrolo-quinoxaline embedded coumarin (PQC) structures is reported. The reaction relies on the gold-catalyzed hydroarylation reaction of appropriately substituted aryl alkynoates that produces molecules that exhibit solvatochromism and aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) phenomena. The application of PQCs for live cell imaging has also been demonstrated.

}, keywords = {Cell imaging, Dyes/pigments, fluorescence, Gold, Luminescence, Solvatochromism}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201500503}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Shalini, S. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Mane, Manoj V. and Barui, Ayan Kumar and Patra, Chitta Ranjan and Venkatesh, Yeduru and Bangal, Prakriti Ranjan and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000357458400018, title = {In silico ligand binding studies of cyanogenic beta-glucosidase, dhurrinase-2 from Sorghum bicolor}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {21}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {184}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Dhurrinase, a cyanogenic beta-glucosidase from Sorghum bicolor is the key enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of dhurrin to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide, as a part of plant defence mechanism. Dhurrinase 1 (SbDhr1) and dhurrinase 2 (SbDhr2), two isozymes have been isolated and characterized from S. bicolor. However, there is no information in the literature about the three dimensional (3D) structure of SbDhr2 and molecular interactions involved between the protein and ligand. In this study, the three dimensional structure of SbDhr2 was built based on homology modeling by using the X-ray crystallographic structure of its close homologue SbDhr1 as the template. The generated 3D model was energy minimized and the quality was validated by Ramachndran plot, various bioinformatic tools and their relevant parameters. Stability, folding-unfolding and flexibility of the modeled SbDhr2 was evaluated on the basis of RMSD, radius of gyration (R-g) and RMSF values respectively, obtained through molecular dynamic (MD) simulation. Further, molecular docking was performed with its natural substrate dhurrin, one substrate analogue, three un-natural substrates, and one inhibitor. Analysis of molecular interactions in the SbDhr2-ligand complexes revealed the key amino acid residues responsible to stabilize the ligands within the binding pocket through non-bonded interactions and some of them were found to be conserved (Glu239, Tyr381, Trp426, Glu454, Trp511). Reasonably broader substrate specificity of SbDhr2 was explained through the wider entrance passage observed in comparison to SbDhr1.

}, keywords = {beta-Glucosidase, Dhurrinase, Molecular docking, Molecular dynamic simulation, Sorghum bicolor}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-015-2730-1}, author = {Mahajan, Chavi and Patel, Krunal and Khan, Bashir Mohammad and Rawal, Shuban S.} } @article {45943, title = {Indovation{\textquoteright} for affordable excellence}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {108}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {7-8}, type = {Article}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mashelkar, R. A.} } @article { ISI:000354472900015, title = {Influence of cultivar, ripeness, blanching, drying, irradiation, and pectin recovery on alk(en)ylresorcinols in mango peels}, journal = {European Food Research and Technology}, volume = {240}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1235-1245}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The influence of different technological treatments on alk(en)ylresorcinol (AR) contents and pattern in mango peels was evaluated using peels from six different mango cultivars. AR concentrations were shown to highly depend on the cultivar. While high AR concentrations were observed in the analyzed monoembryonic cultivars, AR contents in the polyembryonic cultivar Nam Dokmai were significantly lower. Furthermore, for monoembryonic cultivars, AR levels in the peels of ripe fruits were found to be higher than in unripe ones, while AR levels in cv. Nam Dokmai were independent of the ripeness degree. Convective oven drying resulted in a significant reduction in AR contents when compared to lyophilization. Blanching prior to drying diminished AR yields, thus being unsuitable for satisfactory AR recovery. Gamma irradiation did not significantly affect the AR contents. Since depectinization of mango peels significantly concentrated AR amounts in the depectinized pomace, the consecutive extraction of pectin and ARs allows the dual valorization of mango peels. Considering the treatments investigated, the retention of ARs carrying saturated and unsaturated side chains did not differ under acidic conditions, heating, and irradiation, respectively. Consequently, the 1,3-dihydroxybenzene structure was concluded to be the most labile moiety of the AR molecule.

}, keywords = {Alkylresorcinol, By-products, Monoembryonic, Polyembryonic, Pomace, Ultrasound}, issn = {1438-2377}, doi = {10.1007/s00217-015-2426-x}, author = {Geerkens, Christian Hubert and Miller-Rostek, Petra and Matejka, Anna Elisabeth and Nene, Sanjay and Kammerer, Dietmar Rolf and Carle, Reinhold and Schweiggert, Ralf Martin} } @article { ISI:000354378200018, title = {Iron superoxide dismutases in eukaryotic pathogens: new insights from apicomplexa and trypanosoma structures}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section F-Structural Biology Communications}, volume = {71}, number = {5, SI}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {615-621}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Prior studies have highlighted the potential of superoxide dismutases as drug targets in eukaryotic pathogens. This report presents the structures of three iron-dependent superoxide dismutases (FeSODs) from Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania major and Babesia bovis. Comparison with existing structures from Plasmodium and other trypanosome isoforms shows a very conserved overall fold with subtle differences. In particular, structural data suggest that B. bovis FeSOD may display similar resistance to peroxynitrite-mediated inactivation via an intramolecular electron-transfer pathway as previously described in T. cruzi FeSOD isoform B, thus providing valuable information for structure-based drug design. Furthermore, lysine-acetylation results in T. cruzi indicate that acetylation occurs at a position close to that responsible for the regulation of acetylation-mediated activity in the human enzyme.

}, keywords = {Apicomplexa, iron superoxide dismutase, Trypanosoma}, issn = {1744-3091}, doi = {10.1107/S2053230X15004185}, author = {Phan, Isabelle Q. H. and Davies, Douglas R. and Moretti, Nilmar Silvio and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Cestari, Igor and Anupama, Atashi and Fairman, James W. and Edwards, Thomas E. and Stuart, Kenneth and Schenkman, Sergio and Myler, Peter J.} } @article { ISI:000362849600271, title = {Landscapes of membrane protein interactions from high-throughput MD simulations using the daft approach}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {108}, number = {2, 1}, year = {2015}, note = {59th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical-Society, Baltimore, MD, FEB 07-11, 2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {526A-526A}, publisher = {Biophys Soc}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Wassenaar, Tsjerk A. and Pluhackova, Kristyna and Moussatova, Anastassiia and Sengupta, Durba and Marrink, Siewert-Jan and Tieleman, D. Peter and Boeckmann, Rainer A.} } @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:000352630600044, title = {Ligand-promoted intramolecular dehydrogenative cross-coupling using a Cu catalyst: direct access to polycyclic heteroarenes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {32}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7065-7068}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A copper(II)-promoted intramolecular C-H coupling reaction between indole-2 and imidazole-2 moieties has been developed for polycyclic heteroarene synthesis. The method provides direct access to biheteroaryl incorporated polycyclic frameworks, which are of huge interest in the area of functional materials and drug-discovery.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc01817j}, author = {Ray, Devalina and Manikandan, T. and Roy, Arup and Tripathi, Krishna N. and Singh, Ravi P.} } @article { ISI:000356515600001, title = {Long chain branched impact copolymer of polypropylene: microstructure and rheology}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {55}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1463-1474}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A biphasic impact copolymer of polypropylene (ICP) was modified with peroxide by reactive extrusion process resulting in reduced melt flow index, improved melt strength, and higher die swell. The polymers were for the first time subjected to systematic rheological and microstructural characterization in an effort to understand their structure-property relations. In shear rheological tests, the modified ICP displayed higher flow activation energy, reduced values of loss tangent and nearly equal frequency dependence of storage and loss modulli. The modified ICP also showed strain hardening behaviour in uniaxial extensional rheology and higher crystallization temperature in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All these are definitive indications of the presence of long chain branches (LCB). Fitting the rheological data of modified ICPs with the eXtended Pom Pom (XPP) model indicated the presence of LCB on the higher molecular weight fraction in the polymer, a result which was corroborated with multi-detector high temperature gel permeation chromatography (HT-GPC). More importantly, the matrix and rubber phases of the ICP were separately characterized for presence of long chain branching by rheology, DSC and HT-GPC. The results indicate that while LCB existed in the matrix phase, microgels were present in both phases indicating that the reaction with peroxide occurred in both phases. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1463-1474, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.23993}, author = {Chikhalikar, Kalyani and Deshpande, Anushree and Pol, Harshawardhan and Dhoble, Deepa Arun and Jha, Saroj and Jadhav, Kishor and Mahajan, Sunil and Ahmad, Zubair and Kulkarni, Surendra and Gupta, Surendra and Lele, Ashish K.} } @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 { ISI:000355702900052, title = {Mesoporous TUD-1 supported indium oxide nanoparticles for epoxidation of styrene using molecular O-2}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {58}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {46850-46860}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Activation of molecular O-2 by metal or metal oxide nanoparticles is an area of recent research interest. In this work, for the first time, we report that indium oxide nanoparticles of \<3 nm size dispersed on mesoporous silica (TUD-1) can activate molecular O-2 and produce styrene epoxide with a selectivity of 60\% and styrene conversion around 25\% under mild conditions. It is found that neither indium oxide nor TUD-1 themselves respond to the styrene epoxidation reaction. The computational studies provide evidence that an oxygen molecule is highly polarized when it is located near the interface of both surfaces. The kinetic study shows that the reaction is of pseudo-first order and that the activation energy for styrene conversion is 12.138 kJ mol(-1). The catalysts are recyclable for up to four regeneration steps, with the styrene conversion and styrene epoxide selectivity almost unchanged.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra03400k}, author = {Rahman, Sumbul and Farooqui, Saleem A. and Rai, Aditya and Kumar, Rawesh and Santra, Chiranjit and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Bhadu, Gopala Ram and Sen, Debasis and Mazumder, S. and Maity, Sudip and Sinha, Anil K. and Chowdhury, Biswajit} } @article { ISI:000360873600007, title = {Microbacterium enclense sp nov., isolated from sediment sample}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {65}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2064-2070}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel bacterium (strain NIO-1002(T)) belonging to the genus Microbacterium was isolated from a marine sediment sample in Chorao Island, Goa Province, India. Its morphology, physiology, biochemical features and 16S rRNA gene sequence were characterized. Cells of this strain were Gram-stain-positive, non-motile, non-spore-forming rods that formed yellow-pigmented colonies. It grew in 0-12 \% (w/v) NaCl and at 25-37 degrees C, with optimal growth at 30 degrees C. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NIO-1002(T) is associated with members of the genus Microbacterium, with highest sequence similarity with Microbacterium hominis CIP 105731(T) (98.1\%) and Microbacterium testaceum KCTC 9103(T) (98.0 \%). Within the phylogenetic tree, this novel strain shared a branching point with M. hominis CIP 105731(T). The DNA G+C content was 66.5 mol\% and DNA DNA hybridization relatedness between NI-1002(T), M. hominis CIP 105731(T) and M. testaceum KCTC 9103(T) was 39.0 +/- 2.0 \% and 41.0 +/- 2.0 \%, respectively. The major fatty acids were ai-C-15:0, i-C-16:0 and al-C-17:0 and the diamino acid in the cell-wall peptidoglycan of NIO-1002(T) was lysine. Data obtained from DNA-DNA hybridization and chemotaxonomic phenotypic analysis support the conclusion that strain NIO-1002(T) represents a novel species within the genus Microbacterium. The name Microbacterium enclense sp. nov. is proposed, with NIO-1002(T) (=NCIM 5454(T)=DSM 25125(T)=CCTCC AB 2011120(T)) as the type strain.

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijs.0.000221}, author = {Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Mual, Poonam and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Thorat, Meghana N. and Verma, Ashish and Srinivasan, Krishnamurthi and Dastager, Syed Gulam} } @article { ISI:000361312700001, title = {Micro-structural analysis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by thermal plasma route and its suitability for BSA adsorption}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Medicine}, volume = {26}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {216}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The paper presents the experimental studies pertaining to the adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the nanoparticles of nickel ferrite (NiFe2O4) with a view of correlating the adsorption properties to their microstructure and zeta potentials. Physical properties of two kinds of nickel ferrites, one synthesized by thermal plasma route and the other by chemical co-precipitation method, are compared. Maximum adsorption (231.57 lg/mg) of BSA onto nickel ferrite nanoparticles, at body temperature (37 degrees C) was observed at pH-value of 5.58 for the thermal plasma synthesized particles showing its higher adsorption capacity than those synthesized by wet chemical means (178.71 mu g/mg). Under the same physical conditions the value of zeta potential, obtained for the former, was higher than that of the latter over a wide range of pH values (3.64-9.66). This is attributed to the differences in the specific surface energies of the two kinds of nanoparticles arising from the degree of crystallinity. The paper presents the experimental evidence for the single crystalline nature of the individual nanoparticles, with mean size of 32 nm, for the thermal plasma synthesized particles as evidenced from the high resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction analysis. The measurements also reveal the poor crystalline morphology in the chemically prepared particles (mean size of 28 nm) although the X-ray diffraction patterns are not much different. The atomic force microscopy images confirm that the surfaces of plasma synthesized nanoparticles possesses higher surface roughness than that of chemically synthesized one. Presence of adsorbed protein was confirmed by vibrational spectroscopy. The Langmuir adsorption model is found to fit into the experimental data better than the Freundlich adsorption model.

}, issn = {0957-4530}, doi = {10.1007/s10856-015-5547-7}, author = {Bhosale, Shivaji V. and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Bulakhe, Ravindra N. and Shim, Jae-Jin and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article {43002, title = {Molecular docking and QSAR analyses for understanding the antimalarial activity of some 7-substituted-4-aminoquinoline derivatives}, journal = {European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {77}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9-23}, abstract = {

The quinoline moiety is one of the widely studied scaffolds for generating derivatives with various pharmacophoric groups due to its potential antimalarial activities. In the present study, a series of 7-substituted-4-aminoquinoline derivatives were selected to understand their antimalarial properties computationally by molecular modeling techniques including 2D QSAR, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA), comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) and molecular docking. The 2D-QSAR model built with four descriptors selected by genetic algorithm technique and CoMFA model showed satisfactory statistical results (Q(2) = 0.540, R-ncv(2) = 0.881, F value = 157.09). A reliable CoMSIA model out of the fourteen different combinations has a Q(2) value of 0.638. The molecular docking studies of the compounds for 1CET as the protein target revealed that ten compounds showed maximum interactions with the binding site of the protein. The present study highlights the unique binding signatures of the ligands within the active site groove of the target and it explains the subtle differences in their EC50 values and their mechanism of inhibition. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejps.2015.05.025}, author = {Shibi, I. G. and Aswathy, L. and Jisha, Radhakrishnan S. and Masand, Vijay H. and Divyachandran, A. and Gajbhiye, J. M.} } @article { ISI:000363167000007, title = {Molecular Fe-complex as a catalyst probe for in-gel visual detection of proteins via signal amplification}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {83}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15257-15260}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the use of a molecular peroxidase mimic biuret-Fe-TAML for chemoselective labeling of proteins and the subsequent visual detection (\<0.1 pmoles) of the conjugate in a polyacrylamide gel by catalytic signal amplification. Use of this probe in activity based protein profiling (ABPP) of serine proteases is also demonstrated.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc04399a}, author = {Kumari, Sushma and Panda, Chakadola and Mazumdar, Shyamalava and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article { ISI:000364830000010, title = {Molecular mechanism underlying recruitment and insertion of lipid-anchored LC3 protein into membranes}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {109}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2067-2078}, publisher = {CELL PRESS}, address = {600 TECHNOLOGY SQUARE, 5TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 USA}, abstract = {

Lipid modification of cytoplasmic proteins initiates membrane engagement that triggers diverse cellular processes. Despite the abundance of lipidated proteins in the human proteome, the key determinants underlying membrane recognition and insertion are poorly understood. Here, we define the course of spontaneous membrane insertion of LC3 protein modified with phosphatidylethanolamine using multiple coarse-grain simulations. The partitioning of the lipid anchor chains proceeds through a concerted process, with its two acyl chains inserting one after the other. Concurrently, a conformational rearrangement involving the alpha-helix III of LC3, especially in the three basic residues Lys(65), Arg(68), and Arg(69), ensures stable insertion of the phosphatidylethanolamine anchor into membranes. Mutational studies validate the crucial role of these residues, and further live-cell imaging analysis shows a substantial reduction in the formation of autophagic vesicles for the mutant proteins. Our study captures the process of water-favored LC3 protein recruitment to the membrane and thus opens, to our knowledge, new avenues to explore the cellular dynamics underlying vesicular trafficking.

}, issn = {0006-3495}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpj.2015.09.022}, author = {Thukral, Lipi and Sengupta, Durba and Ramkumar, Amrita and Murthy, Divya and Agrawal, Nikhil and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article { ISI:000344474900030, title = {Multifunctional polyaniline-tin oxide (PANI-SnO2) nanocomposite: synthesis, electrochemical, and field emission investigations}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {132}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 41401}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Synthesis of PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite has been performed using a simple two step chemical oxidative polymerization route. The structural, morphological and chemical properties of the as-synthesized PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite have been revealed by various characterization techniques such as SEM, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. Interestingly the as-synthesized PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite exhibits supercapacitance value of 721 F g(-1) with energy density 64 Wh kg(-1), which is noticed to be higher than that of pristine SnO2 and PANI nanostructures. Furthermore, the galvanostatic charge-discharge characteristics revealed pseudocapacitive nature of the PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite. The estimated values of charge transfer resistance and series resistance estimated from the Nyquist plot are found to be lower. Along with the supercapacitive nature, PANI-SnO2 nanocomposite showed promising field emission behavior. The threshold field, required to draw emission current density of 1 A/cm(2), is observed to be 0.90 V/m and emission current density of 1.2 mA/cm(2) has been drawn at applied field of approximate to 2.6 V/m. The emission current stability investigated at preset values of 0.02 and 0.1 mA/cm(2) is observed to be fairly stable over duration of more than 3 h. The enhanced supercapacitance values, as well as, the promising field emission characteristics are attributed to the synergic effect of SnO2 nanoparticles and PANI nanotubes. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41401.

}, keywords = {conducting polymers, Electrochemistry, nanostructured polymers, surfaces and interfaces}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.41401}, author = {Patil, Sandip S. and Harpale, Kashmira V. and Koiry, Shankar P. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Aswal, Dinesh K. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000369637800040, title = {Myroides indicus sp nov., isolated from garden soil}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {65}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4008-4012}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped, catalase-and oxidase-positive bacterial strain, designated UKS3(T), was isolated from garden soil, and subjected to polyphasic taxonomic analysis. Strain UKS3(T) formed whitish, viscous colonies on nutrient agar and was Gram-staining negative. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence, showed that maximum pairwise similarity occurs with representatives of the genus Myroides. The most closely related species include Myroides marinus JS-08(T) (92.7 \% sequence similarity), Myroides phaeus MY15(T) (92.7 \%), Myroides odoratus DSM 2801(T) (91.5 \%) and Myroides odoratimimus CCUG 39352(T) (91.4 \%). Strain UKS3(T) contained menaquinone-6 (MK-6) as the major respiratory quinone and iso-C-15 : 0 (40.2 \%), anteiso-C-15 : 0 (9.4 \%) and iso-C-17 : 0 3-OH (8.5 \%) as major fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine, phospholipids and three aminolipids were the major polar lipids. The DNA G + C content of strain UKS3(T) was 36.8 +/- 2.0 mol\%. On the basis of phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and molecular analysis, strain UKS3(T) represents a novel species of the genus Myroides, for which the name Myroides indicus sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is UKS3(T) (= DSM 28213(T) = NCIM 5555(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.000530}, author = {Ram, Hari and Kumar, Alok and Thomas, Lebin and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Singh, Ved Pal} } @article { ISI:000349401200012, title = {New atom transfer radical polymerization initiator based on phenolphthalein for the synthesis of bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene macromonomers}, journal = {Polymer International}, volume = {64}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {413-420}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

A new atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, namely 2-(1,1-bis(4-(allyloxy)phenyl)-3-oxoisoindolin-2-yl)ethyl 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate, was synthesized starting from phenolphthalein, a commercially available and an inexpensive chemical. Well- defined bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene macromonomers (M-n,M-GPC 4800-11 700gmol(-1)) with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution (1.05-1.09) were synthesized using ATRP by varying the monomer to initiator feed ratio. The presence of allyloxy functionality on polystyrene was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and H-1 NMR spectroscopy. A kinetic study of polymerization revealed pseudo-first-order kinetics with respect to monomer consumption. Initiator efficiency was found to be in the range 0.80-0.95. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight spectra showed a narrow molecular weight distribution with control over the molecular weight. The reactivity of the allyloxy groups on polystyrene was successfully demonstrated by quantitative photochemical thiol-ene click reaction with benzyl mercaptan as the model thiol reagent. Furthermore, the thiol-ene click reaction was exploited to introduce other reactive functional groups such as hydroxyl and carboxyl by reaction of ,-bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene with 2-mercaptoethanol and 3-mercaptopropionic acid, respectively. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

}, keywords = {atom transfer radical polymerization, bis-allyloxy functionalized polystyrene, functional initiator, phenolphthalein, thiol-ene click reaction}, issn = {0959-8103}, doi = {10.1002/pi.4804}, author = {Patil, Sachin S. and Menon, Shamal K. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000354326000001, title = {New class of bacterial quorum sensing antagonists: glycomonoterpenols synthesized using linalool and alpha terpineol}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {31}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {841-849}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

With increasing burden of antibiotic resistant microorganism search for newer drug targets and potent drug molecules is a never ending scenario. Quorum sensing (QS), the phenomenon of bacterial cross-talk, is one such target that has captured the attention of many and has been touted as the future of new age antimicrobials. Quorum sensing has the potential to regulate a plethora of bacterial virulence phenotypes and search of molecules with powerful quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) capacity are underway. Monoterpene alcohols like linalool and alpha terpineol have been shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. However in this article we attempt to bring forth a new class of compounds, glycomonoterpenols, derived from monoterpenoids alcohols. These glycomonoterpenols have been synthesized using Candida bombicola ATCC 22214 by feeding the cells with linalool and alpha terpineol respectively as substrates in 10 \% glucose, production medium. The advantage of these molecules over their parent compound is their additional surfactant like property, increased solubility and enhanced QSI potential. A variety of gram-negative bacteria capable of elaborating quorum sensing mediated phenotypes have been selected and both these glycoterpenoid derivatives have been shown to possess strong anti-QS activity.

}, keywords = {Alpha-terpineol, Glycomonoterpenols, Linalool, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Quorum sensing inhibition}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-015-1822-5}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000367232900032, title = {New insights into in vitro amyloidogenic properties of human serum albumin suggest considerations for therapeutic precautions}, journal = {Febs Letters}, volume = {589}, number = {24, B}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4033-4038}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Amyloid aggregates display striking features of detergent stability and self-seeding. Human serum albumin (HSA), a preferred drug-carrier molecule, can also aggregate in vitro. So far, key amyloid properties of stability against ionic detergents and self-seeding, are unclear for HSA aggregates. Precautions against amyloid contamination would be required if HSA aggregates were self-seeding. Here, we show that HSA aggregates display detergent sarkosyl stability and have self-seeding potential. HSA dimer is preferable for clinical applications due to its longer retention in circulation and lesser oedema owing to its larger molecular size. Here, HSA was homodimerized via free cysteine-34, without any potentially immunogenic cross-linkers that are usually pre-requisite for homodimerization. Alike the monomer, HSA dimers also aggregated as amyloid, necessitating precautions while using for therapeutics. (C) 2015 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Drug carrier, HSA amyloid, Plasma expander, Sarkosyl, Self-seeding}, issn = {0014-5793}, doi = {10.1016/j.febslet.2015.11.004}, author = {Sharma, Neetu and Sivalingam, Vishwanath and Maurya, Sonalika and Prasad, Archana and Khandelwal, Puneet and Yadav, Subhash Chandra and Patel, Basant K.} } @article {42434, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed diastereoselective synthesis of β-lactone-fused cyclopentanes using homoenolate annulation reaction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {9559-9562}, abstract = {

NHC-catalyzed annulation of enals with 2-enoylpyridines or 2-enoylpyridine\ N-oxides leading to the diastereoselective synthesis of β-lactone-fused cyclopentanes is reported. The reaction proceeds\ via\ the generation of homoenolate equivalent intermediates and tolerates a broad range of functional groups.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5CC02960K}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Mondal, Santigopal and Patra, Atanu and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {45937, title = {Nioella nitratireducens gen. nov., sp nov., a novel member of the family Rhodobacteraceae isolated from Azorean Island}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {107}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {589-595}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel Gram-negative, non-spore forming, rod-shaped aerobic bacterium, designated SSW136(T), was isolated from a surface seawater sample collected at Espalamaca (in Faial Island), Azores. Growth was found to occur from 10 to 37 A degrees C, pH 6.0-8.0, and with 2-11 \% of NaCl. 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the strain SSW136(T) belongs to the family Rhodobacteraceae. Strain SSW136(T) exhibited 96.3, 95.9, 95.7 and 95.5 sequence similarity to the type strains Oceanicola litoreus M-M22(T), Roseovarius aestuarii SMK-122(T), Marivita geojedonensis DPG-138(T), and Pseudoruegeria aquimaris SW-255(T) respectively. Neighbour-joining and maximum-parsimony phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain SSW136(T) was affiliated to the family Rhodobacteraceae and formed a separate branch. The G+C content was 63.5 mol\%. The major respiratory quinone was found to be Q-10. The polar lipids of strain SSW136(T) consisted of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified aminolipids and three unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids were C-18:1 omega 7c (46.5 \%), Cyclo-C-19:0 omega 8c (16.0 \%) and C-16:0 (12.8 \%). On the basis of the morphological, genotypic, chemotaxonomic characteristics and low DNA-DNA relatedness, strain SSW136(T) is proposed to represent a novel genus and novel species, Nioella nitratireducens gen. nov., sp. nov., in the family Rhodobacteraceae. The type strain is SSW136(T) (=KCTC 32417(T) = NCIM 5499(T)).

}, keywords = {Espalamaca, Nioella nitratireducens, Novel genus and species, Polyphasic taxonomy, Seawater}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-014-0355-5}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Mohandass, Chellandi and Yoon, Jung-Hoon and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Liu, Qing and Khieu, Thi-Nhan and Son, Chu Ky and Li, Wen-Jun and Colaco, Ana} } @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:000346408800001, title = {Nonconventional chemical inhibitors of microRNA: therapeutic scope}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {820-831}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of genomically encoded small RNA molecules (similar to 22nts in length), which regulate gene expression post transcriptionally. The term microRNA or miRNA was coined in 2001, and research in the past decade has shed light on their widespread occurrence, evolutionary conservation and tissue specific functions. It is estimated that they modulate the gene expression of approximately 60\% of the mammalian genes by regulating the levels of target mRNAs to which they can bind on the basis of sequence complementarities. miRNAs are produced in a well coordinated series of steps from being transcribed in the nucleus to exerting their function in the cytoplasm. miRNAs are now implicated in diverse biological phenomena ranging from development to stress response which makes miRNAs one of the central regulatory molecules which modulate information flow along the central dogma of gene expression. More importantly, like any regulatory molecule, deregulation of miRNAs is causally associated with several diseases (mainly cancer) and is directly involved in a variety of pathophysiologies owing to their aberrant expression. Thus, modulation of miRNA levels is of prime therapeutic importance. Conventional methods of miRNA knockdown using chemically modified antisense-oligonucleotides have been explored extensively but face the challenges of modes of delivery, biostability and biodistribution. This calls for the development of more alternative and non-conventional methods to target miRNA. Small molecules targeting RNA chemical and structural space provide one such timely opportunity. In this article we first provide a brief overview of miRNA biogenesis and its disease associations. We then summarize the major developments in conventional oligonucleotide based approaches to miRNA knockdown and its status. We then focus on the more non-conventional methods like oligonucleotide enzymes and small molecules and provide an outlook on the future of such methods.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc04514a}, author = {Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Nahar, Smita and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000367421500014, title = {Novel 2,6-diformyl-4-methyl phenol based chemosensor for Zn-II ion by ratiometric displacement of Cd-II ion and its application for cell imaging on human melanoma cancer cells}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {92}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1729-1745}, publisher = {SCIENTIFIC PUBL-INDIA}, address = {5-A, NEW PALI RD, PO BOX 91, NEAR HOTEL TAJ HARI MAHAL, JODHPUR, 342 003, INDIA}, abstract = {

A new chelating ligand [4-methyl-2,6-bis-(pyridin-2-yl-hydrazonomethyl)-phenol] (1) was prepared by the condensation of 2-hydrazinylpyridine with 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol. Compound 1 exhibits weak fluorescence due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The sensor (1) demonstrates Zn2+-specific emission enhancement due to {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}PET off{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} process through a 1 : 1 binding mode with the metal ion. The fluorescence quantum yield of the chemosensor 1 is only 0.020, and it increases more than 14-fold (0.280) in the presence of one equivalent of the zinc ion. Interestingly, the introduction of other metal ions causes the fluorescence intensity to remain either unchanged or weakened except for Cd2+. Ratiometric displacement of Cd2+ ion from the complex by Zn2+ ion supports the formation of more stable sensor-Zn2+ complex over the sensor-Cd2+ complex. The experimental findings have been correlated with theoretical results using B3LYP functional and 6-31G(d,p), LANL2DZ basis set for Cd2+ (2) and Zn2+ (3) complex, respectively, by Density Functional Theory (DFT) method. Moreover, the ability of probe 1 to sense Zn2+ within human melanoma cancer cells has been explored, and the Zn2+-probing process in living cells was reversible. [Mn-2(PHMP)(2)](ClO4)(2) (4) and [Ni-2(PHMP)(H2O)(5)](NO3)(3) (5) have been also synthesized and characterized crystallographically and spectroscopically to understand the ligating behavior of the ligand PHMP.

}, keywords = {Cd-II ion, Chemosensor, Density functional theory, human melanoma cancer cells, photoinduced electron transfer, Zn-II ion}, issn = {0019-4522}, author = {Mitra, Debarshan and Venkatathari, N. and Sabharwal, S. C. and Godbole, S. V. and Tyagi, A. K. and Das, Sangbrita} } @article { ISI:000353205000033, title = {Novel hybrid nocodazole analogues as tubulin polymerization inhibitors and their antiproliferative activity}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {25}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1982-1985}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We describe the design, synthesis and SAR profiling of a series of novel combretastatin-nocodazole conjugates as potential anticancer agents. The thiophene ring in the nocodazole moiety was replaced by a substituted phenyl ring from the combretastatin moiety to design novel hybrid analogues. The hydroxyl group at the ortho position in compounds 2, 3 and 4 was used as the conformationally locking tool by anticipated six-membered hydrogen bonding. The bioactivity profiles of all compounds as tubulin polymerization inhibitors and as antiproliferative agents against the A-549 human lung cancer cell line were investigated Compounds 1 and 4 showed mu M IC50 values in both assays. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anticancer, Colchicine, Nocodazole, Tubulin binding}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.03.019}, author = {Kale, Sangram S. and Jedhe, Ganesh S. and Meshram, Sachin N. and Santra, Manas K. and Hamel, Ernest and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article { ISI:000362436800028, title = {Novel one-pot multi-component synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindole and spirooxindole scaffolds via Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization of azaarenes by sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-cyclization reaction}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {99}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {81103-81107}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H bond functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes/2-(azaaryl)methanes has been achieved for the first time in a one-pot multi-component reaction with isatin and active methylene compounds via tandem sequential Knoevenagel-Michael-intramolecular C-N cyclization. This strategy provides new cost-effective access to potent and biologically/medicinally important spirooxindoles/3,3{\textquoteright}-disubstituted 2-oxindoles in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra16334j}, author = {Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mulla, Shafeek Abdul Rashid} } @article { ISI:000356021900003, title = {One-dimensional water cages with repeat units of (H2O)(24) resembling pagodane trapped in a 3D coordination polymer: proton conduction and tunable luminescence emission by adsorption of anionic dyes}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {17}, number = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4439-4443}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A 3D-coordination polymer was shown to trap one-dimensional polyhedral water cages consisting of repeat units of (H2O)(24), the geometry of which resembles the exotic organic molecule pagodane. Further, this material exhibited proton conduction ability and tunable luminescence emission by adsorption of anionic dyes such as the fluorescein dianion.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c5ce00969c}, author = {Maity, Kartik and Kundu, Tanay and Banerjee, Rahul and Biradha, Kumar} } @proceedings {42926, title = {One-pot thermal evaporation synthesis of CdS-RGO hetrostructure and its field emission study}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {82-83}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Guangzhou, Peoples R China}, abstract = {

CdS-RGO heterostructure was synthesized by thermal evaporation method. The as-synthesized CdS-RGO heterostructure was characterized using X-ray Diffraction, SEM, and EADX, before field emission (FE) studies. The FE characteristics of a planar emitter made up of as-synthesized CdS-RGO heterostructures were measured at the base pressure 1x10(-8) mbar. The synthesized CdS-RGO heterostructure emitter is found to deliver a current density similar to 70 mu A/cm(2) at an applied electric field of similar to 4.7 V/mu m. Moreover, the nanocomposite shows excellent emission stability without significant current degradation making CdS-RGO heterostructure as a promising electron source for practical applications in various vacuum nano-microelectronic devices.

}, author = {Bansode, Sanjeewani R. and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @conference { ISI:000354845400032, title = {Partial triples excitation to the fock space multi-reference singles and doubles: dipole moment of doublet radicals}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering 2010 (ICCMSE-2010)}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1642}, year = {2015}, note = {International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE), Kos, GREECE, OCT 03-08, 2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {223-226}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1NO1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

We present the partial triples effect on the dipole moment of doublet radicals in Lagrangian formulation of Fockspace multi-reference coupled cluster response method(A FSMRCC). This specific scheme uses non-iterative triples, in addition to singles and doubles excitations(A FSMRCCSD(T*)), which accounts for the effects appearing at least at the third order in dipole moment. This method is applied to the ground states of small radicals.

}, keywords = {Dipole moment, Multi-reference, Triples}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1282-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4906657}, author = {Ravichandran, Lalitha and Vaval, Nayana and Pal, Sourav}, editor = {Simos, TE and Maroulis, G} } @article {45882, title = {Pd loaded amphiphilic COF as catalyst for multi-fold Heck reactions, C-C couplings and CO oxidation}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN }, pages = {10876}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

COFs represent a class of polymers with designable crystalline structures capable of interacting with active metal nanoparticles to form excellent heterogeneous catalysts. Many valuable ligands/monomers employed in making coordination/organic polymers are prepared via Heck and C-C couplings. Here, we report an amphiphilic triazine COF and the facile single-step loading of Pd-0 nanoparticles into it. An 18-20\% nano-Pd loading gives highly active composite working in open air at low concentrations (Conc. Pd(0) \< 0.05 mol\%, average TON 1500) catalyzing simultaneous multiple site Heck couplings and C-C couplings using {\textquoteleft}non-boronic acid{\textquoteright} substrates, and exhibits good recyclability with no sign of catalyst leaching. As an oxidation catalyst, it shows 100\% conversion of CO to CO2 at 150 degrees C with no loss of activity with time and between cycles. Both vapor sorptions and contact angle measurements confirm the amphiphilic character of the COF. DFT-TB studies showed the presence of Pd-triazine and Pd-Schiff bond interactions as being favorable.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep10876}, author = {Mullangi, Dinesh and Nandi, Shyamapada and Shalini, Sorout and Sreedhala, Sheshadri and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article { ISI:000353221100023, title = {Perturbations in inter-domain associations may trigger the onset of pathogenic transformations in PrPC: insights from atomistic simulations}, journal = {Molecular Biosystems}, volume = {11}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1443-1453}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Conversion of the predominantly alpha-helical cellular prion protein (PrPC) to the misfolded beta-sheet enriched Scrapie form (PrPSc) is a critical event in prion pathogenesis. However, the conformational triggers that lead to the isoform conversion (PrPC to PrPSc) remain obscure, and conjectures about the role of unusually hydrophilic, short helix H1 of the C-terminal globular domain in the transition are varied. Helix H1 is anchored to helix H3 via a few stabilizing polar interactions. We have employed fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects triggered by a minor perturbation in the network of these non-bonded interactions in PrPC. The elimination of just one of the key H1-H3 hydrogen bonds led to a cascade of conformational changes that are consistent with those observed in partially unfolded intermediates of PrPC, with pathogenic mutations and in low pH environments. Our analyses reveal that the perturbation results in the enhanced conformational flexibility of the protein. The resultant enhancement in the dynamics leads to overall increased solvent exposure of the hydrophobic core residues and concomitant disruption of the H1-H3 inter-domain salt bridge network. This study lends credence to the hypothesis that perturbing the cooperativity of the stabilizing interactions in the PrPC globular domain can critically affect its dynamics and may lead to structural transitions of pathological relevance.

}, issn = {1742-206X}, doi = {10.1039/c4mb00689e}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana} } @article { ISI:000360934800002, title = {Pharmacophore and docking based virtual screening of validated mycobacterium tuberculosis targets}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {18}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {AUG}, pages = {624-637}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Target based virtual screening has surpassed ligand based virtual screening methods in the recent past mainly as it provides more clues regarding intermolecular interactions and takes into consideration the flexible receptor as well. The current methodology describes a computational strategy of predicting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) binders for five well studied targets representing M. tuberculosis proteome encompassing most of the known mechanisms of action. The diversity of the targets was affirmed by their active site analysis and structural studies. The current approach employed pharmacophore searching, docking and clustering techniques in tandem and was validated by enrichment studies using the available Schrodinger data set consisting of 1000 decoys. The application of this methodology was demonstrated by predicting potential molecular targets for fifty newly synthesized compounds. Cross docking studies on the targets were carried out with 4512 known inhibitors utilizing a high performance computing platform to reveal underlying affinity and promiscuity patterns. Optimum binding energy range for all targets as determined by high throughput docking was found to be -3 to -13 kcal/mol.

}, keywords = {Binding energy, docking, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, open source drug discovery (OSDD), pharmacophore, structure based drug design (SBDD)}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207318666150703112759}, author = {Vyas, Renu and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Nainaru, Ganesh and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000363347800036, title = {Photochemical performance of ZnO nanostructures in dye sensitized solar cells}, journal = {Solid State Sciences}, volume = {48}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {237-243}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In this work, the photoconversion efficiencies of ZnO having diverse microstructures and structural defects have been investigated. A conversion efficiency of 138\% was achieved for the DSSCs fabricated with as prepared ZnO nanorods having minimum vacancy defects and a favourable one dimensional directional pathway for electron conduction. The DSSCs fabricated with ZnO nanoparticles exhibited relatively low conversion efficiency of 1.004\% probably due to multiple trapping/detrapping phenomena within the grain boundaries and ZnO flowers though exhibited a high dye adsorption capability exhibited the lowest conversion efficiency of 0.59\% due to a high concentration of structural defects. Based on the experimental evidences, we believe that the type of defects and their concentrations are more important than shape in controlling the overall performance of ZnO based DSSCs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DSSC, Efficiency, Emission, Structural defects, ZnO}, issn = {1293-2558}, doi = {10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2015.08.014}, author = {Das, Partha Pratim and Mukhopadhyay, Soumita and Agarkar, Shruti A. and Jana, Arpita and Devi, P. Sujatha} } @article { ISI:000348922100005, title = {Photo-responsive pseudorotaxanes and assemblies}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {44}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {663-676}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Chemists have achieved a predictable control over various non-covalent interactions and have used these weak interactions in their favour for developing a plethora of intricate functional structures. In this tutorial review we have summarized reports on such supramolecular structures that describe the rational approach in designing host and/or guest components, tagged with an appropriate fluorophore, for achieving the modified optical responses on formation of an assembly. This has relevance for designing new photo-responsive smart or adaptive stimuli responsive functional materials, self- healable materials, with interesting photo-physical property. These are also important in the area of supramolecular chemistry and biophysical chemistry in predicting the relative conformation in solution.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c4cs00295d}, author = {Mandal, Amal Kumar and Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000354991500013, title = {Possible correlation between bile salt hydrolysis and ahl deamidation: staphylococcus epidermidis RM1, a potent quorum quencher and bile salt hydrolase producer}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {176}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {140-150}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

The aim of the present work was to isolate a bile salt hydrolase (BSH) producer from fermented soy curd and explore the ability of the BSH produced to cleave bacterial quorum sensing signals. Bacterial isolates with possible ability to deconjugate bile salts were enriched and isolated on De Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) medium containing 0.2 \% bile salts. BSH-producing positive isolate with orange-pink-pigmented colonies was isolated and was identified as a strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis using biochemical and phylogenetic tools. S. epidermidis RM1 was shown to possess both potent BSH and N-acyl homoserine lactone (AHL) cleavage activity. Genetic basis of this dual-enzyme activity was explored by means of specific primers designed using S. epidermidis ATCC 12228 genome as template. It was observed that a single enzyme was not responsible for both the activity. Two different genetic elements corresponding to each of the enzymatic activity were successfully amplified from the genomic DNA of the isolate.

}, keywords = {AHL acylase, Bile salt hydrolase, CV026, Quorum quenching, Staphylococcus epidermidis}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-015-1563-9}, author = {Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000361212000060, title = {Potent inhibition of miR-27a by neomycin-bisbenzimidazole conjugates}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {6}, number = {10}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5837-5846}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

miRNAs are important components of regulatory networks that control gene expression and have implications in various diseases including cancer. Targeting oncogenic miRNAs with small molecules is currently being explored to develop cancer therapeutics. Here, we report the development of dual binding neomycin-bisbenzimidazole conjugates that target oncogenic miR-27a with high affinity (K-a = 1.2 to 7.4 x 10(8) M-1). These conjugates bring significant reduction (similar to 65\% at 5 mu M) in mature miRNA levels and penetrate easily in the cells where they localise both in the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Cell cycle analysis showed significant increase in the G0/G1 phase (similar to 15\%) and decrease in the S phase (similar to 7\%) upon treatment with neomycin-bisbenzimidazole conjugates, suggesting inhibition of cell proliferation. Using the conjugation approach, we show that moderately binding ligands can be covalently combined into high affinity binders. This study also highlights the role of linker optimization in designing high affinity ligands for miR-27a targeting.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/c5sc01969a}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Ranjan, Nihar and Ray, Arjun and Arya, Dev P. and Maiti, Souvik} } @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:000355940900018, title = {Production of polyunsaturated fatty acids in recombinant lipomyces starkeyi through submerged fermentation}, journal = {Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering}, volume = {38}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1407-1414}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are known to play an important role in human health and nutrition. Considering the limitation of LCPUFA sources, it is necessary to search new avenues for their production. Oleaginous yeasts are an attractive target for harvesting single cell oil, mainly because of the ease of cultivation with cheaper raw material. Lipomyces starkeyi is one such oleaginous yeast, which can accumulate oil to the extent of 60 \% of its biomass and where genetic transformation can be achieved. In our earlier work, Delta 15 desaturase gene (AEP37840) from flax was transformed into L. starkeyi. In the present work, we report optimization of medium for the production of omega-3 enriched oil from this transformed yeast. A basic medium containing 20 g/l glucose as a carbon source and 10 g/l yeast extract as a nitrogen source was used during fermentation. At regular time intervals, glucose was fed to maintain high C:N ratio (65:10) during fermentation. Under the most favorable conditions, dry biomass and total lipid content were 18 and 7.29 g/l, respectively. Prior to genetic transformation, L. starkeyi contained 56.03 mg/l DHA along with 71.4 mg/l EPA and 42.2 mg/l ALA. Genetic engineering of this yeast resulted in a strain that produced 1080 mg/l DHA (17.4 \%) along with 74.28 mg/l EPA and 126.72 mg/l ALA possibly through modification of PUFA biosynthetic pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is a first report of DHA enrichment and opens up avenues for LCPUFA production through L. starkeyi.

}, keywords = {Fermentation, LCPUFA, Lipid production, Oleaginous yeast}, issn = {1615-7591}, doi = {10.1007/s00449-015-1382-y}, author = {Salunke, Devyani and Manglekar, Rupali and Gadre, Ramchandra V. and Nene, Sanjay and Harsulkar, Abhay M.} } @article { ISI:000362436800013, title = {Pt-nanoparticle functionalized carbon nano-onions for ultra-high energy supercapacitors and enhanced field emission behaviour}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {99}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {80990-80997}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In the present work, we have investigated the charge storage capacitive response and field emission behaviour of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles decorated on carbon nano onions (CNOs) and compared them with those of pristine carbon nano onions. The specific capacitance observed for Pt-CNOs is 342.5 F g(-1), about six times higher than that of pristine CNOs, at a scan rate of 100 mV s(-1). The decoration with Pt nanoparticles, without any binder or polymer separator on the CNO, leading to enhanced supercapacitance is due to easy accessibility of Na2SO4 electrolyte in the active material. The Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations of these systems reveal enhancement in the Density of States (DOS) near the Fermi energy (E-F) on account of platinum decoration on the CNOs. Furthermore, the field emission current density of similar to 0.63 mA cm(-2) has been achieved from the Pt-CNOs emitter at an applied electric field of similar to 4.5 V mu m(-1) and from the pristine CNOs sample current density of similar to 0.4 mA cm(-2) has been achieved at an applied electric field of similar to 6.6 V mu m(-1). The observed enhanced field emission behavior has been attributed to the improved electrical conductivity and increased emitting sites of the Pt-CNO emitter. The field emission current stability of the Pt-CNO emitter over a longer duration is found to be good. The observed results imply multifunctional potential of Pt-CNOs, as supercapacitor material in various next generation hybrid energy storage devices, and field emitters for next generation vacuum nano/microelectronic devices.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra12364j}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Kaware, Vaibhav and Chakravarty, Disha and Walke, Pravin S. and More, Mahendra A. and Joshi, Kavita and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000367561500004, title = {p-type NiO hybrid visible photodetector}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {7}, number = {50}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {27597-27601}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A novel hybrid visible-light photodetector was created using a planar p-type inorganic NiO layer in a junction with an organic electron acceptor layer. The effect of different oxygen pressures on formation of the NiO layer by pulsed laser deposition shows that higher pressure increases the charge carrier density of the film and lowers the dark current in the device. The addition of a monolayer of small molecules containing conjugated pi systems and carboxyl groups at the device interface was also investigated and with correct alignment of the energy levels improves the device performance with respect to the quantum efficiency, responsivity, and photogeneration. The thickness of the Organic layer was also optimized for the device, giving a responsivity of 1.54 X 10(-2) A W-1 in 460 nm light.

}, keywords = {nickel oxide, organic, oxygen vacancies, photodetector, pulsed laser deposition, surface modifier}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.5b09291}, author = {Mallows, John and Planells, Miguel and Thakare, Vishal and Bhosale, Reshma and Ogale, Satishchandra and Robertson, Neil} } @article { ISI:000356251500001, title = {Qualitative and quantitative proteomic analysis of vitamin C induced changes in mycobacterium smegmatis}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 451}, publisher = {FRONTIERS RESEARCH FOUNDATION}, address = {PO BOX 110, LAUSANNE, 1015, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

Vitamin C is a critical dietary nutrient in human which has a wide range of regulatory effects on gene expression and physiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that leads to a dormant drug-tolerant phenotype. In the presence of iron, vitamin C shows a high bactericidal activity even in the drug resistant phenotype of M. tuberculosis. The regulatory mechanisms underlying vitamin C induced adaptations are largely unknown due to lack of functional genomics data in this field. In this study, we attempt to characterize the direct effect of vitamin C treatment on the physiology of actively growing Mycobacterium smegmatis. The study chose M. smegmatis as it is a fast-growing bacterium and a non-pathogenic model system which shares many physiological features with the pathogenic M. tuberculosis including dormancy and its regulation. The proteomic adaptation of M. smegmatis on vitamin C treatment demonstrates the important changes in cellular and metabolic process such as reversal of tricarboxylic acid cycle, decrease in ATP synthesis, decrease in iron acquisition and storage, and induction of dormancy regulators WhiB3, PhoP, and Lsr2.

}, keywords = {dormancy, Mycobacterium smegmatis, proteomics, tuberculosis, vitamin C}, issn = {1664-302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2015.00451}, author = {Mishra, Abhishek and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article { ISI:000356324000001, title = {Radical-mediated dehydrative preparation of cyclic imides using (NH4)(2)S2O8-DMSO: application to the synthesis of vernakalant}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1008-1016}, publisher = {BEILSTEIN-INSTITUT}, address = {TRAKEHNER STRASSE 7-9, FRANKFURT AM MAIN, 60487, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Ammonium persulfate-dimethyl sulfoxide (APS-DMSO) has been developed as an efficient and new dehydrating reagent for a convenient one-pot process for the synthesis of miscellaneous cyclic imides in high yields starting from readily available primary amines and cyclic anhydrides. A plausible radical mechanism involving DMSO has been proposed. The application of this facile one-pot imide forming process has been demonstrated for a practical synthesis of vernakalant.

}, keywords = {APS-DMSO, imides, practical synthesis, radical-mediated, vernakalant}, issn = {1860-5397}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.11.113}, author = {Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Tanpure, Subhash D. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {42925, title = {Rapid characterization of oxidative deterioration in edible oil by optical photospectrometry}, journal = {Journal of Food and Dairy Technology}, volume = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, abstract = {

This research work aimed to investigate the kinetic reaction of reused cooking oil and find the optimum conditions of its process. The feedstock was collected from the commercially available sunflower oil. Our investigation shows that the kinetic reaction of reused sunflower oil (auto-oxidation) obtained in terms of variation of absorption coefficient of unexposed sunflower as 0.05 while the exposed sunflower had 0.075. The optimum condition from optical absorption spectroscopy investigations were obtained as 0.267 for unexposed sunflower oil and 0.194 for exposed sunflower oil at room temperature. Furthermore, our FTIR spectroscopic results obtained are accurate and precise enough for such detection such as free fatty acid (FFA ~ 26\%), acid ~ 53\% and saponification ~ 192\% get reduce in exposed oil was investigated.

}, author = {More, Pravin S. and Shelke, Anil V. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000343686900002, title = {Rational preparation of Ag and Au bimetallic catalysts for the hydrocarbon-SCR of NOx: sequential deposition vs. coprecipitation method}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {162}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {11-20}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

This study emphasizes the importance of the preparation method for bimetallic Au-Ag catalysts supported on alumina in the selective reduction of NOx by hydrocarbons with gas feed compositions representative of diesel fuelled engine exhaust gas. An optimal balance between oxidative and reductive surface properties is obtained when Au and Ag are successively introduced. Significant re-dispersion processes take place when the catalyst runs at 500 degrees C leading to a gain in activity at low temperature and ascribed to a better interaction between Au and Ag species. Co-precipitation leads to a preferential formation of intermetallic Au-Ag particles which is detrimental to the catalytic performances. Aging at 500 degrees C leads to a significant particle sintering and a strengthening of the metallic character. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Au-Ag particles, Co-precipitation, DeNO(x) reaction, HC-SCR}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2014.06.031}, author = {More, Pavan M. and Nguyen, D. L. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Shubhangi B. Umbarkar and Nuns, N. and Girardon, J. S. and Dujardin, Christophe and Lancelot, Christine and Mamede, Anne-Sophie and Granger, P.} } @article { ISI:000356753600002, title = {Reactivity and catalytic activity of hydrogen atom chemisorbed silver clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {119}, number = {24}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6162-6170}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Metal clusters of silver have attracted recent interest of researchers as a result of their potential in different,catalytic applications and low Cost. However, due to the completely filled d orbital and very high first ionization potential of the silver atom, the silver-based catalysts interact very weakly with the reacting molecules. In the current work, density functional theory calculations were carried out to investigate the effect of hydrogen atom chemisorption. On the reactivity and catalytic properties of inert silver clusters Our results affirm that the hydrogen atom chemisorption leads to enhancement the binding energy of the adsorbed O-2 molecule on the inert silver clusters. The increase in the binding energy is also characterized by the decrease in the Ag-O and increase in the O-O bond lengths in the case of the AgnH Silver clusters. Pertinent to the increase in the O-O bond length, a. significant red shift in the O-O Stretching frequency is. also noted in the case,of the AgnH silver clusters. Moreover, the hydrogen atom chemisorbed silver clusters show low reaction barriers and heat Of formation of the final products for the,environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to the parent catalytically inactive clusters The obtained results were compared with those of the corresponding gold and hydrogen atom chemisorbed gold clusters obtained at the same level of theory. It is expected the current computational study will provide key insights for future advances in the design of efficient nanosilver-based catalysts through the adsorption of a small atom or a ligand.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.5b01987}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000352508300032, title = {Reactivity and operational stability of N-Tailed TAMLs through kinetic studies of the catalyzed oxidation of orange II by H2O2: synthesis and x-ray structure of an N-Phenyl TAML}, journal = {Chemistry A-European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {16}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {6226-6233}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

{The catalytic activity of the N-tailed (biuret) TAML (tetraamido macrocyclic ligand) activators [Fe{4-XC6H3-1,2-(NCOCMe2NCO)(2)NR}Cl](2-) (3; N atoms in boldface are coordinated to the central iron atom; the same nomenclature is used in for compounds 1 and 2 below), [X

}, keywords = {Hydrogen peroxide, iron, kinetics, Oxidation, reaction mechanisms}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201406061}, author = {Warner, Genoa R. and Mills, Matthew R. and Enslin, Clarissa and Pattanayak, Shantanu and Panda, Chakadola and Panda, Tamas Kumar and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Ryabov, Alexander D. and Collins, Terrence J.} } @article { ISI:000358219300005, title = {Recent advances in employing homoenolates generated by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis in carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions}, journal = {Chemical Society Reviews}, volume = {44}, number = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5040-5052}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The use of NHCs for generating homoenolate species has gained widespread popularity in recent years. A number of highly stereoselective processes of NHC-homoenolates have emerged. Homoenolate reactions have also been employed as key steps in the total synthesis of a number of natural products. The use of compatible co-catalysts, improved NHC-catalyst design and the use of novel precursors for homoenolate generation are among the major developments in this area that were disclosed recently. This tutorial review organises and presents the advancements in this rapidly growing area of catalysis and in the process updates a previous account published in 2011 in this journal.

}, issn = {0306-0012}, doi = {10.1039/c5cs00162e}, author = {Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Nair, Vijay} } @article { ISI:000359234100003, title = {Recent developments in 2D layered inorganic nanomaterials for sensing}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {7}, number = {32}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {13293-13312}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Two dimensional layered inorganic nanomaterials (2D-LINs) have recently attracted huge interest because of their unique thickness dependent physical and chemical properties and potential technological applications. The properties of these layered materials can be tuned via both physical and chemical processes. Some 2D layered inorganic nanomaterials like MoS2, WS2 and SnS2 have been recently developed and employed in various applications, including new sensors because of their layer-dependent electrical properties. This article presents a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the application of 2D layered inorganic nanomaterials as sensors. Some of the salient features of 2D materials for different sensing applications are discussed, including gas sensing, electrochemical sensing, SERS and biosensing, SERS sensing and photodetection. The working principles of the sensors are also discussed together with examples.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c5nr03633j}, author = {Kannan, Padmanathan Karthick and Late, Dattatray J. and Morgan, Hywel and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article { ISI:000350685400013, title = {Renewable fuels from biomass-derived compounds: Ru-containing hydrotalcites as catalysts for conversion of HMF to 2,5-dimethylfuran}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1463-1472}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Production of transportation fuels from renewable biomass is hugely important considering the current ecological concerns over CO2 built up in the atmosphere. Ruthenium-containing hydrotalcite (HT) catalysts were applied for the selective hydrogenolysis of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF). Structural and morphological features of the catalysts were examined using various physico-chemical characterization techniques. The influence of various reaction parameters, such as reaction temperature, solvent, Ru content of the catalyst, etc., was investigated with respect to HMF conversion and DMF yield. The study clearly shows that well-dispersed Ru nanoparticles are highly active and selective in the conversion of HMF to DMF. A catalyst containing only 0.56 wt\% Ru converted 100 mol\% HMF to yield 58 mol\% DMF. This catalyst was found to be recyclable as the activity was retained even after five cycles of reaction. 2-Propanol was found to be a good solvent as it helped to improve DMF yield through transfer hydrogenation. Based on the results of the investigations, a reaction pathway for the conversion of HMF to DMF was proposed for the present Ru-based catalyst system.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c4cy01376j}, author = {Nagpure, Atul S. and Venugopal, Ashok Kumar and Lucas, Nishita and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V.} } @article { ISI:000364933100004, title = {Reversed reactivity of anilines with alkynes in the rhodium-catalysed C-H activation/carbonylation tandem}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 8591}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Development of multicatalytic approach consisting of two or more mechanistically distinct catalytic steps using a single-site catalyst for rapid and straightforward access of structurally complex molecules under eco-benign conditions has significance in contemporary science. We have developed herein a rhodium-catalysed C-H activation strategy which uses an unprotected anilines and an electron-deficient alkynes to C-C bonded products as a potential intermediate in contrast to the archetypical C-N bonded products with high levels of regioselectivity. This is followed by carbonylation of C-H bond activated intermediate and subsequent annulation into quinolines has been described. This rhodium-catalysed auto-tandem reaction operates under mild, environmentally benign conditions using water as the solvent and CO surrogates as the carbonyl source with the concomitant generation of hydrogen gas. The strategy may facilitate the development of new synthetic protocols for the efficient and sustainable production of chemicals in an atom-economic way from simple, abundant starting materials.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms9591}, author = {Midya, Siba Prasad and Sahoo, Manoj Kumar and Landge, Vinod Gokulkrishna and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article { ISI:000353689400017, title = {Rifampicin reduces advanced glycation end products and activates DAF-16 to increase lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans}, journal = {Aging Cell}, volume = {14}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {463-473}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are formed when glucose reacts nonenzymatically with proteins; these modifications are implicated in aging and pathogenesis of many age-related diseases including type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, pharmaceutical interventions that can reduce AGEs may delay age-onset diseases and extend lifespan. Using LC-MSE, we show that rifampicin (RIF) reduces glycation of important cellular proteins in vivo and consequently increases lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans by up to 60\%. RIF analog rifamycin SV (RSV) possesses similar properties, while rifaximin (RMN) lacks antiglycation activity and therefore fails to affect lifespan positively. The efficacy of RIF and RSV as potent antiglycating agents may be attributed to the presence of a p-dihydroxyl moiety that can potentially undergo spontaneous oxidation to yield highly reactive p-quinone structures, a feature absent in RMN. We also show that supplementing rifampicin late in adulthood is sufficient to increase lifespan. For its effect on longevity, rifampicin requires DAF-18 (nematode PTEN) as well as JNK-1 and activates DAF-16, the FOXO homolog. Interestingly, the drug treatment modulates transcription of a different subset of DAF-16 target genes, those not controlled by the conserved Insulin-IGF-1-like signaling pathway. RIF failed to increase the lifespan of daf-16 null mutant despite reducing glycation, showing thereby that DAF-16 may not directly affect AGE formation. Together, our data suggest that the dual ability to reduce glycation in vivo and activate prolongevity processes through DAF-16 makes RIF and RSV effective lifespan-extending interventions.

}, keywords = {advanced glycation end products, aging, Caenorhabditis elegans, DAF-16, Glycation, lifespan, rifampicin}, issn = {1474-9718}, doi = {10.1111/acel.12327}, author = {Golegaonkar, Sandeep and Tabrez, Syed S. and Pandit, Awadhesh and Sethurathinam, Shalini and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Bansode, Sneha B. and Sampathkumar, Srinivasa-Gopalan and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mukhopadhyay, Arnab} } @article { ISI:000366339300003, title = {RNA stem-loop to G-quadruplex equilibrium controls mature MicroRNA production inside the cell}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {48}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7067-7078}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The biological role of the existence of overlapping structures in RNA is possible yet remains very unexplored. G-Rich tracts of RNA form G-quadruplexes, while GC-rich sequences prefer stem-loop structures. The equilibrium between alternate structures within RNA may occur and influence its functionality. We tested the equilibrium between G-quadruplex and stem-loop structure in RNA and its effect on biological processes using pre-miRNA as a model system. Dicer enzyme recognizes canonical stem-loop structures in pre-miRNA to produce mature miRNAs. Deviation from stem-loop leads to deregulated mature miRNA levels, providing readout of the existence of an alternate structure per se G-quadruplex-mediated structural interference in miRNA maturation. In vitro analysis using beacon and Dicer cleavage assays indicated that mature miRNA levels depend on relative amounts of K+: and Mg2+ ions, suggesting an ion-dependent structural shift. Further in cellulo studies with and without TmPyP4 (RNA G-quadruplex destabilizer) demonstrated that miRNA biogenesis is modulated by G-quadruplex to stem-loop equilibrium in a subset of pre-miRNAs. Our combined analysis thus provides evidence of the formation of noncanonical G-quaciruplexes in competition with canonical stem-loop structure inside the cell and its effect on miRNA maturation in a comprehensive manner.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.5b00574}, author = {Pandey, Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Jayaraj, Gopal Gunanathan and Gargallo, Raimundo and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000358395100008, title = {Role of interfacial tension of solvating diluents and hydrophilic-hydrophobic cross-linkers in hyper-cross-linked solid supports}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {54}, number = {27}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6893-6901}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The properties of a hyper-cross-linked solid support are the outcome Of the interfacial tension created by solvating/nonsolvating diluents, the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the cross-linkers, and their concentrations. Interestingly, a More hydrophobic diluent and cross-linker as well as a higher concentration of cross-linker-containing copolymer revealed an increase In surface area. A high surface area and low cross-link density (CLD) polymer illustrated higher epoxy content. Importantly, maximum surface area (533 m(2)/g) Was obtained at high CLD; inversely, epoxy,content (1.83 mmol/g) was higher at low CLD polymer. Notably, greater rigidity of cross-linker and its higher concentration increased T-max and T-g; contrarily, greater flexibility of cross-linker and its concentration attenuated T-max and T-g. Thermal study demonstrated the thermostability (300 degrees C) and polymer safe temperature (220 degrees C). Indeed, a lower solubility parameter difference between polymer and swelling solvent produces a higher polymer-solvent interaction parameter, resulting in increased polymer swelling. Polymers with high surface area and low CLD demonstrated greater swelling behavior.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.5b01277}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000355985200027, title = {Role of the molecular structure of carboxylate-alumoxanes in the enhanced nucleation of polypropylene}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {49}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10026-10029}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We have reported the use of carboxylate-alumoxanes as efficient nucleating agents for isotactic polypropylene (iPP) with a possible structural correlation to the nucleation efficiency. The unique, butterfly-like structure of carboxylate-alumoxanes correlates well with the nucleation characteristics of iPP and, for the first time, the impact of a thermally induced, crystalline transition of carboxylate-alumoxanes, which alters neither the structural conformation nor the nucleation efficiency of the transformed material, is demonstrated.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc01327e}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article { ISI:000359654100006, title = {Role of tumor cell surface lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP1) and its associated carbohydrates in lung metastasis}, journal = {Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology}, volume = {141}, number = {9}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1563-1574}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Expression of lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP1) on the surface correlates with metastatic potential of B16 melanoma cells. Downregulation of their expression in high metastatic (B16F10) cells reduced their surface expression and metastatic potential. Present investigations explore if overexpression of LAMP1 on the surface of low metastatic (B16F1) cells augment their metastatic ability, and if so, how? B16F1 cells were transduced with lentiviral vector carrying mutant-LAMP1 (Y386A) (mutLAMP1). Surface expression of LAMP1 and carbohydrates was analyzed by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and/or immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. Cell spreading and motility were assessed on components of extracellular matrix (ECM) (fibronectin) and basement membrane (BM) (matrigel), and galectin-3-coated coverslips/plates. Metastatic potential was assessed using experimental metastasis assay. Pre-incubation with anti-LAMP1 antibodies significantly reduced lung metastasis of B16F10 cells. Overexpression of mutLAMP1 significantly increased its surface expression on B16F1 cells, resulting in increased cellular spreading and motility on fibronectin and matrigel. LAMP1 is the major carrier of poly-N-acetyllactosamine (polyLacNAc) on B16F10 cells. However, significantly higher expression of mutLAMP1 had no effect on galectin-3 binding on cell surface or on spreading or motility of cells on galectin-3-coated coverslips/plates. These cells also failed to show any gain in metastatic ability. This could be because LAMP1 from these cells carried significantly lower levels of polyLacNAc in comparison with B16F10 cells. PolyLacNAc on B16F10 cells and galectin-3 on lungs are the major participants in melanoma metastasis. Although surface LAMP1 promotes interactions with organ ECM and BM, carbohydrates on LAMP1 play a decisive role in dictating lung metastasis.

}, keywords = {6 branched N-oligosaccharides, beta 1, Cell surface LAMP1, Galectin-3, Motility, Organ-specific metastasis, Poly-N-acetyllactosamine}, issn = {0171-5216}, doi = {10.1007/s00432-015-1917-2}, author = {Agarwal, Akhil Kumar and Srinivasan, Nithya and Godbole, Rashmi K. and More, Shyam K. and Budnar, Srikanth and Gude, Rajiv P. and Kalraiya, Rajiv D.} } @article { ISI:000348358200011, title = {Ruthenium(II)-catalyzed switchable C3-alkylation versus alkenylation with acrylates of 2-pyridylbenzofurans via C-H bond activation}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {5}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {114-117}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We documented an interesting observation of ruthenium (II)-catalyzed benzofuran C-H activation and subsequent functionalization with acrylates that reveals that a simple base can switch the process from alkylation to alkenylation.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c4cy01268b}, author = {Kommagalla, Yadagiri and Mullapudi, Venkanna Babu and Francis, Fredi and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000354255400032, title = {SBA-15-oxynitrides as a solid-base catalyst: effect of nitridation temperature on catalytic activity}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {54}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5985-5989}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Solid bases, such as SBA-15-oxynitrides, have attracted considerable interest for potential applications as catalysts in important industrial processes. Reported herein is that by simply tuning the temperature of nitridation (ammonolysis), the catalytic activity of these solid bases can be enhanced. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy and XPS studies provided the reasoning behind this change in activity.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Nanostructures, NMR spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopy, solid-state structures}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201501015}, author = {Singh, Baljeet and Mote, Kaustubh R. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article { ISI:000355317200045, title = {Selective inhibition of miR-21 by phage display screened peptide}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {43}, number = {8}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {4342-4352}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

miRNAs are nodal regulators of gene expression and deregulation of miRNAs is causally associated with different diseases, including cancer. Modulation of miRNA expression is thus of therapeutic importance. Small molecules are currently being explored for their potential to downregulate miRNAs. Peptides have shown to have better potency and selectivity toward their targets but their potential in targeting and modulating miRNAs remain unexplored. Herein, using phage display we found a very selective peptide against pre-miR-21. Interestingly, the peptide has the potential to downregulate miR-21, by binding to pre-miR-21 and hindering Dicer processing. It is selective towards miR-21 inside the cell. By antagonising miR-21 function, the peptide is able to increase the expression of its target proteins and thereby increase apoptosis and suppress cell proliferation, invasion and migration. This peptide can further be explored for its anti-cancer activity in vivo and may be even extended to clinical studies.

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkv185}, author = {Bose, Debojit and Nahar, Smita and Rai, Manish Kumar and Ray, Arjun and Chakraborty, Kausik and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000365401700041, title = {Self-assembly of phospholipids on flat supports}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {46}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {31152-31160}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The current study deals with the self-assembly of phospholipids on flat supports using the Martini coarse grain model. We reported here the effect of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the solid supports on the lipid self-assembly. The hydrophilic and hydrophobic supports were modeled on the basis of water droplet simulations. The present work addresses the self-assembly mechanism of lipids on eight different supports with different strengths of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity. We demonstrated how interplay between the interactions of lipid and water with the support can guide the lipid self-assembly process. Thereafter, we calculated the energetics of the components of the system to quantify the competitions between water and a lipid head-group with hydrophilic supports. Finally, the properties of the self-assembled bilayers were also analyzed and reported here.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp03358f}, author = {Mhashal, Anil R. and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000362964900007, title = {Sequence and structure-based comparative analysis to assess, identify and improve the thermostability of penicillin G acylases}, journal = {Journal of Industrial Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {42}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1493-1506}, publisher = {SPRINGER HEIDELBERG}, address = {TIERGARTENSTRASSE 17, D-69121 HEIDELBERG, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Penicillin acylases are enzymes employed by the pharmaceutical industry for the manufacture of semi-synthetic penicillins. There is a continuous demand for thermostable and alkalophilic enzymes in such applications. We have carried out a computational analysis of known penicillin G acylases (PGAs) in terms of their thermostable nature using various protein-stabilizing factors. While the presence of disulfide bridges was considered initially to screen putative thermostable PGAs from the database, various other factors such as high arginine to lysine ratio, less content of thermolabile amino acids, presence of proline in beta-turns, more number of ion-pair and other non-bonded interactions were also considered for comparison. A modified consensus approach designed could further identify stabilizing residue positions by site-specific comparison between mesostable and thermostable PGAs. A most likely thermostable enzyme identified from the analysis was PGA from Paracoccus denitrificans (PdPGA). This was cloned, expressed and tested for its thermostable nature using biochemical and biophysical experiments. The consensus site-specific sequence-based approach predicted PdPGA to be more thermostable than Escherichia coli PGA, but not as thermostable as the PGA from Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Experimental data showed that PdPGA was comparatively less thermostable than Achromobacter xylosoxidans PGA, although thermostability factors favored a much higher stability. Despite being mesostable, PdPGA being active and stable at alkaline pH is an advantage. Finally, several residue positions could be identified in PdPGA, which upon mutation selectively could improve the thermostability of the enzyme.

}, keywords = {Alkalistable, beta-lactam antibiotics, Consensus approach, Disulfide bridge, Ion pairs, Penicillin acylase, Thermostability}, issn = {1367-5435}, doi = {10.1007/s10295-015-1690-x}, author = {Panigrahi, Priyabrata and Chand, Deepak and Mukherji, Ruchira and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Suresh, C. G.} } @article { ISI:000345054100096, title = {Simple recovery of intracellular gold nanoparticles from peanut seedling roots}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {15}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1575-1581}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Fabrication of inorganic nanomaterials via a biological route witnesses the formation either extracellularly, intracellulary or both. Whereas extracellular formation of these nanomaterials is cherished owing to their easy and economical extraction and purification processes; the intracellular formation of nanomaterials, due to the lack of a proper recovery protocol has always been dreaded, as the extraction processes used so far were tedious, costly, time consuming and often resulting in very low recovery. The aim of the present study was to overcome the problems related with the extraction and recovery of intracellularly synthesized inorganic nanoparticles, and to devise a method to increasing the output, the shape, size, composition and dispersal of nanoparticles is not altered. Water proved to be much better system as it provided well dispersed, stable gold nanoparticles and higher recovery. This is the first report, where intracellular nanoparticles have been recovered using a very cost-effective and eco-friendly approach.

}, keywords = {gold nanoparticles, Peanut, Recovery, Sonication, Water}, issn = {1533-4880}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2015.9046}, author = {Raju, D. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article { ISI:000349384300005, title = {Single crystal-to-single crystal site-selective postsynthetic metal exchange in a Zn-MOF based on semi-rigid tricarboxylic acid and access to bimetallic MOFs}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2759-2765}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The metal ions in a neutral Zn-MOF constructed from tritopic triacid H3L with inherent concave features, rigid core, and peripheral flexibility are found to exist in two distinct SBUs, that is, 0D and 1D. This has allowed site-selective postsynthetic metal exchange (PSME) to be investigated and reactivities of the metal ions in two different environments in coordination polymers to be contrasted for the first time. Site-selective transmetalation of Zn ions in the discrete environment is shown to occur in a single crystal-to-single crystal (SCSC) fashion, with metal ions such as Fe3+, Ru3+, Cu2+, Co2+, etc., whereas those that are part of 1D SBU sustain structural integrity, leading to novel bimetallic MOFs, which are inaccessible by conventional approaches. To the best of our knowledge, site-selective postsynthetic exchange of an intraframework metal ion in a MOF that contains metal ions in discrete as well as polymeric SBUs is heretofore unprecedented.

}, keywords = {coordination polymers, metal-exchange, metal-organic frameworks, Metathesis, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201406098}, author = {Bajpai, Alankriti and Chandrasekhar, Pujari and Govardhan, Savitha and Banerjee, Rahul and Moorthy, Jarugu Narasimha} } @article { ISI:000348147100072, title = {Solid state organic amine detection in a photochromic porous metal organic framework}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {6}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1420-1425}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A new Mg(II) based photochromic porous metal-organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized bearing naphthalenediimide (NDI) chromophoric unit. This MOF (Mg-NDI) shows instant and reversible solvatochromic behavior in presence of solvents with different polarity. Mg-NDI also exhibits fast and reversible photochromism via radical formation. Due to the presence of electron deficient NDI moiety, this MOF exhibits selective organic amine (electron rich) sensing in solid state. The organic amine detection has been confirmed by photoluminescence quenching experiment and visual color change.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/c4sc03224a}, author = {Mallick, Arijit and Garai, Bikash and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Petkov, Petko St. and Heine, Thomas and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {45945, title = {Solvent free one-pot multi-component synthesis of beta-azaarene substituted ketones via a Sn-catalyzed C(sp(3))-H functionalization of 2-alkylazaarenes}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {103091-103094}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A tin-catalyzed solvent free one-pot multi-component cascade reaction strategy for the direct Michael addition/C(sp(3))-H functionalization of 2-alkylazaarenes with aldehydes and ketones via an aldol reaction has been developed. This is the first report and provides cost effective new access to potent biologically/medicinally important azaarene derivatives with high atom economy.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra20728b}, author = {Chavan, Santosh S. and Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article { ISI:000363068700007, title = {Specific reagent for Cr(III): imaging cellular uptake of Cr(III) in Hct116 cells and theoretical rationalization}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {119}, number = {41}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {13018-13026}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A new rhodamine-based reagent (L-1), trapped inside the micellar structure of biologically benign Triton-X 100, could be used for specific recognition of Cr(III) in aqueous buffer medium having physiological pH. This visible light excitable reagent on selective binding to Cr(III) resulted in a strong fluorescence turn-on response with a maximum at similar to 583 nm and tail of that luminescence band extended until 650 nm, an optical response that is desired for avoiding the cellular autofluorescence. Interference studies confirm that other metal ions do not interfere with the detection process of Cr(III) in aqueous buffer medium having pH 7.2. To examine the nature of binding of Cr(III) to L-1, various spectroscopic studies are performed with the model reagent L-1 which tend to support Cr(III)-eta(2)-olefin pi-interactions involving two olefin bonds in molecular probe L-1. Computational studies are also performed with another model reagent L-M to examine the possibility of such Cr(III)-eta(2)-olefin pi-interactions. Presumably, polar functional groups of the model reagent L-M upon coordination to the Cr(III) center effectively reduce the formal charge on the metal ion and this is further substantiated by results of the theoretical studies. This assembly is found to be cell membrane permeable and shows insignificant toxicity toward live colon cancer cells (Hct116). Confocal laser scanning microscopic studies further revealed that the reagent L-1 could be used as an imaging reagent for detection of cellular uptake of Cr(III) in pure aqueous buffer medium by Hct116 cells. Examples of a specific reagent for paramagnetic Cr(III) with luminescence ON response are scanty in the contemporary literature. This ligand design helped us in achieving the turn on response by utilizing the conversion from spirolactam to an acyclic xanthene form on coordination to Cr(III).

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b07565}, author = {Ali, Firoj and Saha, Sukdeb and Maity, Arunava and Taye, Nandaraj and Si, Mrinal Kanti and Suresh, E. and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000348455100007, title = {Spectral analysis of the emission current noise exhibited by few layer WS2 nanosheets emitter}, journal = {Ultramicroscopy}, volume = {149}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {51-57}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Spectral analysis of the field emission (FE) current fluctuations has been carried out at the base pressure similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The emission current stability investigated at preset value of 2 mu A is characterized by {\textquoteleft}step like fluctuation. The spectral analysis performed on a FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) analyzer revealed that the observed noise is of 1/f(alpha) type, with the value of alpha as similar to 1.05. The estimated value of alpha implies that the current fluctuations are mainly due the various processes occurring on atomic scale like adsorption, migration, and/or desorption of the residual gas species on the emitter surface. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Current fluctuations, field emission, Noise, WS2 nanosheets}, issn = {0304-3991}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultramic.2014.10.004}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Kolhe, Pankaj S. and Rout, Chandra S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000346235600046, title = {Spectroscopic and ab initio investigation of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-amine complexes: coexistence of C-H center dot center dot center dot N and lone-pair center dot center dot center dot pi complexes and intermolecular coulombic decay}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {17}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {434-443}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Binary complexes of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene with methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine and triethylamine were investigated using one colour resonant two photon ionization and infrared-optical double resonance spectroscopic techniques combined with high level ab initio calculations. All four amines form C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded complexes. Additionally trimethylamine and triethylamine form complexes characterized by Lp center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, due to the electron deficient nature of the phenyl ring of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene. The Lp center dot center dot center dot pi interacting structure of the 2,6-difluorophenylacetylenetrimethylamine complex is about 1.5 kJ mol(-1) higher in energy than the C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded structure, which is the global minimum. Energy decomposition analysis indicates that the electrostatics and dispersion interactions favour the formation of C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N and Lp center dot center dot center dot pi complexes, respectively. Interestingly the C-Ac-H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen-bonded complex of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-triethylamine showed a smaller shift in the acetylenic C-H stretching frequency than the 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene-trimethylamine complex. The observed fragmentation of the binary complexes of 2,6-difluorophenylacetylene with the four amines following resonant two-photon ionization can be explained on the basis of the intermolecular coulombic decay process.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c4cp03445g}, author = {Mondal, Sohidul Islam and Dey, Arghya and Sen, Saumik and Patwari, G. Naresh and Ghosh, Debashree} } @article {43027, title = {Spirochromone-chalcone conjugates as antitubercular agents: synthesis, bio evaluation and molecular modeling studies}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, abstract = {

A new series of spirochromone annulated chalcone conjugates were synthesized and evaluated for their antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain. These compounds were subjected to molecular modeling studies using docking and chemoinformatics based approaches. The docking simulations were performed against a range of known receptors for chalcone derived compounds to reveal MTB phosphotyrosine phosphatase B [MtbPtpB] protein as the most probable target based on the high binding affinity scores. Five compounds exhibit significant inhibition, showing minimum inhibitory concentration values i.e. MIC values ranging from 3.13{\textendash}12.5 μg mL-1. Further analysis of the synthesized compounds with known and in-house developed chemoinformatics tools unequivocally established their potential as anti-tubercular compounds. QSAR modeling revealed a quantitative relationship between biological activities and frontier molecular orbital energies of synthesized compounds. The predictive model can be employed further for virtual screening of new compounds in this series.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5RA21737G}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Perumal, Yogeeswari and Sriram, D. and Basavanag, U. M. V. and D{\i}az-Cervantes, Erik and Cordoba-Bahena, Luis and Robles, Juvencio and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Vyas, Renu and Krishnan, M. Muthu} } @article { ISI:000354067400001, title = {Stable field emission from layered MoS2 nanosheets in high vacuum and observation of 1/f noise}, journal = {Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology}, volume = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {10}, publisher = {INTECH EUROPE}, address = {JANEZA TRDINE 9, RIJEKA, 51000, CROATIA}, abstract = {

Field emission and current noise of hydrothermally synthesized MoS2 nanosheets are investigated in ultra-high-vacuum and industrially suited high-vacuum conditions. The study reveals that the emission turn-on field is pressure dependent. Moreover, the MoS2 nanosheets exhibit more stable field-electron emission in high-vacuum than in ultra-high-vacuum conditions. The investigations on field-emission current fluctuations show features of 1/f-type noise in ultra-high-vacuum and high-vacuum conditions, attributed to adsorption and desorption processes. The post-field-emission results indicate the MoS2 nanosheets are a robust field emitter in high-vacuum conditions.

}, keywords = {Electron emission, layered materials, MoS2, Noise measurement, Raman spectroscopy}, issn = {1847-9804}, doi = {10.5772/60071}, author = {Kashid, Ranjit V. and Joag, Pracheetee D. and Thripuranthaka, M. and Rout, Chandra S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000348309800003, title = {Structural features of diverse Pin-II proteinase inhibitor genes from capsicum annuum}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {241}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {319-331}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

The proteinase inhibitor (PI) genes from Capsicum annuum were characterized with respect to their UTR, introns and promoter elements. The occurrence of PIs with circularly permuted domain organization was evident. Several potato inhibitor II (Pin-II) type proteinase inhibitor (PI) genes have been analyzed from Capsicum annuum (L.) with respect to their differential expression during plant defense response. However, complete gene characterization of any of these C. annuum PIs (CanPIs) has not been carried out so far. Complete gene architectures of a previously identified CanPI-7 (Beads-on-string, Type A) and a member of newly isolated Bracelet type B, CanPI-69 are reported in this study. The 5{\textquoteright} UTR (untranslated region), 3{\textquoteright}UTR, and intronic sequences of both the CanPI genes were obtained. The genomic sequence of CanPI-7 exhibited, exon 1 (49 base pair, bp) and exon 2 (740 bp) interrupted by a 294-bp long type I intron. We noted the occurrence of three multi-domain PIs (CanPI-69, 70, 71) with circularly permuted domain organization. CanPI-69 was found to possess exon 1 (49 bp), exon 2 (551 bp) and a 584-bp long type I intron. The upstream sequence analysis of CanPI-7 and CanPI-69 predicted various transcription factor-binding sites including TATA and CAAT boxes, hormone-responsive elements (ABRELATERD1, DOFCOREZM, ERELEE4), and a defense-responsive element (WRKY71OS). Binding of transcription factors such as zinc finger motif MADS-box and MYB to the promoter regions was confirmed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay followed by mass spectrometric identification. The 3{\textquoteright} UTR analysis for 25 CanPI genes revealed unique/distinct 3{\textquoteright} UTR sequence for each gene. Structures of three domain CanPIs of type A and B were predicted and further analyzed for their attributes. This investigation of CanPI gene architecture will enable the better understanding of the genetic elements present in CanPIs.

}, keywords = {CanPI, Capsicum, Gene architecture, Promoter, Proteinase inhibitor}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-014-2177-0}, author = {Mahajan, Neha S. and Dewangan, Veena and Lomate, Purushottam R. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Mishra, Manasi and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000360002300005, title = {Studies on melt processable biocomposites of polylactic acid}, journal = {Journal of Polymers and the Environment}, volume = {23}, number = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {321-333}, publisher = {SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Melt processable microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were successfully prepared by twin-screw extrusion. Several characterization techniques were used to investigate the effect of MCC on rheological behavior, morphology, crystallization and melting behavior of the PLA and structure-property correlation of the MCC/PLA composites has been established. Rheological measurements showed that the addition of MCC has a dramatic influence on the low frequency relaxations of PLA chains and above 5 \% of MCC, it forms percolated network structure. Differential scanning calorimeter analysis showed that MCC acted as nucleating agent enhancing crystallization below the percolation concentration. Properties of MCC/PLA composites have been compared with that of talc and CaCO3 filled composites. Talc is found to be more effective in crystallizing PLA than MCC and CaCO3. MCC/PLA composites are found be melt processable like that of talc and CaCO3 filled PLA composites.

}, keywords = {Biopolymers, composites, Rheological properties, Structure-property relationship}, issn = {1566-2543}, doi = {10.1007/s10924-014-0668-5}, author = {Joseph, Seena and Deenadayalan, E. and Mahanwar, Prakash A.} } @conference { ISI:000354845400033, title = {Study of molecular vibration by coupled cluster method: bosonic approach}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering 2010 (ICCMSE-2010)}, series = {AIP Conference Proceedings}, volume = {1642}, year = {2015}, note = {International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE), Kos, GREECE, OCT 03-08, 2010}, month = {FEB}, pages = {227-230}, publisher = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, organization = {European Soc Computat Methods Sci, Engn \& Technol}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, STE 1NO1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

The vibrational coupled cluster method in bosonic representation is formulated to describe the molecular anharmonic vibrational spectra. The vibrational coupled cluster formalism is based on Watson Hamiltonian in normal coordinates. The vibrational excited states are described using coupled cluster linear response theory (CCLRT). The quality of the coupled cluster wave function is analyzed. Specifically, the mean displacement values of the normal coordinates and expectation values of the square of the normal coordinates of different vibrational states are calculated. A good agreement between the converged full CI results and coupled cluster results is found for the lower lying vibrational states.

}, keywords = {CCLRT, Expectation values, Watson Hamiltonian}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1282-8}, issn = {0094-243X}, doi = {10.1063/1.4906658}, author = {Banik, Subrata and Pal, Sourav and Prasad, M. Durga}, editor = {Simos, TE and Maroulis, G} } @article { ISI:000365602800014, title = {Study on fused/cast AZS refractories for deployment in vitrification of radioactive waste effluents}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials}, volume = {467}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {144-154}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Fused/cast Al2O3-ZrO2-SiO2 (FC-AZS){\textquoteright} is being considered as {\textquoteleft}glass contact refractory{\textquoteright} within ceramic melters, to be used for nuclear waste immobilization. Microstructural analyses reveal random distributions of baddeleyite (ZrO2) within aluminosilicate (Al2SiO5) matrix. Al-27 and Si-29 NMR data suggest that within aluminosilicate matrix Al occurs in both 4- and 6-fold co-ordinations whereas Si prefers a 4-fold environment. Polydispersity of pores has been studied with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) technique. Corrosion rates of FC-AZS within 6 M HNO3, simulated wastes (500 h exposure), and borosilicate melt (975 degrees C, 800 h exposure) are found to be 0.38 x 10(3) mu my(-1), 0.13 x 10(3) mu my(-1) and 4.75 x 10(3) mu my(-1) respectively. A comparison of chemical interaction data clearly suggests that FC-AZS exhibits better chemical durability than AZC refractory (Al2O3-ZrO2-Cr2O3, also used for similar purpose). Thermal cycling studies indicate that FC-AZS retains structural integrity (including compressive strength and density) even up to 20 cycles. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Interaction between refractory material and hazardous liquid, Nuclear waste immobilization, Vitrification melter}, issn = {0022-3115}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2015.09.019}, author = {Sengupta, Pranesh and Mishra, Raman K. and Soudamini, N. and Sen, D. and Mazumder, S. and Kaushik, Chetan P. and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Banerjee, K.} } @article {45886, title = {Supported imidazole as heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN }, pages = {201-205}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Imidazole anchored onto a silica matrix, by means of a propyl linkage, is found to be an effective heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2 in near quantitative yield. The versatility of this catalyst is demonstrated by using different substrates (epichlorohydrin, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and styrene oxide) for this cycloaddition reaction. These CO2 insertion reactions were typically carried out in the temperature range of 343 to 403 K at 0.6 MPa CO2 pressure under solvent-free conditions. Several spectroscopic methods were used to characterize the catalyst and study the integrity of the fresh and spent catalysts. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anchored imidazole, CO2 utilization, cyclic carbonates, epoxides}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2014.10.026}, author = {Sankar, Meenakshisundaram and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Sankar, Gopinathan and Manikandan, Palanichamy} } @article {43034, title = {Swarm and swim motilities of salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium and role of osmoregulated periplasmic glucans}, journal = {Microbiol Discov}, volume = {3}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {3-6}, doi = {10.7243/2052-6180-3-3}, author = {Dharne, Mahesh S. and Kannan, Porteen and Murphy, Charles and Smith, Allen and Bhagwat, Arvind A.} } @article { ISI:000354910500021, title = {Switching closed-shell to open-shell phenalenyl: toward designing electroactive materials}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {137}, number = {18}, year = {2015}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5955-5960}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Open-shell phenalenyl chemistry started more than half a century back, and the first solid-state phenalenyl radical was realized only 15 years ago highlighting the synthetic challenges associated in stabilizing carbon-based radical chemistry, though it has great promise as building blocks for molecular electronics and multifunctional materials. Alternatively; stable closed-shell phenalenyl has tremendous potential as it can be utilized, to create an in situ open-shell state by external spin injection. In the present study, we have designed a closed-shell phenalenyl-based iron(III) complex, Fe-III(PLY)(3) (PLY-H = 9-hydroxyphenalenone) displaying an excellent electrocatalytic property as cathode material for one compartment membraneless H2O2 fuel cell. The power density output Of Fe-III(PLY)(3) is nearly 15-fold higher than the structurally related model compound Fe-III(acac)(3) (acac = acetylacetonate) and nearly 140-fold higher than an earlier reported mononuclear Fe(III) complex; Fe-III(Pc)Cl (Pc = pthalocyaninate), highlighting the role of switchable closed-shell phenalenyl moiety for electron-transfer process in designing electroactive materials.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b00272}, author = {Pariyar, Anand and Vijaykumar, Gonela and Bhunia, Mrinal and Dey, Suman Kr. and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Mandal, Swadhin K.} } @article { ISI:000358338300003, title = {Synthesis and antifungal potential of 1,2,3-triazole and 1,2,4-triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {54}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {908-917}, publisher = {COUNCIL SCIENTIFIC \& INDUSTRIAL RES}, address = {ANUSANDHAN BHAWAN, 2 RAFI MARG, NEW DELHI, 110001, INDIA}, abstract = {

beta-Methoxyacrylate group is an important pharmacophore of commercially used strobilurin fungicides. In the present study, a total of seventeen 1,2,4-triazole thiols 8a-h and 1,2,3-triazole substituted 10a-i strobilurin derivatives have been synthesized. 1,2,4-Triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives 8a-h have been found to inhibit the growth of plant pathogens such as Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe grisea, Drechslera oryzae and human pathogens Aspergillus fumigatus and different strains of Cryptococcus neoformans, with MIC in the range of 16-256 mu g/mL. In case of Candida albicans tested strain, the MIC is \> 256 mu g/mL. p-Chlorophenyl substituted 1,2,4-triazole thiol strobiulrin derivative 8e is the most potent inhibitor with MIC of 16-64 mu g/mL against most of the tested pathogens. Antifungal action of the compounds is due to inhibition of mitochondrial respiration. In the resazurin reduction assay, EC50 for inhibition of RZ reduction in D. oryzae by azoxystrobin and 8e are 3.42 +/- 0.03 mu g/mL and 3.63 +/- 0.21 mu g/mL, respectively; while in case of C. neoformans, EC50,, of azoxystrobin and 8e are between 0.65-0.85 mu g/mL. In a non-pathogenic model Benjaminiella poitrasii, though the MIC for all the synthesized compounds 8a-h and 10a-i are \> 256 mu g/ml, yeast to hypha transition is inhibited in the range of 21-75\% at 4 mu g/mL concentration while EC50 for inhibition of RZ reduction by azoxystrobin and 8e are 31.5 +/- 0.4 mu g/mL and 17.95 +/- 0.7 mu g/mL, respectively. The 50\% germ tube formation inhibition in case of C. albicans is observed at 108.49 mu g/mL. 1,2,4-Triazole thiol substituted strobilurin derivatives hold promise for the control of pathogenic fungi in agriculture and health care.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-triazole strobilurin, 4-triazole thiol strobilurin, antifungal, Strobilurin, Y-H transition inhibition}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Chaudhary, Preeti M. and Tupe, Santosh G. and Jorwekar, Shweta U. and Sant, Duhita G. and Deshpande, Sunita R. and Maybhate, Shailaja P. and Likhite, Anjali P. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article { ISI:000363841700011, title = {Synthesis and characterization of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyimides}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {38}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1553-1559}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Non-symmetrical and linear dyad-based mesogens were synthesised containing imine or ester bridging group. In the present work, due to the absence of branching in diamine-based mesogen, the structure has-rigidity inversely imine/ester bridging groups between two benzene rings imparts-flexible property to the mesogen and consequently rigid-flexible property has been balanced. The synthesised mesogens were characterized by different techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) were synthesised using pyromellitic dianhydride and 4-[(4-aminobenzylidene)amino]aniline or 4-aminophenyl-4-aminobenzoate. Subsequently, thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) have also been evaluated to obtain optical microscopy textures at different temperatures which demonstrated interesting and notable changes. It is worth noting that marble-like textures were observed upto 200A degrees C.

}, keywords = {Diamine, liquid crystalline polymer, mesogen, optical microscopy textures, pyromellitic dianhydride}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-015-0975-z}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000365710500009, title = {Synthesis, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial screening of newer thiophene-fused arylpyrazolyl 1,3,4-oxadiazoles}, journal = {Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements}, volume = {190}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1803-1813}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of newer 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives 3a-h, 5a-h containing a thiophene fused with pyrazole moiety of pharmacological significance have been synthesized. The compounds were characterized by H-1 NMR, IR, and mass spectral techniques. The compounds were screened for their in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Among them, Compounds 3b (EC50-14.98) and 3f (EC50-12.21) showed significant antioxidant activity. Compound 3a (EC50-15.23) showed good anti-inflammatory activity. Compound 3d was found as the most active derivative against bacterial and fungal strains.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, EC50, Thiophene-fused pyrazole}, issn = {1042-6507}, doi = {10.1080/10426507.2015.1024784}, author = {Mahajan, Pravin S. and Nikam, Mukesh and Chate, Asha and Nimbalkar, Urja and Patil, Vrushali and Bobade, Anil and Chaudhari, Abhay and Deolankar, Dattatray and Javale, Balasaheb and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article {45927, title = {Synthesis, characterization of thiolated karaya gum and evaluation of effect of pH on its mucoadhesive and sustained release properties}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {130}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT }, pages = {183-190}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Present study aims at synthesis and characterization of thiolated gum karaya by reacting karaya gum with 80\% thioglycolic acid resulting in esterification and immobilization of thiol groups on polymeric backbone. Immobilized thiol groups were found to be 5.026 mM/g determined by Ellman{\textquoteright}s method. It was characterized by FTIR, DSC and XRD. Directly compressible tablets prepared using thiolated gum displayed more disintegration time, swelling and mucoadhesion with increase in pH of medium simulating gastric and intestinal environment than plain gum. Controlled drug release for more than 24h by Fickian diffusion following Korsemeyer-Peppas model was observed with Metoprolol Succinate as a model drug as compared to plain gum which released more than 90\% of the drug within 2 h. Synthesized thiomer showed no cytotoxicity determined using HepG2 cell line. According to these results, thiolated gum karaya seems to be promising excipient for the development of mucoadhesive drug delivery systems. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2015.04.064}, author = {Bahulkar, Swati S. and Munot, Neha M. and Surwase, Sachin S.} } @article { ISI:000355856200084, title = {Synthesis, DNA interaction and anticancer activity of 2-anthryl substituted benzimidazole derivatives}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {39}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {4882-4890}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

2-Anthryl benzimidazole derivatives (5-7) with hydrogen, carboxyl and benzoyl substituents at the 5th position have been synthesized using a silica supported periodic acid catalyst. The DNA cleavage activity of 5-7 was studied in the presence of light using pBR322 plasmid DNA and was shown to vary with substitution at the 5th position of benzimidazole derivatives. DNA binding studies using ethidium bromide displacement assay demonstrated the non-intercalative binding mode of 5-7. The anticancer activity of these target molecules was tested against MCF-7 and HL-60 cell lines, and they exhibited remarkable activity in the micromolar range. Cellular uptake and morphological changes were confirmed by fluorescence and confocal microscopy. A molecular docking study was carried out to explore the DNA binding mechanism of 5-7.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c4nj02415j}, author = {Sontakke, Vyankat A. and Kate, Anup N. and Ghosh, Sougata and More, Piyush and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kumbhar, Navanath M. and Kumbhar, Anupa A. and Chopade, Balu Ananda and Shinde, Vaishali S.} } @proceedings {42929, title = {Synthesis of GdB6 nanostructures using nanosecond (Nd: YAG) laser: field emission investigation}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {122-123}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Guangzhou, Peoples R China}, abstract = {

We herein report field emission characteristics of GdB6 nanostructures grown directly on a pellet via laser processing (laser fluence similar to 6 J/cm(2)). The laser processed GdB6 pellet was characterized by X-ray diffraction, which revealed no change in phase upon laser processing. The values of the turn-on field required to draw emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be similar to 2.95 V/mu m, for the laser processed GdB6 emitter. Furthermore, the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot exhibits non-linear behavior over the entire range of applied field and the field enhancement factor (beta) calculated from slope of the F-N plot (low field region) was found to be similar to 543. The emission current stability over a period of 3h was observed to be fairly good. The observed results demonstrate that laser processing can be efficiently used to make GdB6 nanostructure emitter having potential for practical applications.

}, author = {Suryawanshi, S. R. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Singh, Anil K. and Sinha, S.} } @article { ISI:000354438400001, title = {Tale of RNA G-quadruplex}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {13}, number = {20}, year = {2015}, month = {APR}, pages = {5570-5585}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

G-quadruplexes are non-canonical secondary structures found in guanine rich regions of DNA and RNA. Reports have indicated the wide occurrence of RNA G-quadruplexes across the transcriptome in various regions of mRNAs and non-coding RNAs. RNA G-quadruplexes have been implicated in playing an important role in translational regulation, mRNA processing events and maintenance of chromosomal end integrity. In this review, we summarize the structural and functional aspects of RNA G-quadruplexes with emphasis on recent progress to understand the protein/trans factors binding these motifs. With the revelation of the importance of these secondary structures as regulatory modules in biology, we have also evaluated the various advancements towards targeting these structures and the challenges associated with them. Apart from this, numerous potential applications of this secondary motif have also been discussed.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c4ob02681k}, author = {Agarwala, Prachi and Pandey, Satyaprakash and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000354735600005, title = {Theoretical insight of nitric oxide adsorption on neutral and charged Pd-n (n=1-5) clusters}, journal = {International Journal of Quantum Chemistry}, volume = {115}, number = {13}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {837-845}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations within the framework of generalized gradient approximation have been used to systematically investigate the adsorption of nitric oxide (NO) molecule on neutral, cationic, and anionic Pd-n (n=1-5) clusters. NO coordinate to one Pd atom of the cluster by the end-on mode, where the tilted end-on structure is more favorable due to the additional electron in the * orbital. On the contrary, in the neutral and cationic Pd-2 system, NO coordinates to the bridge site of cluster preferably by the side-on mode. Charge transfer between Pd clusters and NO molecule and the corresponding weakening of NO bond is an essential factor for the adsorption. The NO stretching frequency follow the order of cationic\>neutral\>anionic. Binding energy of NO on anionic clusters is found to be greater than those of neutral and cationic clusters. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, electronic property, geometric configuration, NO adsorption, small palladium cluster}, issn = {0020-7608}, doi = {10.1002/qua.24914}, author = {Begum, Pakiza and Gogoi, Pranjal and Mishra, Bhupesh Kumar and Deka, Ramesh Chandra} } @article { ISI:000363005100025, title = {Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from bis-(4-hydroxybenzoyloxy)-2-methyl-1,4-benzene and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {38}, number = {5}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1301-1308}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

A series of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from bis-(4-hydroxybenzoyloxy)-2-methyl-1,4-benzene(BHBOMB) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides were investigated. All these polyesters were synthesized by interfacial polycondensation method and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffractometer. These polyesters consist of BHBOMB as a mesogenic diol and aliphatic diacid chlorides were used as flexible spacers. The length of oligomethylene units in polymer was varied from the trimethylene to the dodecamethylene groups. The transition temperatures and thermodynamic properties were studied for all these polymers. All these polyesters were soluble in chlorinated solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, dichloroethane, etc. More importantly, all these polyesters exhibited very large mesophase stability.

}, keywords = {dicarboxylic acid chloride, interfacial polycondensation, Liquid crystalline polyesters, rigid diol, thermotropic}, issn = {0250-4707}, author = {Mulani, Khudbudin Baban and Momin, Mohasin Shamshuddin and Ganjave, Nitin V. and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000350763600017, title = {Total and semi-syntheses of antimicrobial thuggacin derivatives}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {21}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4272-4284}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {BOSCHSTRASSE 12, D-69469 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The total and semi-synthesis of 13 new macrolactones derived from thuggacin, which is a secondary metabolite from the myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum, are reported. The thuggacins have attracted much attention due to their strong antibacterial activity, particularly towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This study focuses on 1) thuggacin derivatives that cannot equilibrate by transacylation between the three natural thuggacins A-C, 2) the roles of the thiazole ring, and 3) the hexyl side chain at C2. Semi-synthetic O-methylation at C17 suppressed the transacylations without a substantial loss of antibacterial activity. Exchanging the C17-C25 side chain for simplified hydrophobic chains led to complete loss of antibacterial activity. Exchange of the thiazole by an oxazole ring or removal of the hexyl side chain at C2 had no substantial effect on the biological properties.

}, keywords = {antibiotics, lactones, Natural products, synthesis design, Total synthesis}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201405874}, author = {Franke, Jana and Bock, Martin and Dehn, Richard and Fohrer, Joerg and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Migliorini, Antonella and Kanakis, Argyrios A. and Jansen, Rolf and Herrmann, Jennifer and Mueller, Rolf and Kirschning, Andreas} } @article { ISI:000356549600021, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {56}, number = {25}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3933-3935}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol establishing its absolute configuration has been accomplished. The strategy developed employs easily accessible carbohydrate building blocks and comprises flexible and scalable chemistry that allowed the synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol along with its three diastereomers varying the stereochemistry mainly at C5 and/or C6. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Glucose diacetonide, Petromyroxol, Pheromone, Sea Lamprey, Total synthesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.04.129}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkanna Babu and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @proceedings {42928, title = {Transition metal di-chalcogenides and their nanocomposite prospective field emitters}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {98-99}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th ST, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {Guangzhou, Peoples R China}, abstract = {

Layered structured transition metal di-chalcogenides has attracted researchers as a substitute of graphene and its forms for various applications. In an attempt to explore field emission properties of these graphene analogues, synthesis and field emission behaviour of a few layered transition metal di-chalcogenides (TMDs) VS2, MoS2, MoO3 have been investigated at a base pressure of 1x 10(-8) mbar. Furthermore, to improve the field emission properties, composites with RGO and respective oxides were synthesized and compared with the pristine ones. The TMDs and their composites is synthesized employing hydrothermal synthesis route. The preliminary results show that these TMD{\textquoteright}s and their composites, when synthesized in a controlled manner, can serve as potential field emitters for future field emission based devices.

}, author = {Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000363389400005, title = {Transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer annulations: access to heterocyclic scaffolds}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {54}, number = {38}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11022-11034}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The ability of hydrogen-transfer transition-metal catalysts, which enable increasingly rapid access to important structural scaffolds from simple starting materials, has led to a plethora of research efforts on the construction of heterocyclic scaffolds. Transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogen-transfer annulations are environmentally benign and highly atom-economical as they release of water and hydrogen as by-product and utilize renewable feedstock alcohols as starting materials. Recent advances in this field with respect to the annulations of alcohols with various nucleophilic partners, thus leading to the formation of heterocyclic scaffolds, are highlighted herein.

}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201503247}, author = {Nandakumar, Avanashiappan and Midya, Siba Prasad and Landge, Vinod Gokulkrishna and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article { ISI:000360677400002, title = {Triterpenoid profiling and functional characterization of the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in neem (Azadirachta indica)}, journal = {BMC Plant Biology}, volume = {15}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 214}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is one of the richest sources of skeletally diverse triterpenoids and they are well-known for their broad-spectrum pharmacological and insecticidal properties. However, the abundance of Neem triterpenoids varies among the tissues. Here, we delineate quantitative profiling of fifteen major triterpenoids across various tissues including developmental stages of kernel and pericarp, flower, leaf, stem and bark using UPLC-ESI (+)-HRMS based profiling. Transcriptome analysis was used to identify the initial genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Based on transcriptome analysis, two short-chain prenyltransferases and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized. Results: Quantitative profiling revealed differential abundance of both total and individual triterpenoid content across various tissues. RNA from tissues with high triterpenoid content (fruit, flower and leaf) were pooled to generate 79.08 million paired-end reads using Illumina GA.. platform. 41,140 transcripts were generated by d e novo assembly. Transcriptome annotation led to the identification of the putative genes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis. Two short-chain prenyltransferases, geranyl diphosphate synthase (AiGDS) and farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS) and squalene synthase (AiSQS) were cloned and functionally characterized using transcriptome data. RT-PCR studies indicated five-fold and ten-fold higher relative expression level of AiSQS in fruits as compared to leaves and flowers, respectively. Conclusions: Triterpenoid profiling indicated that there is tissue specific variation in their abundance. The mature seed kernel and initial stages of pericarp were found to contain the highest amount of limonoids. Furthermore, a wide diversity of triterpenoids, especially C-seco triterpenoids were observed in kernel as compared to the other tissues. Pericarp, flower and leaf contained mainly ring-intact triterpenoids. The initial genes such as AiGDS, AiFDS and AiSQS involved in the isoprenoids biosynthesis have been functionally characterized. The expression levels of AiFDS and AiSQS were found to be in correlation with the total triterpenoid content in individual tissues.

}, keywords = {Azadirachta indica, Quantitative profiling, Transcriptome, Triterpenoids}, issn = {1471-2229}, doi = {10.1186/s12870-015-0593-3}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Dandekar, Devdutta S. and Haldar, Saikat and Uttara, Vairagkar and Vijayshree, Shinde G. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article { ISI:000355656000012, title = {Tuning magnetic behavior of nanoscale cobalt sulfide and its nanocomposite with an engineering thermoplastic}, journal = {Journal of Electronic Materials}, volume = {44}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2308-2311}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Nanocomposites containing magnetic nanoparticles embedded in a polymer matrix with good thermal stability (up to 200A degrees C) are technologically important. We report an environmentally benign solid-solid approach for synthesis of cobalt sulfide and its nanocomposite using a thermally stable matrix of polyphenylene sulfide. Physicochemical characterizations reveal the formation of nanoclusters of the hexagonal phase CoS. Even though bulk CoS is nonmagnetic, magnetization studies exhibit anomalous magnetic behavior for phase-pure nanoscale CoS and its nanocomposites.

}, keywords = {Nanocomposite, polyphenylene sulfide, Solid-solid reaction, superparamagnetic}, issn = {0361-5235}, doi = {10.1007/s11664-015-3753-1}, author = {Rumale, Narendra and Arbuj, Sudhir S. and Umarji, Govind and Shinde, Manish and Mulik, Uttam P. and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P.} } @article { ISI:000348366500030, title = {Tuning of multiple luminescence outputs and white-light emission from a single gelator molecule through an ESIPT coupled AIEE process}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {51}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2130-2133}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A unique example of an ESIPT coupled AIEE process, associated with a single molecule (1), is utilized for generating multiple luminescent colors (blue-green-white-yellow). The J-aggregated state of 1 forms a luminescent gel in THF and this luminescent property is retained even in the solid state.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c4cc09211b}, author = {Maity, Arunava and Ali, Firoj and Agarwalla, Hridesh and Anothumakkool, Bihag and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000349942400010, title = {Ultrafast electron injection, hole transfer, and charge recombination dynamics in cdse QD super-sensitized Re(I)-polypyridyl complexes with catechol and resorcinol moiety: effect of coupling}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {119}, number = {7}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3522-3529}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ultrafast charge-transfer dynamics have been demonstrated in CdSe quantum dots (QD) using two Re(I)-polypyridyl complexes having pendent catechol (Re1,2) and resorcinol (Re1,3) as the sensitizer molecules. The energy level diagram of CdSe QD and Re1,2 and Re1,3 sensitizer reveals that photoexcited hole of CdSe QD can be transferred to both Re1,2 and Re1,3 molecule, and photoexcited Re1,2 and Re1,3 can inject electron in the conduction band, which has been confirmed by steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence studies with selective photoexcitation. Femtosecond transient absorption studies have been carried out to monitor charge-transfer dynamics in early time scale. Transient absorption spectra show formation of cation radicals for both Re1,2 and Re1,3 in the 550-650 nm region with a peak at 590 nm region and broad absorption in the 650-1000 nm region, which can be attributed to photoexcited electron in the conduction band of CdSe QD. Charge recombination was determined by monitoring the decay of cation radicals as well as decay of an electron and found to be slower in the Re1,3/CdSe system as compared to that of the Re1,2/CdSe system, which is due to weaker electronic coupling in the former system.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/jp5122068}, author = {Debnath, Tushar and Maity, Partha and Banerjee, Tanmay and Das, Amitava and Ghosh, Hirendra N.} } @article { ISI:000363417900029, title = {Ultra-thin V2O5 nanosheet based humidity sensor, photodetector and its enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {108}, year = {2015}, month = {OCT}, pages = {88796-88804}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report the synthesis of V2O5 nanosheets by a simple hydrothermal method. The as synthesized V2O5 nanosheets were characterized by Raman spectroscopy, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The humidity sensing behaviors were investigated in the range of 11-97\% relative humidity (RH) at room temperature. The maximum sensitivity of 45.3\%, response time of similar to 4 min and recovery time of similar to 5 min were observed for the V2O5 nanosheet based sensor. We also demonstrated the V2O5 nanosheets as an ultra-violet photodetector with a sensing response time of similar to 65 s and recovery time of similar to 75 s with a maximum photoresponsivity of similar to 6.2\%. Further, we have also carried out field emission (FE) investigations of V2O5 nanosheets under a planar {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Diode{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} assembly in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber at a base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn on fields required to draw field emission current densities of 1 mu A cm(-2) and 10 mu A cm(-2) are found to be 1.15 V mu m(-1) and 1.72 V mu m(-1), respectively. We achieved a maximum field emission current density of 1.532 mA cm(-2) at an applied electric field of 3.2 V mu m(-1). The field enhancement factors calculated from the slope of the Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plot are found to be 8530 and 3530 at low field and high field regions, respectively. Our results open up several avenues towards the successful utilization of V2O5 nanosheets and other metal oxide nanosheets for various nanoelectronics device applications including sensors, photodetector and flat panel displays.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra17253e}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000347302000013, title = {Vanadium in borosilicate glass}, journal = {Journal of the American Ceramic Society}, volume = {98}, number = {1}, year = {2015}, month = {JAN}, pages = {88-96}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Understanding the role of V2O5 within borosilicate glass matrices is important for the development of novel matrices toward immobilization of sulfate containing high-level nuclear wastes. Present investigation shows, within sodium barium borosilicate glass matrix V2O5 can be homogeneously added up to 5mol\% and beyond which it separates out into three phases, for example, (i) silica (ii) Barium (Ba) - Vanadium (V) oxide, and (iii) glass matrix. Si-29 MAS NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) studies of the samples show that below 5mol\% V2O5 addition, silicate network is dominantly constituted of Q(2) and Q(3) structural units, whereas above this, the network gets more polymerized through formation of Q(3) and Q(4) units. In case of borate network, B-11 MAS NMR investigations revealed that the concentration of BO4 [(0B, 4Si)] unit increases gradually up to 5mol\% and then it decreases at the cost of BO4 [(1B, 3Si)], BO3 (symmetric) and BO3 (asymmetric) units. Micro-Raman analyses of the samples showed that with additions of V2O5 in diluted concentrations, amorphous silicate network remained unaltered, whereas some amplification in signals corresponding to ring-type metaborate and VO5 units exists. It is therefore apparent from both MAS-NMR and micro-Raman studies that with V2O5 additions within the solubility limit (5mol\%), borate network gets depolymerized leading to decrease in hardness from an average value of 5.0-4.2GPa.

}, issn = {0002-7820}, doi = {10.1111/jace.13303}, author = {Sengupta, Pranesh and Dey, Krishna K. and Halder, Rumu and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Abraham, Geogy and Mishra, Raman K. and Kaushik, Chetan P. and Dey, Goutam K.} } @article { ISI:000359136500056, title = {Vapour-liquid-solid growth of one-dimensional In2Se3 nanostructures and their promising field emission behaviour}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {5}, number = {80}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {65274-65282}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Single crystalline ultra long In2Se3 nanowires have been grown by employing a single step facile thermal evaporation route under optimized conditions on Au/Si wafers, and morphology dependent field emission investigations on the In2Se3 nanostructure at the base pressure -1 x 10(-8) mbar are explored. In addition, structural and morphological analysis of as-synthesized In2Se3 nanostructures has been carried out using XRD, SEM and TEM. A plausible explanation of the vapor-solid-liquid (VLS) growth mechanism based on the experimental results and reported literature has been presented. Furthermore, field emission measurements demonstrate remarkably enhanced emission behaviour, which is explained on the basis of the field enhancement factor and aspect ratio of the nanostructures. The synthesized In25e3 nanowire emitter delivers a very high current density of -1.2 mA cm(-2) at an applied electric field of -6.33 cm(-1). The present results demonstrate In2Se3 as an important candidate for potential applications in nano/micro-electronic devices.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra10160c}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000355360200058, title = {Vitellibacter nionensis sp nov., isolated from a shallow water hydrothermal vent}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {65}, number = {2}, year = {2015}, month = {FEB}, pages = {692-697}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A novel, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped yellow bacterium, designated VBW088(T) was isolated from a shallow water hydrothermal vent in Espalamaca in the Azores. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain VBW088(T) clustered with three type strains of species of the genus Vitellibacter and exhibited a sequence similarity of 97.3\% with Vitellibacter soesokkakensis RSSK-12(T). However, strain VBW088(T) and V. soesokkakensis RSSK-12(T) exhibited low DNA-DNA relatedness (12.7 +/- 3.5 \%). Strain VBW088(T) was positive for catalase and oxidase. Growth occurred at 10-37 degrees C, with the optimum at 80 degrees C, and at pH 6.0-8.0 (optimum pH 6.0) and in up to 5\% (w/v) NaCl with optimum growth at 1-2\% (w/v) NaCl. The major fatty acids (\>10\%) were iso-C-15:0 (33.5\%) and iso-C-17:0 3-OH (32.0\%). The polar lipids detected in strain VBW088(T) consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and three unidentified phospholipids. The DNA G+C content of strain VBW088(T) was 36.7 mol\%. On the basis of phylogenetic inference, DNA-DNA relatedness, chemotaxonomic analysis and physiological data, the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Vitellibacter, for which the name Vitellibacter nionensis sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain as VBW088(T). (=KCTC 32420(T)=MCC 2354(T)).

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijs.0.070805-0}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Mohandass, Chellandi and Yoon, Jung-Hoon and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Liu, Qing and Thi-Nhan Khieu and Chu Ky Son and Li, Wen-Jun and Colaco, Ana} } @article { ISI:000365445500001, title = {Water-promoted diels-alder reaction in quaternary ammonium salts}, journal = {Journal of Physical Organic Chemistry}, volume = {28}, number = {11}, year = {2015}, month = {NOV}, pages = {665-673}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

{Prevailing classification of salts based on their effect in solubility and stability of proteins in aqueous solution predicts that tetraalkylammonium salts, guanidinium chloride (GnCl), LiClO4 act as salting-in (S/I) and LiCl, NaCl act as salting-out (S/O) in aqueous conditions. In the same context the behaviour of GnCl, LiClO4 and LiCl are contradictory in polar solvents like ethylene glycol and formamide. In these solvents, expected salt effect shows just opposite nature from their usual expectation. However, in the aqueous solution salts like tetraalkylammonium halide (R4NX

}, keywords = {Delta G(solvation), Diels-Alder reaction, k(s), kinetic study, solubility, tetraalkylammonium salts, viscosity}, issn = {0894-3230}, doi = {10.1002/poc.3469}, author = {Nagare, Amit S. and Manna, Arpan and Sonawane, Pramod D. and Kumar, Anil} } @article {42699, title = {Well-defined palladium(II) complexes for ligand enabled C(sp3)-alkynylation}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {44}, year = {2015}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15382-15386}, abstract = {

The first example of ligand-enabled C(sp3)-alkynylation of 8-methylquinoline is reported. The reaction is catalysed by well-defined Pd(II) complexes. The present C(sp3)-alkynylation has a broad substrate scope as well as functional group tolerance and proceeds efficiently under mild conditions.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5DT02772A}, author = {Landge, Vinod Gokulkrishna and Sahoo, Manoj Kumar and Midya, Siba Prasad and Jaiswal, Garima and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article { ISI:000362106000010, title = {What will it take for Indian science, technology and innovation to make global impact?}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {109}, number = {6}, year = {2015}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1021-1024}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article { ISI:000356845800051, title = {Whole-cell mediated 11 beta-hydroxylation on the basic limonoid skeleton by cunninghamella echinulata}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {80}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6490-6495}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Regio- and stereoselective 11 beta-hydroxylation was achieved on the basic limonoid skeleton through microbial transformation. Whole cells of Cunninghamella echinulata efficiently converted basic limonoids such as epoxyazadiradione, azadiradione, and gedunin to their 11 beta-hydroxy analogues as the sole metabolite. Fermentation conditions affecting the efficiency (96\%) of biotransformation including substrate concentration, incubation period, pH, and temperature were optimized. The position and stereochemistry of hydroxyl functionality on the isolated metabolites were established through extensive spectroscopic and spectrometric studies (1D, 2D NMR, ESI-MS, and MS/MS).

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.5b00417}, author = {Haldar, Saikat and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {43576, title = {[2]Pseudorotaxane formation with fret based luminescence response: demonstration ofboolean operations through self sorting on solid surface}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {81}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8977-8987}, abstract = {Binary pseudorotaxane formation between an aza crown derivative as host (H) and two different imidazolium derivatives as guests (G(1) and G(2)) have been studied in detail by NMR (H-1 NMR, 2D NOESY), optical (steady state electronic and emission spectroscopy), and mass spectroscopy. Binding stoichiometry (1:1), association constant for the respective [2]pseudorotaxane formation (K-a(H center dot G1) = (2.61 +/- 0.015) X 10(3) M-1 and K-a(H center dot G2) = (1.27 +/- 0.16) X 10(3) M-1), and associated thermodynamic parameters are also evaluated based on isothermal titration calorimetric (ITC) studies. FRET based luminescence ON responses are observed on formation of the binary pseudorotaxane (H center dot G(1) and H center dot G(2)) in a nonpolar medium like dichlororriethane. The thermodynamic feasibility of such an energy transfer process is also examined. The higher affinity of H and 18-crown-6 toward K+, as compared to those toward G(1) or G(2), and the reversibility in the host- guest binding process are utilized in demonstrating the self-sorting phenomena with associated changes in luminescence responses that could be correlated for Boolean operators like YES, INHIBIT, OR, and AND gates.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.6b01631}, author = {Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Maity, Arunava and Dey, Ananta and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000379967000006, title = {3D interconnected porous graphene sheets loaded with cobalt oxide nanoparticles for lithium-ion battery anodes}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {4}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {816-822}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Nanomaterials with high surface-to-volume ratio and tunable electronic and optical properties have expanded their use in variety of applications, especially energy conversion and storage. Here we report on the synthesis of a cobalt oxide (Co3O4)/3D-interconnected porous graphene (PG) nanocomposite by using a simple solvothermal route and its application as a Li-ion battery anode. Among the different compositions investigated, the composite PG-600 (with 50\% PG) showed a discharge capacity of 700mAhg(-1) at a current density of 500mAg(-1) and maintained 90\% retention after 80cycles. The high surface area of the 3DPG sheets helps the Co3O4 nanoparticles to form a uniform dispersion on the surfaces. The increased surface area (accessibility) and electrical conductivity of the composite result in significant enhancement in the capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability than the native Co3O4 phase.

}, keywords = {Cobalt oxide, Energy storage, graphene, lithium-ion batteries, Nanocomposites}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201500497}, author = {Puthusseri, Dhanya and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article { ISI:000373747700077, title = {Additive mediated syn-anti conformational tuning at nucleation to capture elusive polymorphs: remarkable role of extended pi-stacking interactions in driving the self-assembly}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {16}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {2416-2428}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Understanding the process of prenucleation clustering at supersaturating stage is of significant importance to envisage the polymorphism in crystalline materials. Preferential formation of a thermodynamically stable crystal form suggests energetically favored patterns of interactions which control molecular aggregation during nucleation. Introduction of additives during crystallization is sometimes used as a suitable strategy to obtain metastable polymorphs in cases where it is not easy to capture the same by conventional crystallization methods. Comparative analysis of energy relationships and intermolecular interactions between thermodynamically stable and metastable crystal forms provides valuable clues about the nature of growth synthons at prenucleation clustering and preferential crystallization of the thermodynamic form. Conformationally flexible sulfonamide/sulfoester derivatives constituting electron rich and electron deficient aromatic rings were synthesized to study the interplay between pi-stacking and hydrogen bonding synthons. We have identified and characterized the thermodynamically stable and metastable elusive polymorphs of aromatic sulfonamides 1 and 2 and sulfoesters 3 and 4. However, these compounds eluded polymorphism during crystallisation from various common solvents/conditions and only produced thermodynamically stable crystals forms (form I crystals). Surprisingly, exploitation of pyrazinamide as an additive in different stoichiometric ratios during crystallization gave elusive polymorphs [three for 1 (form 1II, form 1III, and form 1IV) and one each for 2 (form 2II), 3 (form 3II), and 4 (form 4II)]. Molecules in stable crystal forms of these compounds are linked via extended chains of parallel displaced pi...pi stacking interactions that seem to play a vital role in driving the self-assembly of molecules and subsequently governing the nucleation process. In contrast, molecules in metastable polymorphs are devoid of such extended pi-stacking assemblies. Interestingly, differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy, and X-ray crystallographic studies confirmed the thermal crystal-to-crystal transition of all three metastable polymorphs of 1 (form 1II, form 1III, and form 1IV) to its thermodynamically stable crystal form (form 1I). Conformational analysis of molecule 1 using density functional theory calculations also validated higher stability for syn conformation (observed in Form 1I crystals) over anti and midway conformations (seen in metastable polymorphs). Melt crystallization of form 1I crystals of 1 on the larger face (001) of delta-pyrazinamide and lattice matching analysis (GRACE) revealed that the layered arrangement of molecules of delta-pyrazinamide (on 001 face) during heterogeneous nucleation acts as a template (heteroepitaxy) to provide a preferential site for the nucleation of new metastable polymorphs by selectively inhibiting the most preferred crystal form from growing into the nucleus. Solution state one- and two-dimensional (NOESY) H-1 NMR, scanning electron microscopy, and a Cambridge Structural Database survey were conducted to substantiate the role of additives during crystallization.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00204}, author = {Gawade, Rupesh L. and Chakravarty, Debamitra K. and Kotmale, Amol and Sangtani, Ekta and Joshi, Pranaya V. and Ahmed, Awais and Mane, Manoj V. and Das, Susanta and Vanka, Kumar and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Puranik, Vedavati G. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {43606, title = {Adsorptive removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid from aqueous solution using bagasse fly ash as adsorbent in batch and packed-bed techniques}, journal = {Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy}, volume = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1971-1983}, abstract = {Among the several synthetic herbicides available currently, 2,4-D is a commonly used herbicide to control broadleaf weeds in agriculture and forestry. However, its increasing use in agricultural and nonagricultural activities has resulted in increasing concentrations of 2,4-D being detected in water bodies. Thus, there is a need to identify methods to remove 2,4-D to protect the environment. Among the various methods used for 2,4-D removal, adsorption is found to be effective, and several adsorbents have been studied to remove 2,4-D from aqueous solutions. In this study, we used bagasse fly ash (BFA), a common industrial waste generated in large amount worldwide, for 2,4-D removal from aqueous solution using batch and continuous packed-bed adsorption. In the batch adsorption process, the effects of initial concentration, contact time, temperature, pH, and particle size of BFA were studied. The packed-bed performance of BFA was investigated by varying the influent concentration (50-150 mg/L), flow rate (1.2-4 mL/min), and bed height (4.5-9 cm). Isotherm and thermodynamic parameters are determined for batch adsorption, whereas the performance of continuous adsorption is evaluated by different packed-bed models. The particle-size effect indicated the higher removal of 2,4-D on the bigger particles of BFA due to greater BET surface area and carbon-to-silica ratio than smaller particles. The maximum percentage removal (37.04) is achieved for an influent concentration of 50 mg/L, flow rate of 1.2 mL/min, and bed height of 6.5 cm. For the first time ever, the deactivation kinetic model was applied for the solid-liquid adsorption system and it showed the best fit among the selected models. The bed capacity (m(2)/g) of BFA is three times greater than synthetic activated carbon for adsorption of 2,4-D. This informs that the BFA can be used as an adsorbent for 2,4-D removal from aqueous solution.}, doi = {10.1007/s10098-016-1124-0}, author = {Deokar, Sunil K. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43639, title = {Adsorptive removal of diuron on biomass ashes: a comparative study using rice husk ash and bagasse fly ash as adsorbents}, journal = {Desalination and Water Treatment}, volume = {57}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {22378-22391}, abstract = {This study describes the use of two types of biomass ashes (BMAs) as adsorbents for diuron removal. Two BMAs, namely rice husk ash (RHA) and bagasse fly ash (BFA), were used in this study, and their adsorption behavior and adsorption mechanism were compared based on various characteristics, such as surface area, pore diameter, and volume. It was found that the particle size and the composition of these BMAs, especially the content of carbon and silica, primarily affect the adsorption kinetics and capacity. Compared with RHA, BFA has more carbon content (47.37\%), and therefore shows higher adsorption capacity (43.48mol/g). In addition, BFA has larger external surface area and exhibited faster kinetics at the initial adsorption stage; by contrast, RHA due to its larger pore diameter allows for faster pore adsorption and surpasses the initial kinetic rate of BFA. For the same particle size (0.354-0.251mm), the equilibrium capacity of BFA was found to be four times greater than that of RHA; in addition, the surface area of BFA is two times more than that of RHA, suggesting that BFA has more active sites than RHA. It was found that solution pH influences adsorption mechanism of diuron molecule on BMA. The uptake capacity of BFA and RHA is 10 times greater than natural adsorbents such as soil and is comparable with synthetic adsorbents such as activated carbon and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. To our knowledge, removal of diuron using ashes has not been reported previously.}, doi = {10.1080/19443994.2015.1132394}, author = {Deokar, Sunil K. and Singh, Diksha and Modak, Sweta and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43607, title = {Agro-industrial waste: a low cost adsorbent for effective removal of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid herbicide in batch and packed bed modes}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {16164-16175}, abstract = {The present work describes the aqueous phase removal of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid herbicide by rice husk ash (RHA) using batch and packed bed adsorption techniques. The effects of dosage, initial concentration, time, pH, temperature, and particle size of adsorbent in batch compared with effects of influent concentration, flow rate, and bed height in packed bed were studied. The particle size effect reveals that the removal is dependent on chemical composition (silica and carbon content) together with BET surface area of RHA. The aptness of Langmuir isotherm to batch data indicates the favorable adsorption whereas that of Temkin isotherm informs the heterogeneous nature of RHA. The kinetics of adsorption follows the pseudo-second order and Elovich models while thermodynamics of process indicates the exothermic adsorption. Among the models applied in packed bed study, the deactivation kinetic, Yoon-Nelson and bed depth service time (BDST) models are suitable to explain the packed bed adsorption. The adsorption capacity of RHA in packed bed study is found greater than that in batch. The adsorption capacity of RHA determined by the BDST model is 3019 mg/L for 90 \% saturation of bed. The adsorption capacity of RHA based on weight is similar to 2.3 times and that based on surface area is similar to 55.55 times greater than that of granular activated carbon.}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-016-6769-z}, author = {Deokar, Sunil K. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43569, title = {Alkyl-chain-separated triphenybenzene - carbazole conjugates and their derived polymers: candidates for sensory, electrical and optical materials}, journal = {Chemistry Select}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {6649-6657}, abstract = {Four new triphenylbenzene based carbazoles (THPBCz4, THPBCz6, THPBCz8 and THPBCz10) and polycarbazoles (polyTHPBCz4, polyTHPBCz6, polyTHPBCz8 and polyTHPBCz10), have been synthesized. Photoluminescence spectra of the monomers in dichloromethane exhibit two intense bands at 353 and 369 nm. Two additional bands (410 and 435 nm) are also observed due to intermolecular interactions. These bands are more intense in the case of thin films, indicating stronger pp stacking interactions in the solid state. Due to the extended p-conjugation, the polycarbazoles display two main emission bands (495 and 520 nm) which are red shifted as compared to the monocarbazoles. Due to the presence of emissive platforms such as triarylbenzene and carbazole, both monomers and polymers, function as efficient sensors for the detection of polynitroaromatic analytes (PA, DNT, rho-DNB and m-DNB). The electrochemically polymerized carbazole derivatives showed maximum capacitance of 41 F/g for polyTHPBCz6. The SCLC measurement reveals a maximum mobility of 6 x 10(-6) cm(2)/Vs for polyTHPBCz4 that showed better packing due to flexible alkyl chains that connect the conjugated moieties.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601428}, author = {Kaleeswaran, D. and Vishnoi, Pratap and Kumar, Subramani and Chithiravel, Sundaresan and Walawalkar, Mrinalini G. and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Murugavel, Ramaswamy} } @article { ISI:000374436900038, title = {Alkyne [2+2+2]-cyclotrimerization approach for synthesis of 6,7-cyclopropylallocolchicinoids}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {81}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {3400-3406}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Employing a cobalt-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2] alkyne cyclotrimerization as the final step, the short and efficient synthesis of cyclopropylallocolchicinoid and its analogues having functional group variations at C9 and/or C10 and C11 of ring C has been accomplished.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.6b00020}, author = {More, Atul A. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000370307800008, title = {Alternate synthesis of appetite suppressant (R)-2-benzylmorpholine employing Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation strategy}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {57}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {861-863}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An alternate synthesis of (R)-2-benzylmorpholine 1, an appetite suppressant agent has been accomplished starting from readily available trans-cinnamyl alcohol employing Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation strategy as a key step, with an overall yield of 24\%. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {(R)-2-Benzylmorpholine, Appetite suppressant, Sharpless asymmetric epoxidation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2016.01.032}, author = {Viswanadh, N. and Mujumdar, P. and Sasikumar, M. and Kunte, S. S. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article { ISI:000369587800022, title = {Ammonium catalyzed cyclitive additions: evidence for a cation-pi interaction with alkynes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2311-2313}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The addition of carbamate nitrogen to a non-conjugated carbon-carbon triple bond is catalyzed by an ammonium salt leading to a cyclic product. Studies in homogeneous systems suggest that the ammonium agent facilitates nitrogen-carbon bond formation through a cation-p interaction with the alkyne unit that, for the first time, is directly observed by Raman spectroscopy.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc08641h}, author = {Nagy, Edith and St Germain, Elijah and Cosme, Patrick and Maity, Pradip K. and Terentis, Andrew C. and Lepore, Salvatore D.} } @article { ISI:000378790600010, title = {Anti-oxidant properties of ficus religiosa L. Bark extract on human keratinocytes}, journal = {Science of Advanced Materials}, volume = {8}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1221-1226}, publisher = {AMER SCIENTIFIC PUBLISHERS}, address = {26650 THE OLD RD, STE 208, VALENCIA, CA 91381-0751 USA}, abstract = {

Ficus religiosa (Sacred Fig) is a medicinally important tree, native to the Indian subcontinent. It has been extensively pharmacologically researched species having wide spectrum of medicinal properties. All parts of F. religiosa tree are known to possess important medicinal properties such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and skin diseases etc. However, effects of F. religiosa on skin cells line HaCaT was not studied for its antioxidant properties. In this report we have investigated F. religiosa bark aqueous extract for its antioxidant properties on human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell line using DPPH, superoxide dismutase 1, superoxide dismutase 2 and catalase assay. We observed that F. religiosa bark aqueous extract efficiently scavenged (80\%) DPPH radicals. Superoxide dismutase1 assay of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract effectively scavenged superoxide radicals (O-2(-)) and showed dose dependent activity. Reactive oxygen species were trapped by superoxide dismutase 2 assay of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract and form hydrogen peroxide. Catalase assay results revelled that hydrogen peroxide was further decomposed to give water and oxygen. Thus various anti-oxidant assays of F. religiosa bark aqueous extract indicate that it efficiently reduced the reactive oxygen species in skin cells.

}, keywords = {Anti-Oxidant, Catalase Assay, DPPH Assay, Ficus religiosa, Keratinocyte HaCaT Cell Line, Moraceae, SOD Assay}, issn = {1947-2935}, doi = {10.1166/sam.2016.2740}, author = {Dixit, Shailesh S. and Kulkarni, Atul and Seo, Hyo Hyun and Gadgil, Jayant and Dingre, Medini and Umar, Ahmad and Moh, Sang Hyun and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @article { ISI:000377464900011, title = {Antioxidative metabolites synthesized by marine pigmented vibrio sp and its protection on oxidative deterioration of membrane lipids}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {179}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {155-167}, publisher = {HUMANA PRESS INC}, address = {999 RIVERVIEW DRIVE SUITE 208, TOTOWA, NJ 07512 USA}, abstract = {

Bacterial strain Vibrio sp. (PIGB 184) isolated from water samples of the Arabian Sea and identified through 16S rRNA demonstrated the production of pigmentary antioxidants with higher ABTS activities 90.9 +/- 0.42 \% in comparison with the standard commercial pigmented antioxidant, quercetin 88.8 +/- 1.4 \%. Antioxidative metabolites of this strain substantially inhibit the lipid peroxidation (LPO) reactions tested in sheep liver and brain. The antioxidant compounds produced by the Vibrio sp. (PIGB 184), analysed by GC-MS, reveals that it is composed mostly of phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl) and pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazine-1,4-dione,hexahydro-3-(2-methylpropyl). The interrelationship assessed between LPO and the phenolic compounds showed significant correlation with anti-LPO properties (R (2) = 0.9698 to 0.9861). These compounds are responsible for obstruction of harmful radical associated biochemical reactions in biological systems. Pigmented metabolites also tested for attributive biological properties against pathogenic bacteria showed prominent inhibition towards Gram-positive organisms (31.25 to 62.5 mu g ml(-1)). From this study, it may be suggested that the marine bacterium PIGB 184 could be used as a potential bio-resource for antioxidants and needs to be worked out for mass production.

}, keywords = {Antioxidants, Lipid peroxidation, Marine pigmented bacteria, Pathogen inhibition, Phenolics}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-016-1985-z}, author = {Pawar, Ravindra and Mohandass, Chellandi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kolekar, Yogesh M. and Malwankar, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000373421700065, title = {Architecture of 2D MoS2 nanosheets and 3D CdMoS4 marigold flowers: consequence of annealing on field emission performance}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {225}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {573-579}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the field electron emission investigations on template free solvothermally synthesized layered MoS2 nanosheets as well as novel phase of CdMoS4 nanoflowers at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn-on field, threshold field and maximum emission current densities for both MoS2 and CdMoS4 are strongly influenced by thermal annealing in inert atmosphere. The turn on field, required to draw emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 5.8 and 3.2 V/mu m for pristine and annealed MoS2 at 400 degrees C. In case of as prepared and annealed CdMoS4 sample the turn on field values are found to be similar to 6.2 and 5.0 V/mu m, respectively. The emission current versus time (I-t) plot measured at the preset current values of similar to 1 mu A for pristine and annealed sample indicates stable operation of the emitter. The emission current fluctuations for annealed sample are observed to be less as compared with the pristine sample due to conditioning of the emitter, thereby showing highly stable nature of emitter. Thus, the present result demonstrates the potential of annealed MoS2 nanosheets and CdMoS4 nanoflowers as an emerging materials for micro/nanoelectronics and flat panel field emission display applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {field emission, MoS2 and CdMoS4, Nanoflowers, nanosheets}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.01.033}, author = {Kadam, Sunil R. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Panmand, Rajendra P. and Mate, Vivek R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Kale, Bharat B.} } @article {42844, title = {Au(I)/Ag(I) co-operative catalysis: interception of Ag-bound carbocations with α-gold(I) enals in the imino-alkyne cyclizations with N-allenamides}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {14462-14465}, doi = {10.1039/C6CC08385D}, author = {Bagle, Pradip N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Vanka, Kumar and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article { ISI:000380574100066, title = {Azadirachta indica triterpenoids promote osteoblast differentiation and mineralization in vitro and in vivo}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {26}, number = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3719-3724}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Terpenoids were isolated using chromatographic purification through solvent purification technique and identified as Azadirone (1), Epoxyazadiradione (2) Azadiradione (3) Gedunin (4) Nimbin (5) Salannin (6) Azadirachtin A (7) and Azadirachtin B (8) from Azadirachta indica. Out of eight compounds, only three compounds had osteogenic activity and enhanced osteoblast proliferation, differentiation and mineralization in osteoblast cells. Active compounds stimulated osteogenic genes ALP, RunX-2 and OCN expressions in vitro, but Azadirachtin A had a maximum ability to stimulate osteoblast differentiation and mineralization compared to other two active compounds. For in vivo study, Azadirachtin A injected subcutaneously in pups, which enhanced osteogenic gene expressions and promoted bone formation rate significantly. Here, we conclude that active compounds of Azadirachta indica have osteogenic activity and Azadirachtin A has a beneficial effects on bone. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {ALP and mineralization assay, Balb/c mice pups, Calvarial osteoblast cells, Gene expressions}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.05.076}, author = {Kushwaha, Priyanka and Khedgikar, Vikram and Haldar, Saikat and Gautam, Jyoti and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Trivedi, Ritu} } @article {43440, title = {Azadirachtin a interacts with er alpha domain and regulates bone formation}, journal = {Osteoporosis International}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {S778-S778}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, author = {Kushwaha, P. and Khedgikar, V. and Gautam, J. and Kumar, A. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Mishra, P. R. and Trivedi, P. K. and Trivedi, R.} } @article { ISI:000370650200008, title = {Bacillus cellulasensis sp nov., isolated from marine sediment}, journal = {Archives of Microbiology}, volume = {198}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {83-89}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

A novel bacterial strain NIO-1130(T) was isolated from sediment sample taken from Chorao Island, Goa Province, India, and subjected to a taxonomic investigation. The strain was Gram-positive, aerobic, and motile. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed the isolate within the genus Bacillus and strain NIO-1130(T) showed highest sequence similarity with Bacillus halosaccharovorans DSM 25387(T) (98.4 \%) and Bacillus niabensis CIP 109816(T) (98.1 \%), whereas other Bacillus species showed \< 97.0 \% similarity. Tree based on gyrB gene sequence revealed that strain bacillus group. The major menaquinone was MK-7 and the predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C-15:0, anteiso-C-15:0, iso-C-17:0, and anteiso-C-17:0. The strain showed a DNA G+C content of 39.9 mol\%. DNA-DNA hybridization studies revealed that strain NIO-1130(T) exhibits 70 \% similarity with Bacillus halosaccharovorans DSM 25387(T) and Bacillus niabensis CIP 109816T. On the basis of physiological, biochemical, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, we consider the isolate to represent a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus cellulasensis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is NIO-1130(T) (=NCIM 5461(T) = CCTCC AB 2011126(T)).

}, keywords = {Bacillus sp, Cellulase, Marine sediment, Polyphasic taxonomy}, issn = {0302-8933}, doi = {10.1007/s00203-015-1155-7}, author = {Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Thorat, Meghana N. and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Dastager, Syed Gulam} } @article { ISI:000369482900019, title = {Behaviour of biomass multicomponent ashes as adsorbents}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {110}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {180-186}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Physico-chemical characteristics of rice husk ash and baggase fly ash, commonly referred to as biomass ashes enable their use as adsorbents. Contrary to normal expectations, it is observed that larger particles have more number, narrower and deeper pores than smaller particles. As a consequence they have higher pore volume, total surface area and hence adsorption capacity. Also, the uptake rate of adsorption depends on the silica to carbon ratio, which is seen to be smaller for larger particles and hence they take a longer time to reach equilibrium. The extent of carbon content determines the capacity, whereas silica to carbon ratio determines the kinetics of adsorption. Removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, from aqueous solution was chosen as a representative case for study and the results obtained are compared with earlier reported results.

}, keywords = {Adsorption capacity, bagasse, biomass ash, rice husk, silica to carbon ratio}, issn = {0011-3891}, author = {Deokar, Sunil K. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000380362700119, title = {Bioavailability studies of curcumin-sophorolipid nano-conjugates in the aqueous phase: role in the synthesis of uniform gold nanoparticles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {72}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {68504-68514}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The major limiting factors for curcumin to be accepted as a modern drug, despite its widespread applications, are its low aqueous solubility, low retention time and poor bioavailability. When subjected to a mild physical stress, curcumin is observed to internalize within the micellar hydrophobic core of oleic acid sophorolipid resulting in the formation of curcumin-sophorolipid nanoconjugates (CurSL). These bio-composites show enhanced retention time and increased bioavailability of curcumin in rat models. In the presence of gold salts, CurSL act as potent reducing and capping agents, resulting in the synthesis of monodispersed, spherical gold nanoparticles (CurSL-GNPs) of 8-10 nm in size. Physicochemical, morphological and optical characteristics of both the nanoparticles are discussed based on spectroscopic absorption, photoluminescence (PL), dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, SEM and TEM measurements. FTIR spectroscopy signatures of these nanoparticles confirm the retention of functional groups in the end products. A retention time of 2 hours in blood plasma and an increase in curcumin recovery by about 150 times that previously reported were observed in the pharmacokinetic (pK(a)) studies performed on Wistar rats. The bio-distribution of gold nanoparticles in rats was studied using EDX, which revealed their presence in different vital organs. The absence of unusual legions or necrosis in histopathological analysis of vital organs in all the rat models suggests the use of curcuminsophorolipid nano-conjugates enhances curcumin bioavailability and the Cur-SL based nano-gold formulation is a good drug delivery carrier.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra13469f}, author = {Darne, Priti A. and Mehta, Mihir R. and Agawane, Sachin B. and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article { ISI:000377826000008, title = {Biogenic green synthesis of monodispersed gum kondagogu (Cochlospermum gossypium) iron nanocomposite material and its application in germination and growth of mung bean (Vigna radiata) as a plant model}, journal = {IET Nanobiotechnology}, volume = {10}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {141-146}, publisher = {INST ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY-IET}, address = {MICHAEL FARADAY HOUSE SIX HILLS WAY STEVENAGE, HERTFORD SG1 2AY, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An eco-friendly green and one-pot synthesis of highly monodispersed iron (Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) by using a natural biopolymer, gum kondagogu (GK) as reducing and capping agent is proposed. The NPs synthesised were characterised by ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. As the concentration of gum and time increases, the intensity of NPs formation increased. The NPs were highly monodispersed with uniform circular shapes of 2-6 nm in size. The formed NPs were crystalline in nature which was confirmed by diffraction analysis. The conversion ratio of Fe ionic form to NPs was 21\% which was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Fe is essential for plant growth and development. A study was conducted to examine the effect of these NPs on the growth of mung bean (Vigna radiata). The radical length and biomass was increased in seeds exposed to Fe NPs than the ions. The uptake of Fe NPs by the sprouts was also quantified by ICP-MS, in which Fe was more in mung bean seeds exposed to NPs. The -amylase activity was increased in the seeds exposed to NPs. The observed increase in the biomass by Fe NPs and seed germination may facilitate its application in the agriculture as an important cost-effective method for plant growth.

}, keywords = {alpha-amylase activity, Biogenic green synthesis, biological techniques, Biomass, Cochlospermum gossypium, diffraction analysis, enzymes, Fe, gum concentration, high-monodispersed iron nanoparticles, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, ionic-to-nanoparticle iron conversion ratio, iron, monodispersed gum kondagogu, monodispersed gum kondagogu iron nanocomposite material, mung bean germination, mung bean growth, Nanobiotechnology, Nanocomposites, nanoparticle formation, Nanoparticles, natural biopolymer, plant growth, plant model, scanning electron microscopy, size 2 nm to 6 nm, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet spectra, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Vigna radiata, visible spectra, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {1751-8741}, doi = {10.1049/iet-nbt.2015.0112}, author = {Raju, Dugyala and Mehta, Urmil J. and Beedu, Sashidhar Rao} } @article { ISI:000367601200011, title = {Biological activity of sophorolipids and their possible use as antiviral agents}, journal = {Folia Microbiologica}, volume = {61}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {85-89}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Sophorolipids are surface active glycolipids consisting of a hydrophilic sophorose unit and a hydrophobic portion composed of a fatty acid tail. Crude sophorolipid sample contains both acidic and lactonic forms of sophorolipid with different degrees of acetylation and varying lengths of the fatty acid chains depending on the substrates used in the production process. Carboxylic end in the acidic form of the fatty acid is free, whereas in the lactonic form, it is internally esterified. Sophorolipids show different physicochemical properties with wide range of applications for each structural compound. Lactonic form of sophorolipids shows surface tension reducing ability and biological activity, whereas the acidic form possesses better foam forming ability and higher solubility. Presence of acetyl groups gives hydrophilic nature to the sophorolipids which promotes its antiviral and cytokine-stimulating properties. The aim of this review is to explore and suggest the plausibility of sophorolipids as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for the treatment of viral diseases.

}, issn = {0015-5632}, doi = {10.1007/s12223-015-0413-z}, author = {Borsanyiova, Maria and Patil, Amrita and Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita and Bopegamage, Shubhada} } @article { ISI:000378302900033, title = {Biomimetic collective total synthesis of bioactive carbazole alkaloids indizoline, mafaicheenamine A, claulamine A, claulansine A, and the proposed claulamine E}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {81}, number = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5222-5227}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The common precursor 1-methoxy-2-prenyl-3-carbomethoxycarbazole was synthesized from dimethyl indolylmethylenesuccinate in four steps. Well-planned reductive and/or oxidative transformations and intramolecular cyclizations were performed on a pivotal common precursor to accomplish collective first total synthesis of titled natural products and proposed Claulamine E. Burgess reagent induced formation of kinetically controlled product Claulamine A, and intramolecular cyclizations to form bicyclic claulansine A were the key reactions. An alternatively attempted synthesis failed to provide the structural isomer of proposed Claulamine E.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.6b00702}, author = {Markad, Shivaji B. and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000378563200115, title = {Broad spectrum photon responsive, paramagnetic beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+ - mesoporous anatase titania nanocomposite}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {58}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {53504-53518}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a novel single multifunctional platform based on broad-spectrum photoactive beta-NaGdF4:18\% Yb3+, 2\% Er3+ and mesoporous anatase TiO2 for enhanced energy and simultaneous biomedical applications. Currently, the photoactive materials for solar energy harvesting applications have limitations in their efficiency due to their narrow photon absorption spectrum. The upconversion phosphor beta-NaGdF4: 18\% Yb3+, 2\% Er3+ nanorods collect and harvest the NIR photons (similar to 980 nm) of sunlight and transform them into visible light via anti-Stokes emission (lambda(em) similar to 521 and similar to 540 nm), and the photoactive mesoporous anatase TiO2 (mTiO(2)) utilizes UV and weak visible photons, thus the composite forms a broad spectrum photon-capture system and improved power conversion efficiency for enhanced applications in photocatalysis, and dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite showed an improvement in comparison to the mTiO(2) for the degradation of various dyes. In addition, the photocurrent density and solar cell efficiency of the nanocomposites showed an improvement by similar to 24\% and similar to 17\% respectively, over mTiO(2). The beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite exhibits a strong paramagnetic signal (chi similar to 6.45 x 10(-5) emu g(-1) Oe(-1)). The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements showed large longitudinal T1 relaxivity (r(1) = 7.09 s(-1) mM(-1)) and magnetic resonance imaging showed enhanced T-1-weighted MRI images with increased concentrations of beta-NaGdF4: Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite making them suitable for simultaneous magnetoresonance imaging. In addition, this composite system can also be used as a NIR triggered drug delivery system and in biomedical applications. Moreover, mesoporous TiO2 is expected to increase the photocatalytic active sites, dye, and absorption, and drug loading capacity. The as-designed multifunctional beta-NaGdF4:Yb3+, Er3+/mTiO(2) nanocomposite possessed simultaneous multiple discrete functionalities with excellent luminescence properties, intrinsic paramagnetism, biocompatibility, improved photocatalytic activity, and solar cell efficiency. This work provides a promising system to utilize NIR light, which will contribute to efficient photon harvesting and biological applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra06813h}, author = {Padhye, Preeti and Sadhu, Subha and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {42556, title = {Can a diels-alder reaction accelerate in a supersaturated solvent at room temperature?}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8355-8363}, abstract = {

A new supersaturated solvent is proposed to accelerate the Diels{\textendash}Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate by several times. The proposed supersaturated solvent consists of various carbohydrates, organic acid and organic ketone in water, beyond their solubility limits in water, at room temperature. The results demonstrate that the presence of excess {\textendash}OH groups from the carbohydrates plays a pivotal role leading to the increased reactivity and selectivity of the Diels{\textendash}Alder reaction. The role of hydrogen bond accelerators and polarity of the solvent have been analyzed through a comparative study of the same reaction in similar green solvents. Collision-controlled reaction theory has been invoked to understand the role of encounter complexes to accelerate such a reaction at the molecular level in such highly viscous supersaturated solvent. No detrimental effects from the high viscosity of the new solvent medium on the reaction kinetics was been noted.

}, doi = {10.1039/C6NJ01912A}, author = {Nagare, Amit S. and Manna, Arpan and Kumar, Anil} } @article { ISI:000378725800123, title = {Catecholase and phenoxazinone synthase activities of a ferromagnetically coupled tetranuclear Cu(II) complex}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {63}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {58831-58838}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A crystallographically characterized tetranuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu-4(II)(L)(4)] (1) [H2L = N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methoxysalicylaldimine] is found to show overall ferromagnetic exchange coupling. Complex (1) mimics the catalytic activity of the plant enzyme catechol oxidase by oxidising 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol to its corresponding quinone in methanol and dichloromethane medium in the presence of aerial oxygen. The reaction follows Michaelis-Menten enzymatic reaction kinetics with turnover numbers (K-cat) 6.99 x 10(3) and 1.85 x 10(3) h(-1) in methanol and dichloromethane, respectively. 1 is also phenoxazinone synthase active in methanol medium with a turnover number of 1.21 x 10(5) h(-1).

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra11433d}, author = {Mitra, Merry and Kundu, Tanay and Kaur, Gurpreet and Sharma, Gyaneswar and Choudhury, Angshuman Roy and Singh, Yogesh and Ghosh, Rajarshi} } @article {43583, title = {Characterization and valorization of biomass ashes}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20243-20256}, abstract = {In India, farming is the primary source of income for many families. Following each harvest, a huge amount of biomass is generated. These are generally discarded as "agrowaste," but recent reports have indicated several beneficial uses for these biomasses and their ashes. However, before the utilization of biomass ashes (BMAs), their chemical and physical properties need to be investigated (characterized) so as to utilize their potential benefit to the fullest. In this paper, eight different biomass ashes (soybean plant ash, mustard plant ash, maize ash, groundnut plant ash, cotton plant ash, wheat plant ash, pigeon peas ash, and groundnut shell ash) were characterized, and their chemical properties are discussed. Surface chemical composition analysis, proximate analysis, and ultimate analysis were performed on all BMA samples, and properties such as porosity, particle density, bulk density, point of zero charge, BET surface area, water-absorption capacity, and bulk parameters such as surface pH and surface charges were determined. BMAs were characterized by SEM and FTIR. The surface areas of biomass ashes vary from 1.9 to 46 m(2)/g, and point of zero charge for all BMAs exceed 9.8, which confirmed the alkaline nature of these samples. Based on the chemical composition, BMAs are categorized into four types (S, C, K, and CK), and their utilization is proposed based on the type. BMAs find applications in agriculture and construction industries; glass, rubber, and zeolite manufacturing; and in adsorption (as a source of silica/zeolites). The paper also discusses the research challenges and opportunities in utilization of BMAs. }, doi = {10.1007/s11356-016-7227-7}, author = {Trivedi, Nikhilesh S. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Mehetre, Sayaji and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000378450800001, title = {Characterization of two coleopteran alpha-amylases and molecular insights into their differential inhibition by synthetic alpha-amylase inhibitor, acarbose}, journal = {Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}, volume = {74}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1-11}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Post-harvest insect infestation of stored grains makes them unfit for human consumption and leads to severe economic loss. Here, we report functional and structural characterization of two coleopteran alpha-amylases viz. Callosobruchus chinensis alpha-amylase (CcAmy) and Tribolium castaneum alpha-amylase (TcAmy) along with their interactions with proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous alpha-amylase inhibitors. Secondary structural alignment of CcAmy and TcAmy with other coleopteran alpha-amylases revealed conserved motifs, active sites, di-sulfide bonds and two point mutations at spatially conserved substrate or inhibitor binding sites. Homology modeling and molecular docking showed structural differences between these two enzymes. Both the enzymes had similar optimum pH values but differed in their optimum temperature. Overall, pattern of enzyme stabilities were similar under various temperature and pH conditions. Further, CcAmy and TcAmy differed in their substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency towards starch and amylopectin. HPLC analysis detected common amylolytic products like maltose and maltotriose while glucose and malto-tetrose were unique in CcAmy and TcAmy catalyzed reactions respectively. At very low concentrations, wheat alpha-amylase inhibitor was found to be superior over the acarbose as far as complete inhibition of amylolytic activities of CcAmy and TcAmy was concerned. Mechanism underlying differential amylolytic reaction inhibition by acarbose was discussed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acarbose, alpha-amylase, alpha-amylase inhibitor, Callosobruchus chinensis, Coleoptera, Tribolium castaneum}, issn = {0965-1748}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2016.04.009}, author = {Channale, Sonal M. and Bhide, Amey J. and Yadav, Yashpal and Kashyap, Garima and Pawar, Pankaj K. and Maheshwari, V. L. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article { ISI:000377768200017, title = {Characterizing fruit and vegetable peels as bioadsorbents}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {110}, number = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2114-2123}, publisher = {INDIAN ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {C V RAMAN AVENUE, SADASHIVANAGAR, P B \#8005, BANGALORE 560 080, INDIA}, abstract = {

Fruit and vegetable peel (FVP) wastes are a commonly generated organic waste from both households and food-processing industries. However, FVPs are low-cost lignocellulosic materials that have some potential for reutilization. For its particular reutilization, the characterization of FVP is essential. In this regard, the present study provides a detailed physico-chemical characterization of commonly used FVPs such as pomegranate, pineapple, watermelon, garlic, green pea and pigeon pea. The materials were characterized by SEM, FTIR and TGA/DTG. Various properties of these materials, such as porosity, particle density, bulk density, surface charges, point of zero charge, surface pH, water absorption capacity and BET surface area were determined. The BET surface area of FVP was found in the range 1.0-1.4 m(2)/g. Water absorption capacity was highest for watermelon peel (11.5 ml/g), while it was lowest for pigeon pea peel (5.5 ml/g). Point of zero charge and surface pH of all FVPs were in the acidic range 3-6. The surface of FVP was irregular and rough with some pores. Thermal analysis showed that FVPs are thermally stable below 150 degrees C. The results of this study provide an understanding of the properties of FVPs and suggest that the materials can be used as a low-cost adsorbent.

}, keywords = {Bioadsorbent, fruit and vegetable peels, organic waste, physico-chemical characterization}, issn = {0011-3891}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v110/i11/2114-2123}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000375969000056, title = {Charge delocalization in the cascade band structure CdS/CdSe and CdS/CdTe core-shell sensitized with Re(I)-polypyridyl complex}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, number = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10051-10061}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Charge-carrier dynamics of CdS quantum dot (QD) and CdS/CdSe type-I and CdS/CdTe type-II core shell nanocrystals (NCs) sensitized with a Re(I)-polypyridyl complex have been carried with special emphasis on studies on carrier delocalization and the role of Re-complex as a hole acceptor and sensitizer molecule. Our investigation confirmed photoexcited hole transfer from CdS and CdS/CdSe to the Re-complex, while no hole transfer was observed in the CdS/CdTe Re-complex system. This was rationalized by the evaluation of the relative energy levels, which revealed that such hole migration was not energetically favorable due to low-lying highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) of the Re-complex as compared with the valence band (VB) of CdTe shell; however, luminescence quenching from upper excited states of Re-complex was observed in the presence of all three QD and core shell systems, which has been attributed to electron injection from hot state (energetically higher than the LUMO state) of the Re-complex to the conduction band (CB) of the QDs. Transient absorption (lambda(pump) = 400 nm, lambda(probe) = 450-750 nm) spectra recorded for Re complex-sensitized CdS and CdS/CdSe composite in the femtosecond time domain revealed a broad transient absorption band in the 580-750 nm region with a peak around 595 nm, and this was attributed to the cation radical formation for Re-complex, either by capturing photoexcited hole from the NCs or by injecting electron to the CB of the NCs. As anticipated, no such spectrum was observed for the CdS/CdTe Re-complex composite system after 400 nm excitation. Electron injection from photoexcited Re-complex to CdS QD and CdS/CdSe core shell was found to be \<100 fs, while the hole transfer from photoexcited CdS QD and CdS/CdSe core shell to Re-complex took place within the time scale of 900 fs and 2.5 ps, respectively.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b01654}, author = {Maity, Partha and Debnath, Tushar and Banerjee, Tanmay and Das, Amitava and Ghosh, Hirendra N.} } @article {43415, title = {Chemically delaminated free-standing ultrathin covalent organic nanosheets}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {15604-15608}, abstract = {Covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) are a new class of porous thin two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures that can be easily designed and functionalized and could be useful for separation applications. Poor dispersion, layer restacking, and difficult postsynthetic modifications are the major hurdles that need to be overcome to fabricate scalable CON thin films. Herein, we present a unique approach for the chemical exfoliation of an anthracene-based covalent organic framework (COF) to N-hexylmaleimide-functionalized CONs, to yield centimeter-sized free-standing thin films through layer-by-layer CON assembly at the air-water interface. The thinlayer fabrication technique presented here is simple, scalable, and does not require any surfactants or stabilizing agents.}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201607812}, author = {Khayum, M. Abdul and Kandambeth, Sharath and Mitra, Shouvik and Nair, Sanoop B. and Das, Anuja and Nagane, Samadhan S. and Mukherjee, Rabibrata and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {42910, title = {Classification and study of near-surface region of active material for gas detection using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, journal = {Advanced Materials Letters}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {330-336}, abstract = {

We report investigations on resistive material SnO2: Cu (9 wt. \%) evaluated and optimized for the application of gas sensor. SnO2: Cu has been thoroughly characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The deconvolution of XPS spectra confirms the existing surface reactive species in the form of states of the metal orbital and the presence of multiple pathways for the detection of CO vis-{\`a}-vis sintering temperature effect. Enhanced CO pickup at the sintering temperature of 650 0C (wide range and low sensitivity) and 750 0C (short range and high sensitivity) has been observed. The CO sensing and XPS data correlates well along with the nonconventional use of variation in average XPS background intensity of general scan seems to be related to optimized sensitivity conditions of various gases. Copyright {\textcopyright} 2016 VBRI Press.

}, doi = {10.5185/amlett.2016.6137}, author = {More, Pravin S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Kondawar, Subhash B.} } @article {43574, title = {"Click" polymerization: a convenient strategy to prepare designer fullerene materials}, journal = {Materials \& Design}, volume = {108}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {34-41}, abstract = {"Click" polymeric assemblies of fullerenes, thiophenes and aryl compounds were prepared for the first time to study their spectroscopic/chemical/electronic characteristics and possible applications in photovoltaic cells. The GPC and NMR spectroscopic data confirmed a moderate to high degree of polymerization while microscopic pictures showed well-defined arrangements of fullerenes. The FTIR studies indicated that the product is free from starting azide materials, whereas thermogravimetric analysis data suggested a good stability. Band gap of the material was determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetric techniques and compared with computational investigation. The fullerene copolymer was fabricated as acceptor material in a bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cell. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.matdes.2016.06.059}, author = {Krishnamurthy, Munusamy and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Raghavendra, V. and Murali, Adhigan and Jaisankar, Sellamuthu N. and Murugan, P. and Gurusamy-Thangavelu, Senthil A. and Nasar, A. Sultan and Mandal, Asit Baran and Samanta, Debasis} } @article {43422, title = {Comparative evaluation of packed-bed performance of biomass ashes as adsorbents for removal of diuron from aqueous solution}, journal = {Desalination and Water Treatment}, volume = {57}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {28831-28846}, abstract = {The packed-bed performance of biomass ashes (BMA), namely rice husk ash (RHA) and bagasse fly ash (BFA), was investigated for adsorptive removal of diuron (herbicide) under dynamic conditions. The effects of influent concentration (10-30mg/L), flow rate (1-3mL/min), and bed height (3-11cm) were studied at 30 degrees C and results were analyzed using various packed-bed models. The saturation time and capacity of the BFA bed were found to be approximately 1.5 and 1.6 times higher due to higher BET surface area than that of RHA bed. However, the bed utilization of RHA was higher because of smaller mass transfer zone. At a constant influent concentration (20mg/L) and flow rate (1mL/min), the maximum volume of diuron treated was 1,325 and 1,685mL using RHA (bed height 10cm) and BFA (bed height 11cm), respectively. Among the packed-bed models applied, the BDST model revealed the inconsistent MTZ and complex mechanism involving more than one rate-controlling step for the adsorption of diuron on both ashes. The kinetics in the initial part of the breakthrough curve was governed by external mass transfer according to the Bohart-Adams and Wolborska models. Better agreements between experimental and predicted values of bed capacities for each ash and the higher bed capacity of BFA than RHA were demonstrated by the Thomas model. The Yoon-Nelson model was found to be superior for BFA rather than for RHA to estimate 50\% saturation time. However, the deactivation kinetic model, previously discovered and applied only for gas-solid adsorption, was found to be the best for the diuron-BMA (liquid-solid) adsorption system in this study.}, doi = {10.1080/19443994.2016.1196391}, author = {Deokar, Sunil K. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {42999, title = {Comparative functional characterization of eugenol synthase from four different ocimum species: implications on eugenol accumulation}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics}, volume = {1864}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1539-1547}, abstract = {

Isoprenoids and phenylpropanoids are the major secondary metabolite constituents in Ocimum genus. Though enzymes from phenylpropanoid pathway have been characterized from few plants, limited information exists on how they modulate levels of secondary metabolites. Here, we performed phenylpropanoid profiling in different tissues from five Ocimum species, which revealed significant variations in secondary metabolites including eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, estragole and methyl cinnamate levels. Expression analysis of eugenol synthase (EGS) gene showed higher transcript levels especially in young leaves and inflorescence; and were positively correlated with eugenol contents. Additionally, transcript levels of coniferyl alcohol acyl transferase, a key enzyme diverting pool of substrate to phenylpropanoids, were in accordance with their abundance in respective species. In particular, eugenol methyl transferase expression positively correlated with higher levels of eugenol methyl ether in Ocimum tenuiflorum. Further, EGSs were functionally characterized from four Ocimum species varying in their eugenol contents. Kinetic and expression analyses indicated, higher enzyme turnover and transcripts levels, in species accumulating more eugenol. Moreover, biochemical and bioinformatics studies demonstrated that coniferyl acetate was the preferred substrate over coumaryl acetate when used, individually or together, in the enzyme assay. Overall, this study revealed the preliminary evidence for varied accumulation of eugenol and its abundance over chavicol in these Ocimum species. Current findings could potentially provide novel insights for metabolic modulations in medicinal and aromatic plants. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbapap.2016.08.004}, author = {Anand, Atul and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Beedkar, Supriya D. and Singh, Priyanka A. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Gade, Wasudeo N. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {43031, title = {Complete metagenome sequencing based bacterial diversity and functional insights from basaltic hot spring of Unkeshwar, Maharashtra, India}, journal = {Genomics Data}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {140-143}, abstract = {

Unkeshwar hot springs are located at geographical South East Deccan Continental basalt of India. Here, we report the microbial community analysis of this hot spring using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing approach. The analysis revealed a total of 848,096 reads with 212.87Mbps with 50.87\% G+C content. Metagenomic sequences were deposited in SRA database with accession number (SUB1242219). Community analysis revealed 99.98\% sequences belonging to bacteria and 0.01\% to archaea and 0.01\% to Viruses. The data obtained revealed 41 phyla including bacteria and Archaea and including 719 different species. In taxonomic analysis, the dominant phyla were found as, Actinobacteria (56\%), Verrucomicrobia (24\%), Bacteriodes (13\%), Deinococcus-Thermus (3\%) and firmicutes (2\%) and Viruses (2\%). Furthermore, functional annotation using pathway information revealed dynamic potential of hot spring community in terms of metabolism, environmental information processing, cellular processes and other important aspects. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of each contig sequence by assigning KEGG Orthology (KO) numbers revealed contig sequences that were assigned to metabolism, organismal system, Environmental Information Processing, cellular processes and human diseases with some unclassified sequences. The Unkeshwar hot springs offer rich phylogenetic diversity and metabolic potential for biotechnological applications.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.gdata.2015.12.031}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Paranjpe, Aditi S. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {43596, title = {Contriving a catalytically active structure from an inert conformation: a density functionalinvestigation of Al, Hf, and Ge doping of Au-20 tetrahedral clusters}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {19636-19641}, abstract = {

The transformation of an inert structure into a catalytically active conformation has immense potential from a structural engineering point of view. In the present work, we explored methods of achieving such a transformation through a density-functional-based study. Au-20 is known be one of the most stable and catalytically inert gold clusters, with a well-known tetrahedral structure. We demonstrate the transformation of the inert Au-20 conformation into a highly active catalytic cluster through selective doping with Hf and Ge atoms. Depending on the dopant, the inert tetrahedral Au-20 cluster evolves into either an endohedral or a hollow-cage-like conformation. The structural changes are manifested in the catalytic properties as well, with the result that the transformed doped cages exhibit extremely low activation barriers for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to reported inert Au-20 cluster. The activation barriers for CO oxidation are particularly low (\<0.12 eV) when germanium is directly involved in the CO oxidation. Thus, the current work highlights the importance of engineering structural properties of metal nanoclusters with the help of heteroatom dopants for future applications in efficient catalysis.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b04305}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article { ISI:000380296000007, title = {Controlled synthesis of end-functionalized mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptides for lysosome targeting}, journal = {ACS Macro Letters}, volume = {5}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {809-813}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The ubiquitous expression of the mannose-6-phosphate receptor on the majority of human cells makes it a valid target in the quest to deliver therapeutics selectively to the lysosome. In this work end-functionalized polyvalent mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptides (M6P-GPs) with high molecular weights (up to 22 kDa) have been synthesized via NCA polymerization. These synthetic M6P-GPs were found to display minimal toxicity to cells in vitro and show exceptional selectivity for trafficking into lysosomes in various cell lines. Comparison of the cellular uptake behavior of M6P-GP and the corresponding mannose-GP polymer reveals that incorporation of the phosphate moiety at the 6-position of mannose completely alters its trafficking behavior and becomes exclusively lysosome specific. We also demonstrate that trafficking of M6P-GPs in mammalian cells is likely associated with the CI-MPR receptor pathway.

}, issn = {2161-1653}, doi = {10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00297}, author = {Das, Soumen and Parekh, Nimisha and Mondal, Basudeb and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {45645, title = {Counteranion driven homochiral assembly of a cationic C-3-symmetric gelator through ion-pair assisted hydrogen bond}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {138}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP }, pages = {11113-11116}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The helical handedness in achiral self-assemblies is mostly complex due to spontaneous symmetry breaking or kinetically controlled random assembly formation. Here an attempt has been made to address this issue through chiral anion exchange. A new class of cationic achiral C-3-symmetric gelator devoid of any conventional gelation assisting functional units is found to form both right-and left-handed helical structures. A chiral counteranion exchange-assisted approach is successfully introduced to control the chirality sign and thereby to obtain preferred homochiral assemblies. Formation of anion-assisted chiral assembly was confirmed by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, microscopic images, and crystal structure. The X-ray crystal structure reveals the construction of helical assemblies with opposite handedness for (+)- and (-)-chiral anion reformed gelators. The appropriate counteranion driven ion-pair-assisted hydrogen-bonding interactions are found responsible for the helical bias control in this C-3-symmetric gelator.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.6b06312}, author = {Maity, Arunava and Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Basu, Arghya and Aute, Sunil and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000367840400003, title = {Crosslinked polymer embedded Cu/Ag for comparative drug adsorption and kinetics evaluation}, journal = {International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials}, volume = {65}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {285-293}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS AS}, address = {KARL JOHANS GATE 5, NO-0154 OSLO, NORWAY}, abstract = {

Two-dimensional crosslinked polymer (2-DCP) was synthesized for evaluation of drug adsorption and kinetics thereof. Further, polymer properties were evaluated and parameters such as contact time and adsorption isotherm were also studied. Herein, contact time demonstrated 83\% and 85\% of drug loading in an acidic medium for two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded copper and silver (2-DCP-Cu/Ag), respectively in 24h. Initial 4h is the exponential drug loading period whereas drug loading was increased gradually after 4h. Salbutamol loading was well-fitted to Langmuir adsorption isotherm, which indicated a monolayer drug adsorption with respect to 2-DCP-Cu/Ag. Pseudo first- and pseudo second-order kinetics was evaluated to perceive the drug adsorption mechanism and equilibrium adsorption capacity. Monolayer drug adsorption with chemisorption mechanism was observed for 2-DCP-Cu/Ag. In addition to this, decomposition temperature of polymer was 440 and 325 degrees C while glass transition temperature of polymer was 280 and 200 degrees C before and after metal modification, respectively. (A=aqueous phase; B=organic phase; C=drug solution; D=drug loaded polymer; E=enlarged drug loaded polymer.) [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, crosslink polymer, drug loading, langmuir adsorption isotherm, salbutamol}, issn = {0091-4037}, doi = {10.1080/00914037.2015.1119684}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {42942, title = {Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel azaspiro analogs of linezolid as antibacterial and antitubercular agents}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {122}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {475-487}, abstract = {

The design, synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of a novel series of azaspiro analogues of linezolid (1) have been described. Linezolid comprises of a morpholine ring which is known for its metabolism related liabilities. Therefore, the key modification made in the linezolid structure was the replacement of morpholine moiety with its bioisostere, 2-oxa-6-azaspiro[3.3]heptane. Furthermore, the replacement of N-acetyl terminal of 1 with various aromatic or aliphatic functionalities was carried out. The title compounds were evaluated against a panel of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Subsequent structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies identified several compounds with mixed antibacterial and antitubercular profiles. Compound 22 (IC50 0.72, 0.51, 0.88, 0.49 mu g/mL for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, respectively) exhibited similar antibacterial profile as I. The N-acetyl derivative 18 was similar to 1 in antitubercular profile. Thus, the present study successfully demonstrated the use of azaspiro substructure in the medicinal chemistry of antibacterial and antitubercular agents. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.07.001}, author = {Gadekar, Pradip K. and Roychowdhury, Abhijit and Kharkar, Prashant S. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Arkile, Manisha A. and Manek, Hardik and Sarkar, Dhiman and Sharma, Rajiv and Vijayakumar, V. and Sarveswari, S.} } @article { ISI:000368264800002, title = {Detection of clostridium tetani in human clinical samples using tetX specific primers targeting the neurotoxin}, journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health}, volume = {9}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {105-109}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE LONDON}, address = {84 THEOBALDS RD, LONDON WC1X 8RR, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Tetanus resulting from ear injury remains an important health problem, particularly in the developing world. We report the successful detection of Clostridium tetani using tetX specific primers targeting the Cl. tetani neurotoxin. The sample was obtained from an ear discharge of a case of otogenic tetanus in a 2-year-old male child. Based on the culture results of the ear discharge, Gram staining and virulence testing by genotyping, a diagnosis of tetanus was confirmed. This is the first report from India on the successful detection of Cl. tetani in a human clinical sample using tetX specific primers targeting the Cl. tetani neurotoxin. (C) 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cl. tetani, Neurotoxin, Otogenic tetanus, Trismus}, issn = {1876-0341}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2015.06.014}, author = {Ganesh, Madhu and Sheikh, Nasira K. and Shah, Pooja and Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Nagoba, Basavraj S.} } @article {43389, title = {Dynamic, reversible oxidative addition of highly polar bonds to a transition metal}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {138}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {16140-16147}, abstract = {The combination of Pt complexes and indium trihalides leads to compounds that form equilibria in solution between their In X oxidative addition (OA) products (Pt indyl complexes) and their metal-only Lewis pair (MOLP) isomers (LnPt -> InX3). The position of the equilibria can be altered reversibly by changing the solvent, while the equilibria can be reversibly and irreversibly driven toward the MOLP products by addition of further donor ligands. The results mark the first observation of an equilibrium between MOLP and OA isomers, as well as the most polar bond ever observed to undergo reversible oxidative addition to a metal complex. In addition, we present the first structural characterization of MOLP and oxidative addition isomers of the same compound. The relative energies of the MOLP and OA isomers were calculated by DFT methods, and the possibility of solvent-mediated isomerization is discussed.}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.6b10609}, author = {Bertermann, Ruediger and Boehnke, Julian and Braunschweig, Holger and Dewhurst, Rian D. and Kupfer, Thomas and Muessig, Jonas H. and Pentecost, Leanne and Radacki, Krzysztof and Sen, Sakya S. and Vargas, Alfredo} } @article {43593, title = {Effect of heterocycles on field-effect transistor performances of donor-acceptor-donor type small molecules}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {661}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {107-113}, abstract = {Two D-A-D small molecules comprising triphenylamine and diketopyrrolopyrrole were synthesized having either furan or thiophene connected to the fused lactam ring. In this design, furan/thiophene diketopyrrolopyrrole acts as an acceptor and triphenylamine acts as a donor. Propeller shaped triphenylamine has its effect on packing, processability and plays a vital role in determining the pi-pi molecular orbital stacking in such compounds and thus the mobility of charge carriers. With TDPPT and FDPPT, maximum hole carrier mobility obtained is 2.88 x 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and 1.60 x 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), respectively using bottom gate bottom contact field-effect transistor. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2016.08.073}, author = {Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Chatterjee, Shyambo} } @article {42547, title = {Effect of number of branches on the performance of fractal impeller in a stirred tank: mixing and hydrodynamics}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Research \& Design}, volume = {108}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {164-175}, abstract = {

Number of blades of an impeller, impeller design and its positioning in a stirred tank is known to affect the mixing in a stirred tank reactor. The extent of non-uniformity in mixing from conventional impellers can be reduced significantly using a space-filling impeller like a fractal impeller. In this work, we report the effect of number of branches (and hence the number of blades) of fractal impeller on power consumption, mixing and hydrodynamics. Velocity measurements were carried out using ultrasonic velocity profiler (UVP). Measurements showed that the performance of fractal impeller with different configuration is equivalent, however, better than standard impellers in terms of mixing achieved per unit power consumption. No significant difference was observed in radial and axial mean velocity profiles for three different configurations. However, the tangential velocity was found higher for four branches than two and three branches FL Two distinct circulation loops were observed in upper as well as lower half of the vessel in r-z plane. Strong tangential flow throughout the baffled vessel helps to achieve good mixing even at low rotational speeds. (C) 2016 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Fractal impeller; Number of branches; UVP; Tangential velocity; Mixing}, doi = {10.1016/j.cherd.2016.01.025}, author = {Mule, Gunwant M. and Lohia, Rajat and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article { ISI:000377257000076, title = {Effect of plasma treatment on multilayer graphene: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface morphology investigations and work function measurements}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {54}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {48843-48850}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report here the effect of plasma treatment on multilayer graphene samples as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and surface morphology studies with atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The plasma treatment was modified to introduce controlled levels of defects and functionalities to the graphene samples to give tunable properties. The elemental composition and structure were investigated by XPS and micro Raman spectroscopy. The XPS study showed that there was a slight variation in the sp(2)/sp(3) hybridization ratio between the plasma-treated samples and the pristine sample. Kelvin probe measurements were carried out on all the multilayer graphene samples and indicated a slight variation in the work function of the graphene samples after plasma treatment.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra03046g}, author = {Patil, Urmila V. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Machuno, Luis G. B. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000376515100003, title = {Effect of plug temperature on the strain and thickness distribution ofcomponents made by plug assist thermoforming}, journal = {International Polymer Processing}, volume = {31}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {166-178}, publisher = {CARL HANSER VERLAG}, address = {KOLBERGERSTRASSE 22, POSTFACH 86 04 20, D-81679 MUNICH, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Plug temperature is a key parameter affecting the thickness distribution of thermoplastic components made by plug assist thermoforming. For a specified pair of plug and plastic sheet, the variation in plug temperature can alter the coefficient of friction (COF) between the pair. We show here how the temperature dependence of COF influences the nature and extent of biaxial stretching of the sheet and consequently the thickness distribution of the thermoformed component. In the present study, high impact polystyrene (HIPS) sheets were thermoformed into axisymmetric cups using a plug-assist process in which the aluminum plug temperature (T-plug) was varied from ambient to above the glass transition temperature of HIPS (similar to 100 degrees C). Biaxial strain maps on the surfaces of the formed cups were measured and quantified using Grid Strain Analysis (GSA). Thickness distributions of the cups were also measured. Temperature dependent COF between HIPS and aluminum was determined independently using a rotational rheometer. The measured COF was low for T \< 100 degrees C, whereas it increased appreciably at and above 100 degrees C. We conclude that when T-plug \< 100 degrees C the HIPS sheet slips on the plug during forming, and this results in biaxial stretching of the base and walls of the formed cup. In contrast for T-plug \> 100 degrees C, a significant reduction in the magnitude of slip is expected. Here the sheet is gripped at the clamp and by the plug during forming which causes reduced biaxial stretching of the base and increased uniaxial stretching of the walls of the cup. Simulations of plug-assist thermoforming using a temperature dependent COF showed qualitative agreement with the GSA data thereby supporting our inferences.

}, issn = {0930-777X}, doi = {10.3139/217.3060}, author = {Marathe, D. and Rokade, D. and Azad, Lal Busher and Jadhav, Kishor and Mahajan, Sunil and Ahmad, Zubair and Gupta, S. and Kulkarni, S. and Juvekar, Vinay A. and Lele, Ashish K.} } @article {43620, title = {Effective noncovalent functionalization of poly(ethylene glycol) to reduced graphene oxidenanosheets through gamma-radiolysis for enhanced lubrication}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2139-2148}, abstract = {High-quality reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets (NSs) were synthesized by the oxidation of graphite followed by hydrazine treatment for the reduction of the oxygen functionalities. gamma-Radiolysis was then used for the functionalization of the rGO-NSs with poly(ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG200). The functionalization resulted in the intercalation of PEG200 molecules in rGO through hydrogen bonding between the hydroxyl groups of rGO and the oxygen atoms of PEG200 molecules. This resulted in an increase in the d spacing of the graphene sheets and a decrease in the defect density of the carbon network in the rGO. The friction coefficient and wear of sliding steel surfaces were reduced by 38\% and 55\%, respectively, when 0.03 mg mL(-1) PEG200-functionalized rGO dispersed in PEG200 was used. The lubrication properties can be described by bipolar interactions between PEG200 and rGO, leading to effective dispersion. Chemical analysis of wear particles showed decomposition of rGO into nanosized graphite domains, as exhibited by mechanical energy produced in tribo-contact. Moreover, these domains formed effective and stable tribofilms on the steel wear tracks that easily sheared under the action of contact stress. This significantly enhanced the antifriction and antiwear properties, resulting in improved oxidation resistance of PEG200 under the tribo-contact. It was found that, at high rGO concentrations, the lubrication efficiency decreased as a result of graphene-graphene intersheet collisions, producing mechanical energy and chemical defects at contact interfaces.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b08762}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Kumar, Niranjan and Panda, Kalpataru and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Joshi, Shailesh and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, Ashok Kumar} } @article {45835, title = {Efficient synthesis of potent anti-tubercular drug candidate BM212}, journal = {Rasayan Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {806-811}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel five step total synthesis route for an anti-tubercular drug BM212 starting from 4-chlorophenacyl bromide was developed with 48\% overall yield. The synthesis is amiable for the synthesis of biologically active derivatives of BM 212.

}, url = {https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85006821396\&origin=inward\&txGid=dd9ebfd9dd46604a8f7c425b110c73d0}, author = {More, N. A. and Patil, M. D. and Garud, D. R. and Gajbhiye, J. M.} } @article { ISI:000368065300033, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of spirocyclohexadienones by NHC-catalyzed formal [3+3] annulation reaction of enals}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {55}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {268-272}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The enantioselective synthesis of pyrazolone-fused spirocyclohexadienones was demonstrated by the reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with alpha-arylidene pyrazolinones under oxidative N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. This atom-economic and formal [3+3] annulation reaction proceeds through a vinylogous Michael addition/spiroannulation/dehydrogenation cascade to afford spirocyclic compounds with an all-carbon quaternary stereocenter in moderate to good yields and excellent ee values. Key to the success of the reaction is the cooperative NHC-catalyzed generation of chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acyl azoliums from enals, and base-mediated tandem generation of dienolate/enolate intermediates from pyrazolinones.

}, keywords = {annulation reactions, asymmetric catalysis, N-heterocyclic carbenes, organocatalysis, spiro compounds}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201507802}, author = {Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Mondal, Santigopal and Mukherjee, Subrata and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article { ISI:000371608600013, title = {Endohedrally doped gold nanocages: efficient catalysts for O-2 activation and CO oxidation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {18}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {7068-7074}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Gold nanocages are the most attractive catalytic materials as all the atoms in the cage type clusters reside on the surface, making them available for chemisorption by reacting molecules. Due to a hollow space at the center, their chemical and catalytic properties can be tuned effectively and easily by endohedral doping. While a significant experimental and theoretical understanding is currently available on the structural and electronic properties of doped gold cages, very little information is available on their reactivity and catalytic behavior. In the present work, with the help of density functional theory calculations we demonstrate that endohedral doping leads to a notable increase in the binding energy of molecular oxygen on the gold nanocages. The enhancement in the O-2 binding energy on the doped gold cages is also confirmed by a significant decrease in the Au-O and an increase in the O-O bond lengths, corroborated by a red shift (similar to 250 cm(-1)) in the O-O stretching frequency as compared to the pristine cage. Furthermore, interestingly, the doped gold cages show very low activation barriers for the environmentally important CO oxidation reaction as compared to the pristine gold cage. Importantly, the decrease in the barrier height is comparatively greater for the rate limiting step of O-O-C-O intermediate formation and as a result the CO oxidation is expected to be more facile on the doped gold cages. Thus, the current study highlights the role of heteroatom doping in imparting new chemical and catalytic properties to gold cages and is expected to spur further research in the design of efficient gold nanocatalysts.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c5cp05624a}, author = {Manzoor, Dar and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Pal, Sourav} } @article {43578, title = {Engineering and in vitro evaluation of acid labile cholesterol tethered MG132 nanoparticle fortargeting ubiquitin-proteasome system in cancer}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5099-5106}, abstract = {In recent years, proteasome has evolved as one of the important alternative targets in cancer chemotherapy. However, selective targeting of proteasome system in cancer cells still remains a major challenge. To address this, a potent peptide based proteasome inhibitor MG132 was chemically conjugated with biocompatible-biodegradable cholesterol by acid cleavable hydrazone linkage. Spherical nanoparticles (MG132-NPs) were engineered from cholesterol-MG132 conjugate. Increased amount of free MG132 was released from these nanoparticles in acidic environment compared to physiological milieu in a slow and controlled manner. These MG132-NPs were taken up by breast cancer MCF7 cells into lysosomes within 6 h. Proteasome system was inhibited by these MG132-NPs leading to stabilization of beta-catenin, cyclin A and cyclin B in HEK-293T cells. Interestingly, MG132-NPs induced much improved cell death in drug resistant MDA-MB-231 cells with insignificant toxicity in healthy cells (HEK293 and L929) even in higher concentration.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601117}, author = {Ghosh, Chandramouli and Gupta, Neha and More, Piyush and Sengupta, Poulomi and Mallick, Abhik and Santra, Manas Kumar and Basu, Sudipta} } @article {43336, title = {Enhanced electrochemical performance of polypyrrole coated MoS2 nanocomposites as electrode material for supercapacitor application}, journal = {Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {782}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {278-287}, abstract = {Binary nanocomposites of polypyrrole (PPY) and Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), with varying weight\% of MoS2 viz. MP1, MP2, and MP3 corresponding to 12.5, 25, and 50\% of MoS2 respectively, were prepared via. in-situ polymerization method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to study the structure and morphology of the prepared nanocomposites. The electrochemical properties were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The nanocomposite electrode material MP2 reached a specific capacitance of 400 F/g at the current density 1 A/g which was higher than that of pure PPY and the other two nanocomposites viz. MP1 and MP3 having different compositions of MoS2 and PPY than that of MP2. It was noteworthy that the maximum capacitance value was obtained only for an optimum dose of MoS2 (MP2 in this case with 25\% of MoS2) and any deviation from which ultimately degraded the capacitive performance of the nanocomposite electrode material. This could be attributed to the occurrence of maximum interaction between MoS2 and PPY in the nanocomposite only at a particular concentration of its host materials. The results showed that the specific capacitance of MP2 nanocomposite declined by 7.2\% after 5000 cycles. Further, MP2 nanocomposite electrode showed much higher energy density (8.88 Wh/kg) as well as power density (2286 W/kg) which were higher than that shown by PPY electrode. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jelechem.2016.10.050}, author = {Thakur, Anukul K. and Choudhary, Ram Bilash and Majumder, Mandira and Gupta, Govind and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article { ISI:000377811100004, title = {Enhanced field emission behavior of layered MoSe2}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {3}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 035003}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we report one step facile chemical vapor deposition method for synthesis of single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets with average lateral dimension similar to 60 mu m on 300 nm SiO2/Si and n-type silicon substrates and field emission investigation of MoSe2/Si at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The morphological and structural analyses of the as-deposited single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets were carried out using an optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Furthermore, the values of turn-on and threshold fields required to extract an emission current densities of 1 and 10 mu A cm(-2), are found to be similar to 1.9 and similar to 2.3 V mu m(-1), respectively. Interestingly, the MoSe2 nanosheet emitter delivers maximum field emission current density of similar to 1.5 mA cm(-2) at a relatively lower applied electric field of similar to 3.9 V mu m(-1). The long term operational current stability recorded at the preset values of 35 mu A over 3 hr duration and is found to be very good. The observed results demonstrates that the layered MoSe2 nanosheet based field emitter can open up many opportunities for their potential application as an electron source in flat panel display, transmission electron microscope, and x-ray generation. Thus, the facile one step synthesis approach and robust nature of single-layer MoSe2 nanosheets emitter can provide prospects for the future development of practical electron sources.

}, keywords = {atomically thin nanosheets, chemical vapor deposition, field emission, layered MoSe2}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/3/3/035003}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Jadkar, Sandesh R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article { ISI:000368191100026, title = {Enhanced nucleation of polypropylene by metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on aluminium dicarboxylates: influence of structural features}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1907-1912}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on aluminium dicarboxylates provide a new platform for the enhanced nucleation of isotactic polypropylene (iPP). For instance, aluminium dicarboxylates exhibit a unique butterfly-like structure similar to that of carboxylate-alumoxanes and correlates well with the nucleation characteristics of iPP. A subtle change in the structure of the ligand backbone (fumarate/succinate) does not alter the framework structure despite changing the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character and its subsequent nucleation characteristics. This suggests that the nucleating agent should facilitate favourable interaction with hydrophobic iPP for efficient nucleation. Further, a systematic variation of the alkyl chain length in the Al-dicarboxylate does not change the nucleation efficiency considerably, even though it increases the distance between the octahedral alumina chains in the metal-organic framework, suggesting that the butterfly-like structure present in the framework is a key aspect for nucleation. Finally, the significance of the orientational conformation of the dicarboxylate around the metal centre for the nucleation is confirmed by the poor nucleation efficiency of chromium and zirconium suberate MOFs where the orientation of suberate would be different from that of aluminium suberate due to the difference in the ligation of the carboxylate group. The present work thus provides valuable pathways for developing new nucleating agents based on MOFs with appropriate selection and orientation of the organic linkers around the metal centre.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra22764j}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42831, title = {Enhancement in rate of photocatalysis upon catalyst recycling}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 35075}, abstract = {

Recyclability is an important aspect for heterogeneous photo-catalysts. Ease of recovery and stability of the photo-catalyst in terms of efficiency over the number of cycles are highly desired and in fact it is ideal if the efficiency is constant and it should not decrease marginally with each cycle. Presented here is a seminal observation in which the photocatalytic activity is shown to improve with increasing number of catalytic cycles (it is 1.7 times better after the 1st cycle and 3.1 times better after the 2nd cycle). Specifically, nanorods of pure TiO2 and TiO2 doped with controlled amount of tungsten have been used to degrade two model pollutants: Phenol and Rhodamine B under exclusive visible light illumination. It was found that, in case of 1 mol.\% W incorporation, rate of photocatalysis and also the range of visible light absorption of the photocatalyst increased after the photocatalysis as compared to before photocatalysis. This aspect is unique for doped TiO2 and hence provides an intriguing way to mitigate low photoactivity.

}, doi = {10.1038/srep35075}, author = {Sorathiya, Kalpesh and Mishra, Biswajit and Kalarikkal, Abhishek and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Khushalani, Deepa} } @article {43434, title = {Evaluation of uttroside B, a saponin from Solanum nigrum Linn, as a promising chemotherapeutic agent against hepatocellular carcinoma}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {Article Number: 36318}, abstract = {We report, for the first time, the remarkable efficacy of uttroside B, a potent saponin from Solanum nigrum Linn, against liver cancer. The compound has been isolated and characterized from the leaves of Solanum nigrum Linn, a plant widely used in traditional medicine and is a rich resource of several anticancer molecules. Uttroside B, that comprises of beta-D-glucopyranosyl unit at C-26 of the furostanol and beta-lycotetraosyl unit at C-3, is ten times more cytotoxic to the liver cancer cell line, HepG2 (IC50: 0.5 mu M) than sorafenib (IC50: 5.8 mu M), the only FDA-approved drug for liver cancer. Moreover, it induces cytotoxicity in all liver cancer cell lines, irrespective of their HBV status, while being non-toxic to normal immortalized hepatocytes. It induces apoptosis in HepG2 cells by down-regulating mainly the activation of MAPK and mTOR pathways. The drastic reduction in HepG2-xenograft tumor size achieved by uttroside B in NOD-SCID mice and substantiation of its biological safety through both acute and chronic toxicity studies in Swiss albino mice warrants clinical validation of the molecule against hepatic cancer, for which, the chemotherapeutic armamentarium currently has limited weapons.}, doi = {10.1038/srep36318}, author = {Nath, Lekshmi R. and Gorantla, Jaggaiah N. and Thulasidasan, Arun Kumar T. and Vijayakurup, Vinod and Shah, Shabna and Anwer, Shabna and Joseph, Sophia M. and Antony, Jayesh and Veena, Kollery Suresh and Sundaram, Sankar and Marelli, Udaya K. and Lankalapalli, Ravi S. and Anto, Ruby John} } @article { ISI:000367968700030, title = {Evidence for dry molten globule-like domains in the pH-induced equilibrium folding intermediate of a multidomain protein}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {7}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {173-179}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The role of van der Waals (vdW) packing interactions compared to the hydrophobic effect in stabilizing the functional structure of proteins is poorly understood. Here we show, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, dynamic fluorescence quenching, red-edge excitation shift, and near- and far-UV circular dichroism, that the pH-induced structural perturbation of a multidomain protein leads to the formation of a state in which two out of the three domains have characteristics of dry molten globules, that is, the domains are expanded compared to the native protein with disrupted packing interactions but have dry cores. We quantitatively estimate the energetic contribution of vdW interactions and show that they play an important role in the stability of the native state and cooperativity of its structural transition, in addition to the hydrophobic effect. Our results also indicate that during the pH-induced unfolding, side-chain unlocking and hydrophobic solvation occur in two distinct steps and not in concerted manner, as commonly believed

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b02545}, author = {Acharya, Nirbhik and Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article { ISI:000382207700055, title = {Exfoliated 2D black phosphorus nanosheets: field emission studies}, journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science \& Technology B}, volume = {34}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {041803}, publisher = {A V S AMER INST PHYSICS}, address = {STE 1 NO 1, 2 HUNTINGTON QUADRANGLE, MELVILLE, NY 11747-4502 USA}, abstract = {

A few layer black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets are obtained by micromechanical cleavage from a bulk BP crystal. In a typical exfoliation procedure, a layer of BP is peeled off from bulk crystal with the help of Scotch tape and transferred onto SiO2/Si and pristine Si substrates. The morphological and structural analyses of the samples were carried out using an optical microscopy, a transmission electron microscopy, and a Raman spectroscopy. Field emission investigations on a few layered BP nanosheets on Si substrate were carried out at the base pressure of 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The turn-on value, corresponding to emission current density of similar to 1 mu A/cm(2), is found to be similar to 5.1V/mu m for BP nanosheets/Si emitter and high field enhancement factor (beta) similar to 1164, attributed to atomically thin/sharp edges of the BP nanosheets. The emission current shows good stability at a preset value of similar to 5 mu A over a period of more than 8 h. The present results demonstrate the potential of the mechanically exfoliated BP nanosheets/Si field emitter for the development of practical electron sources. (C) 2016 American Vacuum Society.

}, issn = {1071-1023}, doi = {10.1116/1.4945433}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {42693, title = {Expedient cobalt-catalyzed C{\textendash}H alkynylation of (enantiopure) benzylamines}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5252-5255}, abstract = {

A unified strategy for cobalt-catalyzed ortho-C-H bond alkynylation of benzylamines is reported. Simple, commercially available CoBr2 was used as a cobalt source. The developed alkynylation strategy is robust and efficient and has a broad substrate scope including 1 degrees, 2 degrees, and 3 degrees benzylamines. The mechanistic study shows that C-H bond cleavage is reversible, and the kinetic study illustrates that the rate of reaction depends solely on the catalyst.

}, keywords = {Terminal Alkynes; Bond Activation; Directed Functionalization;Aminoquinoline Benzamides; Ortho-C(Sp(2))-H Bonds; Mechanistic Insights; Selective Access; Carbon-Hydrogen; Nickel; Annulation}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b02549}, author = {Landge, Vinod Gokulkrishna and Midya, Siba Prasad and Rana, Jagannath and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article { ISI:000368829000007, title = {Expression of proteins involved in digestion and detoxification are regulated in helicoverpa armigera to cope up with chlorpyrifos insecticide}, journal = {Insect Science}, volume = {23}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {68-77}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Helicoverpa armigera is a key pest in many vital crops, which is mainly controlled by chemical strategies. To manage this pest is becoming challenging due to its ability and evolution of resistance against insecticides. Further, its subsequent spread on nonhost plant is remarkable in recent times. Hence, decoding resistance mechanism against phytochemicals and synthetic insecticides is a major challenge. The present work describes that the digestion, defense and immunity related enzymes are associated with chlorpyrifos resistance in H. armigera. Proteomic analysis of H. armigera gut tissue upon feeding on chlorpyrifos containing diet (CH) and artificial diet (AD) using nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identified upregulated 23-proteins in CH fed larvae. Database searches combined with gene ontology analysis revealed that the identified gut proteins engrossed in digestion, proteins crucial for immunity, adaptive responses to stress, and detoxification. Biochemical and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis of candidate proteins indicated that insects were struggling to get nutrients and energy in presence of CH, while at the same time endeavoring to metabolize chlorpyrifos. Moreover, we proposed a potential processing pathway of chlorpyrifos in H. armigera gut by examining the metabolites using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. H. armigera exhibit a range of intriguing behavioral, morphological adaptations and resistance to insecticides by regulating expression of proteins involved in digestion and detoxification mechanisms to cope up with chlorpyrifos. In these contexts, as gut is a rich repository of biological information; profound analysis of gut tissues can give clues of detoxification and resistance mechanism in insects.

}, keywords = {chlorpyrifos, Helicoverpa armigera, insecticide resistance, proteomics, real-time PCR}, issn = {1672-9609}, doi = {10.1111/1744-7917.12177}, author = {Dawkar, Vishal V. and Chikate, Yojana R. and More, Tushar H. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {43604, title = {Facile approach towards fabrication of GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture as high currentdensity cold cathode}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3723-3729}, abstract = {Three dimensional (3D) GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture comprised of thin coating of GdB6 on self aligned ZnO urchins with pointed apex has been synthesized employing optimized Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique. The self aligned ZnO urchins on Zn substrate were obtained using hydrothermal route. The as-synthesized GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture was characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM XPS, and UPS in order to reveal its structural, morphological, chemical, and electronic properties. Interestingly, the GdB6-ZnO heteroarchitecture exhibits superior field emission (FE) behviour in contrast to the pristine ZnO urchins envisaged by extraction of very high emission current density of similar to 4.6 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 4.5 V/mm, against similar to 1.5 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 5.6 V/mm from the pristine ZnO urchins emitter. Furthermore, the GdB6-ZnOemitter exhibits good emission stability at pre-set value of similar to 5 mA over duration of more than 3 hours. The superior FE behaviour of the GdB6-ZnO is attributed to low work-function of GdB6 and presence of nanometric protrusions on the emitter surface, further enhancing the aspect ratio provided by the ZnO urchins. The present results demonstrate a facile approach towards fabrication of high current density cold cathodes due to rare earth hexaborides via designing hetero-architectures comprised of their well adherent ultrathin coating on high aspect ratio metal oxide nanostructures.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201600956}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Mistari, Chetan D. and Singh, Anil K. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sinha, Sucharita and More, Mahendra A.} } @conference {45825, title = {Field emission investigation of composites of polypyrrole with graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide and graphene nanoribbons}, booktitle = {2016 29th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC)}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {IEEE; IEEE Electron Devices Soc; ZEISS; Modern Electron; Amer Vacuum Soci; Paul Scherrer Inst; Elect \& Comp Engn; Univ British Columbia, Peter Wall Inst Adv Studies; Dept Elect \& Comp Engn}, organization = {IEEE; IEEE Electron Devices Soc; ZEISS; Modern Electron; Amer Vacuum Soci; Paul Scherrer Inst; Elect \& Comp Engn; Univ British Columbia, Peter Wall Inst Adv Studies; Dept Elect \& Comp Engn}, address = {345 E 47th St, New York,NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

The monomer pyrrole has been polymerized by chemical route in the presence of graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and graphene nanoribbons (GNR) separately to prepare nanocomposites as Polypyrrole-GO (PGO), PPy-rGO (PRGO), PPy-GNR (PGNR), respectively. The morphological, chemical and structural characterization of the as-synthesized products was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Field emission (FE) studies of PGO, PRGO, PGNR emitters were performed at the base pressure of 1x10(-8) mbar in planar {\textquoteleft}diode{\textquoteright} configuration. Onset and threshold field values corresponding to emission current densities of 1 and 100 mu A/cm(2) are observed to be 1.5 and 2.3V/mu m for PGO, 1.4 and 2.2 V/mu m for PRGO and lowest for PGNR as 0.9 and 1.2V/mu m, respectively. The maximum emission current density of 2.5 mA/cm(2) drawn for PGO at the applied electric field of 3.2V/mu m, 1.2 mA/cm(2) at 3.6V/mu m from the PRGO and 8 mA/cm(2) at the field of 2.2 V/mu m from the PGNR emitters. An emission current versus time (I-t) plot shows stable emission behavior for the preset current values.

}, keywords = {field emission, FTIR, polypyrrole, Raman}, isbn = {978-1-5090-2419-3}, author = {Harpale, Kashmira and Bansode, Sanjeewani and More, Mahendra and Late, D. J.} } @article { ISI:000369516100068, title = {Field emission properties of highly ordered low-aspect ratio carbon nanocup arrays}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9932-9939}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Herein, we design and develop a field emission device utilizing highly porous carbon nanocup (CNC) films. These three-dimensional (3D) low-aspect ratio CNC structures were fabricated by a combination of anodization and chemical vapor deposition techniques. The low turn-on fields of 2.30 V mu m(-1) were observed to draw an emission current density of 1 mu A cm(-2) and a maximum emission current density of similar to 1.802 mA cm(-2) drawn at an applied field of similar to 4.20 V mu m(-1). The enhanced field emission behavior observed from the CNC films is attributed to an excellent field enhancement factor of 1645. The observed field emission properties of CNC arrays are attributed to a synergistic combination of high aspect ratio, nano-sized radius of curvature, highly organized distribution of the emitters over the whole area of specimen and lower screening effect of the CNC arrays. These observations shed light on the effect of the stacking carbon layers of CNC on their electronic properties and open up possibilities to integrate new morphologies of graphitic carbon in nanotechnology applications. Thus, the low turn on field, high emission current density and better emission current stability enable CNC based future field emission applications.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra25682h}, author = {Gupta, Bipin Kumar and Kedawat, Garima and Kumar, Pawan and Singh, Satbir and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Agrawal, Neetu and Gupta, Govind and Kim, Ah Ra and Gupta, R. K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Hahm, Myung Gwan} } @article {43166, title = {Fluoride-mediated dephosphonylation of α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {372 - 375}, abstract = {The possibility of fluoride-mediated selective dephosphonylation of α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates such as the Ohira-Bestmann reagent has been proposed and executed. The resulting α-diazocarbonyl intermediates undergo a (3 + 2)-cycloaddition at room temperature with conjugated olefins and benzynes. Interestingly, under the current conditions, the resulting cycloaddition products underwent either N-acylation (with excess α-diazo-β-carbonyl phosphonates) or Michael addition (with conjugated olefins).}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Mullapudi, Venkanna Babu and Wakchaure, Vivek Chandrakant and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {43438, title = {Free energy of bare and capped gold nanoparticles permeating through a lipid bilayer}, journal = {Chemphyschem}, volume = {17}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3504-3514}, abstract = {Herein, we study the permeation free energy of bare and octane-thiol-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) translocating through a lipid membrane. To investigate this, we have pulled the bare and capped AuNPs from bulk water to the membrane interior and estimated the free energy cost. The adsorption of the bare AuNP on the bilayer surface is energetically favorable but further loading inside it requires energy. However, the estimated free-energy barrier for loading the capped AuNP into the lipid membrane is much higher compared to bare AuNP. We also demonstrate the details of the permeation process of bare and capped AuNPs. Bare AuNP induces the curvature in the lipid membrane whereas capped AuNP creates an opening in the interacting monolayer and get inserted into the membrane. The insertion of capped AuNP induces a partial unzipping of the lipid bilayer, which results in the ordering of the local lipids interacting with the nanoparticle. However, bare AuNP disrupts the lipid membrane by pushing the lipid molecules inside the membrane. We also analyze pore formation due to the insertion of capped AuNP into the membrane, which results in water molecules penetrating the hydrophobic region.}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.201600690}, author = {Mhashal, Anil R. and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000369572000029, title = {From insertion to multicomponent coupling: temperature dependent reactions of arynes with aliphatic alcohols}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1665-1668}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The temperature dependent selectivity switch in the reaction of arynes with aliphatic alcohols in THF has been reported. At -20 degrees C, arynes smoothly insert into the O-H bond of alcohols to form alkyl aryl ethers. Interestingly, at 60 degrees C, a highly selective multicomponent coupling occurs with the solvent THF acting as the nucleophilic trigger affording (4-(alkoxy)butoxy)arenes.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c5cc08307a}, author = {Thangaraj, Manikandan and Bhojgude, Sachin Suresh and Mane, Manoj V. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43605, title = {Gadolinium(III)-based porous luminescent metal-organic frameworks for bimodal imaging}, journal = {Chempluschem}, volume = {81}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {728-732}, abstract = {Gd-III-based metal-organic frameworks, Gd-pDBI-1 and Gd-pDBI-2, have been synthesized using the linker pDBI (pDBI=1,4-bis(5-carboxy-1H-benzimidazole-2yl)benzene). They exhibited structural diversity due to subtle change in reaction constituents. Owing to the judicious choice of the fluorescent linker, the materials could be used for bimodal imaging (fluorescent and magnetic resonance) and displayed a modest T1 relaxivity value.}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201600233}, author = {Kundu, Tanay and Mitra, Shouvik and Diaz Diaz, David and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000371021000006, title = {GAME9 regulates the biosynthesis of steroidal alkaloids and upstream isoprenoids in the plant mevalonate pathway}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 10654}, publisher = {NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP}, address = {MACMILLAN BUILDING, 4 CRINAN ST, LONDON N1 9XW, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are cholesterol-derived molecules produced by solanaceous species. They contribute to pathogen defence but are toxic to humans and considered as anti-nutritional compounds. Here we show that GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM 9 (GAME9), an APETALA2/Ethylene Response Factor, related to regulators of alkaloid production in tobacco and Catharanthus roseus, controls SGA biosynthesis. GAME9 knockdown and overexpression in tomato and potato alters expression of SGAs and upstream mevalonate pathway genes including the cholesterol biosynthesis gene STEROL SIDE CHAIN REDUCTASE 2 (SSR2). Levels of SGAs, C24-alkylsterols and the upstream mevalonate and cholesterol pathways intermediates are modified in these plants. Delta(7)-STEROL-C5(6)-DESATURASE (C5-SD) in the hitherto unresolved cholesterol pathway is a direct target of GAME9. Transactivation and promoter-binding assays show that GAME9 exerts its activity either directly or cooperatively with the SlMYC2 transcription factor as in the case of the C5-SD gene promoter. Our findings provide insight into the regulation of SGA biosynthesis and means for manipulating these metabolites in crops.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms10654}, author = {Cardenas, Pablo D. and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Pollier, Jacob and Vanden Bossche, Robin and Dewangan, Veena and Weithorn, Efrat and Tal, Lior and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Malitsky, Sergey and Giri, Ashok P. and Goossens, Alain and Burdman, Saul and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article { ISI:000373029500086, title = {Glucose sensing and low-threshold field emission from MnCo2O4 nanosheets}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {35}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {29734-29740}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Manganese cobalt oxide (MnCo2O4) nanosheets were grown on nickel (Ni) foam by a simple electrodeposition method. The as-synthesized nanosheets were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The Ni foam supports the growth of MnCo2O4 nanosheets without any aggregation, thereby increasing its catalytic and electronic properties. The electrochemical studies show that MnCo2O4 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity towards glucose sensing applications. The MnCo2O4 based glucose sensor shows a good sensitivity value of 8.2 mA mM(-1) cm(-2), with a response time of 19 s. In addition to this, field emission studies of as-synthesized MnCo2O4 reveal a low turn-on field value of 1.9 V mm(-1) and good emission current stability, demonstrating MnCo2O4 nanosheets as a good field emitter material.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra01169a}, author = {Naik, Kusha Kumar and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {45639, title = {Glycopolypeptide-grafted bioactive polyionic complex vesicles (PICsomes) and their specific polyvalent interactions}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {600-612}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glycopolypeptide-based self-assembled nano-/microstructures with surface-tethered carbohydrates are excellent mimics of glycoproteins on the cell surface. To expand the broad repertoire of glycopolypeptide-based supramolecular soft structures such as polymersomes formed via self-assembly of amphiphilic polymers, we have developed a new class of polyionic complex vesicles (PICsomes) with glycopolypeptides grafted on the external surface. Oppositely charged hydrophilic block copolymers of glycopolypeptide(20)-b-poly-L-lysine(100) and PEG(2k)-b-poly-L-glutamate(100) [PEG = poly(ethylene glycol)] were synthesized using a combination of ring-opening polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}click{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} chemistry. Under physiological conditions, the catiomer and aniomer self-assemble to form glycopolypeptide-conjugated PICsomes (GP-PICsomes) of micrometer dimensions. Electron and atomic force microscopy suggests a hollow morphology of the PICsomes, with inner aqueous pool (core) and peripheral PIC (shell) regions. Owing to their relatively large (similar to micrometers) size, the hollowness of the supramolecular structure could be established via fluorescence microscopy of single GP-PICsomes, both in solution and under dry conditions, using spatially distributed fluorescent probes. Furthermore, the dynamics of single PICsomes in solution could be imaged in real time, which also allowed us to test for multivalent interactions between PICsomes mediated by a carbohydrate (mannose)-binding protein (lectin, Con-A). The immediate association of several GP-PICsomes in the presence of Con-A and their eventual aggregation to form large insoluble aggregate clusters reveal that upon self-assembly carbohydrate moieties protrude on the outer surface which retains their biochemical activity. Challenge experiments with excess mannose reveal fast deaggregation of GP-PICsomes as opposed to that in the presence of excess galactose, which further establishes the specificity of lectin-mediated polyvalent interactions of the GP-PICsomes.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6b00142}, author = {Pandey, Bhawana and Mahato, Jaladhar and Cotta, Karishma Berta and Das, Soumen and Sharma, Dharmendar Kumar and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Chowdhury, Arindam} } @article {43615, title = {Graphene based nanocomposites for alloy (SnO2), and conversion (Fe3O4) type efficient anodes for Li-ion battery applications}, journal = {Composites Science and Technology}, volume = {130}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {88-95}, abstract = {Two types of trigol reduced one pot synthesized graphene (TRG) based nanocomposites (SnO2-TRG, and Fe3O4-TRG) are examined as potential anodes for Lithium ion battery (LIB) applications. The two specific systems represent different electrode reaction mechanisms, namely alloying, and conversion respectively. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) analysis confirms the uniform distribution of SnO2 (similar to 2 nm), and Fe3O4 (similar to 8 nm) particulates on ultrathin TRG nanosheets and highlights the importance of surfactant free synthesis. The SnO2-TRG, and Fe3O4-TRG exhibited the maximum reversible capacity of similar to 947, and similar to 1024 mA h g(-1), respectively. The results show that such graphene based composite materials can be effectively used as prospective anodes for LIB applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.compscitech.2016.05.008}, author = {Mhamane, Dattakumar and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Taneja, Divya and Suryawanshi, Anil and Game, Onkar and Srinivasan, Madhavi and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @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 {42940, title = {GSH Induced controlled release of levofloxacin from a purpose-built prodrug: luminescence response for probing the drug release in escherichia coli and staphylococcus aureus}, journal = {Bioconjugate Chemistry}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2062-2070}, abstract = {

Fluoroquinolones are third-generation broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotics and work against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Levofloxacin (L), a fluoroquinolone, is widely used in anti-infective chemotherapy and treatment of urinary tract infection and pneumonia. The main pathogen for urinary tract infections is Escherichia colt, and Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for pneumonia, predominantly a lower respiratory tract infection. Poor permeability of L leads to the use of higher dose of this drug and excess drug in the outer cellular fluid leads to central nervous system (CNS) abnormality. One way to counter this is to improve the lipophilicity of the drug molecule, and accordingly, we have synthesized two new Levofloxacin derivatives, which participated in the spatiotemporal release of drug via disulfide bond cleavage induced by glutathione (GSH). Recent studies with Streptococcus mutants suggest that it is localized in epithelial lining fluid (ELF) of the normal lower respiratory tract and the effective [GSH] in ELF is similar to 430 mu M. E. coli typically cause urinary tract infections and the concentration of GSH in porcine bladder epithelium is reported as 0.6 mM for a healthy human. Thus, for the present study we have chosen two important bacteria (Gram + ve and Gram - ve), which are operational in regions having high extracellular GSH concentration. Interestingly, this supports our design of new lipophilic Levofloxacin based prodrugs, which released effective drug on reaction with GSH. Higher lipophilicity favored improved uptake of the prodrugs. Site specific release of the drug (L) could be achieved following a glutathione mediated biochemical transformation process through cleavage of a disulfide bond of these purpose-built prodrugs. Further, appropriate design helped us to demonstrate that it is possible also to control the kinetics of the drug release from respective prodrugs. Associated luminescence enhancement helps in probing the release of the drug from the prodrug in bacteria and helps in elucidating the mechanistic pathway of the transformation. Such an example is scarce in the contemporary literature.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00324}, author = {Pal, Suman and Ramu, Vadde and Taye, Nandaraj and Mogare, Devraj G. and Yeware, Amar M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000380823400047, title = {H2S detection using low-cost SnO2 nano-particle Bi-layer OFETs}, journal = {Sensors and Actuators B-Chemical}, volume = {235}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {378-385}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA}, address = {PO BOX 564, 1001 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND}, abstract = {

In this article, a unique platform with an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) integrated with metal oxide nanoparticles for sensing of H2S gas is presented. Metal oxide nanoparticles such as SnO2 and ZnO synthesized using herbal techniques were used in the fabrication of OFETs using a bi-layer technique. The as -synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Field Effect Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis Spectroscopy (UV-vis) to establish the material properties. We showed that the SnO2 based OFETs displayed better response for H2S at room temperature (25 degrees C) compared to the OFETs fabricated with ZnO. The characterization of the sensors by using extracted electrical parameters like field-effect mobility ([1), On -Current (Ion), threshold voltage (VT) and saturation current (ID]) establish the fact that the SnO2 based OFETs detect H2S gas at room temperature. Plausible mechanisms explaining the H2S gas detection by bi-layer film were discussed. On the other hand, the sensitivity of these OFETs against other reducing gases was less. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {bi-layer, H2S detection, Metal-oxide, OFETs, Sensor}, issn = {0925-4005}, doi = {10.1016/j.snb.2016.05.096}, author = {Surya, Sandeep G. and Ashwath, B. S. Narayan and Mishra, Sushma and Karthik, A. R. B. and Sastry, A. B. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad and Rangappa, Dinesh and Rao, V. Ramgopal} } @article {43310, title = {Heterotriangulene-based unsymmetrical squaraine dyes: synergistic effects of donor moieties and out-of-plane branched alkyl chains on dye cell performance}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {18910-18921}, abstract = {Unsymmetrical squaraine sensitizers with two different donor moieties, triphenylamine (NSQR) and heterotriangulene (NSQ1{\textendash}3), for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been designed and synthesized. These dyes utilize the indolium moiety to control charge recombination dynamics at the TiO2-dye-electrolyte interface by connecting linear and branched alkyl functionalities. In the present study, an efficient heterotriangulene (HT) donor and a branched alkyl group at sp3-C atoms were strategically incorporated to increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of zwitterionic dyes by improving photo-current density (Jsc) and open-circuit potential (Voc) of the cell. Among these four dyes, NSQ3 exhibited the highest efficiency of 6.73\% with a Jsc of 18.74 mA cm-2, Voc of 0.53 V, and fill factor (ff) of 68.3\%, without any co-adsorbent under an irradiance of 100 mW cm-2 (simulated AM 1.5G sunlight). In the presence of 3α,7α-dihydroxy-5β-cholanic acid (CDCA), NSQ1, NSQ2 and NSQ3 showed an efficiency of 7.07\%, 7.38\% and 7.17\%, respectively. Despite the low Voc, far red light harvesting efficiency, reduced dye aggregation, long lifetime (τ) of injected electrons and high quantum efficiency of NSQ1{\textendash}3 played constructive roles in achieving high PCE efficiency. Deceleration of charge recombination for NSQ dye cells was further studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and open-circuit photo-voltage decay (OCVD) measurements.}, doi = {10.1039/C6TA08651A}, author = {Karjule, Neeta and Munavvar, Fairoos M. K. and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article { ISI:000371753500044, title = {High loading of pd nanoparticles by interior functionalization of mofs for heterogeneous catalysis}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {55}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2345-2354}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In this report, the issue related to nanoparticle (NP) agglomeration upon increasing their loading amount into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been addressed by functionalization of MOFs with alkyne groups. The alkynophilicity of the Pd2+ (or other noble metals) ions has been utilized successfully for significant loading of Pd NPs into alkyne functionalized MOFs. It has been shown here that the size and loading amount of Pd NPs are highly dependent on the surface area and pore width of the MOFs. The loading amount of Pd NPs was increased monotonically without altering their size distribution on a particular MOF. Importantly, the distinct role of alkyne groups for Pe(2+) stabilization has also been demonstrated by performing a control experiment considering a MOF without an alkyne moiety. The preparation of NPs involved two distinct steps viz. adsorption of metal ions inside MOFs and reduction of metal ions. Both of these steps were monitored by microscopic techniques. This report also demonstrates the applicability of Pd@MOF NPs as extremely efficient heterogeneous catalysts for Heck-coupling and hydrogenation reactions of aryl bromides or iodides and alkenes, respectively.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.5b02739}, author = {Gole, Bappaditya and Sanyal, Udishnu and Banerjee, Rahul and Mukherjee, Partha Sarathi} } @article {43411, title = {Highly selective direct azidation of alcohols over a heterogeneous povidone-phosphotungstic solid acid catalyst}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10240-10245}, abstract = {A simple protocol for the selective azidation of alcohols is developed using a solid acid hybrid of a povidone and phosphotungstic acid (PVP-PWA) using azidotrimethylsilane as an azide source at room temperature. In a broad substrate scope, various activated as well as unactivated benzylic and diphenyl alcohols were treated smoothly with TMS-N-3 to selectively produce only azide products with excellent yields in a very short reaction time of 2 h. FT-IR confirmed the stability of the catalyst with retention of the Keggins structure after the reaction. Recycling experiments demonstrated the reusability of the PVP PWA (3:1) several times without losing its original activity.}, doi = {10.1039/c6nj02500e}, author = {Kamble, Sumit and More, Sagar and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {45637, title = {Highly stable In-SBA-15 catalyst for vapor phase Beckmann rearrangement reaction}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {234}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV }, pages = {293-302}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Indium doped SBA-15 material was prepared by sol-gel method and tested for vapor phase Beckman rearrangement reaction. Among three indium loading, In/Si ratio of 2/100 was found as an optimum composition in terms of caprolactam selectivity (100\%) and cyclohexanone oxime conversion (100\%). The catalysts were characterized by N-2 adsorption, small-angle X-rays/neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS), XRD, FESEM, HRTEM, EDX, UV, FTIR and NH3-TPD techniques. In-situ SANS experiment was performed on the adsorption of CO2 to detect the micropores in the mesopore wall. All catalysts samples have highly ordered hexagonal structure with well dispersed indium in the silica matrix. The fine tuning of weak and strong acid sites were found in indium doped SBA-15 (In/Si = 2/100) catalyst. The same catalyst showed optimum catalytic performance, high space time yield 114.4 mol/h/g(cat) and high stability till 6 h of reaction without deactivation. The micro-kinetic analysis showed that there were no external and internal diffusion limitations in the SBA-15 catalyst. The reaction mechanism of Beckmann rearrangement over In-SBA-15 has been elucidated. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {e-Caprolactam, In-situ SANS, indium, SAXS, SBA-15}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2016.07.024}, author = {Kumar, Rawesh and Shah, Sneha and Bahadur, Jitendra and Melnichenko, Yuri B. and Sen, Debasis and Mazumder, S. and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Chowdhury, Biswajit} } @article { ISI:000377203300035, title = {Hydrogen adsorption in ZIF-7: A DFT and ab-initio molecular dynamics study}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {651}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {178-182}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, type = {Article}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

Primary H-2 adsorption sites in a zeolitic imidazolate framework, ZIF-7, are identified using ab-initio density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamics annealing simulations. The simulations suggest several low energy adsorption sites. The effect of light transition metal decoration on hydrogen storage properties was studied. Our ab-intio DFT calculations illustrate that decorating the ZIF with Sc increases both the number of H-2 molecules, as well as the H-2 binding energy. The binding energy (similar to 25 kJ/mol per H-2) at 8H(2) loading in the pore, suggests that Sc-ZIFs can be potential candidates for hydrogen storage. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, issn = {0009-2614}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2016.03.030}, author = {Dixit, Mudit and Major, Dan Thomas and Pal, Sourav} } @article {42901, title = {Identification of noreremophilane-based inhibitors of angiogenesis using zebrafish assays}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1569-1578}, author = {Muthukumarasamy, Kalai Mangai and Handore, Kishor L. and Kakade, Dipti N. and Shinde, Madhuri V. and Ranjan, Shashi and Kumar, Naveen and Sehrawat, Seema and Sachidanandan, Chetana and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article { ISI:000372657900015, title = {Immobilization of multivalent glycoprobes on gold surfaces for sensing proteins and macrophages}, journal = {Analyst}, volume = {141}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2250-2258}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The multivalent display of carbohydrates on the cell surface provides cooperative binding to improve the specific biological events. In addition to multivalency, the spatial arrangement and orientation of sugars with respect to external stimuli also trigger carbohydrate-protein interactions. Herein, we report a non-covalent host-guest strategy to immobilize heptavalent glyco-beta-cyclodextrin on gold-coated glass slides to study multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. We have found that the localization of sugar entities on surfaces using beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) chemistry increased the avidity of carbohydrate-protein and carbohydrate-macrophage interactions compared to monovalent-beta-CD sugar coated surfaces. This platform is expected to be a promising tool to amplify the avidity of sugar-mediated interactions on surfaces and contribute to the development of next generation bio-medical products.

}, issn = {0003-2654}, doi = {10.1039/c5an02336j}, author = {Gade, Madhuri and Khandelwal, Puneet and Sangabathuni, Sivakoti and Bavireddi, Harikrishna and Murthy, Raghavendra Vasudeva and Poddar, Pankaj and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article { ISI:000369096800004, title = {Improved performance of microcapsules with polymer nanocomposite wall: preparation and characterization}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {83}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {27-33}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Polyurea/clay nanocomposite microcapsules containing dimethyl phthalate (DMP) as a model compound were prepared by interfacial polymerization technique. Nanoclays namely, montmorillonite Na+ (MMT) and Laponite were incorporated into microcapsule wall and their effects on morphology, thermal properties and release of DMP from microcapsules were investigated. All microcapsules were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The present preparation process results in formation of polyurea/clay nanocomposite microcapsule wall with intercalated clay layered as evidenced by XRD and TEM. Nanocomposite microcapsules have shown significant reduction in release of DMP and change in release mechanism as compared to the pristine microcapsules. Nanocomposite microcapsules show good improvement in the fracture strength as compared to pristine microcapsules. The approach used herein is simple and can be adopted to many other polymeric microcapsule systems prepared by different microencapsulation techniques, requiring reduction in release rate and/or mechanism for several applications like pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, industrially important chemicals, consumer products, etc. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Microcapsules, Nanoclay, Nanocomposites, Polyurea, Release mechanism}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2015.12.011}, author = {Jagtap, Siddheshwar B. and Mohan, Muthu Subramanian and Shukla, Parshuram G.} } @article { ISI:000372562000005, title = {Influence of ionic liquids on thermodynamics of small molecule DNA interaction: the binding of ethidium bromide to calf thymus DNA}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {120}, number = {10}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2691-2700}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with poor ionic coordination, resultantly remaining in liquid state below 100 degrees C and some may retain liquid state even at room temperature. ILs are known to provide a conducive environment for many biological enzymatic reactions, but their interaction with biomacromolecules are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigate the effect of various ionic liquids on DNA small molecule interaction using calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) ethidium bromide (EB) as a model system. The effect of various ionic liquids on these interactions is studied by an array of techniques such as circular dichroism (CD), UV melting, fluorescence exclusion and isothermal titration calorimetry. Interestingly, we observed that presence of IL increased the stability of ctDNA without altering its structure. The binding affinities Kbs for EB binding to ctDNA in the presence of 300 mM ILs are about half order of magnitude smaller than the Kbs in absence of ILs and correspond to a less favorable free energy. We noted that, when adjusted to corresponding buffer condition, the unfavorable shift in AG of ctDNA-EB interaction is attributed to decreased entropy in the case of ILs, whereas the same effect by NaCI was due to increased enthalpy.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.5b11823}, author = {Mishra, Arpit and Ekka, Mary Krishna and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {45641, title = {Inhibition of miR-21 by 3 {\textquoteleft}/5 {\textquoteleft}-serinyl-capped 2 {\textquoteleft}-O-Methyl RNA Interspersed with 2 {\textquoteleft}-O-(2-Amino-3-Methoxypropyl) uridine units}, journal = {Nucleic Acid Therapeutics}, volume = {26}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {327-334}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

miRNAs are highly conserved class of small ncRNAs whose involvement in human pathophysiologies is extensively investigated. MiR-21 is a well established oncogenic miRNA whose deregulation plays a significant role in onset and progression of cancer. The need of novel approaches to downregulate miR-21 is rapidly expanding. Potent inhibition of miR-21 is achieved by chemically modified 2-O-methyl RNA oligonucleotide. The serinol capping at 3 and 5ends and the interspersed 2-O-(R-2-amino-3-methoxypropyl) uridine units enhance the nuclease resistance and efficacy of 2-O-methyl RNA for the inhibition of miR-21. This represents a simple and novel modification for developing oligonucleotide-based therapeutics.

}, keywords = {antagomirs, cancer, microRNA, noncoding RNA, oligonucleotides}, issn = {2159-3337}, doi = {10.1089/nat.2015.0591}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Kotikam, Venubabu and Kumar, Vaijayanti A. and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000367840900002, title = {Interfacial tension approach toward drug loading with two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded gold: adsorption kinetics evaluation}, journal = {International Journal Of Polymeric Materials And Polymeric Biomaterials}, volume = {65}, number = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {168-175}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS AS}, address = {KARL JOHANS GATE 5, NO-0154 OSLO, NORWAY}, abstract = {

Interfacial tension of drugs with hydrophilic polymer (A) embedded gold resulting into selective drug adsorption, which also affected the drug adsorption kinetics. Two-dimensional crosslinked polymer embedded gold was synthesized for drug loading application in an acidic buffer. Lower interfacial tension of pantoprazole sodium (B) revealed the exponential loading inversely loading was gradual for chloroquine (C) having more interfacial tension with adsorbent. Initial 2 h was the exponential adsorption period for a pantoprazole sodium whereas exponential adsorption begins after 12 h for a chloroquine. Monolayer drug adsorption was obtained because Langmuir adsorption isotherm was obeyed by both drugs. Moreover, pseudo first-and pseudo second-order kinetics was also evaluated which demonstrated that reactive sites of the adsorbent are homogeneous and drug adsorption mechanism is chemisorption and not the physisorption. Thermal analysis was evaluated to confirm the polymer thermostability and glass transition temperature during catalytic applications in thermal reactions.

}, keywords = {Adsorption isotherm, adsorption kinetics, drug loading, drug polarity, Interfacial tension}, issn = {0091-4037}, doi = {10.1080/00914037.2015.1074911}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {43032, title = {Investigation of microbial diversity in geothermal hot springs in Unkeshwar, India, based on 16S rRNA amplicon metagenome sequencing}, journal = {Genome Announcements}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, abstract = {

Microbial diversity in geothermal waters of the Unkeshwar hot springs in Maharashtra, India, was studied using 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomic sequencing. Taxonomic analysis revealed the presence of Bacteroidetes , Proteobacteria , Cyanobacteria , Actinobacteria , Archeae , and OD1 phyla. Metabolic function prediction analysis indicated a battery of biological information systems indicating rich and novel microbial diversity, with potential biotechnological applications in this niche.

}, doi = {10.1128/genomeA.01766-15}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Paranjpe, Aditi and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {42663, title = {Large reduction in the magnitude and thermal variation of Frank elastic constants in a gold nanorod/nematic composite}, journal = {Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics}, volume = {49}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, abstract = {

We report measurements of splay and bend Frank elastic constants in a composite comprising a nematic liquid crystal doped with a small concentration of sterically stabilized gold nanorods. The composite exhibits not only a large reduction in the magnitude of the threshold voltage for switching (Vth, 20\%), as well as of the splay (K11, 40\%) and bend (K33, 40\%) elastic constants, but also presents an unprecedented feature: a substantial diminution in the temperature dependence of these parameters, almost to the point of becoming thermally invariant. This observation is significant because the electro-optic switching of liquid-crystal devices is largely controlled by the K11 and K33 elastic constants. Electrical conductivity measurements also show interesting behavior upon the inclusion of nanorods. Whereas the intrinsic Arrhenius behavior governing the temperature dependence is enhanced, the frequency dependence shows qualitative features of Jonscher{\textquoteright}s universal model, albeit with a higher exponent. Further, photoisomerization of an azobenzene guest component provides an additional influence on the elastic constants. The results are discussed in terms of (a) the effect of the order parameter dependence seen from the viewpoint of an extended mean-field model,and (b) local order. The advantage of incorporating nanorods with photofunctionality is also pointed out.

}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/49/42/425304}, author = {Madhuri, P. Lakshmi and Prasad, S.~Krishna and Shinde, Pravin~ and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article { ISI:000382349600001, title = {Large trisoctahedral Au nanoparticles encapsulated inside porous silica catalyses CO oxidation at room temperature: probing the effect of encapsulation and the role of step atoms and interfaces}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {524}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1-7}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

As envisaged, a synthesis strategy is reported for encapsulating high index faceted trisoctahedral Au nanoparticles inside porous silica to preserve nanoparticle size by preventing sintering. Further, to probe the role of interfaces an active metal oxide junction was created by decorating trisoctahedral (TOH) Au nanoparticle with nano oxides before silica encapsulation. The activity of these catalysts was tested for CO oxidation reaction. The reaction was found to be facile on these encapsulated large structured Au nanoparticles showing appreciable activity at room temperature compared to non encapsulated counterparts. Apart from preventing sintering, the improved activity is demonstrated due to the retention of morphology and thereby the active centres due to encapsulation. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Defect sites, Encapsulation, High index facets, Metal-oxide active perimeter, Trisoctahedral Au nanoparticles}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2016.05.023}, author = {Sreedhala, S. and Maheshwari, Shruti and Betsy, K. J. and Vinod, C. P.} } @article {43625, title = {Laser exfoliation of 2D black phosphorus nanosheets and their application as a field emitter}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {112103-112108}, abstract = {Highly crystalline two dimensional (2D) few layered black phosphorus (BP) nanosheets have been synthesized via a one step facile laser irradiation technique under optimized experimental conditions. The field emission investigations on the few layered black phosphorus nanosheets were carried out at the base pressure 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The morphological, elemental, optical, and structural analysis of the as-synthesized black phosphorus sample was carried out using SEM, AFM, EDAX, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy. The turn-on values of the BP nanosheets emitter were found to be significantly lower than that of earlier reports of BP nanosheets, graphene, and carbon nanotubes based field emitters due to the high field enhancement factor (beta) similar to 2986 associated with atomically thin/sharp edges of the BP nanosheets emitter. The emission current versus time plot depicts the good emission current stability with a pre-set value of 1 mu A for similar to 5 h duration. Our facile synthesis approach and the robust field emitter nature of the BP nanosheets makes them a potential candidate for a practical electron source in vacuum micro/nanoelectronic devices.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra24526a}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @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:000369603400025, title = {Low frequency noise and photo-enhanced field emission from ultrathin PbBi2Se4 nanosheets}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {4}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1096-1103}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Atomically thin two-dimensional layered materials have gained wide interest owing to their novel properties and potential for applications in nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we present the spectral analysis and photo-enhanced field emission studies of a layered intergrowth PbBi2Se4 nanosheet emitter, performed at the base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The emitter shows a turn-on field value of similar to 4.80 V mu m(-1), corresponding to an emission current density of similar to 1 mu A cm(-2). Interestingly, when the cathode was illuminated with visible light, it exhibited a lower turn-on field of B3.90 V mm(-1), and a maximum emission current density of similar to 893 mu A cm(-2) has been drawn at an applied electric field of similar to 8.40 V mu m(-1). Furthermore, the photo-enhanced emission current showed reproducible, step-like switching behavior in synchronous with ON-OFF switching of the illumination source. The emission current-time plots reveal excellent stability over a duration of similar to 6 h. Low-frequency noise is a significant limitation for the performance of nanoscale electronic devices. The spectral analysis performed on a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analyzer revealed that the observed noise is of 1/f(alpha) type, with the value of alpha similar to 0.99. The low frequency noise, photo-enhanced field emission, and reproducible switching behavior characterized with very fast rise and fall times propose the layered PbBi2Se4 nanosheet emitter as a new promising candidate for novel vacuum nano-optoelectronic devices.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/c5tc02993g}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Guin, Satya N. and Chatterjee, Arindom and Kashid, Vikas and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Biswas, Kanishka} } @article {42913, title = {Low turn-on field and high field emission current density from Ag/TiO 2 nanocomposite}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {657}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {167{\textendash}171}, abstract = {

High current density of 1.24 mA/cm2 was drawn at an applied field of 4.4 V/μm from Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite. Also the turn-on field has been reduced from 3.9 V/μm to 2.7 V/μm for the emission current density of 10 μA/cm2. Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite was synthesized by using UV-switchable reducing agent. TiO2 nanotube wall was decorated by Ag nanoparticles with average diameter of 17 nm. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the field emission studies of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite. Simple synthesis route coupled with superior field emission properties indicate the possible use of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite for micro/nanoelectronic devices.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2016.06.003}, author = {Patil, Girish P. and Deore, Amol B. and Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article { ISI:000379314700006, title = {Low-overpotential electrocatalytic water splitting with noble-metal-free nanoparticles supported in a sp(3) n-rich flexible COF}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {6}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {Article No. 1600110}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, type = {Article}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline organic polymers with tunable structures. Here, a COF is prepared using building units with highly flexible tetrahedral sp(3) nitrogens. This flexibility gives rise to structural changes which generate mesopores capable of confining very small (\<2 nm sized) non-noble-metal-based nanoparticles (NPs). This nanocomposite shows exceptional activity toward the oxygen-evolution reaction from alkaline water with an overpotential of 258 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). The overpotential observed in the COF-nanoparticle system is the best in class, and is close to the current record of approximate to 200 mV for any noble-metalfree electrocatalytic water splitting system-the Fe-Co-Ni metal-oxide-film system. Also, it possesses outstanding kinetics (Tafel slope of 38.9 mV dec(-1)) for the reaction. The COF is able to stabilize such small-sized NP in the absence of any capping agent because of the COF-Ni(OH)(2) interactions arising from the N-rich backbone of the COF. Density-functional-theory modeling of the interaction between the hexagonal Ni(OH)(2) nanosheets and the COF shows that in the most favorable configuration the Ni(OH)(2) nanosheets are sandwiched between the sp(3) nitrogens of the adjacent COF layers and this can be crucial to maximizing their synergistic interactions.

}, issn = {1614-6832}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.201600110}, author = {Mullangi, Dinesh and Dhavale, Vishal M. and Shalini, Sorout and Nandi, Shyamapada and Collins, Sean and Woo, Tom and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {43637, title = {Micropropagation of Semecarpus anacardium L. from mature tree-derived nodal explants}, journal = {Plant Biosystems}, volume = {150}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {942-952}, abstract = {A protocol was established for micropropagation of Semecarpus anacardium L. from mature tree-derived twigs. Sixty percent of aseptic cultures were obtained by surface sterilization with Bavistin, liquid detergent, and cefotaxime. Elongated twigs collected before flowering were optimum for in vitro culture initiation. Meristematic activity was triggered at all concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) incorporated into Woody Plant Medium. TDZ suppressed elongation of axillary buds, resulting into swollen meristems and upon its elimination multiple shoot primordia formation and differentiation were noted. Differentiation and shoot elongation were slower in explants pre-cultured with higher concentrations of TDZ. Swollen axillary meristems pre-cultured on TDZ (9.08 and 13.62 mu M) failed to differentiate, whereas TDZ at 2.27 mu M was optimal for shoot differentiation and elongation. Multiple bud induction was favored by 4.45 mu M of TDZ. Differentiation of multiple shoot primordia by repeated subculturing on growth regulator-free medium and rooting was 100\% in filter-paper supported half-strength liquid medium containing 7.38mM IBA. Rooting was 90\% in shoots placed directly in half-strength liquid medium with 2.46 mu M IBA. Rooted plantlets hardened in soil: sand mixture (1:1) were transferred to green house. Genetic uniformity of in vitro raised clones with mother plant was confirmed by Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat markers.}, doi = {10.1080/11263504.2014.993741}, author = {Panda, B. M. and Mehta, U. J. and Hazra, S.} } @article {43354, title = {Mixing of medium viscosity liquids in a stirred tank with fractal impeller}, journal = {Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {50}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {914-921}, abstract = {Mixing of viscous liquids in a stirred tank is a daunting task. The present paper explores the possibility of using a fractal impeller for mixing of viscous liquids in a stirred tank. The analysis includes power consumptions characteristics, mixing characteristics and the flow patterns in the stirred tank. Ultrasonic velocity profiler (UVP) was used to measure the local velocities in the stirred tank. Fractal impeller found to exhibit different power consumption characteristics than known for conventional impellers. For the range of viscosities 0.58-0.192 Pa s, mixing time found to be directly proportional to the power consumption per unit mass. The normalised mean radial velocity profiles were found to be independent of fluid viscosities studied in the present work.}, doi = {10.1134/S0040579516060105}, author = {Mule, Gunwant M. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article { ISI:000380054400005, title = {Molecular-Pillar-supported functionalized reduced graphene-oxide for energy efficient lubrication}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, volume = {3}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1600161}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Molecular-pillar-supported basal plane of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is fabricated by polymerizing polyaniline (PANI). In the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG200), the gamma-radiolysis is used for modifying the functionalization and improving the structural symmetry of PANI and PEG grafted rGO (PANI-PEG-g-rGO). The PANI is covalently and noncovalently grafted onto the surface of the graphene sheets. Carboxyl groups of rGO are linked to the nitrogen atoms in the PANI backbone and an accompanying noncovalent interaction between alkyl chains of grafted PANI and hydrooxylated rGO is formed. Raman and Fourier transform infra-red results confirm existence of stretching vibrations of benzenoid and quinonoid rings in PANI-PEG-g-rGO-functionalized composite, indicating grafting between PANI and rGO through pi-pi interaction. Furthermore, PEG-functionalization through hydrogen bonding with rGO is confirmed when hydroxyl group from the rGO combines with oxygen of PEG. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals significant increase in carbon, while loading PANI network with rGO followed by gamma-irradiation. Antifriction and antiwear properties of graphene nanocomposite are considerably enhanced to 68.4\% and 48\%, respectively, as compared to pristine PEG. The unique lubrication properties are explained by PEG functionalized molecular PANI-pillar structure across basal plane of rGO.

}, issn = {2196-7350}, doi = {10.1002/admi.201600161}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Kumar, Niranjan and Panda, Kalpataru and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Joshi, Shailesh and Dash, Sitaram} } @article {45867, title = {Multifunctional copper dimer: structure, band gap energy, catalysis, magnetism, oxygen reduction reaction and proton conductivity}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {37515-37521}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A new dimeric copper complex namely, [Cu2(PDA)2(Ald)2(H2O)2]{\textperiodcentered}8H2O, 1, (where PDA = 2,4-pyridine dicarboxylic acid, Ald = aldrithiol) has been synthesized through a slow diffusion technique. Compound 1 is a molecular structure and assembled through H-bonding forming a supramolecular architecture. The CuO2N3 units bridged through an aldrithiol molecule to form the dimeric structure. The lattice water molecules are linked through H-bonding to form the decameric water cluster. The decameric water clusters are H-bonded to each other to form the 1D chain which resulted in excellent water stability and conduction of protons under humid conditions. Band gap energy and magnetic measurements show that compound 1 is a semiconductor and paramagnetic in nature. Further the compound is shown as a selective heterogeneous catalyst for styrene and cyclohexene epoxidation. This also shows a facile oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and can be used as a promising Pt-free cathode in alkaline Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC). The present results suggest that compound 1 is a promising multifunctional material}, doi = {10.1039/C6RA05961A }, author = {Sarkar, D. and Chandra Rao, P. and Aiyappa, H. B. and Kurungot, S. and Mandal, S. and Ramanujam, K. and Mandal, S.} } @article {43582, title = {Mustard plant ash: a source of micronutrient and an adsorbent for removal of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20087-20099}, abstract = {The work highlights the utilization of an agricultural waste mustard plant ash (MPA) as a soil additive and an adsorbent. MPA was characterized by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), proximate analysis, CHNS analysis, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, zeta potential measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRF analysis confirmed the presence of CaO (31.35 \%), K2O (18.55 \%), and P2O5 (6.99 \%), all of which act as micronutrients to plants. EDX also confirms high amount of elemental O, Ca, K, and P. The adsorptive ability of MPA was investigated using a commonly used herbicide, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), as a representative chemical. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to study the effect of different operational parameters such as adsorbent dose, initial 2,4-D concentration, contact time, and temperature on the adsorption process. Data from experiments were fitted to various kinetic and isothermal models. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to show the best fit (R (2) > 0.99), with the highest k (2) value of the order 10(5). Based on the study results, dosage of MPA/hectare for different crops has been recommended for effective removal of 2,4-D. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which MPA has been characterized in detail and investigated for dual applications (as an adsorbent and as a soil additive).}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-016-6202-7}, author = {Trivedi, Nikhilesh S. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000372856300024, title = {New understanding on regulating the crystallization and morphology of the beta-polymorph of isotactic polypropylene based on carboxylate-alumoxane nucleating agents}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {49}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2197-2205}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Carboxylate alumoxane derived from p-n-alkylbenzoic acids, where n-alkyl group changes from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, exhibits dual nucleating ability and nucleates isotactic polypropylene (iPP) into predominantly in the beta-phase under specific conditions. The selectivity of the beta-phase nucleation depends on the concentration of the nucleating agent, end melting temperature and cooling rate. The beta-phase obtained from p-n-alkylbenzoate-alumoxanes is compared with the beta-phase obtained from calcium pimelate (CaP), an efficient beta-phase selective, nucleating agent, using the results from DSC, WAXS, and SAXS analysis. The lamellar morphology of iPP nucleated with different nucleating agents crystallized at different crystallization temperatures (T-C) under controlled nonisothermal conditions are evaluated using SAXS analysis. The long period increases with increasing crystallization temperature and the long period of the beta-phase is always larger than that of the alpha-phase for a given crystallization temperature. Furthermore, the variation of long period with crystallization temperature clearly brings out two crystallization temperature ranges; the low temperature range and the high temperature range. However, the beta-phase shows a lower changeover temperature compared to that of the alpha-phase. The one-dimensional correlation analysis of the beta-phase shows that the thickness of the crystal lamellae (lc) increases with T-C and exhibits the low and high crystallization temperature ranges, while the thickness, of the amorphous layer (la) more or less remains constant. In-situ high temperature WAXS studies capture the beta-phase to the a-phase transition and the transformed material con-elates well with the lamellar thickness of the beta-phase. The morphological difference between the alpha- and the beta-phases are discussed and attributed to the differences in the impact properties and the melting temperature. This study clearly demonstrates that the lamellar morphology mainly depends on the T-C and not on the nature of the nucleating agents.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.5b02466}, author = {Mani, Mohan Raj and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Pillai, Vijayamohanan K.} } @article {42696, title = {Nickel-catalyzed direct alkynylation of C(sp2)-H bonds of amides: an {\textquotedblleft}inverse sonogashira strategy{\textquotedblright} to ortho-alkynylbenzoic acids. just accepted}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1946-1951}, abstract = {

Nickel-catalyzed direct alkynylation of C(sp2){\textendash}H bonds of amides using commercially available, inexpensive 8-aminoquinoline as a removable bidentate directing group is described. The present ortho-alkynylation has a broad substrate scope, functional group tolerance and high regiocontrol, and can be scaled up. The efficiency and selectivity of this strategy provide sustainable routes to a diverse array of ortho-alkynylbenzoic acids under Ni(II)-catalyzed conditions.

}, doi = {10.1039/C5CY01299F}, author = {Landge, Vinod Gokulkrishna and Shewale, Chinmay H. and Jaiswal, Garima and Sahoo, Manoj Kumar and Midya, Siba Prasad and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article { ISI:000371693900021, title = {No promoter left behind (NPLB): learn de novo promoter architectures from genome-wide transcription start sites}, journal = {Bioinformatics}, volume = {32}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {779-781}, publisher = {OXFORD UNIV PRESS}, address = {GREAT CLARENDON ST, OXFORD OX2 6DP, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Promoters have diverse regulatory architectures and thus activate genes differently. For example, some have a TATA-box, many others do not. Even the ones with it can differ in its position relative to the transcription start site (TSS). No Promoter Left Behind (NPLB) is an efficient, organism-independent method for characterizing such diverse architectures directly from experimentally identified genome-wide TSSs, without relying on known promoter elements. As a test case, we show its application in identifying novel architectures in the fly genome.

}, issn = {1367-4803}, doi = {10.1093/bioinformatics/btv645}, author = {Mitra, Sneha and Narlikar, Leelavati} } @article { ISI:000378303400056, title = {Nucleophilic nitration of arynes by sodium nitrite and its multicomponent reaction leading to double-functionalized arenes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3010-3013}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

An unusual nucleophilic nitration of arynes by NaNO2 in the presence of water has been developed, and the concept was further demonstrated to accomplish a double functionalization of arynes using a multicomponent reaction protocol to synthesize pharmaceutically important (2-nitrophenyl)methanol derivatives. Such substitution ortho to -NO2 is difficult by other means. The reaction conditions are mild and avoid the use of strong acids, expensive transition metal catalysts, and additives.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01384}, author = {Dhokale, Ranjeet A. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000375445700073, title = {Observation of enhanced field emission properties of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {122}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {560}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Simple and low-cost method of thermal annealing was used to decorate Gold (Au) nanoparticles on aligned TiO2 nanotubes. The aligned TiO2 nanotubes were decorated by Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 9, 18 and 28 nm (aligned TiO2 nanotubes referred as specimen A and TiO2 nanotubes decorated by Au nanoparticles with average diameter of 9, 18 and 28 nm are referred as specimen B, C and D, respectively). The detailed characterization such as structural, morphological and elemental analysis of TiO2 and Au/TiO2 nanocomposite have been carried out using X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the meticulous comparative field emission characteristics of the aligned TiO2 nanotubes and Au/TiO2 nanocomposite have been performed. The turn-on field defined for the current density of 10 mu A/cm(2) has been found to be 3.9, 2.8, 3.2 and 3.7 V/mu m for specimen A, B, C and D, respectively. The observed low turn-on field of specimen B has been found to be superior than the other semiconducting nanocomposites reported in the literature. The emission current stability over a period of 3 h is found to be better for all the specimens. To the best of our knowledge, a systematic field emission study of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite has not been explored. The observed superior field emission study of Au/TiO2 nanocomposite indicates their possible use in micro/nanoelectronic devices.

}, issn = {0947-8396}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-016-0090-z}, author = {Patil, Girish P. and Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article { ISI:000369771800068, title = {O-Quinone methides via oxone-mediated benzofuran oxidative dearomatization and their intramolecular cycloaddition with carbonyl groups: an expeditious construction of the central tetracyclic core of integrastatins, epicoccolide A, and epicocconigrone A}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {612-615}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The intramolecular cycloaddition of o-quinone methides (o-QMs) with a carbonyl group has been envisaged and executed successfully in the context of constructing the complex and rare [6,6,6,6]-tetracyclic core found in the integrastatins, epicoccolide A, and epicocconigrone A. These transient o-QMs were generated easily from the oxidative dearomatization of the corresponding C2-(aryl)benzofuran by employing Oxone in acetone-water at rt. The subsequent cydoaddition with the carbonyl (or conjugated olefin) present on the C2-aryl group was spontaneous.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.5b03707}, author = {More, Atul A. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {45826, title = {Oxidation of linezolid by permanganate in acidic medium: Pd(II) catalysis, kinetics and pathways}, journal = {Progress in Reaction Kinetics and Mechanism}, volume = {41}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {245-257}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The uncatalysed and Pd(II)-catalysed oxidation of linezolid (LNZ) by permanganate (PMGT) in acidic medium was carried out in the pH range from 3.0 to 6.0. The second order rate constants were found to decrease with increase in pH. The apparent second order rate constants for the uncatalysed reaction were, for example, k {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}(app)= 6.32 dm(3) mol(-1) at pH 3.0 and k {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}(app). = 2.64 dm(3) mol(-1) s(-1) at pH 6.0 and at 25 +/- 0.2 degrees C and for the Pd(II)-catalysed reaction the total apparent second order rate constants were k {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}(app) = 75.5 dm(3) mol(-1) s(-1) at pH 3.0 and k {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}(app). = 45.66 dm(3) mol(-1) s(-1) at pH 6.0 and at 25 +/- 0.2 degrees C. The rate constant of the Pd(II)-catalysed reaction was thus ten times higher than for the uncatalysed reaction. The oxidation products of the reaction were identified using high resolution LC-MS. The reaction progresses via formation of a Pd-LNZ complex, which reacts with acidic PMGT to form an intermediate compound, which then decomposes to give oxidised products. The dependence of the rate of reaction on various parameters, such as pH, temperature, [LNZ], [PMGT], [Pd(II)], dielectric constant and ionic strength were studied and activation parameters for the reaction were evaluated and discussed.

}, issn = {1468-6783}, doi = {10.3184/146867816X14696298762238}, author = {Kulkarni, Raviraj M. and Hanagadakar, Manjunath S. and Malladi, Ramesh S. and Santhakumari, B. and Nandibewoor, Sharanappa T.} } @article { ISI:000380182400035, title = {Palladium-catalyzed internal nucleophile-assisted hydration-olefin insertion cascade: diastereoselective synthesis of 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3442-3445}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A novel palladium-catalyzed hydration-olefin insertion cascade assisted by internal nucleophiles was developed for the synthesis of biologically significant 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones under mild conditions. A detailed mechanistic study revealed that the assistance of the internal nucleophiles is crucial to trigger the cascade reaction via nucleopalladation of the alkyne moiety. The overall reaction is equivalent to regioselective hydration of alkynes followed by intramolecular Michael addition. This highly efficient and 100\% atom-economical domino sequence afforded cis-2,3-disubstituted 2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones in excellent yields (up to 99\%) with complete diastereoselectivity.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01623}, author = {Vinoth, Perumal and Nagarajan, Subbiah and Maheswari, C. Uma and Sudalai, Arumugam and Pace, Vittorio and Sridharan, Vellaisamy} } @article { ISI:000368754700011, title = {Pb2+-N bonding chemistry: recycling of polyaniline-pb nanocrystals waste for generating high-performance supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {120}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {911-918}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Understanding of Pb-N bonding chemistry is not only fundamentally important in the view of relativistic inert-pair effect but also is important for therapeutic as well as environmental applications. In the present study, an unusual reactivity of N-containing pi-conjugated polyaniline emeraldine base (EB) toward aqueous Pb2+ ions has been identified. In the course of sequestering Pb2+ ions by EB, cuboid-shaped nanocrystals were isolated. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure techniques were employed to understand Pb-N bonding chemistry in EB-Pb nanocrystals. The adopted methodology of slow exposure of HCl vapor to EB-Pb nanomaterial facilitated the isolation of polyaniline emeraldine-salt (ES) with unique morphological patterns, porosity and electrical conductivity. The electrochemical device based on recycled ES showed high-capacitance value (similar to 606 F/g @1 A/g and similar to 663 F/g @10 mV/s), high-energy density (similar to 14.8 Wh/kg at power density of similar to 663 W/kg) and excellent-cycling stability (only similar to 15\% degradation after 1100 continued cycles at current density of 5 A/g). Notably, ES materials prepared directly from EB and upon exposing HNO3 vapor exhibited greatly inferior device performance.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.5b11217}, author = {Jha, Plawan Kumar and Singh, Santosh K. and Gatla, Suresh and Mathon, Olivier and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Ballav, Nirmalya} } @article { ISI:000381236300089, title = {Pd(II)-catalyzed intramolecular tandem olefin amidation/C-H activation protocol for the syntheses of the protoberberine class of natural products}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3862-3865}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A Pd(II)-catalyzed intramolecular tandem olefin amidation/C-H activation protocol has been developed for the synthesis of an 8-oxoprotoberberine core. It was successfully applied for the syntheses of (+/-)-8-oxocanadine, (+/-)-8-oxotetrahydropalmitine, and (+/-)-8-oxostylopine, which can be easily converted to the respective protoberberine natural products. The short synthetic route demonstrated would be useful for the synthesis of a large number of natural products and their analogues featuring a protoberberine scaffold.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01868}, author = {Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000369603400016, title = {Phenothiazine and carbazole substituted pyrene based electroluminescent organic semiconductors for OLED devices}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {4}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1009-1018}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Due to their easy availability, low cost and opportunities for exploiting reactions of bromo substituents, 1,3,6,8-tetrabromopyrene has attracted major attention in the organic electronics community for designing and constructing novel classes of pyrene based organic semiconducting functional materials. In the present work, 1,3,6,8-tetrabromo pyrene was transformed into the corresponding tetrasubstituted carbazole and phenothiazine derivatives using the classical Suzuki coupling reaction. These newly synthesized materials with a carbazole substituent (PY-CA) and a phenothiazine substituent (PY-PH) were characterised thoroughly and were successfully used as an active light-emitting layer in organic light emitting diodes which resulted in blue and green emission with promising device performance. PY-CA exhibited the maximum brightness at around 2500 cd m(-2) and the power efficiency of 1.5 lm W-1 while that of PY-PH exhibited 2116 cd m(-2) and 0.45 lm W-1 respectively.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/c5tc03690a}, author = {Salunke, Jagadish K. and Wong, F. L. and Feron, Krishna and Manzhos, Sergei and Lo, Ming Fai and Shinde, Durgaprasad and Patil, Abhijeet and Lee, C. S. and Roy, V. A. L. and Sonar, Prashant and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article { ISI:000371021900071, title = {Photochromic metal-organic frameworks for inkless and erasable printing}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {7}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2195-2200}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Inkless and erasable printing is the key solution towards a more sustainable paper industry, in terms of reducing paper wastages and the associated environmental hazards from waste paper processing. However, only a few cases have been reported in the literature where inkless printing has been tested in some practical systems. In an attempt to address this solution, we used photochromic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and tested their capability as inkless and erasable printing media. The printing was performed using sunlight as the light source on MOF-coated papers. The resulting printing had good resolution and stability, and was capable of being read both by the human eye and smart electronic devices; furthermore, the paper could be reused for several cycles without any significant loss in intensity. Interestingly, different coloured printing with a similar efficiency was achieved by varying the structure of the MOF.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/c5sc04450b}, author = {Garai, Bikash and Mallick, Arijit and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article { ISI:000370900600019, title = {Photoluminescent tetrahedral d(10)-metal Schiff base complexes exhibiting highly ordered mesomorphism}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {105}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {150-158}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A series of four-coordinate d(10)-metal complexes of the type [ML2] {M = Zn, Cd, Hg; L = 4-nitro-2-((octadecylimino)methyl)phenol}, incorporating a new N-alkylated bidentate [N,O]-donor salicylaldimine Schiff base ligand, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, UV-Vis, H-1 NMR and FAB-mass spectroscopies. The ligand is non-mesomorphic and devoid of any photoluminescence. The zinc(II) and cadmium(II) complexes displayed highly ordered mesophases reminiscent of soft crystals. The phases have been characterized by polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) studies. The complex of mercury(II) decomposed prior to melting. An orthogonal symmetry with a {\textquoteleft}herringbone{\textquoteright} array for the zinc complex and a primitive triclinic symmetry (p(1)) for the cadmium complex, respectively, has been proposed. The complexes exhibited fluorescence at room temperature, both in the solution and in the solid state, with emission maxima in the blue region. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations carried out using the GAUSSIAN 09 program at the B3LYP level revealed a distorted tetrahedral geometry around the metal center in all the complexes. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis suggested appreciable charge transfer from the ligand to the metal center in the complexes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, Luminescence, Mesophase, Schiff base, X-ray diffraction}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2015.11.053}, author = {Chakraborty, Sutapa and Purkayastha, Debraj Dhar and Das, Gobinda and Bhattacharjee, Chira R. and Mondal, Paritosh and Prasad, S. Krishna and Rao, D. S. Shankar} } @article { ISI:000372425600097, title = {Physicochemical and antimicrobial photodynamic chemotherapy of unsymmetrical indium phthalocyanines alone or in the presence of magnetic nanoparticles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {40}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2710-2721}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An AB(3) type photosensitiser, consisting of 4-pyridylsulfanyl units (denoted as B-3) and one aminophenoxy (denoted as A) group (complex 3) was synthesized. Complex 3 was then quaternized to form complex 4. The aminophenoxy substituent of complex 3 was used for the formation of the amide linkage with the carboxylic functionalised magnetic nanoparticles. Complexes 3 and 4 and their conjugates with magnetic nanoparticles were then used for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy on E. coli. The cationic photosensitiser 4 showed a high efficiency for photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy at a very low concentration compared to its conjugate on E. coli.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c5nj01922b}, author = {Osifeko, Olawale L. and Uddin, Imran and Mashazi, Philani N. and Nyokong, Tebello} } @article { ISI:000371428800003, title = {Probing the ATP-induced conformational flexibility of the PcrA helicase protein using molecular dynamics simulation}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Modeling}, volume = {22}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {54}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {233 SPRING ST, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA}, abstract = {

Helicases are enzymes that unwind double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) into its single-stranded components. It is important to understand the binding and unbinding of ATP from the active sites of helicases, as this knowledge can be used to elucidate the functionality of helicases during the unwinding of dsDNA. In this work, we investigated the unbinding of ATP and its effect on the active-site residues of the helicase PcrA using molecular dynamic simulations. To mimic the unbinding process of ATP from the active site of the helicase, we simulated the application of an external force that pulls ATP from the active site and computed the free-energy change during this process. We estimated an energy cost of similar to 85 kJ/mol for the transformation of the helicase from the ATP-bound state (1QHH) to the ATP-free state (1PJR). Unbinding led to conformational changes in the residues of the protein at the active site. Some of the residues at the ATP-binding site were significantly reoriented when the ATP was pulled. We observed a clear competition between reorientation of the residues and energy stabilization by hydrogen bonds between the ATP and active-site residues. We also checked the flexibility of the PcrA protein using a principal component analysis of domain motion. We found that the ATP-free state of the helicase is more flexible than the ATP-bound state.

}, keywords = {ATP, DNA helicase, PcrA, Residue reorientation, Translocation, Umbrella sampling, Unwinding}, issn = {1610-2940}, doi = {10.1007/s00894-016-2922-3}, author = {Mhashal, Anil R. and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Roy, Sudip} } @article { ISI:000364655000057, title = {Processing of TGA data: analysis of isoconversional and model fitting methods}, journal = {Fuel}, volume = {165}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {490-498}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is routinely used to characterize coal. Apart from proximate analysis, TGA data is also used to characterize kinetics of devolatilization and char combustion. Various methods have been proposed to process the TGA data [isoconversional or model free methods such as Friedman method, Kissinger method, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose method (KAS) or single or multi-reaction models (SRMs/MRMs) and distributed activation energy models (DAEMs)]. In this work, we have critically examined various models for processing TGA data obtained with typical Indian coal. A generalized equation has been proposed to encompass different models as special cases. We have also considered a model based on a possibility of distribution of frequency factor along with constant or distribution of activation energies. The results of TGA data described by different models were critically analyzed. The presented results and methodology will be useful for selecting appropriate strategy for processing TGA data. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DAEM, High ash coal, Isoconversional methods, Pyrolysis, TGA}, issn = {0016-2361}, doi = {10.1016/j.fuel.2015.10.042}, author = {Jain, Ankit A. and Mehra, Anurag and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {43633, title = {Promising field electron emission performance of vertically aligned one dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {98722-98729}, abstract = {We evidence field-electron emission (FE) studies on the large-area array of one-dimensional (1D) brookite (beta) TiO2 nanorods. The pure 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods of 10 nm width and 760 nm long were synthesized on Si substrate utilizing hot-filament metal vapor deposition technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis evidenced the beta-TiO2 nanorods to be composed of orthorhombic crystals in brookite (beta) phase. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the formation of pure stoichiometric (i.e. 1 : 1.98) 1D TiO2 nanorods. The values of turn-on field, required to draw current density of 10 mA cm(-2), was observed 3.9 V mu m(-1) for pristine 1D beta-TiO2 nanorods emitters, which were found significantly lower than doped/undoped 1D TiO2 nanostructures (i.e. nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods) based field emitters. The enhanced FE behavior of the TiO2/Si emitter can be attributed to modulation of electronic properties due to the high aspect ratio of vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods. Furthermore, the orthodox emission situation of pristine TiO2/Si emitters exhibit good emission stability and reveal their potentials as promising FE material.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra20747b}, author = {Devan, Rupesh S. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and More, Mahendra A. and Khare, Ruchita T. and Antad, Vivek V. and Patil, Ranjit A. and Thakare, Vishal P. and Dhayal, Rajendra S. and Schmidt-Mende, Lukas} } @article { ISI:000369508800059, title = {Promotional effect of Fe on the performance of supported Cu catalyst for ambient pressure hydrogenation of furfural}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3888-3898}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A noble-metal free FeCu based bimetallic catalyst system prepared by facile co-impregnation method was found to be highly admirable for vapour phase selective hydrogenation of furfural to furfuryl alcohol at ambient pressure. Monometallic Cu/gamma-Al2O3, Fe/gamma-Al2O3 and bimetallic FeCu/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts with different Fe loadings were prepared. Structural and morphological features of the catalysts were thoroughly investigated by several physico-chemical characterization techniques. The influence of various reaction parameters, such as Fe loading, reaction temperature and flow of reactants was examined with respect to furfural conversion and furfuryl alcohol yield. The results clearly showed that an optimum amount of Fe is necessary to enhance the catalytic activity of monometallic Cu/gamma-Al2O3 for the selective hydrogenation of furfural. The catalyst FC-10 with 10 wt\% Fe exhibited excellent activity which led to high furfural conversion (\>93\%) and furfuryl alcohol selectivity (\>98\%) under mild reaction conditions. The higher activity of bimetallic FeCu/gamma-Al2O3 compared to monometallic Cu/gamma-Al2O3 is ascribed to the formation of FeCu bimetallic particles and the existence of oxygen vacancies in the Fe oxide system. The superior activity after Fe loading on the Cu-based catalyst was attributed to the synergy between Cu and Fe. A plausible mechanism is proposed to explain the promoting effect of Fe, which involves synergism between Fe sites with strong oxophilic nature and Cu sites with a high ability for hydrogen activation. Based on the activity results, prolonged catalytic activity and spent catalyst analysis, the developed FeCu/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst is inexpensive, eco-benign and robust, which makes it a promising candidate for the efficient conversion of biomass-derived substrates to fine chemicals and drop-in biofuels.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra24742j}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Venugopal, Ashok Kumar and Nagpure, Atul S. and Chilukuri, Satyanarayana V. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article { ISI:000377822900018, title = {Proteomic insight reveals elevated levels of albumin in circulating immunecomplexes in diabetic plasma}, journal = {Molecular \& Cellular Proteomics}, volume = {15}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2011-2020}, publisher = {AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC}, address = {9650 ROCKVILLE PIKE, BETHESDA, MD 20814-3996 USA}, abstract = {

A Hyperglycemic condition in diabetes promotes formation of advanced glycation end products, which are known to elicit immune response and form complexes with immunoglobulins called circulating immune complexes. To investigate the involvement of advanced glycation end product (AGE)-modified proteins in the elicitation of an immune response, circulating immune complexes were isolated and proteins associated were identified and characterized. Label-free-based mass spectrometric analysis of circulating immune complexes in clinical plasma of prediabetic, newly diagnosed diabetes, and diabetic microalbuminurea revealed elevated levels of serum albumin in the circulating immune complexes, which were also observed to be AGE modified. Further, to examine the role of glycation, circulating immune complexeswere analyzed in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice treated with or without aminoguanidine, a prototype glycation inhibitor. Mass spectrometric analysis of circulating immune complexes showed elevated levels of serum albumin in plasma from diabetic mice over that of control animals. Aminoguanidine-treated diabetic mice displayed decreased AGE modification of plasma albumin, accompanied by a reduced level of albumin in the circulating immune complexes. In addition, elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1b, IL-2, and TNF-alpha were observed in diabetes, which were reduced with aminoguanidine treatment, suggesting the involvement of glycation in the immune response.

}, issn = {1535-9476}, doi = {10.1074/mcp.M116.058008}, author = {Bhat, Shweta and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Patil, Yugendra R. and Shaikh, Mahemud L. and Regin, Bhaskaran S. and Mohan, Viswanathan and Giri, Ashok P. and Balasubramanyam, Muthuswamy and Boppana, Ramanamurthy and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {43590, title = {Pulsed laser-deposited nanocrystalline GdB6 thin films on W and Re as field emitters}, journal = {Applied Physics A-Materials Science \& Processing}, volume = {122}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 899}, abstract = {Gadolinium hexaboride (GdB6) nanocrystalline thin films were grown on tungsten (W), rhenium (Re) tips and foil substrates using optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The X-ray diffraction analysis reveals formation of pure, crystalline cubic phase of GdB6 on W and Re substrates, under the prevailing PLD conditions. The field emission (FE) studies of GdB6/W and GdB6/Re emitters were performed in a planar diode configuration at the base pressure similar to 10(-8) mbar. The GdB6/W and GdB6/Re tip emitters deliver high emission current densities of similar to 1.4 and 0.811 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 6.0 and 7.0 V/mu m, respectively. The Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots were found to be nearly linear showing metallic nature of the emitters. The noticeably high values of field enhancement factor (beta) estimated using the slopes of the F-N plots indicate that the PLD GdB6 coating on Wand Re substrates comprises of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. Interestingly, the GdB6/W and GdB6/Re planar emitters exhibit excellent current stability at the preset values over a long-term operation, as compared to the tip emitters. Furthermore, the values of workfunction of the GdB6/W and GdB6/Re emitters, experimentally measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, are found to be same, similar to 1.6 +/- 0.1 eV. Despite possessing same workfunction value, the FE characteristics of the GdB6/W emitter are markedly different from that of GdB6/Re emitter, which can be attributed to the growth of GdB6 films on W and Re substrates.}, doi = {10.1007/s00339-016-0423-y}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Singh, Anil K. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and Sinha, Sucharita and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {43594, title = {Purification and characterization of an extracellular beta-xylosidase from Pseudozyma hubeiensis NCIM 3574 (PhXyl), an unexplored yeast}, journal = {AMB Express}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {Article Number: 73}, abstract = {This paper reports on the production of beta-xylosidase from an unexplored yeast, Pseudozyma hubeinsis. The expression of this enzyme could be induced by beech wood xylan when the yeast was grown at 27 degrees C. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity as a glycoprotein with 23 \% glycosylation. The purification protocol involved ammonium sulphate precipitation, QAE-Sephadex A50 ion exchange chromatography and sephacryl-200 column chromatography which resulted in 8.3-fold purification with 53.12 \% final recovery. The purified enzyme showed prominent single band on SDS-PAGE. It is a monomeric protein of 110 kDa molecular weight confirmed by SDS-PAGE followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (112.3 kDa). The enzyme was optimally active at 60 degrees C and pH 4.5 and stable at pH range (4-9) and at 50 degrees C for 4 h. Chemical modification studies revealed that active site of the purified enzyme comprised of carboxyl, tyrosine and tryptophan residues. The carboxyl residue is involved in catalysis and tryptophan residue is solely involved in substrate binding. The best match from the search of the NCBInr database was with gi vertical bar 808364558 glycoside hydrolase of Pseudozyma hubeiensis SY62 with 26 \% sequence coverage confirming that it is a glycoside hydrolase/beta-glucosidase. From the search of customized SWISSPROT database, it was revealed that SWISSPROT does not contain any entries that are similar to the purified enzyme.}, doi = {10.1186/s13568-016-0243-7}, author = {Mhetras, Nutan and Liddell, Susan and Gokhale, Digambar} } @article {43644, title = {PVAc/PEDOT:PSS/graphene-iron oxide nanocomposite (GINC): an efficient thermoelectric material}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {22453-22460}, abstract = {A green method for the synthesis of a graphene-iron oxide nanocomposite (GINC) and its PVAc based polymer nanocomposites was reported in an earlier communication. The fabricated PVAc-GINC film exhibited a conductivity of 2.18 x 104 S m(-1) with a Seebeck coefficient of 38.8 mu V K-1. Hence, the power factor (PF) reached a value of 32.90 mu W m(-1) K-2 which is 27 fold higher than a thermoelectric material based on a PVAc-graphene composite as reported in the contemporary literature. In continuation of the above mentioned study, PEDOT:PSS was used to further enhance the power factor (PT) and figure of merit (ZT) of the system. During evaluation, a PEDOT: PSS/GINC composite (5 : 95) showed a remarkable increase in various thermoelectric properties like electrical conductivity (8.0 x 10(4) S m(-1)) with a Seebeck coefficient of 25.42 mu V K-1 and thermal conductivity 0.90 m(-1) K-1. Hence PF and ZT reach up to 51.93 mW m(-1) K-2 and 0.017, respectively. To improve the mechanical strength of the polymer composite, cellulose fibre was also employed. By the addition of cellulose fibre, though the mechanical strength of the composite increases the PF reaches 5.6, which is 10 times lower than the PEDOT:PSS/GINC composite.}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra26138d}, author = {Dey, Abhijit and Maity, Arunava and Khan, Md Abdul Shafeeuulla and Sikder, Arun Kanti and Chattopadhyay, Santanu} } @article {43631, title = {Racemic drug resolution: a comprehensive guide}, journal = {Analytical Methods}, volume = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7567-7586}, abstract = {The human body is amazingly chirally selective, and consequently enantiopure drugs are essential for treating disease. Nearly 50\% of drugs are chiral wherein pharmacological activity resides with the eutomer (pharmacologically active enantiomer) whereas the distomer (inactive/less potent/equally potent/different pharmacological activity/toxic enantiomer) metabolizes by a different pathway and creates unnecessary burden on the body. A teratogenic (toxic) isomer in a racemic drug creates sideeffects, genetic diseases, or may cause death in the case of high dosage. Nowadays, market approval of enantiopure drugs has increased exponentially whereas it has tremendously decreased for racemic and achiral drugs. An expensive process is the main drawback in obtaining enantiopure drugs. Different methods such as chromatography, spectroscopy, and thermal analysis are available for optical purity determination. However, only a few chromatographic methods are useful on an industrial scale. In the present review, racemic resolution and optical purity determination methods are discussed with examples. In addition to this, eutomers and distomers of different drugs containing a single chiral center are also reported.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ay02015a}, author = {Mane, Sachin} } @article { ISI:000380182400037, title = {Radical beckmann rearrangement and its application in the formal total synthesis of antimalarial natural product isocryptolepine via C-H activation}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3450-3453}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The Beckmann rearrangement of ketoximes, mediated by ammonium persulfate-dimethyl sulfoxide as a reagent, has been achieved under neutral conditions. Based on the radical trapping and O-18-labeling experiments, the transformation follows a mechanism involving a radical pathway. The scope and generality of the developed protocol has been demonstrated by 19 examples. The developed protocol and Pd-catalyzed intramolecular double C-H activation were used as key steps in the formal total synthesis of antimalarial natural product isocryptolepine.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01634}, author = {Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Humne, Vivek T. and Tanpure, Subhash D. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article { ISI:000371566100001, title = {Recent advances in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalysed benzoin reactions}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {444-461}, publisher = {BEILSTEIN-INSTITUT}, address = {TRAKEHNER STRASSE 7-9, FRANKFURT AM MAIN, 60487, GERMANY}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have emerged as a powerful class of organocatalysts that mediate a variety of organic transformations. The Benzoin reaction constitutes one of the earliest known carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions catalysed by NHCs. The rapid growth of NHC catalysis in general has resulted in the development of a variety of benzoin and benzoin-type reactions. An overview of such NHC-catalysed benzoin reactions is presented.

}, keywords = {acyloin reaction, benzoin reaction, N-heterocyclic carbenes, organocatalysis, umpolung}, issn = {1860-5397}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.12.47}, author = {Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Nair, Vijay} } @article {42420, title = {Recent advances in N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalysed benzoin reactions (vol 12, pg 444, 2016)}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2124-2124}, keywords = {acyloin reaction; benzoin reaction; N-heterocyclic carbenes; organocatalysis; umpolung}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.12.201}, author = {Menon, Rajeev S. and Biju, Akkattu T. and Nair, Vijay} } @article { ISI:000375837100034, title = {Reclassification of bacillus isronensis shivaji et al. 2009 as solibacillus isronensis comb. nov and emended description of genus solibacillus krishnamurthi et al. 2009}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {66}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2113-2120}, publisher = {SOC GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY}, address = {MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, BASINGSTOKE RD, SPENCERS WOODS, READING RG7 1AG, BERKS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

An investigation into the taxonomic position of Bacillus isronensis MTCC 7902(T) revealed that the strain shares a common phylogenetic lineage with Solibacillus silvestris MTCC 10789(T). It displays considerable overlap in phenotypic properties with the genus Solibacillus, including endospore shape and position, oxidase and catalase activities, presence of iso-C-15 : 0, C-16 : (1)omega 7c alcohol and iso-C-17 : 1 omega 7c as major cellular fatty acids, A4 alpha-type cell-wall peptidoglycan, polar lipids and menaquinone pattern. These features reinforce the findings of molecular phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene, gyrB gene and 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences and, in line with the recommendations of Kampfer et al. [Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56 (2006), 781-786], provide justification for the transfer of Bacillus isronensis from the genus Bacillus to Solibacillus as Solibacillus isronensis comb. nov. The type strain is B3W22(T) (=MTCC 7902(T) =DSM 21046(T) =JCM 13838(T)). An emended description of the genus Solibacillus is also provided.

}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.000982}, author = {Mual, Poonam and Singh, Nitin Kumar and Verma, Ashish and Schumann, Peter and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Mayilraj, Shanmugam} } @article {45869, title = {Recursive orthogonal least square based soft sensor for batch distillation}, journal = {Chemical product and process modeling}, volume = {11}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {241-263}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) model, namely Recursive Orthogonal Least Square (ROLS) based radial basis function (RBF) is developed to estimate product compositions in a batch distillation process from temperature measurements. The process data is generated by simulating the differential equations of the batch distillation process, changing the initial feed composition and boiluprate from batch to batch. Moreover, the reflux ratio is also randomly varied within each batch to represent the exact dynamics of the batch distillation. Temperature and distillate composition is correlated by the RBF trained by ROLS algorithm. A Single RBF network estimate the quality of products in real-time. The results show that ROLS based estimator give correct composition estimations for a batch distillation process. The robustness of the ROLS algorithm and low computational requirement makes the estimator attractive for on-line use. }, doi = {10.1515/cppm-2015-0071}, author = {Mehta, S. and Ramani, H. and Yelgatte, N. N. and Rahman, I.} } @article {43602, title = {Red mud and li-ion batteries: a magnetic connection}, journal = {Chemsuschem}, volume = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2193-2200}, abstract = {Exceptional Li-ion battery performance is presented with the oxide component of the anode was extracted from red mud by simple magnetic separation and applied directly without any further processing. The extracted material has -Fe2O3 as the major phase with inter-dispersed phases of Ti, Al, and Si oxides. In a half-cell assembly, the phase displayed a reversible capacity (approximate to 697mAhg(-1)) with excellent stability upon cycling. Interestingly, the stability is rendered by the multiphase constitution of the material with the presence of other electrochemically inactive metal oxides, such as Al2O3, SiO2, and Fe2TiO4, which could accommodate the strain and facilitate release during the charge-discharge processes in the electrochemically active maghemite component. We fabricated the full-cell assembly with eco-friendly cathode LiMn2O4 by adjusting the mass loading. Prior to full-cell assembly, an electrochemical pre-lithiation was enforced to overcome the irreversible capacity loss obtained from the anode. The full-cell delivered a capacity of approximate to 100mAhg(-1) (based on cathode loading) with capacity retention of approximate to 61\% after 2000cycles under ambient conditions.}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.201600561}, author = {Suryawanshi, Anil and Aravindan, Vanchiappan and Madhavi, Srinivasan and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article { ISI:000378392200016, title = {Reductive nitrosylation of nickel(II) complex by nitric oxide followed by nitrous oxide release}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {45}, number = {25}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10200-10208}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Ni(II) complex of ligand L (L = bis(2-ethyl-4-methylimidazol-5-yl)methane) in methanol solution reacts with an equivalent amount of NO resulting in a corresponding Ni(I) complex. Adding further NO equivalent affords a Ni(I)-nitrosyl intermediate with the {NiNO}(10) configuration. This nitrosyl intermediate upon subsequent reaction with additional NO results in the release of N2O and formation of a Ni(II)-nitrito complex. Crystallographic characterization of the nitrito complex revealed a symmetric eta(2)-O,O-nitrito bonding to the metal ion. This study demonstrates the reductive nitrosylation of a Ni(II) center followed by N2O release in the presence of excess NO.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c6dt00826g}, author = {Ghosh, Somnath and Deka, Hemanta and Dangat, Yuvraj B. and Saha, Soumen and Gogoi, Kuldeep and Vanka, Kumar and Mondal, Biplab} } @article {45877, title = {Removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from wastewater using TFA and TAFA resins: computational intelligence based reaction modeling and optimization}, journal = {Journal of environmental chemical engineering}, volume = {4}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4275-4286}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Being significantly toxic, removal of arsenic forms an important part of the drinking- and waste-water treatment. Tannin is a polyphenol-rich substrate that efficiently and adsorptively binds to the multivalent metal ions. In this study, tannin-formaldehyde (TFA) and tannin-aniline-formaldehyde (TAFA) resins were synthesized and employed successfully for an adsorptive removal of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] ions from the contaminated water. Next, a computational intelligence (CI) based hybrid strategy was used to model and optimize the resin-based adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions for securing optimal reaction conditions. This strategy first uses an exclusively reaction data driven modeling strategy, namely, genetic programming (GP) to predict the extent (\%) of As(III)/As(V) adsorbed on TFA and TAFA resins. Next, the input space of the GP-based models consisting of the reaction condition variables/parameters was optimized using genetic algorithm (GA) method; the objective of this optimization was to maximize the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on the two resins. Finally, the sets of optimal reaction conditions provided by GP-GA hybrid method were verified experimentally the results of which indicate that the optimized conditions have lead to 0.3\% and 1.3\% increase in the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) ions on TFA resin. More significantly, the optimized conditions have increased the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) on TAFA resin by 3.02\% and 12.77\%, respectively. The GP-GA based strategy introduced here can be gainfully utilized for modeling and optimization of similar type of contaminant-removal processes. }, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2016.09.030}, author = {Patil-Shinde, V. and Mulani, K. B. and Donde, K. and Chavan, N. N. and Ponrathnam, S. and Tambe, S. S.} } @article { ISI:000373762400005, title = {Reporter nanoparticle that monitors its anticancer efficacy in real time}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {113}, number = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {E2104-E2113}, publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES}, address = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA}, abstract = {

The ability to monitor the efficacy of an anticancer treatment in real time can have a critical effect on the outcome. Currently, clinical readouts of efficacy rely on indirect or anatomic measurements, which occur over prolonged time scales postchemotherapy or postimmunotherapy and may not be concordant with the actual effect. Here we describe the biology-inspired engineering of a simple 2-in-1 reporter nanoparticle that not only delivers a cytotoxic or an immunotherapy payload to the tumor but also reports back on the efficacy in real time. The reporter nanoparticles are engineered from a novel two-staged stimuli-responsive polymeric material with an optimal ratio of an enzyme-cleavable drug or immunotherapy (effector elements) and a drug function-activatable reporter element. The spatiotemporally constrained delivery of the effector and the reporter elements in a single nanoparticle produces maximum signal enhancement due to the availability of the reporter element in the same cell as the drug, thereby effectively capturing the temporal apoptosis process. Using chemotherapy-sensitive and chemotherapy-resistant tumors in vivo, we show that the reporter nanoparticles can provide a real-time noninvasive readout of tumor response to chemotherapy. The reporter nanoparticle can also monitor the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition in melanoma. The self-reporting capability, for the first time to our knowledge, captures an anticancer nanoparticle in action in vivo.

}, keywords = {chemotherapy, immunotherapy, monitoring, nanoparticle, reporter}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1603455113}, author = {Kulkarni, Ashish and Rao, Poornima and Natarajan, Siva and Goldman, Aaron and Sabbisetti, Venkata S. and Khater, Yashika and Korimerla, Navya and Chandrasekar, Vineethkrishna and Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant and Sengupta, Shiladitya} } @article { ISI:000370489600002, title = {Role of aliphatic hydrocarbon content in non-solvating porogens toward porosity of cross-linked microbeads}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {86}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {8-14}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCI LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Megaporous spherical acrylate copolymer beads were synthesized by suspension polymerization using non-solvating porogens. Non-solvating porogens with higher aliphatic hydrocarbon content generated megaporous morphology with lower surface area. Surface area increased and inversely megaporosity was decreased with decrease in the aliphatic hydrocarbon content of porogen. Megaporosity (5.47 mu m) and pore volume of 5.52 cm(3)/g was obtained with n-decanol. Thermal property of copolymer is a function of type (rigidity/flexibility/elemental composition) and concentration (cross-link density) of monomer and cross-linker. Copolymer containing rigid cross-linker (divinylbenzene) had better thermal stability over copolymer with flexible cross-linker (ethylene dimethacrylate). Further, higher concentration of rigid cross-linker or lower concentration of flexible cross-linker enhanced the thermal stability. Porous polymers are potentially recognized as a solid support for solid-phase synthesis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cross-linked microbeads, Interfacial tension, Megaporosity, Non-solvating porogens, Thermal properties}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2016.01.022}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Badiger, Manohar V. and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article { ISI:000374626200020, title = {Role of surface synergistic effect on the performance of Ni-based hydrotalcite catalyst for highly efficient hydrogenation of furfural}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Catalysis A-Chemical}, volume = {417}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {153-162}, publisher = {ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV}, address = {PO BOX 211, 1000 AE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The selective vapor phase hydrogenation of furfural at ambient pressure has been investigated using a facile and robust hydrotalcite derived Ni containing mixed oxide catalyst. The systematic characterization results conferred that the difficulty in the reduction of Ni species due to the strong interaction between Ni and support, which facilitated from the homogeneous distribution of hydrotalcite structure. It was also found that the structure and catalytic performance of the catalysts were greatly influenced by Ni loading. Through fine-tuned surface elemental sites and reaction conditions, furfural conversion of 98\% with 95\% of furfuryl alcohol selectivity was achieved over a MAN-2 catalyst containing two molar ratio of Ni. The results have demonstrated that the incorporation of Mg significantly enhances the Ni-support interaction, Ni dispersion and catalytic performance. The high efficiency of the Ni-based hydrotalcite derived catalyst was mainly attributed to the surface synergistic interaction between the catalytically active metallic Ni sites and the strong basic sites, which furnished an eco-benign and sustainable catalyst for the selective hydrogenation of furfural. Furthermore, the spent catalyst analysis substantiated that no significant difference in the catalyst phase was observed even after 48 h of reaction stream. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {alcohol-hydrotalcites-selective, Biomass-frurfural-furfuryl, Hydrogenation}, issn = {1381-1169}, doi = {10.1016/j.molcata.2016.03.019}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Venugopal, Ashok Kumar and Prabu, Kandasamy and Jha, Ratnesh Kumar and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja} } @article { ISI:000375520100009, title = {RuO2 center dot nH(2)O nanoparticles anchored on carbon nano-onions: an efficient electrode for solid state flexible electrochemical supercapacitor}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {4}, number = {5}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2528-2534}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A flexible solid state electrochemical capacitor based on hydrous RuO2 nanoparticles, supported onto the nonporous and highly accessible ion adsorptive carbon nano onions (CNOs), is fabricated in a novel process of modifying a conducting carbon paper to a flexible conducting substrate, separated with a poly(vinyl alcohol)/H2SO4 gel electrolyte. The sol-gel technique tends to form homogeneously dispersed RuO2 nanoparticles with the average size of similar to 2.3 nm on the positive surface curvatures of multilayer fullerene (CNOs), which helps the high diffusivity of ions in both the aqueous and solid state gel electrolytes. The flexible substrate worked excellently as an electrical conductor as well as a stable mechanical support. This solid state flexible energy storage device showed a maximum energy density of 10.62 Whkg(-1) and a maximum power density of 4.456 kWkg(-1) for the hydrous RuO2/CNOs nanocomposite with 94.47\% cycling stability even after 4000 cycles.

}, keywords = {Carbon nano-onions, Electrochemical capacitor, Flexible conducting substrate, Flexible energy storage device, Hydrous ruthenium oxide nanoparticles}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.5b01627}, author = {Muniraj, Vedi Kuyil Azhagan and Kamaja, Chaitanya Krishna and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {45633, title = {Ru-TiO2 semiconducting nanoparticles for the photo-catalytic degradation of bromothymol blue}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13065-13074}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Photo-catalytic degradation of bromothymol blue (BTB) in an aqueous medium by Ru-TiO2 using UVC (254 nm) irradiation was investigated for a pH range of 4.0-8.0. The liquid impregnation method was used to synthesize 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 \% ruthenium doped TiO2 (Ru-TiO2) nanoparticles. The characterizations of resulting nanoparticles were done using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. The crystallite sizes of doped and undoped nanoparticles were determined from X-ray diffraction spectra using Scherrer equation. The average crystallite size of undoped TiO2 was found to be 17.00 nm, whereas the crystallite sizes of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 \% Ru-TiO2 were 16.67, 15.70 and 14.40 nm respectively. The TEM images confirm the particle sizes to be 10-40 nm. Pseudo-first order rate constants (k(obs)) determined were found to decrease with increase in pH. The effect of BTB Concentration, catalyst dosage, a percentage of doping of photo catalyst, pH and UV light intensity of BTB on the degradation rate were also examined.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-016-5449-6}, author = {Kulkarni, R. M. and Malladi, R. S. and Hanagadakar, M. S. and Doddamani, M. R. and Santhakumari, B. and Kulkarni, S. D.} } @article { ISI:000362736300014, title = {Selective solid-phase extraction of metal for water decontamination}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {133}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {42849}, publisher = {WILEY-BLACKWELL}, address = {111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA}, abstract = {

Metal-contaminated industrial effluent is a major concern for human health. Therefore, the removal of metal is of primary importance. In this study, metals were selectively extracted from water. Selective metal recovery was studied with a crown-ether-based polymer, wherein the selectivity was observed for strontium over lead. Parameters influencing the metal recovery, such as the contact time, adsorbent dosage, and metal-ion concentration, were evaluated. Interestingly, the adsorption rate of strontium was exponentially increased for the initial 4 h, and lead was adsorbed exponentially after 6 h. Notably, 98\% strontium adsorption and 64\% lead adsorption were obtained in 24 h. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was in good agreement and demonstrated that the reactive sites of the adsorbent were homogeneous with monolayer metal adsorption with an adsorbent. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm was not obeyed by both metals. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics indicated that strontium was adsorbed by chemisorption and lead was adsorbed by physisorption. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 132, 42849.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, copolymers, crosslinking, kinetics, radical polymerization}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.42849}, author = {Mane, Sachin and Ponrathnam, Surendra and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {43662, title = {Self-exfoliated metal-organic nanosheets through hydrolytic unfolding of metal-organic polyhedra}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7361-7366}, chapter = {7361-7366}, abstract = {Few-layers thick metal-organic nanosheets have been synthesized using water-assisted solid-state transformation through a combined top-down and bottom-up approach. The metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs) convert into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) which subsequently selfexfoliate into few-layered metal-organic nanosheets. These MOP crystals experience a hydrophobicity gradient with the inner surface during contact with water because of the existence of hydrophobic spikes on their outer surface. When the amount of water available for interaction is higher, the resultant layers are not stacked to form bulk materials; instead few-layered nanosheets with high uniformity were obtained in high yield. The phenomenon has resulted high yield production of uniformly distributed layered metal-organic nanosheets from three different MOPs, showing its general adaptability.}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201700848}, author = {Garai, Bikash and Mallick, Arijit and Das, Anuja and Mukherjee, Rabibrata and Banerjee, Rahul} } @conference {45824, title = {Single SnO2 Nanowire: field emission investigations}, booktitle = {2016 29th International Vacuum Nanoelectronics Conference (IVNC)}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {IEEE, 345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, organization = {IEEE, 345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, address = {345 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017 USA}, abstract = {

The present work deals with the field emission study on multiple SnO2 nanowires synthesized by simple thermal evaporation method. For the realistic analysis of the Fowler Nordheim plot of the semiconducting SnO2, field emission behavior of a single nanowire is studied. A relevant model explaining the field emission mechanism from the single SnO2 nanowire is also proposed by the authors.

}, keywords = {SnO2 nanowire}, isbn = {978-1-5090-2419-3}, author = {Joshi, D. and Joag, Dilip S. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {43629, title = {SnS2 nanoflakes for efficient humidity and alcohol sensing at room temperature}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {105421-105427}, abstract = {We report a one step facile hydrothermal synthesis of layered SnS2 nanoflakes. The as-synthesized nanosheets are characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The humidity sensing behavior of SnS2 nanoflake sensor device were investigated in the range of 11-97\% of relative humidity (RH) at room temperature. The response time of similar to 85 s and recovery time of similar to 6 s were observed for the SnS2 nanoflake based humidity sensor. A maximum sensitivity of 11.300\% is recorded. We also investigate the SnS2 nanoflake based alcohol sensing properties towards methanol, ethanol and iso-propyl alcohol. An exclusive selectivity towards methanol with a response of 1580 is shown as compared to other analytes. The response time of similar to 67 s and recovery time of just 5 s were observed for the SnS2 nanoflake based methanol sensor.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra21252b}, author = {Bharatula, Lakshmi Deepika and Erande, Manisha B. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {43632, title = {Spatially branched CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture: single step hydrothermal synthesis approach with enhanced field emission performance and highly responsive broadband photodetection}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {95092-95100}, abstract = {This report explores the controlled hierarchical synthesis of CdS nanostructure branches on Bi2S3 nanorod cores via a facile single step hydrothermal route. Morphological and structural studies reveal the formation of CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture with excellent stoichiometry between the constituent elements. The growth of CdS over Bi2S3 strongly depends on optimization of the reaction conditions, especially low PVP concentration. Furthermore, the as-synthesized CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture demonstrates multifunctionality in field emission and photoresponse. Interestingly, the CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture shows enhanced field emission properties such as low turn-on field (similar to 1.8 V mu m(-1) for 10 mu A cm(2)), high emission current density and better current stability in comparison to Bi2S3 and other nanostructures. The as-synthesized CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture exhibits considerable response and recovery times, similar to 207 ms and 315 ms, respectively in comparison to bare Bi2S3 nanostructures (similar to 655 ms and 678 ms). The present results demonstrate CdS-Bi2S3 heteroarchitecture as a potential candidate for future optoelectronic device applications.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra21085f}, author = {Bankar, Prashant K. and Pawar, Mahendra S. and Pawbake, Amit S. and Warule, Sambhaji S. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article { ISI:000375346500029, title = {Specific receptor for hydrazine: mapping the in situ release of hydrazine in live cells and in an in vitro enzymatic assay}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {52}, number = {36}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6166-6169}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, type = {Article}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a new chemodosimetric reagent capable of detecting hydrazine in the presence of several other competing amine derivatives and ionic analytes of biological relevance. This reagent has been utilized for real time monitoring of in situ N2H4 release during the metabolism of a crucial tuberculosis drug, isoniazid, in live HepG2 cells. The fluorescence response of the reagent based on its specific reaction with N2H4 is used for developing an in vitro assay for aminoacylase-1.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc01787h}, author = {Ali, Firoj and Anila, H. A. and Taye, Nandaraj and Mogare, Devraj G. and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000381182700004, title = {Spectacular rate enhancement of the diels-alder reaction at the ionic liquid/n-hexane interface}, journal = {Chemphyschem}, volume = {17}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1969-1972}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The use of the ionic liquid/n-hexane interface as a new class of reaction medium for the Diels-Alder reaction gives large rate enhancements of the order of 10(6) to 10(8) times and high stereoselectivity, as compared to homogeneous media. The rate enhancement is attributed to the H-bonding abilities and polarities of the ionic liquids, whereas the hydrophobicity of ionic liquids was considered to be the factor in controlling stereoselectivity.

}, keywords = {Diels-Alder reaction, Interfaces, ionic liquids, kinetics, stereoselectivity}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.201600006}, author = {Beniwal, Vijay and Manna, Arpan and Kumar, Anil} } @article {43626, title = {Stereoselective synthesis of (-)-desethyleburnamonine, (-)-vindeburnol and (-)-3-epitacamonine: observation of a substrate dependent diastereoselectivity reversal of an aldol reaction}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10394-10406}, abstract = {Starting from (-)-acetoxyglutarimide, the enantioselective multistep synthesis of (-)-desethyleburnamonine, (-)-vindeburnol and (-)-3-epitacamonine has been demonstrated via a common hydroxyl-lactam intermediate with very good overall yields. The acetoxy function from (-)-acetoxyglutarimide was initially used as a handle to induce enantioselectivity and then as a latent source of the ketone carbonyl group. Most importantly, substrate dependent reversal of the diastereoselectivity in ester aldol reactions of hexahydroindolo[2,3-a] quinolizinones has been reported.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ob01438k}, author = {Mondal, Pravat and N. P. Argade} } @article { ISI:000370135100007, title = {Streptomyces lonarensis sp nov., isolated from lonar lake, a meteorite salt water lake in India}, journal = {Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology}, volume = {109}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {FEB}, pages = {225-235}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

A novel alkaliphilic actinomycete, strain NCL716(T), was isolated from a soil sample collected from the vicinity of Lonar Lake, an alkaline salt water meteorite lake in Buldhana district of Maharashtra State in India. The strain was characterised using a polyphasic taxonomic approach which confirmed that it belongs to the genus Streptomyces. Growth was observed over a pH range of 7-11 at 28 A degrees C. The cell wall was found to contain ll-diaminopimelic acid and traces of meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major fatty acid components were identified as iso-C-16:0 (46.8 \%), C-17:1 (12.4 \%), anteiso-C-15:0 (5.1 \%) and anteiso-C-17:1 (4.8 \%). The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. The major menaquinones were determined to be MK-9 (H-6) (70.3 \%), MK-9 (H-4) (15.5 \%) and MK-9 (H-8) (7.2 \%). The G+C content of the DNA of the type strain was determined to be 71.4 mol \%. The 16S rRNA gene sequence has been deposited in GenBank with accession number FJ919811. Although the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain NCL716(T) shares \> 99 \% similarity with that of Streptomyces bohaiensis strain 11A07(T), DNA-DNA hybridization revealed only 33.2 +/- A 3.0 \% relatedness between them. Moreover, these two strains can be readily distinguished by some distinct phenotypic characteristics. Hence, on the basis of phenotypic and genetic analyses, it is proposed that strain NCL716(T) represents a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces lonarensis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is NCL 716(T) (=DSM 42084(T) = MTCC 11708(T) = KCTC 39684(T)).

}, keywords = {Alkaliphile, DDH analysis, Polyphasic taxonomy, Streptomyces lonarensis sp nov.}, issn = {0003-6072}, doi = {10.1007/s10482-015-0626-9}, author = {Sharma, Trupti K. and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Shinde, Vidhya K. and Zhan, Jing and Li, Wen-Jun and Rele, Meenakshi V. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kumar, Lalitha Sunil} } @article { ISI:000380167200011, title = {Studies on the static and dynamic properties of different types of polyester industrial yarns}, journal = {Journal of the Textile Institute}, volume = {107}, number = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1175-1184}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS LTD}, address = {2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OR14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Four major types of polyester industrial yarns, viz. high tenacity (HT), high modulus low shrinkage (HMLS), low shrinkage (LS) and super low shrinkage (SLS) polyester yarns, were studied for their static and dynamic properties. An attempt has been made to establish a linkage between static and dynamic properties of these yarns with its structure and with its end applications. HMLS and HT polyester yarns have lower tan delta and work loss, which are the desired characteristics required for its end applications which include tire and conveyer belt. Higher overall orientation and higher fraction of tie molecules helped to achieve these properties in HT and HMLS polyester yarns. LS and SLS polyester yarns are mostly used for static applications. Low thermal shrinkage is the key requirement for the downstream processes of these yarns. Lower amorphous orientation in these two yarns is primarily responsible for achieving very low thermal shrinkage. A good co-relation has been established between the peak temperature of work loss (in slow speed hysteresis test) and the peak temperature of tan delta (in high-speed dynamic test).

}, keywords = {creep, modulus, polyester, shrinkage, tan delta, work loss}, issn = {0040-5000}, doi = {10.1080/00405000.2015.1097087}, author = {Samui, Barun Kumar and Dasgupta, Saikat and Mukhopadhyay, R. and Ramesh, C. and Chakrabarty, Debabrata} } @article {43404, title = {Surface chemical bonds, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and dielectric constant of SiO2 nanospheres in-situ decorated with Ag-nanoparticles by electron-irradiation}, journal = {Journal of Applied Physics}, volume = {120}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {Article Number: 234901}, abstract = {Nanostructures of dielectric materials decorated with metal nanoparticles are of great scientific interest; however, the involved synthesis methods are complicated and require multistep chemical processing, including functionalization of the dielectric surfaces. In the present work, without chemical processes, silver nanoparticles of average sizes in the range of 11 to 15 nm were in-situ synthesized and decorated on SiO2 nanospheres in a single step process by irradiating a solution (AgNO3-polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-SiO2 nanospheres) with 6 MeV electrons at 1.5 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2), 3.0 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2), and 4.5 x 10(15) e(-)/cm(2) fluences. The electron irradiated solutions were characterized with different surface and other techniques. The results revealed that the SiO2 nanospheres were uniformly decorated with Ag nanoparticles, and the prominent chemical bonds involved were Ag-O, Si-O-Ag, and Si-Ag. Moreover, the sizes and the decoration density of Ag nanoparticles could be tailored by varying electron fluence. The Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) solutions was studied using substrates in the form of thin coatings of the solutions of Ag-decorated SiO2 nanospheres. The appearance of the characteristic SERS peaks of both 4-ATP and 4, 4{\textquoteright}-dimercaptoazobenzene (4, 4{\textquoteright}-DMAB) in Raman spectra confirmed the conversion of a fraction of 4-ATP into 4, 4{\textquoteright}-DMAB in the presence of Ag nanoparticles. Composites in the form of thin films were synthesized from the mixture solutions of PVP and Ag-decorated SiO2 nanospheres. The dielectric constant of each thin film was higher as compared to polymers, and could be tailored by varying electron fluence used for decorating Ag nanoparticles. Published by AIP Publishing.}, doi = {10.1063/1.4971866}, author = {Phatangare, A. B. and Dhole, S. D. and Dahiwale, S. S. and Mathe, V. L. and Bhoraskar, S. V. and Late, Dattatray J. and Bhoraskar, V. N.} } @article { ISI:000375270600080, title = {Surface modification of aligned CdO nanosheets and their enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, number = {47}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {41261-41267}, publisher = {ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY}, address = {THOMAS GRAHAM HOUSE, SCIENCE PARK, MILTON RD, CAMBRIDGE CB4 0WF, CAMBS, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Porous aligned CdO nanosheets were grown on a cadmium (Cd) substrate by the simple and cost effective method of thermal annealing. Further, decoration of gold (Au) nanoparticles on the porous aligned CdO nanosheets (specimen A) was achieved by coating with a Au thin film and subsequent annealing treatment. The average diameters of decorated Au nanoparticles were found to be 15 nm, 21 nm and 28 nm for the Au thin films with 20 s, 40 s and 60 s (specimens B, C, and D) coating times. Detailed characterizations, such as structural and morphological analysis of porous CdO nanosheets and Au/CdO nanocomposite (Au decorated porous CdO nanosheets), have been carried out using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Field emission studies of specimens A, B, C and D were carried out in the planar diode configuration. Turn-on fields of 1.9 V mu m(-1), 1.1 V mu m(-1), 2.4 V mu m(-1) and 2.8 V mu m(-1) have been found for the emission current density of 10 RA cm(-2) for specimens A, B, C and D, respectively. The observed low turn -on field of specimen B (Au diameter of 15 nm) was found to be superior to other semiconducting nanostructures reported in the literature. The field emission current stability over a period of 3 h at the preset current density of 1 RA cm(-2) is found to be excellent for all specimens. To the best of our knowledge, field emission studies along with surface modification of porous aligned CdO nanosheets have not been reported in the literature. The simple synthesis route, facile surface modification and the superior field emission results make the present emitter very suitable for micro/nano electronic devices.

}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c5ra28000a}, author = {Bagal, Vivekanand S. and Patil, Girish P. and Deore, Amol B. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Chavan, Padmakar G.} } @article {43426, title = {Switch-on NIR probe for specific detection of Hg2+ ion in aqueous medium and in mitochondria}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {NOV}, pages = {12052-12060}, abstract = {A new 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY)-based probe molecule (L) is synthesized for specific binding to Hg2+ ion in physiological condition with an associated luminescence ON response in the near-IR region of the spectrum. Appropriate functionalization in the 5-position of each of two pyrrole moieties with styryl functionality in a BODIPY core helped us in achieving the extended conjugation and a facile intramolecular charge transfer transition with a narrow energy gap for frontier orbitals. This accounted for a poor emission quantum yield for the probe molecule L. Binding to. Hg2+ helped in interrupting the facile intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process that was initially operational for L. This resulted in a hypsochromic shift of absorption band and a turn-on luminescence response with lambda(Em)(max) of 650 nm on specific binding to Hg2+. Observed spectral changes are rationalized based on quantum chemical calculations. Interestingly, this reagent is found to be localized preferentially in the mitochondria of the live human colon cancer (Hct116) cells. Mitochondria is one of the major targets for localization of He2+, which actually decreases the mitochondrial membrane potential and modifies various proteins having sulfudryl functionality(ies) to cause cell apoptosis. Considering these, ability of the present reagent to specifically recognize Hg2+] in the mitochondrial region of the live Hct116 cells has significance.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b02233}, author = {Agarwalla, Hrideshg and Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Sahu, Debashis and Taye, Nandaraj and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article { ISI:000380574100052, title = {Synthesis and antitubercular activity of new 1,3,4-oxadiazoles bearing pyridyl and thiazolyl scaffolds}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {26}, number = {15}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3646-3651}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

In search of more potent and safe new antitubercular agents, here new 2-pyridinyl substituted thiazolyl-5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazoles (6a-o), have been designed and synthesized using thionicotinamide as a starting, following novel multistep synthetic route. An intermediate, pyridinyl substituted thiazolyl acid hydrazide (4) when condensed with benzoic acids/nicotinic acids (5a-o) in the presence of silica supported POCl3 yielded better to excellent yields of the title compounds. All the synthesized compounds (6a-o) and intermediate acid hydrazide (4) have been screened for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Amongst them, 6f, 6j, 6l and 6o have revealed promising activity against M. bovis BCG at concentrations less than 3 mu g/mL. These compounds have shown low cytotoxicity (CC50: \> 100 mu g/mL) towards four human cancer cell lines. Molecular docking study has also been performed against mycobacterial enoyl reductase (InhA) enzyme to gain an insight into the binding modes of these molecules and recorded good binding affinity. The ADME properties the title products have also been analyzed. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, Antitubercular activity, Cytotoxicity, Molecular docking, Pyridine, Thiazole}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.05.093}, author = {Dhumal, Sambhaji T. and Deshmukh, Amarsinh R. and Bhosle, Manisha R. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mane, Ramrao A.} } @article { ISI:000381452800005, title = {Synthesis and antitubercular activity of new benzo[b]thiophenes}, journal = {ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {7}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {751-756}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

In vitro and ex vivo efficacies of four series of benzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxylic acid derivatives were studied against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB). Benzo[b]thiophenes were also tested in vitro against multidrug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MDR-MTB), and 7b was found to be highly active against A- and DMDR-MTB/MTB (MIC ranges 2.73-22.86 mu g/mL). The activity of all benzo[b]-thiophenes against M. bovis BCG (BCG) was also assessed grown under aerobic and under conditions of oxygen depletion. Compounds 8c and 8g showed significant activity with MICs of 0.60 and 0.61 mu g/mL against dormant BCG. The low cytotoxicity and high selectivity index data against human cancer cell lines, HeLa, Panc-1, and THP-1 indicate the potential importance of the development of benzo[b]thiophene-based 1,3-diketones and flavones as lead candidates to treat mycobacterial infections. Molecular docking studies into the active site of DprE1 (Decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-n-ribose-2{\textquoteright}-epimerase) enzyme revealed a similar binding mode to native ligand in the crystal structure thereby helping to understand the ligand protein interactions and establish a structural basis for inhibition of MTB. In summary, its good activity in in vitro and ex vivo model, as well as its activity against multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis H37Ra in a potentially latent state, makes 7b an attractive drug candidate for the therapy of tuberculosis.

}, keywords = {Benzo[b]thiophene, Cytotoxicity, M. Bovis BCG, MDR-MTB, Molecular docking}, issn = {1948-5875}, doi = {10.1021/acsmedchemlett.6b00077}, author = {Mahajan, Pravin S. and Nikam, Mukesh D. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article {42896, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of palmyrolide a macrocycles as sodium channel blockers towards neuroprotection}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8457-8473}, abstract = {

Palmyrolide A is a neuroprotective macrolide isolated by Gerwick and coworkers in 2010. This natural product is known to suppress neuronal spontaneous calcium ion oscillations through its voltage-gated sodium channel blocking ability which is of significant interest in CNS drug discovery. Herein, we give a detailed account on total synthesis of (+)-palmyrolide A and synthesis of a focused library of macrocycles around the scaffold, followed by their biological evaluation. Use of the chiral pool approach, Zhu{\textquoteright}s oxidative homologation, access to unnatural cis-palmyrolide A, preparation of 18 new analogues and identification of macrolides with improved sodium channel blocking activity are the important features of the present paper. As a measure of potency as voltage-gated sodium channel blockers, all the synthesized analogues were profiled for their ability to inhibit the veratridine-stimulated Na+ influx in murine primary neuronal cultures. Four macrocycles were found to be more potent or comparable to that of the natural product (-)-palmyrolide A. The most potent compound from this series 20 was structurally simplified and readily accessible in good quantities for further biological profiling.

}, author = {Philkhana, Satish Chandra and Mehrotra, Suneet and Murray, Thomas F. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {45828, title = {Synthesis and characterization of novel polymer-hybrid silver nanoparticles and its biomedical study}, journal = {Materials Today: Proceedings}, volume = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1949-1957}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hybrid polymer metal nanoparticles have advantages over conventional metal nanoparticles with respect to their stability, chemical resistance, antibacterial activity and drug delivery properties. In the current work, we have synthesized novel stimuli-responsive polymer hybrid silver nanoparticles using green synthesis method, where the plant extract is used as a reducing agent in the synthesis. Encapsulating metal nanoparticles with stimuli-responsive soft-polymeric system is novel and provides additional versatility whose functions and properties can be tailored by controlling any of the stimuli such as pH, temperature, ionic strength with respect to their antibacterial activity and physiological condition. Moreover, green synthesis methods have advantages over conventional methods involving chemical reducing agents that are often associated with environmental toxicity because of their enhanced antibacterial and other biological effects. The synthesized hybrid particles were characterized using Dynamic light scattering, UV-Visible spectroscopy and Small angle x-ray scattering. Further, we have investigated the antibacterial and cytotoxicity effect of these hybrid particles against different bacterial cells ( Salmonella) and mammalian cell lines (HCT116) respectively. These results are discussed in the light of previous studied work and these results suggest that our synthesized polymer hybrid nanoparticles are more antibacterial and less cytotoxic than the usual silver nanoparticles. (C) 2015Elsevier Ltd.All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Antibacterial effect, Cytotoxicity, Polymeric hybrid particless, silver nanoparticles}, doi = {10.1016/j.matpr.2016.04.096}, author = {Verma, Suresh Kumar and Jha, Ealisha and Kiran, K. J. and Bhat, Suresh and Suar, Mrutyunjay and Mohanty, P. S.} } @article { ISI:000374104500001, title = {Synthesis and characterization of superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface}, journal = {Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology}, volume = {78}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {475-481}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

The binary superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surface has been successfully achieved by a combination of nanoscale texture roughness on micro-textured cotton thread network by layer-by-layer deposition method through the single-step sol-gel route. Furthermore, microstructures with improved wettability were produced, in which silica nanotextures were grown without modifying the chemical method to form superoleophilic and superhydrophobic networks. A superoleophilic surface (oil contact angle 0A degrees) and a superhydrophobic coated cotton fabric with surface free energy of gamma (total) = 13. 23 +/- A 0.37 mJ m(-2) (water contact angle of 167 +/- A 1A degrees and a small sliding angle of 4 +/- A 1A degrees) were successfully obtained. The results were exemplified here by the creation of immiscible oils separation membranes, and the innumerable applications of this technology also include self-cleaning fabrics, antistaining fabrics, water purification, and antiwetting fabrics for military applications.

}, keywords = {contact angle, Layer-by-layer deposition method, sol-gel processing, Superhydrophobic-superoleophilic surface}, issn = {0928-0707}, doi = {10.1007/s10971-016-3974-7}, author = {Mahadik, Satish A. and Pedraza, Fernado D. and Relekar, Brahmanand P. and Parale, Vinayak. G. and Lohar, Gaurav M. and Thorat, Sagar S.} } @article { ISI:000373739700025, title = {Synthesis and docking studies of pyrazine-thiazolidinone hybrid scaffold targeting dormant tuberculosis}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {26}, number = {9}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2224-2228}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

The persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in dormant stage assists the pathogen to develop resistance against current antimycobactrial drugs. To address this issue, we report herein the synthesis of N-(4-oxo-2 substituted thiazolidin-3yl) pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide derivatives designed by following the molecular hybridization approach using pyrazine and thiazolidenone scaffolds. The compounds were evaluated against MTB H37Ra and Mycobacterium bovis BCG in dormancy model. Most of the compounds had IC50 values in 0.3-1 mu g/ml range. The active compounds were further tested for anti-proliferative activity against THP-1, Panc-1, A549, and MCF-7 cell lines using MTT assay and exhibited no significant cytotoxicity. We also report molecular docking studies using active analogs and MTB Decaprenylphosphoryl-beta-D-ribose-2{\textquoteright}-epimerase (DprE1) to rationalize the biological activity and to provide an insight into the probable mechanism of action and binding mode of hybridized structures. The results obtained validate the use of molecular hybridization approach and also suggest that reported compounds can provide a novel pharmacophore to synthesize lead compounds against dormat MTB. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {docking, Dormant, Hybrid design, Pyrazine, Thiazolidenone, tuberculosis}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.03.055}, author = {Chitre, T. S. and Asgaonkar, K. D. and Miniyar, P. B. and Dharme, A. B. and Arkile, Manisha A. and Yeware, A. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Jha, Prakash C.} } @article {43621, title = {Synthesis and study of calixarene-doped polypyrrole-TiO2/ZnO composites: antimicrobial activity and electrochemical sensors}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {23}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {The present communication describes the synthesis of an electroactive nanocomposite of calixarene- doped polypyrrole ( PPY) containing an oxide of Ti/ Zn. The additive TiO2/ ZnO serves as an oxidizing agent for the polymerization, thus avoiding the use of hazardous organic solvents while calixarene doping stabilizes the polymer. The materials synthesized herein were characterized by UV- visible spectroscopy, FT- IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), energy- dispersive X- ray spectroscopy ( EDX), X- ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( XPS), and cyclic voltammetry ( CV) of synthesized nanocomposites. It was revealed that the resulting calixarene- doped polypyrrole- TiO2/ ZnO nanocomposite has ( 1) long- time stability, ( 2) significant electrochemical activity for sensing formaldehyde, and ( 3) good antimicrobial activity.}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-016-0921-9}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Husain, Zahid and Joshi, Meenal and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article { ISI:000372031300074, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of N-acylheteroaryl hydrazone derivatives as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {42}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2707-2729}, publisher = {SPRINGER}, address = {VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS}, abstract = {

In search of new therapeutics with greater potency, three new series of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-thieno[2,3-c]pyrazole-5-carbohydrazide derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The hydrazones bearing a core pyrazole, chromone and tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinoline scaffold showed promising activities. Interestingly, compounds 3a (EC50 = 06.00 +/- A 2.36) and 5c (EC50 = 07.21 +/- A 0.67) showed the most potent antioxidant activity, while compounds 3a (EC50 = 10.25 +/- A 1.08), 7b (EC50 = 10.50 +/- A 0.99) and 7c (EC50 = 11.18 +/- A 0.15) showed significant anti-inflammatory activity. Furthermore, molecular docking studies also revealed a significant correlation between the binding score and biological activity for these compounds to describe the molecular basis for the structure activity relationship (SAR) results. As these compounds are good cyclooxygenase inhibitors, isoenzyme inhibitory potency studies are warranted.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Docking study, N-Acylhydrazones, Structure-activity relationship}, issn = {0922-6168}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-015-2176-1}, author = {Mahajan, Pravin S. and Nikam, Mukesh D. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Jha, Prakash C. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article { ISI:000373619000021, title = {Synthesis, microstructure, optical and field emission studies of iron vanadium oxide nanosheets}, journal = {Journal of Physics D-Applied Physics}, volume = {49}, number = {14}, year = {2016}, month = {APR}, pages = {145301}, publisher = {IOP PUBLISHING LTD}, address = {TEMPLE CIRCUS, TEMPLE WAY, BRISTOL BS1 6BE, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

We report a single step growth of thin graphene-like, densely packed FeV3O8 (FVO) nanosheets on silicon substrates via facile hydrothermal synthesis. These nanosheets have dimensions of a few microns with thin edges, offering very high aspect ratio. These FVO nanosheets exhibit excellent field emission behaviour with low turn on and threshold voltages of 1.3 V mu m(-1) and 1.7 V mu m(-1), respectively. The corresponding emitter delivers high emission current density of (similar to 1.650 mA cm(-2)) at fairly low applied field (similar to 4.00 V mu m(-1)).

}, keywords = {FeV3O8, field emission, nanosheets}, issn = {0022-3727}, doi = {10.1088/0022-3727/49/14/145301}, author = {Badadhe, Satish S. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Naphade, Rounak A. and Chaudhary, Minakshi V. and More, Mahendra A. and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Ogale, Satishchandra B.} } @article {43628, title = {Synthesis of Ni-doped ZnO nanostructures by low-temperature wet chemical method and their enhanced field emission properties}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {104318-104324}, abstract = {In this study, we report an enhancement in the field emission (FE) properties of ZnO nanostructures obtained by doping with Ni at a base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar, which were grown by a simple wet chemical process. The ZnO nanostructures exhibited a single-crystalline wurtzite structure up to a Ni doping level of 10\%. FESEM showed a change in the morphology of the nanostructures from thick nanoneedles to nanoflakes via thin nanorods with an increase in the Ni doping level in ZnO. The turn-on field required to generate a field emission (FE) current density of 1 mu A cm(-2) was found to be 2.5, 2.3, 1.8 and 1.7 V mu mcm(-2) for ZnO (Ni0\%), ZnO (Ni5\%), ZnO (Ni7.5\%) and ZnO (Ni10\%), respectively. A maximum current density of similar to 872 mu A cm(-2) was achievable, which was generated at an applied field of 3.1 V mu m cm(-2) for a Ni doping level of 10\% in ZnO. Long-term operational current stability was recorded at a preset value of 5 mA for a duration of 3 h and was found to be very high. The experimental results indicate that Ni-doped ZnO-based field emitters can open up many opportunities for their potential use as an electron source in flat panel displays, transmission electron microscopy, and the generation of X-rays. Thus, the simple low-temperature (similar to 80 degrees C) wet chemical synthesis approach and the robust nature of the ZnO nanostructure field emitter can provide prospects for the future development of cost-effective electron sources.}, doi = {10.1039/c6ra21190a}, author = {Rana, Amit Kumar and Bankar, Prashant and Kumar, Yogendra and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Shirage, Parasharam M.} } @article { ISI:000380018700009, title = {Synthesis of renewable copolyacetals with tunable degradation}, journal = {Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {217}, number = {12}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1396-1410}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

Acetal metathesis copolymerization (AMCP) of renewable isohexide diacetals and aliphatic long-chain diacetals is reported and access to a small family of copolyacetals has been established. Crucial 1-2D NMR and MALDI-ToF-MS findings unambiguously confirm the existence of a copolymeric structure. In a stark contrast to the earlier reported isohexide-polyacetals, the current copolyacetals reveal very slow degradation. Hydrolytic degradation of copolyacetal pellets is extremely slow at pH 7, whereas only 30\% degradation over a period of 15 d is observed in 9 M hydrochloric acid solution. GPC investigations reveal that with increasing chain-length the rate of degradation reduces, whereas copolyacetals with short-chain aliphatic segments display a faster degradation profile. The reduced rate of degradation can be attributed to the hydrophobic nature of long-chain acetal segments. In situ NMR spectroscopy reveals the existence of formates, hemiacetals, and diols as degradation products. Thus, the rate of degradation can be tuned by the judicious choice of isohexide-diacetal and linear-diacetals in a copolyacetal.

}, keywords = {copolyacetals, degradable polymers, diacetals, isohexides, renewable polymers}, issn = {1022-1352}, doi = {10.1002/macp.201600071}, author = {Rajput, Bhausaheb S. and Chander, Umesh and Arole, Kailash and Stempfle, Florian and Menon, Shamal K. and Mecking, Stefan and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article { ISI:000380968200060, title = {Syringic acid: structural elucidation and co-crystallization}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {16}, number = {8}, year = {2016}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4679-4687}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Syringic acid (SYRA) is a potential antioxidant used in traditional Chinese medicine and is an emerging nutraceutical. Current reports claim its potential anti-angiogenic, anti-glycating, anti-hyperglycaemic, neuroprotective, and memory-enhancing properties in various animal models. To date, SYRA crystal structure has not been elucidated, and no crystal engineering studies have been reported. This study reports the crystal structure of SYRA for the first time along with its nicotinamide (SNCT-E) and urea (SU-EA-M) co-crystals. All forms were successfully characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD), powder XRD, and differential scanning calorimetry. Single crystal analysis revealed that SYRA crystallized in the C2/c space group, whereas SNCT-E (2:1) and SU-EA-M (1:2) crystallized in the P21/n and Cmca space group, respectively. Novel co-crystals have shown improved solubility, modified dissolution profiles, and improved flow and compressibility. Cytotoxic effects were explored in DU145 prostate cancer cell lines for the first time, and significant enhancement in cytotoxicity by the co-crystals was observed compared to plain components. A two-fold increase in \% cytotoxicity of SNCT-E was observed when compared to the corresponding physical mixture. These studies shed light on potential utility of SYRA as a coformer for various pharmaceutical applications to design synergistic and organ-protective co-crystals.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00750}, author = {Thipparaboina, Rajesh and Mittapalli, Sudhir and Thatikonda, Sowjanya and Nangia, Ashwini and Naidu, V. G. M. and Shastri, Nalini R.} } @article {43406, title = {Systematic evaluation of biophysical and functional characteristics of selenomethylene-locked nucleic acid-mediated inhibition of miR-21}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {7023-7032}, abstract = {miRNAs constitute an important layer of gene regulation mediated by sequence-specific targeting of mRNAs. Aberrant expression of miRNAs contributes to a host of pathological states. Promoting cancer, miR-21 is upregulated in variety of cancers and promotes tumor progresion by suppressing a network of tumor suppressor genes. Here we describe a novel class of bicyclic RNA analogues, selenomethylene-locked nucleic acid (SeLNA), that display high affinity, improved metabolic stability, and increased potency for miR-21 inhibition. The thermal stability (T-m) for duplexes was increased significantly with incorporation of SeLNA monomers as compared to that of the unmodified DNA RNA hybrid. A comprehensive thermodynamic profile obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry revealed a favorable increase in the enthalpy of hybridization for SeLNA containing DNA and target RNA heteroduplexes. SeLNA modifications displayed remarkable binding affinity for miR-21 target RNA with a K-a of <= 1.05 x 10(8) M-1. We also observed enhanced serum stability for SeLNA RNA duplexes with a half-life of <= 36 h. These in vitro results were well correlated with the antisense activity in cancer cells imparting up to similar to 91\% inhibition of miR-21. The functional impact of SeLNA modifications on miR-21 inhibition was further gauged by investigating the migration and invasion characterisitics of cancer cells, which were drastically reduced to similar to 49 and similar to 55\%, respectively, with SeLNA having four such modifications. Our findings demonstrate SeLNA as a promising candidate for therapeutics for disease associated miRNAs.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.6b00895}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Singh, Amrita and Morihiro, Kunihiko and Moai, Yoshihiro and Kodama, Tetsuya and Obika, Satoshi and Maiti, Souvik} } @article { ISI:000381180000001, title = {Targeted quantification of N-1-(carboxymethyl) valine and N-1-(carboxyethyl) valine peptides of beta-hemoglobin for better diagnostics in diabetes}, journal = {Clinical Proteomics}, volume = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 7}, publisher = {BIOMED CENTRAL LTD}, address = {236 GRAYS INN RD, FLOOR 6, LONDON WC1X 8HL, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

Background: N-1-(Deoxyfructosyl) valine (DFV) beta-hemoglobin (beta-Hb), commonly referred as HbA1c, is widely used diagnostic marker in diabetes, believed to provide glycemic status of preceding 90-120 days. However, the turnover of hemoglobin is about 120 days, the DFV-beta-Hb, an early and reversible glycation product eventually may undergo irreversible advanced glycation modifications such as carboxymethylation or carboxyethylation. Hence quantification of N-1-(carboxymethyl) valine (CMV) and N-1-(carboxyethyl) valine (CEV) peptides of beta-Hb would be useful in assessing actual glycemic status. Results: Fragment ion library for synthetically glycated peptides of hemoglobin was generated by using high resolution-accurate mass spectrometry (HR/AM). Using parallel reaction monitoring, deoxyfructosylated, carboxymethylated and carboxyethylated peptides of hemoglobin were quantified in clinical samples from healthy control, pre-diabetes, diabetes and poorly controlled diabetes. For the first time, we report N-1-beta-valine undergoes carboxyethylation and mass spectrometric quantification of CMV and CEV peptides of beta-hemoglobin. Carboxymethylation was found to be the most abundant modification of N-1-beta-valine. Both CMV-beta-Hb and CEV-beta-Hb peptides showed better correlation with severity of diabetes in terms of fasting glucose, postprandial glucose and microalbuminuria. Conclusions: This study reports carboxymethylation as a predominant modification of N-1-beta-valine of Hb, and quantification of CMV-beta-Hb and CEV-beta-Hb could be useful parameter for assessing the severity of diabetes.

}, keywords = {Diabetes, Diagnosis, Glycation, Glycemic control, HbA1c, Mass spectrometry}, issn = {1542-6416}, doi = {10.1186/s12014-016-9108-y}, author = {Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and Batkulwar, Kedar B. and Meshram, Nishita N. and Tiwari, Shalbha and Korwar, Arvind M. and Unnikrishnan, Ambika G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @book {43012, title = {Taxonomy of mycotoxigenic fungi}, year = {2016}, publisher = {Scientific Publisher}, organization = {Scientific Publisher}, abstract = {

Mycotoxins, toxic metabolites of molds elaborated during their colonization of foods and feeds, pose a threat to human and animal life. Molds are the diverse group of fungi, which grow in compatatively dry and warm environments, produce copious amount of spores and promote the elaboration of these mycotoxins. Mycotoxigenic fungi, which are unique their sporulating apparatus and exhibit wide variation in their morphology, poses a challenge in their identification. There are numerous examples of their misidentification leading to wrong conclusions. Precise information on taxonomy of these fungi is lacking. Therefore, this book fulfills the need of providing comprehensive information and keys helpful for the accurate identification of these moulds. The book also provides comprehensive account of morphology, mycotoxins produced and factors leading to the elaboration of mycotoxins. Information on their molecular detection, anamorphic and teleomorphic relationships is also included.

}, author = {Vankudoth, Koteswara Rao and Sivadevuni, Girisham and Reddy S. M.} } @article {43587, title = {Template-free sol-gel synthesis of high surface area mesoporous silica based catalysts for esterification of di-carboxylic acids}, journal = {Comptes Rendus Chimie}, volume = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1247-1253}, abstract = {High surface area mesoporous silica based catalysts have been prepared by a simple hydrolysis/sol-gel process without using any organic template and hydrothermal treatment. A controlled hydrolysis of ethyl silicate-40, an industrial bulk chemical, as a silica precursor, resulted in the formation of very high surface area (719 m(2)/g) mesoporous (pore size 67 angstrom and pore volume 1.19 cc/g) silica. The formation of mesoporous silica has been correlated with the polymeric nature of the ethyl silicate-40 silica precursor which on hydrolysis and further condensation forms long chain silica species which hinders the formation of a close condensed structure thus creating larger pores resulting in the formation of high surface mesoporous silica. Ethyl silicate-40 was used further for preparing a solid acid catalyst by supporting molybdenum oxide nanoparticles on mesoporous silica by a simple hydrolysis sol gel synthesis procedure. The catalysts showed very high acidity as determined by NH3-TPD with the presence of Lewis as well as Brensted acidity. These catalysts showed very high catalytic activity for esterification: a typical acid catalyzed organic transformation of various mono- and di-carboxylic acids with a range of alcohols. The in situ formed silicomolybdic acid heteropoly-anion species during the catalytic reactions were found to be catalytically active species for these reactions. Ethyl silicate-40, an industrial bulk silica precursor, has shown a good potential for its use as a silica precursor for the preparation of mesoporous silica based heterogeneous catalysts on a larger scale at a lower cost. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Academie des sciences.}, doi = {10.1016/j.crci.2016.02.001}, author = {More, Pavan M. and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Dongare, Mohan K.} } @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:000371948100113, title = {TiO2 modification by gold (Au) for photocatalytic hydrogen (H-2) production}, journal = {Renewable \& Sustainable Energy Reviews}, volume = {58}, year = {2016}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1366-1375}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

TiO2 is indeed one of the widely used semiconductors employed for photocatalytic hydrogen production. Most of its photocatalytic activity-is achieved in its crystalline form. However, its photocatalytic activity is limited to ultraviolet region. For making TiO2 visible light active; Au deposition is strongly recommended due to its surface plasmon feature. Au deposition enhances the photocatalytic activity of both crystalline and nanocrystalline TiO2. Efficiency of photocatalytic activity is controlled by shape and size of Au nanoparticle subsequently the synthetic methodology plays an important role. Herein, we furnish a brief description of TiO2-Au nanocomposite synthesis by different methods viz. sol-gel, photodeposition, deposition-precipitation simple reducing method and dispersion method. A discussion on physical properties of the resultant material is also provided. Three different types of mechanism has been described depending on the type of irradiation and form of TiO2 (crystalline and nanocrytalline). A comparative hydrogen production yield is also tabulated to get an idea about the best synthesis methodology and form of TiO2 for efficient photocatalysis. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Gold nanoparticle, Hydrogen generation, Nanocomposite, Photocatalysis, TiO2}, issn = {1364-0321}, doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.236}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Melvin, Ambrose A. and Matthews, Tom and Dash, Sitaram and Tyagi, A. K.} } @article { ISI:000372915400016, title = {Total synthesis and structural assignment of hexaketide xylarinolb and its C1-epimer}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {5}, number = {3}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {417-422}, publisher = {WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH}, address = {POSTFACH 101161, 69451 WEINHEIM, GERMANY}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of two isomeric hexaketides isolated along with sordarial, which have the proposed relative arabino and ribo configurations, has been executed. A Rh-catalyzed [2+2+2]-alkyne cyclotrimerization has been employed as the key reaction to construct the central dihydroisobenzofuran core. The absolute configuration of the xylarinolB hexaketide has been established as l-arabino. This is the first natural product of this family for which the absolute configuration has been determined, and this can be extended to provide structural details of several of related hexaketides.

}, keywords = {hexaketides, sordarial, Wilkinson{\textquoteright}s catalyst, xylarinolB, {[2+2+2]-cyclotrimerization}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201500511}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkanna Babu and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000372664600061, title = {Total synthesis of integrastatin B enabled by a benzofuran oxidative dearomatization cascade}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1458-1461}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of integrastatin B, a potent HIV-1 integrase inhibitor, has been accomplished in seven steps with a 17.9\% overall yield employing easily accessible starting compounds. The Oxone-mediated oxidative benzofuran dearomatization cascade has been employed as the key skeletal construct to forge the central tetracyclic nucleus.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b00404}, author = {More, Atul A. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article { ISI:000368207600013, title = {Total synthesis of isocladosporin and 3-epi-isocladosporin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {57}, number = {1}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {53-55}, publisher = {PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD}, address = {THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND}, abstract = {

A convergent total synthesis of isocladosporin and 3-epi-isocladosporin is reported starting from commercially available homoallyl alcohol in 10 longest linear steps with 28\% overall yield. The key steps involved in the synthesis are cross-metathesis, tandem isomerization followed by C-O and C-C bond formation reactions for the synthesis of trans-2,6-disubstituted dihydropyrans developed by us, acylation reaction and Luche reaction. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acylation reaction, Cross-metathesis, Iodocyclization, Isocladosporin 3-epi-Isodadosporin, Luche reduction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.11.060}, author = {Mohapatra, Debendra K. and Maity, Saurabh and Banoth, Shivalal and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Yadav, J. S.} } @article { ISI:000379455300035, title = {Total synthesis of the marine natural product solomonamide B necessitates stereochemical revision}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {18}, number = {13}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3178-3181}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of the proposed structure of solomonamide B has been achieved. However, the H-1 and C-13 NMR spectral data of the synthesized compound was not exactly matching with that of the natural solomonamide B. This prompted us to revise the originally proposed structure, in particular, the stereochemistry of the nonpeptide part, which was confirmed by its total synthesis. During the course of the synthesis, we have developed an interesting hydroxy group directed Wacker oxidation of internal olefins in a macrocyclic setting.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b01395}, author = {Kashinath, K. and Jachak, Gorakhnath R. and Athawale, Paresh R. and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {42630, title = {Tracing the architecture of caffeic acid phenethyl ester cocrystals: studies on crystal structure, solubility, and bioavailability implications}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {16}, year = {2016}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5710-5716}, abstract = {

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is a polyphenolic active compound present in popular apiproduct, "propolis", obtained from beehives, Though it has broad therapeutic capability, the bioavailability of CAPE is limited due to poor solubility. In this study, we report novel cocrystals of CAPE engineered using coformers such as caffeine (CAP), isonicotinamide (INIC), and nicotinamide (NIC) with enhanced solubility and bioavailability of CAPE. The cocrystals were prepared by microwave-assisted cocrystallization and characterized using PXRD, DSC, and Raman spectroscopy. PXRD and DSC confirm the successful formation and phase purity of CAPE-CAF, CAPE-INIC, and CAPE-NIC cocrystals. Raman spectra of CAPE cocrystals complement these results in confirming the formation of novel crystalline phases. CAPE-NIC cocrystal was further subjected X-ray crystallography to understand its molecular arrangement and hydrogen bonding in the crystal structure. The CAPE-NIC cocrystal structure is found to be stabilized by a rare 1,2-benzenediol-amide heterosynthon. Cocrystallization of CAPE with NIC improved its aqueous solubility and pharmacokinetic profile, thereby demonstrating a 2.76-fold escalation in bioavailability.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b00759}, author = {Ketkar, Sameer and Pagire, Sudhir K. and Goud, N. Rajesh and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Nangia, Ashwini and Paradkar, Anant} } @article { ISI:000369212900018, title = {Tuning emission responses of a triphenylamine derivative in host-guest complexes and an unusual dynamic inclusion phenomenon}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {81}, number = {2}, year = {2016}, month = {JAN}, pages = {512-521}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

A newly synthesized triphenylamine derivative (1Cl(3)) shows significant differences in inclusion complex formation with two different macrocyclic hosts, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD). Detailed investigations by NMR spectroscopy reveal that CB[7] forms a 1:3 host-guest complex ([1 center dot 3{CB[7]}]Cl-3) in which three arms of 1Cl(3) are bound to three host molecules. On the other hand, beta-CD forms a dynamic 1:1 inclusion complex ([1 center dot{beta-CD}]Cl-3) by binding to only one of the three arms of 1Cl(3) at a given time. The formation of a 1:1 host-guest complex with beta-CD and 1:3 host-guest complex with CB[7] was also confirmed from the results of the isothermal titration calorimetric studies. Interestingly, 1Cl(3) exhibits a rare dual emission property in solution at room temperature with the lower and higher energy bands arising from a locally excited state and an intramolecular charge-transfer transition, respectively. The difference in inclusion complex formation behavior of 1Cl(3) with the two macrocyclic hosts results in the stabilization of different emission states in the two inclusion complexes. The fundamental difference in the electrostatic surface potentials, cavity polarities, and shapes of the two macrocyclic hosts could account for the formation of the different inclusion complexes with distinct luminescence responses.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.5b02353}, author = {Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Mandal, Amal K. and Maity, Arunava and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Das, Amitava} } @article {43608, title = {Ultrahydrophobic fluorous metal-organic framework derived recyclable composite as apromising platform to tackle marine oil spills}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {22}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {10937-10943}, abstract = {Derived from a strategically chosen hexafluorinated dicarboxylate linker aimed at the designed synthesis of a superhydrophobic metal-organic framework (MOF), the fluorine-rich nanospace of a water-stable MOF (UHMOF-100) exhibits excellent water-repellent features. It registered the highest water contact angle (approximate to 176 degrees) in the MOF domain, marking the first example of an ultrahydrophobic MOF. Various experimental and theoretical studies reinforce its distinc-tive water-repellent characteristics, and the conjugation of superoleophilicity and unparalleled hydrophobicity of a MOF material has been coherently exploited to achieve real-time oil/water separation in recyclable membrane form, with significant absorption capacity performance. This is also the first report of an oil/water separating fluorinated ultrahydrophobic MOF-based membrane material, with potential promise for tackling marine oil spillages.}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201601724}, author = {Mukherjee, Soumya and Kansara, Ankit M. and Saha, Debasis and Gonnade, Rajesh and Mullangi, Dinesh and Manna, Biplab and Desai, Aamod V. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Singh, Puyam S. and Mukherjee, Arnab and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article {45651, title = {Urinary proteome alterations in HER2 enriched breast cancer revealed by multipronged quantitative proteomics}, journal = {Proteomics}, volume = {16}, year = {2016}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2403-2418}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Globally, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women. Although biomarker discoveries through various proteomic approaches of tissue and serum samples have been studied in breast cancer, urinary proteome alterations in breast cancer are least studied. Urine being a noninvasive biofluid and a significant source of proteins, it has the potential in early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study used complementary quantitative gel-based and gel-free proteomic approaches to find a panel of urinary protein markers that could discriminate HER2 enriched (HE) subtype breast cancer from the healthy controls. A total of 183 differentially expressed proteins were identified using three complementary approaches, namely 2D-DIGE, iTRAQ, and sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra. The differentially expressed proteins were subjected to various bioinformatics analyses for deciphering the biological context of these proteins using protein analysis through evolutionary relationships, database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery, and STRING. Multivariate statistical analysis was undertaken to identify the set of most significant proteins, which could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls. Immunoblotting and MRM-based validation in a separate cohort testified a panel of 21 proteins such as zinc-alpha2-glycoprotein, A2GL, retinol-binding protein 4, annexin A1, SAP3, SRC8, gelsolin, kininogen 1, CO9, clusterin, ceruloplasmin, and alpha 1-antitrypsin could be a panel of candidate markers that could discriminate HE breast cancer from healthy controls.

}, keywords = {2D-DIGE, Biomedicine, Breast cancer, HER2 enriched, SWATH, Urinary biomarkers}, issn = {1615-9853}, doi = {10.1002/pmic.201600015}, author = {Gajbhiye, Akshada and Dabhi, Raju and Taunk, Khushman and Vannuruswamy, Garikapati and RoyChoudhury, Sourav and Adhav, Ragini and Seal, Shubhendu and Mane, Anupama and Bayatigeri, Santhakumari and Santra, Manas K. and Chaudhury, Koel and Rapole, Srikanth} } @article { ISI:000371799000029, title = {Utilization of banana peel for the removal of benzoic and salicylic acid from aqueous solutions and its potential reuse}, journal = {Desalination and Water Treatment}, volume = {57}, number = {27}, year = {2016}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12717-12729}, publisher = {TAYLOR \& FRANCIS INC}, type = {Article}, address = {530 WALNUT STREET, STE 850, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106 USA}, abstract = {

We report on the adsorptive removal of benzoic acid (BA) and salicylic acid (SA) using banana peel (BP), an abundantly available agricultural waste material, for the first time. BP was characterized by proximate analysis, FT-IR, scanning electron microscopy, BET surface area, and XRF. The number of basic sites on BP (4.9mmolg(-1)) is relatively more than acidic sites (0.75mmolg(-1)). The Langmuir uptake capacity values obtained are 6.62mgg(-1) for BA and 9.80mgg(-1) for SA. A mechanism for binding acid molecule to the BP surface is proposed.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Banana peel, Benzoic acids, Salicylic acid, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {1944-3994}, doi = {10.1080/19443994.2015.1051589}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {43414, title = {Valorization of banana peel: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Reviews in Chemical Engineering}, volume = {32}, year = {2016}, month = {DEC}, pages = {651-666}, abstract = {Banana peel (BP) is an agrowaste produced in large volumes annually, especially by food-processing industries; however, its disposal is of significant concern. However, recent research suggests that BP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into value-added products. This article reviews the conversion process of value-added products from BP and provides an outline on the chemical composition of BP and its possible applications. In addition, we also discuss the - utilization of BP as a substrate to produce animal feed, biofertilizer, dietary fibers, clean energy, industrial enzymes, as well as its use in the synthesis of nanomaterials. Based on the research conducted so far, it is obvious that BP has a wide variety of applications, and thus, developing a biorefinery approach to adequately utilize BP will help realize its economic benefits to the fullest. Based on the valorization of BP, a scheme for BP biorefinery has been proposed. A material balance for BP biorefinery for 1-ton bone-dry BP is presented and our results show that 432 kg of protein or 170 kg of citric acid, 170 kg of pectin, 325 m(3) of ethanol, and 220 m(3) of methane can be produced.}, doi = {10.1515/revce-2015-0063}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article { ISI:000380565100006, title = {Virtual screening techniques to probe the antimalarial activity of some traditionally used phytochemicals}, journal = {Combinatorial Chemistry \& High Throughput Screening}, volume = {19}, number = {7}, year = {2016}, month = {JUL}, pages = {572-591}, publisher = {BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBL LTD}, address = {EXECUTIVE STE Y-2, PO BOX 7917, SAIF ZONE, 1200 BR SHARJAH, U ARAB EMIRATES}, abstract = {

Malaria parasites show resistance to most of the antimalarial drugs and hence developing antimalarials which can act on multitargets rather than a single target will be a promising strategy of drug design. Here we report a new approach by which virtual screening of 292 unique phytochemicals present in 72 traditionally important herbs is used for finding out inhibitors of plasmepsin-2 and falcipain-2 for antimalarial activity against P. falciparum. Initial screenings of the selected molecules by Random Forest algorithm model of Weka using the bioassay datasets AID 504850 and AID 2302 screened 120 out of the total 292 phytochemicals to be active against the targets. Toxtree scan cautioned 21 compounds to be either carcinogenic or mutagenic and were thus removed for further analysis. Out of the remaining 99 compounds, only 46 compounds offered drug-likeness as per the {\textquoteleft}rule of five{\textquoteright} criteria. Out of ten antimalarial drug targets, only two target proteins such as 3BPF and 3PNR of falcipain-2 and 1PFZ and 2BJU of plasmepsin-2 are selected as targets. The potential binding of the selected 46 compounds to the active sites of these four targets was analyzed using MOE software. The docked conformations and the interactions with the binding pocket residues of the target proteins were understood by {\textquoteleft}Ligplot{\textquoteright} analysis. It has been found that 8 compounds are dual inhibitors of falcipain-2 and plasmepsin-2, with the best binding energies. Compound 117 (6aR, 12aS)-12a-Hydroxy-9-methoxy-2,3-dimethylenedioxy-8-prenylrotenone (Usaratenoid C) present in the plant Millettia usaramensis showed maximum molecular docking score.

}, keywords = {ADME, malaria, Molecular docking, molecular operating environment, Plasmodium falciparum, virtual screening, weka}, issn = {1386-2073}, doi = {10.2174/1386207319666160420141200}, author = {Shibi, Indira G. and Aswathy, Lilly and Jisha, Radhakrishnan S. and Masand, Vijay H. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M.} } @article {45709, title = {Achmatowicz reaction: A versatile tool in bioactive natural products synthesis}, journal = {Current Organic Chemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {503-545}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Achmatowicz reaction has emerged as an efficient tool in organic synthesis since its discovery in 1971 by Achmatowicz Jr. The original protocol went through several advantageous variations. Biocatalytic and metal catalyzed versions of this reaction are some of the significant achievements, which further enhanced its effectiveness. The pyranone product of the Achmatowicz reaction is a versatile building block for the synthesis of bioactive scaffolds, drugs and natural products. The present review covers the application of the Achmatowicz reaction in the synthesis of natural products and bioactive molecules reported from 1971 to date. It has been divided into seven sections on the basis of the core structures of the natural products synthesized utilizing the Achmatowicz reaction. We believe that this comprehensive review will attract many more organic chemists to explore its utility in organic synthesis, especially in the synthesis of bioactive natural products as well as drugs in their efficient and atom economical synthesis.

}, keywords = {Achmatowicz reaction, carbohydrates, Furanols, Natural products, pyranones, Total synthesis}, issn = {1385-2728}, doi = {10.2174/1385272821666161208154754}, author = {Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Humne, Vivek T. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44156, title = {Alternatively packed dry molten globule-like intermediate in the native state ensemble of a multidomain protein}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {9336-9347}, type = {Article}, abstract = {It has been difficult to quantify the degree of side-chain conformational heterogeneity in the native (N) state ensemble of proteins and the relative energetic contributions of the side-chain packing and the hydrophobic effect in protein stability. Here, we show using multiple site specific spectroscopic probes and tools of thermodynamics that the N state ensemble of a multidomain protein contains an equilibrium intermediate (I) whose interdomain region resembles a dry molten globule. In the I state, a tryptophan residue in the interdomain region is alternatively packed, but its secondary structure and intradomain packing are N-like. The I state also has a larger interdomain distance, but the domain-domain interface is dry and molten. Our results indicate that hydrophobic desolvation and side-chain packing are decoupled during protein folding and that interdomain packing interactions have an important energetic contribution in protein stability. Dynamic interconversion between alternatively packed N-like states could be important for multiple allosteric and ligand binding functions of this protein.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b07032}, author = {Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {43949, title = {Assessing therapeutic potential of molecules: molecular property diagnostic suite for tuberculosis}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {515-531}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Abstract: Molecular Property Diagnostic Suite (MPDS TB) is a web tool (http://mpds.osdd.net) designed to assist the in silico drug discovery attempts towards Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). MPDS TB tool has nine modules which are classified into data library (1{\textendash}3), data processing (4{\textendash}5) and data analysis (6{\textendash}9). Module 1 is a repository of literature and related information available on the Mtb. Module 2 deals with the protein target analysis of the chosen disease area. Module 3 is the compound library consisting of 110.31 million unique molecules generated from public domain databases and custom designed search tools. Module 4 contains tools for chemical file format conversions and 2D to 3D coordinate conversions. Module 5 helps in calculating the molecular descriptors. Module 6 specifically handles QSAR model development tools using descriptors generated in the Module 5. Module 7 integrates the AutoDock Vina algorithm for docking, while module 8 provides screening filters. Module 9 provides the necessary visualization tools for both small and large molecules. The workflow-based open source web portal, MPDS TB 1.0.1 can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. Graphical Abstract: SYNOPSIS: A web-based MPDS TB Galaxy tool is developed for assessing therapeutic potential of molecules. MPDS TB is categorized into Data Library, Data Processing and Data Analysis. It can be a potential enabler for scientists engaged in drug discovery in general and in anti-TB research in particular. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] {\textcopyright} 2017, Indian Academy of Sciences.

}, keywords = {chemical analysis, Chemoinformatics, computational chemistry, Diagnosis, Drug discovery portal, Information analysis, Libraries, Molecular graphics, Molecules, Neglected diseases, Open science, Portals, tuberculosis, Web-based technology, Websites}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1268-4}, author = {Gaur, A. S. and Bhardwaj, A. and Sharma, A. and John, L. and Vivek, M. R. and Tripathi, N. and Bharatam, P. V. and Kumar, R. and Janardhan, S. and Mori, A. and Banerji, A. and Lynn, A. M. and Hemrom, A. J. and Passi, A. and Singh, A. and Kumar, A. and Muvva, C. and Madhuri, C. and Choudhury, C. and Kumar, D. A. and Pandit, D. and Bharti, D. R. and Kumar, D. and Singam, E. A. and Raghava, G. P. and Sailaja, H. and Jangra, H. and Raithatha, K. and Tanneeru, K. and Chaudhary, K. and Karthikeyan, M. and Prasanthi, M. and Kumar, N. and Yedukondalu, N. and Rajput, N. K. and Saranya, P. S. and Narang, P. and Dutta, Prantu and Krishnan, R.} } @article {43771, title = {Band alignment and charge transfer pathway in three phase anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes: an efficient photocatalyst for water splitting}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {128}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9-19}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The study reports electrochemical synthesis, phase evolution and hydrogen generation efficiency of anatase, anatase-rutile and anatase-rutile-brookite (ARB) TiO2 nanotubes for the first time. The SEM and TEM micrographs confirm the tubular morphology of the samples. The presence of anatase, rutile and brookite phases in a single nanotube is confirmed from high resolution TEM analysis. The water splitting efficiency of the three systems are studied under one sun illumination. It is observed that the anatase-rutile-brookite TiO2 nanotubes are highly efficient compared to anatase-rutile or anatase TiO2 nanotubes. The hydrogen generated by ARB composites, after four hours of one sun illumination, is found to be nearly twice that of anatase TiO2 nanotubes and 1.6 times that of anatase-rutile TiO2 nanotubes. The results suggest that the ARB in single nanotube having two junction interfaces, highly facilitate interparticle charge transfer compared to single junction anatase-rutile or bare anatase TiO2 nanotubes. From the deconvolution of PL spectra and the synchrotron radiation assisted valence band edge analysis, the band diagram for the anatase-rutile-brookite phase is constructed. The charge separation and its transfer pathway for efficient photo-assisted water splitting are delineated. This opens a new route for the simple synthesis and study of tri-phase TiO2 for efficient photocatalytic water splitting compared to the widely studied two phase TiO2. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V.}, keywords = {Anatase-Rutile-Brookite, Hydrogen generation, nanotubes, Photocatalysis, photoluminescence, Valence band edge}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.06.033}, author = {Preethi, L. K. and Mathews, Tom and Nand, Mangla and Jha, S. N. and Chinnakonda, Gopinath S. and Dash, Sitaram} } @article {43905, title = {Base-free and catalyst-free synthesis of functionalized dihydrobenzoxazoles via vinylogous carbonate to carbamate rearrangement}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An unexpected, catalyst-free, and base-free intramolecular cyclization of N-aryloxyacrylate aldimines, under thermal conditions leading to the synthesis of functionalized dihydrobenzoxazoles, is reported. The reaction features a unique rearrangement of vinylogous carbonates to vinylogous carbamates resulting in a new carbon{\textendash}oxygen and carbon{\textendash}nitrogen bond construction. The reaction tolerates a broad range of functional groups and the desired products are formed in moderate to good yields.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b02733}, author = {Das, Tamal Kanti and Mondal, Santigopal and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43904, title = {Binding selectivity of vitamin K3 based chemosensors towards nickel(II) and copper(II) metal ions}, journal = {Journal of molecular Structure}, volume = {1143}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {495-514}, abstract = {

The vitamin K3 derivatives 2-methyl-3-[(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)-amino]-1,4-naphthoquinone (M-1), 2-methyl-3-[(pyridin-2-ylethyl)-amino]-1,4-naphthoquinone (M-2), 2-methyl-3-((2-(thiophen-2-yl) methyl)amino)naphthalene-1,4-dione (M-3) and 2-methyl-3-((2-(thiophen-2-yl)ethyl)amino)naphthalene-1,4-dione (M-4) have been synthesized, characterized and studied for their chemosensor abilities towards transition metal ions. Crystal structures of M-1 to M-4 revealed a variety of N-H center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot O, C-H center dot center dot center dot pi and pi center dot center dot center dot pi interactions. Minor variations in such interactions by chemical stimuli such as metal ions, results in change in color that can be visualized by naked eyes. It has been shown that electronic structure and H-1 NMR, vibrational as well as electronic spectra from the density functional theory agree well with the experiments. The metal ion binding in ethanol, ethanol-water and in mild base triethylamine brings forth recognizing ability of M-1 toward Ni2+ whereas M-2 exhibits large sensing ability for Cu2+ ion. Interestingly M-1 display varying metal ion binding specificity in different solvents with the association constant in ethanol being 11,786 M-1 for Ni2+ compared to 9462 M-1 for the Cu2+. A reversal in preferential binding of M-2 with the respective association constants being 4190 M-1 and 6370 M-1 is discernible. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Aminonaphthoquinone Molecular-structures, Anthraquinone, Aqueous-solution, Chemosensor, Crystal-structures, Cu(II), Derivatives, DFT, Fluorometric Chemosensors, hydrogen bonding, Naphthoquinone, pi-pi stacking, Recognition, sensors}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2017.04.094}, author = {Patil, Amit and Lande, Dipali N. and Nalkar, Archana and (Gejji, Shridhar P. and Chakrovorty, Debamitra and Gonnade, Rajesh and Moniz, Tania and Rangel, Maria and Pereira, Eulalia and Salunke-Gawali, Sunita} } @article {43558, title = {Biocompatible superhydrophobic coating material for biomedical applications}, journal = {Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology}, volume = {81}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {791-796}, abstract = {Biomaterials and wettability have played a crucial role in the biocompatibility with a host matrix of body fluid and cells. We discuss designing superhydrophobic biomaterials for novel applications such as temporally implant, contact lenses, controlled drug release coatings, coating on medical instruments, etc. Such Superhydrophobic coating surfaces were created with the simple dip coating method by single step base catalyst sol-gel method. Methyltriethoxysilane/trimethoxymethylsilane-based deposition at different dip periods introduces interesting properties in the region, including superhydrophobicity, biocompatibility and transparency. This works reveal the impact of interaction bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and surface free energy on the biocompatibility of superhydrophobic biomaterial.}, doi = {10.1007/s10971-016-4244-4}, author = {Mahadik, Satish A. and Pedraza, F. and Mahadik, Sarika S. and Relekar, Brahmanand P. and Thorat, Sagar S.} } @article {43978, title = {Biosurfactant surfactin as a kinetic promoter for methane hydrate formation}, journal = {Energy Procedia}, volume = {105}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5011-5017}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present study, the effect of the biosurfactant Surfactin on methane hydrate formation kinetics was studied. Initially, several marine derived species were screened for the presence of Surfactin. The polymerase chain reaction technique was used as the preliminary screening step for Surfactin which was then followed up by a couple of different assays to provide conclusive evidence of the same. Based on these tests, the D-9 bacterial strain was identified as a producer of Surfactin. Once the presence of Surfactin had been proven, its effect on methane hydrate formation kinetics was investigated upon by carrying out hydrate formation experiments in a stirred tank reactor. The cell free supernatant containing Surfactin was itself used as the hydrate forming solution without any further processing. It was found that the presence of Surfactin in the system greatly enhances hydrate formation kinetics as compared to pure water. In fact the kinetics in presence of Surfactin also surpassed that obtained with 1 wt\% SDS, the most commonly used synthetic kinetic hydrate promoter. This basic study can pave the way for more sophisticated research on the use of biosurfactants as kinetic promoters with a view on rapid methane hydrate formation kinetics for applications such as methane separation, storage and transport.}, doi = {10.1016/j.egypro.2017.03.1050}, author = {Bhattacharjee, Gaurav and Barmecha, Vivek and Pradhan, Darshan and Naik, Rajesh and Zare, Kirti and Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Kushwaha, Omkar Singh and Kumar, Rajnish} } @article {45674, title = {Biosynthesis of glycomonoterpenes to attenuate quorum sensing associated virulence in bacteria}, journal = {Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry}, volume = {181 }, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1533-1548}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The acquisition of multidrug resistance in bacteria has become a bigger threat of late, mainly due to the bacterial signaling phenomenon, quorum sensing (QS). QS, among a population of bacteria, initiates the formation of biofilms and offers myriad advantages to bacteria. Burgeoning antibiotic resistance in biofilm-producing bacteria has motivated efforts toward finding new alternatives to these traditional antimicrobials. In the present study, we report the increased solubility and additional quorum quenching as well as biofilm disruption activity of glyco-derivatives of monoterpenes (citral and citronellal). Glycomonoterpenes of citral and citronellal were synthesized via conjugation of the monoterpenes with glucose by the non-pathogenic yeast Candida bombicola (ATCC 22214). Structural elucidation of newly synthesized glycomonoterpenes showed that one synthesized using citronellal contains three major lactonic forms with molecular weight 492.43, 473.47, and 330.39 Da whereas the one produced using citral has an acidic form with molecular weight 389.33 and 346.23 Da. The glycomonoterpenes were able to individually inhibit QS, mediated through various medium-chain and long-chain N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs). These new compounds are interesting additions to the known range of quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) and could be further explored for potential clinical applications.}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-016-2300-8}, author = {Patil, Amrita and Joshi-Navre, Kasturi and Mukherji, Ruchira and Prabhune, Asmita} } @inbook {45774, title = {Biotechnological interventions to modulate terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway in catharanthus roseus using in vitro tools and approaches}, booktitle = {Catharanthus Roseus: Current Research and Future Prospects}, year = {2017}, pages = {247-275}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, organization = {Springer International Publishing}, chapter = {18}, address = { Switzerland}, abstract = {

Catharanthus roseus plant is valued for harboring more than 130 bioactive terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) including the two of its leaf derived bisindole alkaloids-vinblastine and vincristine which are indispensible constituents of antineoplastic drugs used in metastatic malignancy associated with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia{\textquoteright}s and Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s/Non-Hodgkin{\textquoteright}s lymphomas. The extremely low in planta occurrence of TIAs in C. roseus plants resulting in high commercial demand and exorbitant price have brought this herb in focus of an intense scientific scrutiny in last 30 years. Research efforts have so far advanced in two major directions: towards understanding the enzymology and genetic regulation of the concerned metabolic pathway(s) leading to TIAs biosynthesis in plant and, secondly, exploring the possibility of developing cell/tissue culture based platforms for in vitro TIAs production to meet the industry{\textquoteright}s demand. Designing plants, free from such metabolic constraints, can be a possible approach to enhance the production of plant based medicines. This subject of plant metabolic engineering is gaining lot of attention these days. Pathway manipulation using the modern tools of genetic engineering to over-express a limiting enzyme or to suppress the expression of an enzyme using a shared substrate of a branched pathway are attractive options of metabolic engineering for diverting the metabolic flux towards the synthesis of a desired end product. Knowledge, thus gained, indicates that TIAs biogenetic route is characterized by extensive metabolic cross-talk and shuttling of at least 35 intermediates synthesized via 30 enzymatic reactions occurring in four different types of tissues (epidermis, internal phloem parenchyma, idioblasts and leticifers) and five different sub-cellular compartments (cytosol, vacuole, thyllakoid membrane, nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum). The complexity is further compounded by extremely high level of recalcitrancy of C. roseus plant for regeneration and Agrobacterium- mediated genetic transformation for pathway engineering. As a consequence, all genetic modulation efforts so far made in C. roseus are confined to cell suspension and transformed hairy root cultures that lack the required level of cyto- and tissue- differentiation essential for the expression of entire TIAs pathway genes and enzymes. A perusal of published work in C. roseus clearly suggests that inspite of several pathway manipulation/engineering attempts, the level of TIAs production in cell/tissue/hairy root cultures of this herb could never be enhanced to the level of expectations. The enzymatic, developmental and environmental rigidity/complexi- ties associated with the biosynthetic pathway of these alkaloids have often been cited as possible reasons for these disappointing outcomes Therefore, three major areas of investigation are in focused attention of Catharanthus researchers{\textquoteright} the world over are: (1) how to select or design the starting cells or tissue(s) to realize the full potential of applying metabolic engineering tools for up-regulating the TIAs pathway in them; (2) how to overcome the strong recalcitrancy of Catharanthus plant tissues for de novo organogenesis and in vitro plant regeneration for whole plant-level expression of a transgene coding either for a limiting pathway enzyme or a transcription factor that can control the global expression of several pathway genes and, (3) how to overcome the inability of non-differentiated cell cultures to execute those pathway steps that are expressed only in specialized tissues/cells of C. roseus plants. Various biotechnological approaches and generation of novel tissue types have been discussed in the present chapter for the modulation and increased TIAs flux in C. Roseus.

}, isbn = {978-331951619-6}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-51620-2_10}, author = {Verma, P. and Khan, S. A. and Parasharami, V. and Mathur, A. K.} } @article {43838, title = {Bronsted acid catalyzed enantioselective pericyclic reactions}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {73}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4023-4038}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Pericyclic reactions can be challenging processes to render asymmetric, due to the concerted and non polar nature of the transition states. Several examples have been reported in which a suitable catalyst binds to a heteroatom-containing substituent in the substrate and accelerates the reaction rate. The requirement of coordinating functionalized substrates has limited the generality of such asymmetric transformations. Multifunctional Bronsted acids are promising catalysts that represent a new paradigm in asymmetric pericyclic reactions. These chiral catalysts rely on multiple non-covalent interactions in the transition state for asymmetric induction, which has been utilized to activate more general substrate classes. In this review, we will cover recent advances in Bronsted acid catalyzed pericyclic reactions and discuss the impact of catalyst design on the expansion of substrate scope for highly enantioselective processes. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2017.02.059}, author = {Sleet, Christopher E. and Tambar, Uttam K. and Maity, Pradip} } @article {43973, title = {Calixarene based nanocomposite materials for high performance supercapacitor electrode}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A functionalised calixarene {4-Sulphatocalix [6] arene Hydrate (SC6)} stabilises MoS2/partially reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheet. Such stabilised SC6-rGO/SC6-MoS2 and SC6 doped polyaniline (PANI) together forms a nanocomposite hybrid material for supercapacitor electrode. It was fabricated by an in situ polymerization method. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results suggest that PANI nanostructures grow homogeneously onto the surfaces of SC6 functionalised MoS2. Calixarene acts as a dopant for PANI as well as a stabiliser for the 2D nanosheets of rGO/MoS2. The characterisation of composites together with basic components was done by using various techniques namely, solid-state FT-IRspectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The electrochemical performance was analysed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS). It was found that the SC6 functionalised MoS2 and SC6 doped PANI formed a uniform nanocomposite. The synthesised composites show high specific capacitance (691 F/g) and good cycling stability during the charge-discharge process when used as supercapacitor electrodes. The improvement in electrochemical performance of composites is assigned to synergistic effect of SC6 stabilised MoS2 and doped PANI. Our investigation highlighted the importance of use of calixarene in composites for above stated supercapacitor performance. The role of calixarene in the present study opens a way for the application of alike materials in the composite supercapacitors for energy storage applications.}, doi = {10.1039/C7NJ01125C}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Soni, Roby and Patil, Kashinath Rangu and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {44093, title = {Camptothecin-producing endophytic bacteria from pyrenacantha volubilis hook. (Icacinaceae): a possible role of a plasmid in the production of camptothecin}, journal = {Phytomedicine}, volume = {36}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {160-167}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Background: Camptothecin (CPT), a quinoline alkaloid, is a potent inhibitor of eukaryotic topoisomerase I. Because of this property, several derivatives of CPT are used as chemotherapeutic agents. CPT is produced by several plant species belonging to the Asterid clade as well as by a number of endophytic fungal associates of these plants. In this study, we report the production of CPT by four bacterial endophytes and show the possible role of a plasmid in the biosynthesis of CPT. Methods: Endophytic bacteria were isolated from leaves, stems and fruits of Pyrenacantha volubilis Hook. (Icacinanceae). The bacterial isolates were purified and analyzed for production of CPT by ESI-MS/MS and NMR analysis. Bacterial identity was established based on the morphology and 16s rRNA sequence analysis. Crude extracts of the bacterial endophytes were evaluated for their cytotoxicity using colon cancer cell lines. The role of plasmid in the production of CPT was studied by purging the plasmid, using acriflavine, as well as reconstituting the bacteria with the plasmid. Results: Four bacterial isolates, Bacillus sp. (KP125955 and KP125956), Bacillus subtilis (KY741853) and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (KY741854) were found to produce CPT in culture. Both based on ESI-MS/MS and NMR analysis, the identity of CPT was found to be similar to that produced by the host plant. The CPT was biologically active as evident by its cytotoxicity against colon cancer cell line. The production of CPT by the endophyte (Bacillus subtilis, KY741853) attenuated with sub-culture. A likely role of a plasmid in the production of CPT was established. A 5 kbp plasmid was recovered from the bacteria. Bacterial isolate cured of plasmid failed to produce CPT. Conclusion: Our study implies a possible role of a plasmid in the production of CPT by the endophytic bacteria and opens up further work to unravel the exact mechanisms that might be involved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.phymed.2017.09.019}, author = {Soujanya, K. N. and Siva, R. and Kumara, P. Mohana and Srimany, Amitava and Ravikanth, G. and Mulani, F. A. and Aarthy, T. and Thulasiram, H. V. and Santhoshkumar, T. R. and Nataraja, Karaba N. and Shaanker, R. Uma} } @article {43921, title = {Carbonylation of glycerol with urea to glycerol carbonate over supported Zn catalysts}, journal = {Applied Petrochemical Research}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, chapter = {41-53}, abstract = {

Glycerol carbonylation with urea is a very feasible option to produce glycerol carbonate with a net result of CO2 fixation through urea synthesis. The prerequisite of an efficient catalyst for this reaction is to possess both acid and basic sites together. Several acidic supports were screened for ZnO catalyst in this work and Zn/MCM-41 was found to exhibit the best activity and almost complete selectivity to glycerol carbonate (GC). Although, non-catalytic glycerol carbonylation resulted in GC formation but glycerol conversion achieved was twice with Zn/MCM-41 as a catalyst. Further to that increase in Zn loading from 2 to 5\% resulted in increase in glycerol conversion from 63 to 82\%. The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, NH3 and CO2-TPD and effects of reaction parameters such as catalyst loading, glycerol to urea mole ratio and temperature on glycerol conversion and GC selectivity in batch mode of operation were also studied. Time on stream activity of 5\% Zn/MCM-41 catalyst for continuous carbonylation of glycerol was also studied for ~100 h with an average conversion of ~55\% and complete selectivity to GC. This indicated five times lower productivity of GC per h due to lower residence time than that in a batch operation as compared to that of a continuous operation. Activation energy estimated from the Arrhenius plot was found to be 39.82 kJ mol-1 suggesting that the reaction is kinetically controlled. A reaction pathway mediated by acid and basic sites of the Zn/MCM-41 catalyst is also proposed.

}, keywords = {Acid{\textendash}base ratio, Continuous process, Glycerol carbonate, Glycerol-urea carbonylation, reaction pathway, Supported Zn, Zn loading}, issn = {2190-5533}, doi = {10.1007/s13203-017-0177-2}, author = {Kondawar, S. E. and Mane, R. B. and Vasishta, A. and More, S. B. and Dhengale, S. D. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {43649, title = {Catalytic ozonation of clofibric acid over copper-based catalysts: in situ ATR-IR studies}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {209}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {523-529}, abstract = {The current study describes the catalytic ozonation of clofibric acid (CFA) under ambient conditions using copper oxide catalysts synthesized by different methods. The objective of this study is to provide novel catalysts and reaction mechanism for the degradation of emerging pharmaceutical compounds in aqueous solution. Among the various Cu catalysts screened in this study, the Cut-Ali oxide catalyst showed an excellent activity and stability in the degradation and mineralization of CFA. In situ attenuated total reflection IR (ATR-IR) spectroscopy was used to examine the interaction of ozone with the active sites of the catalyst in presence of water and to investigate the possible catalytic mechanism. The presence of Lewis acid sites in the Cut-Ali catalyst increased the amount of chemisorbed water enhancing stronger interaction of ozone to form surface activated species, resulting in higher catalytic activity. The results obtained from in-situ ATR-IR study indicate that surface hydroxyl groups and Lewis acid sites are responsible for promoting the generation of hydroxyl radicals (OHS) from aqueous ozone. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2017.02.071}, author = {Sable, Shailesh S. and Ghute, P. P. and Fakhrnasova, D. and Mane, R. B. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V. and Medina, F. and Contreras, S.} } @article {44111, title = {Chiral discrimination through h-1 nmr and luminescence spectroscopy: dynamic processes and solid strip for chiral recognition}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {18303-18313}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The appropriate choice of the host molecules with well-defined optical activity (S-H/R-H) helps in the differentiation between two secondary ammonium ion-derivative guest molecules with different optical activities (R-G/S-G) based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)based luminescence responses. Crown ether-based host molecules with opposite chiral configurations (R-H, S-H) have been derived from 1,1{\textquoteright}-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL) derivatives that have axially chiral biaryl centers. These chiral crown ethers form host-guest complexes (i.e., [2] pseudoro-taxanes) with chiral secondary ammonium ion derivatives (R-G, S-G). NMR spectroscopic studies show that the complexes are in a dynamic equilibrium in solution. Results of the H-1 NMR and fluorescence spectroscopic studies indicate a head-on orientation of the host and guest in the [2] pseudorotaxanes. The difference in the efficiency in the FRET-based responses between anthracene and the BINOL derivatives allow efficient chiral discrimination of the guests. Isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR investigations reveal that inclusion complexes between hosts and guests of the same chirality (R-H center dot R-G, S-H center dot S-G) are more stable relative to those of opposite chirality (R-H center dot S-G, S-H center dot R-G). However, FRET-based energy-transfer efficiency is higher for R-H center dot S-G and S-H center dot R-G complexes. NMR spectroscopic studies show that the relative orientation of the guest in the host cavity is significantly different when the host binds a guest of the same or opposite chirality; furthermore, the latter is more favorable for FRET, thus enabling discrimination between enantiomers. Interestingly, chiral discrimination of guest ions could also be achieved by using silica surfaces modified with chiral host molecules.}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201704837}, author = {Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Maity, Arunava and Dey, Ananta and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Das, Amitava} } @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.} } @article {43952, title = {CHO Cells Adapted to Inorganic Phosphate Limitation Show Higher Growth and Higher Pyruvate Carboxylase Flux in Phosphate Replete Conditions}, journal = {Biotechnology progress}, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {749-758}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Inorganic phosphate (P-i) is an essential ion involved in diverse cellular processes including metabolism. Changes in cellular metabolism upon long term adaptation to P-i limitation have been reported in E. coli. Given the essential role of P-i, adaptation to P-i limitation may also result in metabolic changes in animal cells. In this study, we have adapted CHO cells producing recombinant IgG to limiting P-i conditions for 75 days. Not surprisingly, adapted cells showed better survival under P-i limitation. Here, we report the finding that such cells also showed better growth characteristics compared to control in batch culture replete with P-i ( higher peak density and integral viable cell density), accompanied by a lower specific oxygen uptake rate and cytochrome oxidase activity towards the end of exponential phase. Surprisingly, the adapted cells grew to a lower peak density under glucose limitation. This suggests long term P-i limitation may lead to selection for an altered metabolism with higher dependence on glucose availability for biomass assimilation compared to control. Steady state U-C-13 glucose labeling experiments suggest that adapted cells have a higher pyruvate carboxylase flux. Consistent with this observation, supplementation with aspartate abolished the peak density difference whereas supplementation with serine did not abolish the difference. This supports the hypothesis that cell growth in the adapted culture might be higher due to a higher pyruvate carboxylase flux. Decreased fitness under carbon limitation and mutations in the sucABCD operon has been previously reported in E. coli upon long term adaptation to P-i limitation, suggestive of a similarity in cellular response among such diverse species. (C) 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.2450}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda; and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Pant, Tejal and Gadgil, Chetan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {43502, title = {Cisplatin-induced self-assembly of graphene oxide sheets into spherical nanoparticles for damaging sub-cellular DNA}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1409-1412}, abstract = {This report describes the hitherto unobserved cisplatin induced self-assembly of 2D-graphene oxide sheets into 3D-spherical nano-scale particles. These nanoparticles can encompass dual DNA damaging drugs simultaneously. A combination of confocal microscopy, gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry studies clearly demonstrated that these novel nanoparticles can internalize into cancer cells by endocytosis, localize into lysosomes, and damage DNA, leading to apoptosis. Cell viability assays indicated that these nanoparticles were more cytotoxic towards cancer cells compared to healthy cells.}, doi = {10.1039/c6cc09006k}, author = {Nandi, Aditi and Mallick, Abhik and More, Piyush and Sengupta, Poulomi and Ballav, Nirmalya and Basu, Sudipta} } @article {44400, title = {Colloidal nanocomposite of TiN and N-doped few-layer graphene for plasmonics and electrocatalysis}, journal = {ACS Energy Letters}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2251-2256}, abstract = {

A combination of high carrier density, high surface area, solution processability, and low cost is desired in a material for electrocatalytic applications, including H-2 evolution and a counter electrode of a solar cell. Also, plasmonic-based applications in biological systems can be derived from such material. In this regard, a colloidal nanocomposite of TiN and N-doped few-layer graphene (TiN NFG) is synthesized from molecular precursors. TiN nano crystals (NCs) provide free electrons for electrical conductivity and plasmonics, whereas NFG is responsible for charge transport, high surface area, and colloidal stability. Colloidal TiN NFG nano composites exhibit a localized surface plasmon resonance band at around 700 nm. Coatings of the nanocomposite form a counter electrode for efficient (8.9\%) dye-sensitized solar cells. Furthermore, the nanocomposite acts as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction, exhibiting an overpotential similar to 161 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm(2).

}, doi = {10.1021/acsenergylett.7b00741}, author = {Shanker, G. Shiva and Markad, Ganesh B. and Jagadeeswararao, Metikoti and Bansode, Umesh and Nag, Angshuman} } @article {43541, title = {Colossal photo-conductive gain in low temperature processed TiO2 films and their application in quantum dot solar cells}, journal = {Applied Physics Letters}, volume = {110}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 123902}, abstract = {Colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells have seen remarkable progress in recent past to reach the certified efficiency of 10.6\%. Anatase titanium oxide (TiO2) is a widely studied n-type widow layer for the collection of photogenerated electrons in QD solar cells. Requirement of high temperature (similar to 500 degrees C) processing steps proved to be disadvantageous for its applications in flexible solar cells and roll to roll processing, and it also has adverse commercial implications. Here, we report that solar light exposure to low temperature processed (80 degrees C-150 degrees C) TiO2 and niobium doped TiO2 films leads to unprecedented enhancement in their electron densities and electron mobilities, which enables them to be used as efficient n-type layers in quantum dot solar cells. Such photoinduced high conducting states in these films show gradual decay over hours after the light bias is taken off and can be retrieved under solar illumination. On the contrary, TiO2 films processed at 500 degrees C show marginal photo induced enhancements in their characteristics. In bilayer configuration with PbS QDs, photovoltaic devices based on low temperature processed TiO2 films show improved performance over high temperature processed TiO2 films. The stability of photovoltaic devices also improved in low temperature processed TiO2 films under ambient working conditions. Published by AIP Publishing.}, doi = {10.1063/1.4978766}, author = {Mandal, Debranjan and Goswami, Prasenjit N. and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {43812, title = {Comparative analysis of extractive and pressure swing distillation for separation of THF-water separation}, journal = {Computers \& Chemical Engineering}, volume = {103}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {188-200}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present work, extractive and pressure-swing distillation methods are analyzed in detail through steady state ASPEN Plus simulations to propose the most economic method for separation of equimolar mixture of THF-Water. Various solvents were evaluated and DMSO was identified as the most appropriate solvent, as it gave minimum Total Annual Cost (TAC) for desired purity. In case of pressure swing distillation, various pressure ranges were explored to achieve minimum TAC. Configurations for extractive and pressure swing distillation with heat integration were also worked out. The optimum designs of extractive and pressure swing distillation with and without heat integration were compared on a common basis of feed conditions and purity constraints. Results indicate that TAC of extractive distillation with heat integration is 5.2\% less than that of PSD with partial heat integration. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.compchemeng.2017.03.019}, author = {Ghuge, Pravin D. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {45667, title = {Compositional dependence of electrical conduction in solution grown Zn1-xCrxSe thin films: a correlation}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics}, volume = {28 }, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {5070-5074}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Zinc selenide (ZnSe) has a typical band gap of 2.7 eV suitable for window application and can easily be synthesized using a liquid phase chemical bath deposition. An attempt is made to tune its band gap and other characteristics to cope with a maxima of the solar spectrum by deliberate addition of Cr3+. ZnSe and Zn1-xCrxSe (0 <= x <= 0.35) thin films were obtained under the controlled deposition conditions (temperature = 70 A degrees C, time = 210 min, pH = 10, etc). The compositional analysis showed Zn2+ replacement by Cr3+. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed chemical states of the constituents Zn, Cr and Se as 2(+), 3(+) and 2(-) respectively. The electrical conductivity and thermo-power measurements in the 300-550 K temperature range showed semiconducting nature of the material and that the electrical conduction is of the n-type. The electrical conductivity is found to be increased continuously up to x = 0.05 and then decreased for further increase in x. The Hall-probe measurements also confirmed n-type conduction. The average Hall coefficient for pure ZnSe is -1.03 x 10(7) cm(3)/C whereas, it is -4.55 x 10(6) cm(3)/C for a sample with x = 0.35.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-016-6144-3}, author = {Deshmukh, S. L. and Pingale, P. C. and Chavan, G. T. and Pawar, S. T. and Prakshale, V. M. and Kamble, S. S. and Jadkar, S. R. and Chaure, N. B. and Gopinath, C. S. and Maldar, N. N. and Deshmukh, L. P.} } @article {43931, title = {Computational strategies to explore antimalarial thiazine alkaloid lead compounds based on an australian marine sponge plakortis lita}, journal = {Journal of biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {35}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2407-2429}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, an attempt was made to propose new leads based on the natural scaffold Thiaplakortone-A active against malaria. The 2D QSAR studies suggested that three descriptors correlate with the anti-malarial activity with an R2 value of 0.814. Robustness, reliability and predictive power of the model were tested by internal validation, external validation, Y-scrambling and Applicability domain analysis. HQSAR studies were carried out as an additional tool to find the sub-structural fingerprints. The CoMFA and CoMSIA models gave Q2 values of 0.813 and 0.647, and R2ncv values of 0.994 and 0.984, respectively. Using the 2D-QSAR equation, the activity values of the seven modified compounds were calculated and it was found that three molecules showed good anti-malarial activity. Molecular docking of the 42 Thiaplakortone-A derivatives with P. falciparum calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (PfCDPK1) was carried out to find out protein-ligand interactions. Data mining of the bioassay dataset AID: 504850 using the classifier based on Random Forest (RF) of Weka suggested that all of the eight molecules selected and three out of the seven virtual molecules were anti-malarial active. Both the virtual molecules and drug molecules were docked with CYP3A4, indicating that the virtual molecules could metabolize easily. Toxicity studies using Osiris shows that three molecules showed no toxic characters.}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2016.1220870}, author = {Lilly, Aswathy and Jisha, R. S. and Masand, Vijay H. and Gajbhiye, Jayant M. and Shibi, Indira G.} } @article {45730, title = {Computational survey of ligand properties on iron(III)-iron(II) redox potential: exploring natural attenuation of nitroaromatic compounds}, journal = {Monatshefte Fur Chemie}, volume = {148}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {655-668}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study is a computational investigation of the ligand effect on the redox potential of iron redox couple aimed at screening these systems for novel applications. The influence of common and naturally available organic compounds with diverse ligand characteristics (nature of donor site, chelation, pre-organization, degree of back acceptance) on the redox potential of iron(III)-iron(II) redox couple has been theoretically calculated using an appropriate level of density functional theory (DFT). The DFT calculated redox potentials of iron complexes are explored to supplement, corroborate, and predict the experimental behavior of the studied systems towards environmental reduction of nitroaromatic compounds to corresponding anilines. The comparative avidity of iron complexes with cysteine derivatives for the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds has been theoretically explored and based on structure-activity relationship; new iron complexes with a range of reactivity and enhanced ability towards nitroaromatic reduction have been predicted.

}, keywords = {Catechol derivatives, computational chemistry, Density functional theory, Iron complexes, Ligand effect on redox potential, Natural attenuation, Nitroaromatic compounds}, issn = {0026-9247}, doi = {10.1007/s00706-016-1813-8}, author = {Rizvi, Masood Ahmad and Mane, Manoj and Khuroo, Mohammad Akbar and Peerzada, Ghulam Mustafa} } @article {43566, title = {Continuous flow telescopic oxidation of alcohols via generation of chlorine and hypochlorite}, journal = {Reaction Chemistry \& Engineering}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, abstract = {A 3-step continuous flow oxidation of alcohols is demonstrated with continuous generation of chlorine as the first step followed by its use for the flow synthesis of high strength sodium hypochlorite. The solution is subsequently used for oxidation of alcohols in the presence of a catalytic amount of the nitroxyl radical {\textquotedblleft}TEMPO{\textquotedblright}, which inhibits oxidation at the aldehyde stage. Selective oxidations of eight different alcohols were demonstrated. To achieve identical yields, the aromatic alcohols containing electron withdrawing groups needed a longer residence time than aliphatic alcohols.}, doi = {10.1039/C6RE00225K}, author = {Sharma, Y. and Moolya, S. and Joshi, Ramesh A. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {43561, title = {Controlling necking in extrusion film casting using polymer nanocomposites}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part B-Physics}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {213-233}, abstract = {The research described was concerned with the effect of layered-silicate-based organically modified nanoclay fillers on controlling the extent of necking in a polymer melt extrusion film casting (EFC) process. We show that a linear polythylene resin (such as a linear low-density polyethylene-LLDPE) filled with a very low percentage of well-dispersed (or intercalated) nanoclay displays an enhanced resistance to the necking phenomenon. In general, melt-compounded nanoclay-filled LLDPE resin formulations displayed a higher final film width (less necking), thus a lower final film thickness (greater draw down for the same draw ratio), and cooled down faster when compared to the base LLDPE resin. Incorporation of nanoclay filler in the mainly linear chain LLDPE resin led to significant modification of the melt rheological properties that, in turn, affected the melt processability of these formulations. Primarily, the intercalated nanoclay-filled LLDPE formulations displayed the presence of strain-hardening in unaxial extensional rheology. Additionally, the presence of well-dispersed nanoclay in the LLDPE resin led to a display of prominent extrudate swell indicating the presence of melt elasticity in such formulations. The presence of melt elasticity, as shown by shear rheology and strain-hardening, observed by uniaxial extensional rheology, contributed to the LLDPE nanoclay formulations displaying an enhanced resistance to necking for these films. It can be concluded that linear chain polymers susceptible to necking in an EFC process can be made more resistant to such necking by using nanoclay fillers at very low levels of loading.}, doi = {10.1080/00222348.2017.1289797}, author = {Rokade, Dhammaraj and Azad, Lal B. and Poddar, Suparna and Mishra, Satyendra and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Shukla, Rishab} } @article {45686, title = {Copper oxide supported on three-dimensional ammonia-doped porous reduced graphene oxide prepared through electrophoretic deposition for non-enzymatic glucose sensing}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {224}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {346-354}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The paper reports on the preparation of N-doped porous reduced graphene oxide/copper oxide (ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO) nanocomposite on gold electrodes using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) from an ethanolic suspension of ammonia-doped-prGO and Cu(ClO4)(2) by applying a DC voltage. The ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO nanocomposite film thickness is controlled by varying the deposition time. Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the formation of a 3 dimensional structure with CuO nanoparticles being homogeneously embedded in the graphene layer. Xray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman analysis revealed that the deposited copper was in its oxidized form, mainly CuO. The Au/ammonia-doped-prGO/CuO electrode was successfully applied for non-enzymatic amperometric detection of glucose. Under optimized conditions, the electrode exhibited a sensitivity of 1210 mu mM(-1) cm(-2) with a detection limit of 0.25 p,M (S/N =3) over a wide concentration range (0.25 mu M to 6 mM) at an applied potential of +0.50 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The electrode material displayed good stability, excellent selectivity, and accurate measurement in healthy and diabetic human serum samples. }, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2016.12.078}, author = {Maaoui, H. and Singh, S. K. and Teodorescu, F. and Coffinier, Y. and Barras, A. and Chtourou, R. and Kurungot, S. and Szunerits, S. and Boukherroub, R.} } @article {43877, title = {Cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with allylsilanes under merged gold/visible-light photoredox catalysis}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3075-3078}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A method for the cross-coupling reactions of aryldiazonium salts with trialkylallylsilanes via merged gold/photoredox catalysis is described. The reaction is proposed to proceed through a photoredox-promoted generation of an electrophilic arylgold(III) intermediate that undergoes transmetalation with allyltrimethylsilane to form allylarenes.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b01148}, author = {Akram, Manjur O. and Mali, Pramod S. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {44153, title = {Cucurbit[7]uril induced formation of fret-enabled unilamellar lipid vesicles}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {33}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10989-10999}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A unique fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process is found to be operational in a unilamellar lipid self-assembly in the aqueous phase. A newly synthesized naphthyl based long chain lipid derivative [N-(naphthalene-1-ylmethyl)tetradecane-1-ammonium chloride, 14NA(+)] forms various self-assembled architectures in the aqueous phase. Controlled changes in lipid concentration lead to a transition of the self-assemblies from micelles to vesicles to rods. In the presence of cucurbit[7]uril (CB7), 14NA(+) forms a host-guest [2]pseudorotaxane complex (CB7(sic)14NA(+)) and secondary interactions lead to the formation of a lipid bilayer with hydrophobic pockets situated in between the layers. The change in the structure of 14NA(+) assemblies, interaction with CB7 and formation of supramolecular assemblies of CB7(sic)14NA(+) were examined using light scattering, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques. Entrapment of a luminescent dye, anthracene within the hydrophobic bilayer of the supramolecular assembly CB7(sic)14NA(+) favors a modified luminescent response due to an efficient FRET process. Further, the FRET process could be controlled by thermal and chemical stimuli that induce transformation of unilamellar vesicles.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02777}, author = {Kushwaha, Shilpi and Maity, Arunava and Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Das, Amitava} } @article {45763, title = {Cyclization mechanism of phomopsene synthase: mass spectrometry based analysis of various site-specifically labeled terpenes}, journal = {Journal of Antibiotics}, volume = {70}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {632-638}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Elucidation of the cyclization mechanism catalyzed by terpene synthases is important for the rational engineering of terpene cyclases. We developed a chemoenzymatic method for the synthesis of systematically deuterium-labeled geranylgeranyl diphosphate ( GGPP), starting from site-specifically deuterium-labeled isopentenyl diphosphates (IPPs) using IPP isomerase and three prenyltransferases. We examined the cyclization mechanism of tetracyclic diterpene phomopsene with phomopsene synthase. A detailed EI-MS analysis of phomopsene labeled at various positions allowed us to propose the structures corresponding to the most intense peaks, and thus elucidate a cyclization mechanism involving double 1,2-alkyl shifts and a 1,2-hydride shift via a dolabelladien-15-yl cation. Our study demonstrated that this newly developed method is highly sensitive and provides sufficient information for a reliable assignment of the structures of fragmented ions.

}, issn = {0021-8820}, doi = {10.1038/ja.2017.27}, author = {Shinde, Sandip S. and Minami, Atsushi and Chen, Zhi and Tokiwano, Tetsuo and Toyomasu, Tomonobu and Kato, Nobuo and Sassa, Takeshi and Oikawa, Hideaki} } @article {43856, title = {Degradation of metaldehyde in water by nanoparticle catalysts and powdered activated carbon}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {17861-17873}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Metaldehyde, an organic pesticide widely used in the UK, has been detected in drinking water in the UK with a low concentration (< 1 mu g L-1) which is still above the European and UK standard requirements. This paper investigates the efficiency of four materials: powdered activated carbon (PAC) and carbon-doped titanium dioxide nanocatalyst with different concentrations of carbon (C-1.5, C-40, and C-80) for metaldehyde removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption and oxidation via photocatalysis. PAC was found to be the most effective material which showed almost over 90\% removal. Adsorption data were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model, giving a q (m) (maximum/saturation adsorption capacity) value of 32.258 mg g(-1) and a K-L (Langmuir constant) value of 2.013 L mg(-1). In terms of kinetic study, adsorption of metaldehyde by PAC fitted well with a pseudo-second-order equation, giving the adsorption rate constant k(2) value of 0.023 g mg(-1) min(-1), implying rapid adsorption. The nanocatalysts were much less effective in oxidising metaldehyde than PAC with the same metaldehyde concentration and 0.2 g L-1 loading concentration of materials under UV light; the maximum removal achieved by carbon-doped titanium dioxide (C-1.5) nanocatalyst was around 15\% for a 7.5 ppm metaldehyde solution.}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-017-9249-1}, author = {Li, Zhuojun and Kim, Jong Kyu and Chaudhari, Vrushali and Mayadevi, Suseeladevi and Campos, Luiza C.} } @article {43791, title = {On demand electrochemical release of drugs from porous reduced graphene oxide modified flexible electrodes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6557-6565}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Despite the advantages of an electrochemical control for drug release, only a handful of electrochemical-based release systems have been developed so far. We report herein on the development of an electrochemically activatable platform for on-demand delivery of drugs. It is based on flexible gold thin film electrodes coated with porous reduced graphene oxide (prGO) nanosheets onto which the drug of interest has been integrated beforehand. Two different drugs are investigated here: ondansetron hydrochloride (ODS), a selective 5-HT3 receptor antagonist used for preventing nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and ampicillin (AMP), an antibiotic to prevent and treat a number of bacterial infections such as respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and meningitis. In the case of ODS, application of a negative potential bias of -0.8 V results in a sustained slow ODS release with an ODS flux of 47 mu g cm(-2) h(-1). In the case of AMP, we show that polyethyleneimine modified prGO (prGO/PEI) is an extremely efficient matrix. Upon the application of +0.8 V, 24\% of AMP could be released from the electrical interface in a time span of 2 h. The released AMP kept its antibacterial activity as demonstrated by antimicrobial tests. These examples illustrate the major benefits of the developed approach for biomedical applications.}, doi = {10.1039/c7tb00687j}, author = {Boulahneche, Samia and Jijie, Roxana and Barras, Alexandre and Chekin, Fereshteh and Singh, Santosh K. and Bouckaert, Julie and Medjram, Mohamed Salah and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {43955, title = {Demonstrating the role of anchoring functionality in interfacial electron transfer dynamics in newly synthesized BODIPY-TiO2 nanostructure composite}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, abstract = {New Bodipy derivatives (Dye 1 and 2) having catechol or resorcinol functionality for anchoring to the nanostructured (NS) TiO2 surfaces have been synthesized. Extended conjugation at one of the two pyrrole rings at the C3 position has helped us in achieving the desired control in tuning the optical and redox properties of the BODIPY based dye molecules. Relative emission quantum yields (em1 = ~52 {\textpm} 2\% and em2 = 54 {\textpm} 2\%) are found to be much higher in polar aprotic solvent (acetonitrile), while this are found to be substantially lower for dye 1 in polar protic solvent. Steady state optical absorption studies reveal the formation of a strong charge transfer complex between dye 1 and NS-TiO2, while this interaction is much weaker for dye 2. Transient absorption studies have been carried out for 1/NS-TiO2 and 2/NS-TiO2 systems following excitation with a laser source of 400 nm for understanding the charge transfer dynamics. Results of the transient absorption spectral studies helped in elucidating role of anchoring functionality in influencing the dynamics of the interfacial electron transfer and the charge recombination process in ultrafast time scale.}, doi = {10.1039/C7NJ00668C}, author = {Ghosh, Hirendra N. and Das, Amitava and Aute, Sunil and Maity, Partha} } @article {43702, title = {Determination of triazines and triazoles in grapes using atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry}, journal = {Journal of Aoac International}, volume = {100}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {640-646}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A chromatography-free atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (AP-MALDI HRMS) method is described for the simultaneous and quantitative detection of triazines and triazoles in grapes. The analytes were detected reproducibly with high mass accuracy (mass error within 5 ppm) and further confirmed by collision-induced dissociation fragmentation in tandem MS. The LODs and LOQs for all the analytes were found to be in the nanogram per gram level (15-20 ng/g LOQ). Internal standard normalized high-resolution accurate mass extracted (HR-AM) peak intensities of the detected ions were used to generate the concentration response curves. Linearity (with R-2 values around 0.99) was obtained for these curves within a concentration range of 20-200 ng/g of the individual analytes. The accuracy and precision of the method were further established using QC samples. Validation and performance comparison of the AP-MALDI HRMS method with an existing standard method using LC with :triple quadrupole MS was carried out (evaluating sensitivity, accuracy, precision, and analysis time) using 20 table-grape field samples after QuEChERS extraction.}, doi = {10.5740/jaoacint.17-0047}, author = {Mahale, Vishal and Singh, Ajeet and Phadke, Gayatri S. and Ghanate, Avinash D. and Oulkar, Dasharath P. and Banerjee, Kaushik and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article {43504, title = {Diastase induced green synthesis of bilayered reduced graphene oxide and its decoration with gold nanoparticles}, journal = {Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B-Biology}, volume = {166}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {252-258}, abstract = {In this paper, we report an enzyme dependent, green one-pot deoxygenation cum decoration method to synthesize diastase-conjugated reduced graphene oxide (DRG) nanosheets, DRG/gold nanoparticles (DRG/Au) composite. The DRG synthesis was completed in 7 h under heating at 90 degrees C on water bath. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) study has revealed the formation of bilayered reduced graphene oxide sheets. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of DRG/Au composite have shown the uniform decoration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto the DRG nanosheet surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman results additionally have shown the functionalization of enzyme molecules onto the DRG nanosheet surface after reduction making it as an effective platform towards the efficient binding of gold nanoparticles. In vitro cytotoxicity studies by MIT assay on A549 and HCT116 cell lines exhibited that the cytotoxicity of the prepared graphene oxide (GO), DRG and DRG/Au is dose dependant. These results have shown that this synthetic method is effective for the production of large scale graphene in a low cost, simple and green method. Since this process avoids the use of hazardous and toxic substances, the produced DRG/Au composites are likely to offer various potential applications in biology and medicine. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V}, doi = {10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2016.12.008}, author = {Maddinedi, Sireesh Babu and Mandal, Badal Kumar and Patil, Sagar Hindurao and Andhalkar, Vaibhav Vilas and Ranjan, Shivendu and Dasgupta, Nandita} } @article {44134, title = { Differential accumulation of vimentin fragments in preeclamptic placenta}, journal = {Cytoskeleton}, volume = {74}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {420-425}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that is the result of abnormal placentation because of inadequate trophoblast invasion into spiral arteries that prevent normal blood flow to the placenta. We report the alteration in vimentin protein proteolysis in placenta of normotensive and preeclamptic women, which is known to have a role in many physiological functions other than its major function in the structural integrity of the cell. Placental proteome from normotensive (n=25) and preeclamptic pregnancies (n=25) showed eight differentially accumulated protein spots of vimentin (proteolytic fragments) by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Immunoblots of normotensive and preeclamptic placenta revealed a difference in proteolytic processing of vimentin. In particular, lower molecular weight vimentin fragments of 32 and 20 kDa were 3.3 and 2.6-fold (p<0.0001) higher, respectively, in preeclampsia compared with normotensive placenta.}, doi = {10.1002/cm.21390}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mehendale, Savita S. and Joshi, Sadhana R. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {44089, title = {Differential rubisco content and photosynthetic efficiency of rol gene integrated Vinca minor transgenic plant: correlating factors associated with morpho-anatomical changes, gene expression and alkaloid productivity}, journal = {Journal of Plant Physiology}, volume = {219}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12-21}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Transgenic plants obtained from a hairy root line (PVG) of Vinca minor were characterized in relation to terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) pathway gene expression and vincamine production. The hairy roots formed callus with green nodular protuberances when transferred onto agar-gelled MS medium containing 3.0 mg/l zeatin. These meristematic zones developed into shoot buds on medium with 1.0 mg/l 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 40 mg/l ascorbic acid. These shoot buds subsequently formed rooted plants when shifted onto a hormone-free MS medium with 6\% sucrose. Transgenic nature of the plants was confirmed by the presence of rol genes of the Ri plasmid in them. The transgenic plants (TP) had elongated internodes and a highly proliferating root system. During glass house cultivation TP consistently exhibited slower growth rate, low chlorophyll content (1.02 +/- 0.08 mg/gm fr. wt.), reduced carbon exchange rate (2.67 +/- 0.16 mu mol m(-2) s(-1)), less transpiration rate (2.30 +/- 0.20 mmol m(-2) s(-1)) and poor stomatal conductance (2.21 +/- 0.04 mmol m-2 s(-1)) when compared with non-transgenic population. The activity of rubisco enzyme in the leaves of TP was nearly two folds less in comparison to non-transgenic controls (1.80 milliunits ml(-1) mg protein-1 against 3.61 milliunits ml(-1) mg protein-1, respectively). Anatomically, the TP had a distinct tetarch arrangement of vascular bundles in their stem and roots against a typical ployarched pattern in the non-transgenic plants. Significantly, the transgenic plants accumulated 35\% higher amount of total TIAs (3.10 +/- 0.21\% dry wt.) along with a 0.03\% dry wt. content of its vasodilatory and nootropic alkaloid vincamine in their leaves. Higher productivity of alkaloids in TP was corroborated with more than four (RQ = 4.60 +/- 0.30) and five (RQ = 5.20 +/- 0.70) times over-expression of TIAs pathway genes tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) and strictosidine synthase (STR) that are responsible for pushing the metabolic flux towards TIAs synthesis in this medicinal herb.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jplph.2017.09.004}, author = {Verma, Priyanka and Khan, Shamshad Ahmad and Masood, Nusrat and Manika, N. and Sharma, Abhishek and Verma, Neha and Luqman, Suaib and Mathur, Ajay K.} } @article {45745, title = {Dihydropyrimidinone-isatin hybrids as novel non-nucleoside HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {70}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {256-266}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel series of substituted N-(2-( 2,3-dioxoindolin-1-yl) acetyl)-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5carboxamide was designed, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro Reverse Transcriptase (RT) inhibitory activity. This series is a combination of peculiar structural features from leading scaffolds of [(2-hydroxye thoxy) methyl]-6-(phenylthio) thymine (HEPT) and oxyindole. In vitro screening led to identification of two hybrids (9c and 9d) possessing higher RT inhibitory activity than the standard rilpivirine. Docking study was performed to study the binding orientations of synthesized hybrids towards RT enzyme. }, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2017.01.006}, author = {Devale, T. L. and Parikh, J. and Miniyar, P. and Sharma, P. and Shrivastava, B. and Murumkar, P.} } @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 {44168, title = {Diversification of quinazolinones by Pd-catalyzed C(sp(3))-acetoxylation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10470-10478}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The quinazolinone ring has been exploited as a directing group for C(sp(3))-H functionalization for the first time. The proximal C-gamma(sp3)-H bonds have been oxidized by palladium-catalyzed acetoxylation reaction. Various functional groups on the quinazolinone scaffold were tolerated to provide novel quinazolinone derivatives. The use of base was found to be crucial for the mono selective acetoxylations.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b01934}, author = {Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @inbook {45808, title = {Diversity of natural yeast flora of grapes and its significance in wine making}, booktitle = {Yeast Diversity in Human Welfare}, year = {2017}, pages = {1-27}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, address = {New York}, abstract = {The biodiversity of yeasts associated with grapes has been studied in different regions of wine producing countries throughout the world. Most of the species associated with the wine environment are similar, while some species are specifically associated with specific regions. Though Saccharomyces cerevisiae is primarily used for fermentation of grape juice, its occurrence is low on grape berries. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts belonging to the genera Torulaspora, Hanseniaspora, Pichia, Candida, Issatchenkia, Metschnikowia etc. are in abundance in grape musts and may dominate the early stages of fermentation. Subsequently, S. cerevisiae proliferates, becomes dominant and completes the wine fermentation. Therefore, yeasts diversity associated with the grapes and must significantly contribute to the quality and varietal character of wine. In present review, the diversity of yeasts associated with vineyard, winery, succession of yeasts during fermentation and their role in wine quality is discussed. The knowledge will be useful to monitor and control the fermentation with respect to quality and spoilage. }, isbn = {978-9811026201}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-10-2621-8_1}, author = {Deshpande, M.V. and Mane, S.S. and Ghormade, V. and Tupe, S.G.} } @article {43683, title = {Diversity-oriented synthesis of spiroannulated benzofuran-3-one scaffold of leptosphaerin C and congeners via aryne insertion}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4875-4882}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A concise synthesis of functionalized cyclohexenone-fused spirobenzofuran-3-ones under mild reaction conditions was developed. The reaction proceeds via insertion of aryne into the C-O bond followed by a regioselective intramolecular conjugate addition. The use of silyl-protected acid was crucial for the transformation. This protocol was successfully applied for the synthesis of leptosphaerin C core and its novel analogues.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b00606}, author = {Dhokale, Ranjeet A. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44024, title = {Docetaxel-titanate nanotubes enhance radiosensitivity in an androgen-independent prostate cancer model}, journal = {International Journal of Nanomedicine}, volume = {12}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = { 6357-6364}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Around 40\% of high-risk prostate cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy (RT) will experience biochemical failure. Chemotherapy, such as docetaxel (DTX), can enhance the efficacy of RT. Multidrug resistance mechanisms often limit drug efficacy by decreasing intracellular concentrations of drugs in tumor cells. It is, therefore, of interest to develop nanocarriers of DTX to maintain the drug inside cancer cells and thus improve treatment efficacy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of titanate nanotubes (TiONts) to develop a TiONts-DTX nanocarrier and to evaluate its radiosensitizing in vivo efficacy in a prostate cancer model. In vitro cytotoxic activity of TiONts-DTX was evaluated using an MTS assay. The biodistribution of TiONts-DTX was analyzed in vivo by single-photon emission computed tomography. The benefit of TiONts-DTX associated with RT was evaluated in vivo. Eight groups with seven mice in each were used to evaluate the efficacy of the nanohybrid combined with RT: control with buffer IT injection {\textpm} RT, free DXL {\textpm} RT, TiONts {\textpm} RT and TiONts-DXL {\textpm} RT. Mouse behavior, health status and tumor volume were monitored twice a week until the tumor volume reached a maximum of 2,000 mm3. More than 70\% of nanohybrids were localized inside the tumor 96 h after administration. Tumor growth was significantly slowed by TiONts-DTX associated with RT, compared with free DTX in the same conditions (P=0.013). These results suggest that TiONts-DTX improved RT efficacy and might enhance local control in high-risk localized prostate cancer.}, keywords = {Docetaxel Nanocarrier, nanoparticle, Prostate Cancer, Radiosensitivity, Titanate nanotubes}, doi = {10.2147/IJN.S139167}, author = {Mirjolet, C. and Martin, E. and Boudon, J. and Loiseau, A. and Chevrier, S. and Boidot, R. and Oudot, A. and Collin, B. and Joy, P. A. and Millot, N. and Cr{\'e}hange, G.} } @article {43816, title = {Domibacillus mangrovi sp nov and domibacillus epiphyticus sp nov., isolated from marine habitats of the central west coast of India}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {67}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3063-3070}, type = {Article}, abstract = {While studying culturable bacterial diversity in different marine habitats of the central west coast of India, two novel Gramstain-positive, strictly aerobic, motile, endospore-forming and rod-shaped bacterial strains designated as SAOS 44(T) and SAB 38(T) were isolated from mangrove sediment soil and the surface of a macroalga, respectively. The strains were taxonomically characterized by using a polyphasic approach and genomic methods. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing placed the strains firmly in the genus Domibacillus and were most closely related to Domibacillus antri KCTC 33636(T). The predominant fatty acids were iso-C-15 : 0 and anteiso-C-15 : 0. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol in addition to an aminophosphoglycolipid. MK-6 was the only respiratory quinone. The range of values of digital DNA-DNA hybridization (19.2-24.9 \%) and the ortho-average nucleotide identity (74.1-81.4 \%) among strains SAOS 44(T), SAB 38(T) and other Domibacillus species clearly supports their status as a distinct and novel species for which the names Domibacillus mangrovi sp. nov. SAOS 44(T) (=DSM 100930(T)=KCTC 33820(T)=MTCC 12571(T)) and Domibacillus epiphyticus sp. nov. SAB 38(T) (=DSM 100929(T)= KCTC 33830(T)=MTCC 12575(T)) are proposed, respectively.}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.002085}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Dastager, Syed G. and Natarajan, Rameshkumar and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {44095, title = {Dry molten globule-like intermediate during the base-induced unfolding of a multidomain protein}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {30207-30216}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The nature of the initial structural events during the base-induced unfolding of the native (N) state of proteins is poorly understood. Combining site-specific fluorescence resonance energy transfer, size exclusion chromatography, dynamic fluorescence quenching, red-edge excitation shift and circular dichroism spectroscopy, we show here that an early intermediate during the base-induced unfolding of a multidomain protein, i.e., the B form, has features of a dry molten globule. We show that the N (sic) B transition involves protein expansion and loosening of packing of inter-domain helices near domains I and II without the disruption of intra-domain packing or any change in hydration of the inter-domain region which resembles a molten hydrocarbon. Surprisingly, the disruption of inter-domain packing accounts for 40-45\% of the total change in free energy of complete unfolding. Our results show that the disruption of van der Waals packing can be decoupled in different regions of a protein and could occur prior to hydrophobic solvation during base-induced unfolding, challenging the existing notion.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cp06614g}, author = {Acharya, Nirbhik and Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {44135, title = { Dynamic metabolic reprogramming of steroidal glycol-alkaloid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis may impart early blight resistance in wild tomato (Solanum arcanum Peralta)}, journal = {Plant Molecular Biology}, volume = {95}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {411-423}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Alternaria solani severely affects tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) yield causing early blight (EB) disease in tropical environment. Wild relative, Solanum arcanum Peralta could be a potential source of EB resistance; however, its underlying molecular mechanism largely remains unexplored. Hence, non-targeted metabolomics was applied on resistant and susceptible S. arcanum accessions upon A. solani inoculation to unravel metabolic dynamics during different stages of disease progression. Total 2047 potential metabolite peaks (mass signals) were detected of which 681 and 684 metabolites revealed significant modulation and clear differentiation in resistant and susceptible accessions, respectively. Majority of the EB-triggered metabolic changes were active from steroidal glycol-alkaloid (SGA), lignin and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways. Further, biochemical and gene expression analyses of key enzymes from these pathways positively correlated with phenotypic variation in the S. arcanum accessions indicating their potential role in EB. Additionally, transcription factors regulating lignin biosynthesis were also up-regulated in resistant plants and electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed sequence-specific binding of rSaWRKY1 with MYB20 promoter. Moreover, transcript accumulation of key genes from phenylpropanoid and SGA pathways along with WRKY and MYB in WRKY1 transgenic tomato lines supported above findings. Overall, this study highlights vital roles of SGAs as phytoalexins and phenylpropanoids along with lignin accumulation unrevealing possible mechanistic basis of EB resistance in wild tomato.}, doi = {10.1007/s11103-017-0660-2}, author = {Shinde, Balkrishna A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Hussain, Khalid and Panda, Sayantan and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Aharoni, Asaph and Giri, Ashok P. and Kamble, Avinash C.} } @article {45811, title = {Effect of Ru precursors and reduction conditions on catalyst performance in glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1734-1745}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Catalyst precursors, their reduction protocols and reaction conditions integrally influenced the activity and selectivity pattern in glycerol hydrogenolysis. Ru prepared from chloride precursor (Ru(Cl)/C-B) showed the maximum selectivity to C-C cleavage products EG (56 \%) and methanol (17 \%) with 23 \% selectivity to 1,2-PDO. While, that prepared from nitrosyl precursor (Ru(n)/C-B) showed higher selectivity to 1,2-PDO (44 \%) and lower to EG (42 \%). The catalysts prepared either with chloride or nitrosyl precursors but reduced by H2 showed lower glycerol conversion (10-11 \%) than NaBH4 reduced catalysts. For these catalysts, 1,2-PDO selectivity increased to 40{\textendash}43 \% along with the major formation of 2-propanol (48-49 \%) and very less selectivities to C-C cleavage products. The lower activity of the H2 reduced catalysts can be related to their lower acidity and the bigger Ru metal particle size (3-5 nm). For Ru(Cl)/C-B catalyst, glycerol conversion increased from 28{\textendash}97 \% with a rise in temperature from 180 to 250 oC also favoring 1,2-PDO selectivity; indicating that C-O bond cleavage was favoured in comparison to C-C scission, at higher temperature. }, issn = {23656549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700049}, author = {Mane, R.B. and Patil, S.T. and Gurav, H. and Rayalu, S.S. and Rode, C.V.} } @article {43962, title = {Effective degradation of organic water pollutants by atmospheric non-thermal plasma torch and analysis of degradation process}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {167}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {396-405}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The paper reports the use of atmospheric non-thermal plasma torch as a catalyst for degradation of various organic pollutants dissolved in water. A flow of He mixed with air was used to produce the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), at the tip of the torch, using pulsed electric excitation at 12 kV. The torch, operated at a power of 750 mW/mm{\texttwosuperior}, was seen to completely degrade the aqueous solutions of the pollutants namely methylene blue (MB), methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine-B (RB), at around 10$^{-}$$^{4}$ M concentrations, the concentration of polluants is one order higher than of routinely used heterogeneous photocatalytic reactions, within 10 min of irradiation time at room temperature. UV Visible spectra of the organic dye molecules, monitored after different intervals of plasma-irradiation, ranging between 1 and 10 min, have been used as tools to quantify their sequential degradation. Further, instead of using He, only air was used to form plasma plume and used for degradation of organic dye which follow similar trend as that of He plasma. Further, Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (LCMS) technique has been used to understand degradation pathway of methylene blue (MB) as a representative case. Total organic carbon (TOC) measurements indicates significant decrease in its content as a function of duration of plasma exposure onto methylene blue as a representative case. Toxicity studies were carried out onto Gram negative Escherichia coli. This indicated that methylene blue, without plasma treatment, shows growth inhibition, whereas with plasma treatment no inhibition was observed.}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.089}, author = {Bansode, Avinash H. and More, Supriya Eknath and Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmad and Satpute, Shruti and Ahmad, Absar and Bhoraskar, Sudha V. and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article {44170, title = {Efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalyst based on CoMn alloy oxide nanoparticles supported over N-doped porous graphene}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6700-6710}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Transition metal oxide derived materials are very important for various applications, such as electronics, magnetism, catalysis, electrochemical energy conversion, and storage. Development of efficient and durable catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), an important reaction in fuel cells and metal air batteries, is highly desirable. Moreover, the futuristic catalysts for these applications need to be costeffective in order to ensure a competitive edge for these devices in the energy market. This article describes the synthesis of a cost-effective and efficient electrocatalyst for ORR It is based on supporting CoMn alloy oxide nano particles on N-doped porous graphene through a simple and scalable microwave irradiation method. Microwave irradiation was found to be very crucial for the fast creation of pores in the graphene framework with a concomitant formation of the CoMn alloy oxide nanoparticles. A series of catalysts have been synthesized by varying the Co:Mn ratio, among which, the one with the Co:Mn ratio of 2:1 [designated as CoMn/pNGr(2:1)] displayed remarkably higher ORR activity in 0.1 M KOH solution. It showed a similar to 60 mV potential shift with a low Tafel slope of 74 mV/decade, which is comparable to that derived from the commercial Pt/C catalyst. This high activity of CoMn/pNGr(2:1) has been credited to the cooperative effect arising from the metal entities and the defects present in the N-doped porous graphene. Finally, real system-level validations of the use of CoMn/pNGr(2:1) as cathode catalyst could be performed by fabricating and testing single-cells of an anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) and a primary Zn-air battery, which successfully demonstrated the efficiency of the catalyst to facilitate ORR in real integrated systems of the single-cell assemblies.}, keywords = {anion-exchange membrane fuel cell, cooperativity effect, microwave synthesis, oxygen reduction reaction, porous N-doped graphene, Zn-air battery}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.7b01983}, author = {Singh, Santosh K. and Kashyap, Varchaswal and Manna, Narugopal and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Soni, Roby and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine and Kurungot, Sreekurnar} } @article {45767, title = {Efficient organic photovoltaics with improved charge extraction and high short-circuit current}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR }, pages = {5523-5530}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Exciton generation, dissociation, free carrier transport, and charge extraction play an important role in the short-circuit current (J(sc)) and power conversion efficiency of an organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cell (SC). Here we study the impact of band offset at the interfacial layer and the morphology of active layer on the extraction of free carriers. The effects are evaluated on an inverted BHJ SC using zinc oxide (ZnO) as a buffer layer, prepared via two different methods: ZnO nanoparticle dispersed in mixed solvents (ZnO A) and sol-gel method (ZnO B). The device with ZnO A buffer layer improves the charge extraction and J(sc),. The improvement is due to the better band offset and morphology of the blend near the ZnO A/active layer interface. Further, the numerical analysis of current-voltage characteristics illustrates that the morphology at the ZnO A/active layer interface has a more dominant role in improving the performance of the organic photovoltaic than the band offset.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b01314}, author = {Mohan, Minu and Nandal, Vikas and Paramadam, Sanish and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Ramkumar, Sekar and Agarwal, Sumanshu and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Nair, Pradeep R. and Namboothiry, Manoj A. G.} } @article {43843, title = {Efficient synthesis of the opioid analgesic (R)-phenampromide via an aziridinium ion}, journal = {Tetrahedron-Asymmetry}, volume = {28}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {983-986}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A simple and efficient synthesis of the opioid analgesic agent (R)-phenampromide with high enantiopurity (> 99\% ee) via the formation of an aziridinium ion as a key step using commercially available starting material is described. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetasy.2017.06.001}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Mujumdar, Prashant and Sasikumar, Murugesan and Deshmukh, Shirish P. and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article {45681, title = {Electrodeposited nickel cobalt manganese based mixed sulfide nanosheets for high performance supercapacitor application}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {244}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {101-108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Porous multi component Nickel Cobalt Manganese Sulfide (NCMS) nanosheets have been grown on Ni foam by cathodic electrodeposition method. The as-prepared NCMS nanosheets sample is used as an electrode material for supercapacitor application due to its large electrochemically active surface and high porosity structure. Moreover, NCMS nanosheets have good electrical and mechanical connections to the conductive Ni foam to achieve enhanced reaction kinetics with improved electrode integrity. The NCMS nanosheets exhibit an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2717 Fig at a current density of 1 Aug with excellent cyclic stability and energy density of 94.07 Wh/kg. The electrodeposited NCMS nanosheets with extraordinary electrochemical performance enable the novel electrodes to hold great potential for high efficient energy storage systems. }, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2017.02.043}, author = {Sahoo, S. and Mondal, R. and Late, D. J. and Rout, C. S.} } @article {43910, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of functionalized β-lactones by NHC-catalyzed aldol lactonization of ketoacids}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular aldol lactonization of readily available ketoacids leading to the enantioselective synthesis of cyclopentane-fused β-lactones is presented. The reaction proceeds via the generation of NHC-bound enolate intermediates formed from the ketoacids in the presence of the peptide coupling reagent HATU and NHC generated from the chiral triazolium salt. The functionalized β-lactones are formed under mild conditions in high yields and enantioselectivities.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b01526}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Mukherjee, Subrata and Das, Tamal Kanti and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43351, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of spiro γ-butyrolactones by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed formal [3+2] annulation of enals with 3-hydroxy oxindoles}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry }, volume = {16}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2013 - 2019}, abstract = {The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed enantioselective formal [3 + 2] annulation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes with 3-hydroxy oxindoles is presented. Under oxidative conditions using the bisquinone oxidant, the reaction resulted in the synthesis of spiro γ-butyrolactones in moderate to good yields, enantioselectivity and diastereoselectivity. The reaction likely proceeds via the generation of the NHC-bound α,β-unsaturated acylazolium intermediate from enals, which was intercepted by the dioxindoles in a formal [3 + 2] pathway to form the spirocyclic compounds. However, a deeper mechanistic investigation revealed that the reaction can also proceed via the homoenolate intermediate. In this case, the dioxindole was oxidized to the corresponding isatin derivative using traces of air under basic conditions, and was intercepted with the NHC-bound homoenolate intermediate in a formal [3 + 2] pathway to afford the spiro compound.}, doi = {10.1039/C7OB00148G}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Joseph, Sumi and Bhunia, Anup and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Reddy, Santhi Vardhan and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {45714, title = {Enhanced field emission characteristics of a 3D hierarchical Hfo2-Zno heteroarchitecture}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2305-2310}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Three dimensional (3D) HfO2-ZnO heteroarchitecture comprised of thin coating of HfO2 on self assembled 3D ZnO urchins with pointed apex has been synthesized using hydrothermal route followed by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD). The as-synthesized HfO2-ZnO heteroarchitecture was characterized using XRD, SEM, EDS, and (HR) TEM, in order to reveal its structural, morphological, and chemical properties. The HfO2-ZnO heteroarchitecture emitter exhibits superior field emission (FE) behaviour in contrast to the pristine ZnO urchins, demonstrated by delivery of high emission current density of similar to 885 mA/cm2 at an applied field of similar to 3.35 V/mm, against similar to 383 mA/cm(2) at an applied field of similar to 4.32 V/mu m for the pristine ZnO urchins emitter. Interestingly, the HfO2-ZnO heteroarchitecture emitter exhibits excellent emission current stability characterized with fewer fluctuations, owing to very good ion-bombardment resistance offered by the HfO2 coating. Furthermore, the heteroarchitecture thus obtained facilitates tailoring of the morphology with high aspect ratio and modulation of electronic properties as well, thereby enhancing the FE behaviour. Despite HfO2 being wide band gap and high-k material, the HfO2-ZnO heteroarchitecture exhibits potential as promising candidate for fabrication of high current density cold cathode

}, keywords = {3D heteroarchitecture, Field Emission (FE), hydrothermal, PLD, TEM}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601723}, author = {Shisode, Raju T. and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Mistari, Chetan D. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {44126, title = {Enhanced field emission performance of MoO3 nanorods and MoO3-rGO nanocomposite}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {10912-10917}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The graphene and semiconducting hybrid based nanostructures have emerged as a new class of multifunctional materials with improved performance in comparison to the pristine semiconductors. Here, as-synthesized MoO3-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposite emitter exhibits enhanced field emission (FE) behavior as compared to the pristine 1D MoO3 nanorods. The hydrothermally synthesized 1D MoO3 nanorods (1D) are grafted on the rGO sheet (2D) using a simple room temperature sonochemical method. The morphological and structural analysis confirms the attachment of MoO3 nanorods with rGO and the improved conductivity of the sample indicates a strong electronic interaction between them. Furthermore, the FE studies of as-synthesized MoO3 nanorods and MoO3-rGO nanocomposite emitters, carried out at a base pressure -1 x 10(-8) mbar, reveals the values of turn on field (required to draw an emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2)) as 1.6 and 1.4 V/mu m, respectively. Interestingly, the maximum emission current density of 2810 mA/cm(2) is achieved at a lower applied field of 2.7 V/mu m from the MoO3-rGO nanocomposite emitter. The enhancement in FE performance of MoO3-rGO nanocomposite is attributed to the improved electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and higher concentration of protruding edges (emission sites). This observation can be extended to other graphene-based 1D inorganic hybrid semiconductor nanocomposites, which can provide a valuable opportunity to explore novel hybrid materials for vacuum nano-electronic devices.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701914}, author = {Bankar, Prashant K. and Khandare, Lina N. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {43785, title = {Enhanced field emission performance of NiMoO4 nanosheets by tuning the phase}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {418}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {270-274 }, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this paper we report, large scale synthesis of a and beta-NiMoO4 by a facile hydrothermal method and we observed that urea plays important role on the growth of beta-NiMoO4 nanosheets. We have also carried out field emission (FE) investigations of alpha and beta-NiMoO4 at a base pressure of similar to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The obtained turn-on field at emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) for beta-NiMoO4 nanosheets and alpha-NiMoO4 is 1.3V/mu m and 2.2V/mu m respectively were observed. The maximum field emission current density of 1.006 mA/cm(2) at an applied electric field of 2.7V/mu m was achieved for beta-NiMoO4 nanosheets. Furthermore, we found that the beta-NiMoO4 nanosheets possess good field emission performance compared to alpha-NiMoO4. The results indicate that NiMoO4 can be used as a promising material in FE applications with possibility of tuning field emission performance by controlling the phase. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.02.177}, author = {Bankar, Prashant K. and Ratha, Satyajit and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {43980, title = {Enhanced field emission performance of NiMoO4 nanosheets by tuning the phase}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {418}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {270-274}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {In this paper we report, large scale synthesis of α and β-NiMoO4 by a facile hydrothermal method and we observed that urea plays important role on the growth of β-NiMoO4 nanosheets. We have also carried out field emission (FE) investigations of α and β-NiMoO4 at a base pressure of \~{}1 {\texttimes} 10-8 mbar. The obtained turn-on field at emission current density of 1 μA/cm2 for β-NiMoO4 nanosheets and α -NiMoO4 is 1.3 V/μm and 2.2 V/μm respectively were observed. The maximum field emission current density of 1.006 mA/cm2at an applied electric field of 2.7 V/μm was achieved for β-NiMoO4 nanosheets. Furthermore, we found that the β-NiMoO4 nanosheets possess good field emission performance compared to α-NiMoO4. The results indicate that NiMoO4can be used as a promising material in FE applications with possibility of tuning field emission performance by controlling the phase.}, keywords = {Current stability, field emission, nanosheets, NiMoO4}, doi = { 10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.02.177}, author = {Bankar, P. K.}, editor = {Ratha, S.} } @article {43961, title = {Examination into the taxonomic position of Bacillus thermotolerans Yang et al., 2013, proposal for its reclassification into a new genus and species Quasibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., comb. nov. and reclassification of B. encimensis Dastager et al., }, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Two novel Gram-staining positive, rod-shaped, moderately halotolerant, endospore forming bacterial strains 5.5LF 38TD and 5.5LF 48TD were isolated and taxonomically characterized from a landfill in Chandigarh, India. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences of the strains confirmed their closest identity to Bacillus thermotolerans SgZ-8T with 99.9\% sequence similarity. A comparative phylogenetic analysis of strains 5.5LF 38TD, 5.5LF 48TD and B. thermotolerans SgZ-8(T) confirmed their separation into a novel genus with B. badius and genus Domibacillus as the closest phylogenetic relatives. The major fatty acids of the strains are iso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0 and MK-7 is the only quinone. The major polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) and ortho average nucleotide identity (ANI) values calculated through whole genome sequences indicated that the three strains showed low relatedness with their phylogenetic neighbours. Based on evidences from phylogenomic analyses and polyphasic taxonomic characterization we propose reclassification of the species B. thermotolerans into a novel genus named Quasibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., comb. nov with the type strain SgZ-8(T) (=CCTCC AB2012108(T)=KACC 16706(T)). Further our analyses also revealed that B. encimensis SGD-V-25(T) is a later heterotypic synonym of Bacillus badius DSM 23(T).}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2017.07.010}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Pal, Yash and Khatri, Indu and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Gruber-Vodicka, Harald and Schumann, Peter and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Subramanian, Srikrishna and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {43886, title = {Exploring the effect of hydroxylic and non-hydroxylic solvents on the reaction of [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)2] with 2-aminobenzoyl-hydrazide in aerobic and anaerobic conditions}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Refluxing [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)(2)], namely [(VO)-O-IV(acetylacetonate)(2)] and [(VO)-O-IV(benzoylacetonate)(2)], separately with an equivalent or excess amount of 2-aminobenzoylhydrazide (ah) in laboratory grade (LG) CH3OH in aerobic conditions afforded non-oxidovanadium(IV) and oxidovanadium(V) complexes of the type [V-IV(L-1)(2)] (1), [(VO)-O-V(L-1)(OCH3)](2) (3) and [V-IV(L-2)(2)] (2), and [(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OCH3)] (4), respectively. (L-1)(2-) and (L-2)(2-) represent the dianionic forms of 2-aminobenzoylhydrazone of acetylacetone (H2L1) and benzoylacetone (H2L2), respectively, (general abbreviation, H2L), which was formed by the in situ condensation of ah with the respective coordinated [beta-diketonate] in medium-to-good yield. The yield of different resulting products was dependent upon the ratio of ah to [(VO)-O-IV(beta-diketonate)(2)]. For example, the yield of 1 and 2 complexes increased significantly associated with a decrease in the amount of 3 and 4 with an increase in the molar ratio of ah. Upon replacing CH3OH by a non-hydroxylic solvent, LG CHCl3, the above reaction yielded only oxidovanadium(V) complexes of the type [(VO)-O-V(L-1)(OH)](2) (5), [(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OH)] (6) and [(V2O3)-O-V(L)(2)] (7, 8) whereas, upon replacing CHCl3 by another non-hydroxylic solvent, namely LG CH3CN, only the respective [(V2O3)-O-V(L)(2)] (7, 8) complex was isolated in 72-78\% yield. However, upon performing the above reactions in the absence of air using dry CH3OH or dry CHCl3, only the respective [V-IV(L)(2)] complex was obtained, suggesting that aerial oxygen was the oxidising agent and the type of pentavalent product formed was dependent upon the nature of solvent used. Complexes 3 and 4 were converted, respectively, to 7 and 8 on refluxing in LG CHCl3 via the respective unstable complex 5 and 6. The DFT calculated change in internal energy (Delta E) for the reactions 2[(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OCH3)] + 2H(2)O -\> 2[(VO)-O-V(L-2)(OH)] + 2CH(3)OH and 2[(VO)-O-V (L-2)(OH)] -\> [(V2O3)-O-V(L-2)(2)] + H2O was, respectively, +3.61 and -7.42 kcal mol(-1), suggesting that the [(VO)-O-V(L-2) (OH)] species was unstable and readily transformed to the stable [(V2O3)-O-V(L-2)(2)] complex. Upon one-electron reduction at an appropriate potential, each of 7 and 8 generated mixed-valence [(L) (VO)-O-V-(mu-O)-OVIV(L)]species, which showed valence-delocalisation at room temperature and localisation at 77 K. Some of the complexes showed a wide range of toxicity in a dose-dependent manner against lung cancer cells comparable with that observed with cis-platin.

}, keywords = {Effective Core Potentials, Lung-cancer cells, Molecular-Orbital Methods, Non-oxido vanadium(iv), Non-Oxo, Oxovanadium(iv) Complexes, Tridentate ono ligand; Ray crystal-structure, Trigonal-prismatic Co-ordination, V-IV complex}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt01776f}, author = {Biswas, Nirmalendu and Patra, Debashis and Mondal, Bipul and Bera, Sachinath and Acharyya, Swarnali and Biswas, Anup Kumar and Mukhopadhyay, Titas Kumar and Pal, Amrita and Drew, Michael G. B. and Ghosh, Tapas} } @article {43993, title = {Exploring the gem-dimethyl effect in the formation of imine-based macrocycles and cages}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8721-8724 }, type = {Article}, abstract = {Using the gem-dimethyl effect as a platform, a variety of organic [2+2] macrocycles and [2+3] cofacial cages was obtained in high yields. Imine-based macrocyclization could be performed even at high concentrations (0.5 to 1.0 M), via instant mixing of aldehydes and amines.}, doi = {10.1039/C7NJ02069D}, author = {Madhu, Suresh and Rashmi, E. V. and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {45698, title = {Extraction of the very high tunneling current and extremely stable emission current from GdB6/W-tip source synthesized using arc plasma}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {562-566}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report the one step arc plasma synthesis of the GdB6 (Gadolinium hexaboride) nanoparticles and its field emission (FE) characteristics on tungsten point substrate (GdB6/ W). The SEM /TEM analysis revealed the GdB6 nanoparticles on W point substrate exhibit irregular shaped, grainy, dense, course morphology, i.e. uniformly covering the entire tip substrate surface. For GdB6/W point source, the values of the turn-on and threshold fields, defined as field required to draw an emission current density similar to 1 mA/cm(2) and similar to 100 mA/cm(2), respectively are found to be similar to 2.2 and similar to 2.7 V/mm, for anodecathode separation of similar to 1 mm. Interestingly, a very high emission current density of similar to 3.5 A/cm(2) has been drawn from the GdB6/W point emitter at relatively lower applied field of similar to 6.4 V/mm. The field enhancement factor found to be similar to 10,250. The GdB6/W point electron source exhibits a good emission current stability at similar to 10 mA for a period of 6 hr. The emission current stability is enumerated in terms of standard deviation and its magnitude has been measured to be only 1.72\% with respect to the average value. The superlative field emission characteristics signify the GdB6/W point electron source as potential candidates for vacuum micro/nanoelectronics device applications.

}, keywords = {Arc Plasma, field emission, Thin films}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201601587}, author = {Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Kanhe, Nilesh and Mathe, Vikas L. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {44177, title = {Facile one-pot multi-component synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of azaarenes}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9147-9152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel one-pot multicomponent reaction (MCR) protocol has been demonstrated for the first time for sustainable and facile synthesis of spirooxindoles and 3, 3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles in an excellent yield via sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization of 2-methyl azaarenes and (2-azaaryl)methanes with isatin, active methylene compounds using eco-friendly heterogeneous, reusable silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst.

}, keywords = {3, 3{\textquoteright}-disubstituted oxindoles, azaarenes, silica-supported dodecatungstophosphoric acid (DTP/SiO2) catalyst, sp(3) C-H activation/functionalization, spirooxindoles}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701507}, author = {Pathan, Mohsinkhan Y. and Chavan, Santosh S. and Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y. and Thorat, Shridhar H. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article {44015, title = {Facile synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of PANI/CNT/MoS2 ternary composite as an electrode material for high performance supercapacitor}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B: Solid-State Materials for Advanced Technology}, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = { 24-34}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of a novel ternary composite consisting of polyaniline (PANI), functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), via an in-situ polymerization method is reported. Detailed structural and electrochemical characterization shows that incorporation of a small amount of MoS2 in PANI/CNT composite tends to eliminate agglomeration problem of CNT. The PANI/CNT/MoS2 ternary composite reaches a specific capacitance of 350 F/g at the current density 1 A/g corresponding to a 5\% MoS2 content. This ternary composite shows good cycling stability even at a higher energy density of 10 A/g. Further, PANI/CNT/MoS2 composite electrode shows higher energy density (7.77 Wh/kg) and power density (2140 W/kg) as compared to PANI/CNT composite without MoS2.}, keywords = {MoS2, polyaniline, supercapacitor, Ternary Composite}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2017.05.001}, author = {Thakur, A.K. and Deshmukh, A. B. and Choudhary, R. B. and Karbhal, I. and Majumder, M. and Shelke, M.V.} } @article {43849, title = {Facile synthesis and self-cleaning application of bimetallic (CuSn, CuNi) dendrites}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5552-5563}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Bimetallic dendrites (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd) have received intense research interest due to their applications in catalysis and sensing. However, reports on rational synthesis of non-noble bimetallic dendrites that finds self-cleaning applications are scanty. Here, we demonstrate one step co-reduction based galvanic replacement reaction (GRR) for synthesis of alloyed bimetallic dendrites (CuSn, CuNi) with controlled surface roughness and chemical composition. Probing their growth process reveals that i) for CuSn dendrites, co-reduction of Cu2+ and Sn2+ is observed throughout GRR; ii) for CuNi dendrites, Cu nanoparticle, that deposits initially, augments the reduction of Ni2+ which leads to CuNi alloy phase formation during later stages of GRR. These dendrites, naturally having dual degree of surface roughness (micro/nano), have been exploited here for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) with excellent self-cleaning abilities. They show enabling properties such as high contact angle, minimal contact angle hysteresis, and excellent Cassie state stability with no impalement. They maintain superhydrophobicity when exposed to different environmental conditions (low temperature, high temperature, exposure to corroding solutions and UV radiation). The present facile methodology for fabrication of bimetallic dendrites is beneficial for low-cost production of functional nano/micro-materials.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700763}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Kulkarni, Mayuresh A. and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Mondal, Sourik K. and Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Devi, Radhamonyamma N. and Banpurkar, Arun G. and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {43705, title = {Facile synthesis of ZnO-Ag nanocomposite and its photocatalytic activity}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 055011}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The evolution of photoactive hybrid materials (e.g. noble metal-semiconductor) has resulted in heterogeneous photocatalysis. We report a facile route for the synthesis of ZnO-Ag nanocomposites with varying percentage of loading of the noble metal, expecting a great boost in the photocatalytic behavior of ZnO. The as prepared material was thoroughly characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR, TEM, FESEM, XRD, XPS analyses. The photocatalytic activities of the nanocomposites have been assessed from the ability to degrade methylene blue dye in aqueous solution. The results suggest that incorporation of Ag nanoparticles on the surface of ZnO particles can enhance catalytic activity in comparison to pure ZnO particles under visible light by minimizing the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.

}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/aa6df1}, author = {Sardar, Debasmita and Maity, Jayeta and Ghosalya, Manoj Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Bala, Tanushree} } @article {43956, title = {Facile synthesis of β-functionalized {\textquotedblleft}push-pull{\textquotedblright} Zn(II) porphyrins for DSSC applications}, journal = {Dyes and Pigments}, volume = {147}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {56-66}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Three new β-substituted {\textquotedblleft}push-pull{\textquotedblright} Zn(II) porphyrin dyes with various electron donors at meso-positions and cyanoacetic acid as acceptor at β-position have been designed and synthesized. These porphyrins have been characterized by UV-Vis, Fluorescence, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic techniques and cyclic voltammetric studies. The Soret and Q band of Zn(II) porphyrin dyes were found to be red-shifted (30{\textendash}35 nm) as compared to ZnTPP. The fluorescence quenching and the decrement in quantum yield and lifetime suggest intramolecular charge transfer from donor to acceptor. Zn porphyrins exhibited anodic shift in their first redox potentials (0.03{\textendash}0.11 V) as compared to ZnTPP. The HOMO-LUMO energy levels of Zn porphyrin dyes were compared with the conduction band of TiO2 and the electrolyte I-/I3 -. The HOMO levels of all the dyes are sufficiently higher than the energy level of electrolyte I-/I3 - and LUMO levels significantly lower than the conduction band of TiO2 which reflect the feasibility of facile electron-transfer. ZnT(Mes)P(CN-COOH) has been co-sensitized with N719 dye to further improve the PCE efficiency. These dyes displayed power conversion efficiency (PCE) of η = 1.72{\textendash}3.13\% where co-sensitized ZnT(Mes)P(CN-COOH) (N719) dye demonstrated maximum PCE efficiency up to 5.35\%, with a Jsc of 11.8 mA cm-2, a Voc of 630 mV and a fill factor (FF) of 72\% due to better light harvesting capacity.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, Conduction Bands, Cyanoacetic Acid, Electrolytes, Floorescence, Redox Reaction, zinc compounds}, doi = {10.1016/j.dyepig.2017.07.053}, author = {Prakash, K.}, editor = {Manchanda, S.} } @article {43835, title = {ffects of cations, anions and H+ concentration of acidic ionic liquids on the valorization of polysaccharides into furfural}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6137-6144}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The valorization of hemicellulose into valuable chemicals, such as C5 sugars and furfural, in a one-pot fashion is crucial. In this work, acidic ionic liquids in the presence of water showed high yields of C5 sugars (>80\%) with >99\% conversion of hemicelluloses at 160 degrees C. With a water + toluene biphasic solvent system, within 4 h, an 85\% furfural yield was obtained directly from hemicellulose in a one-pot fashion using a catalytic amount of 1-methyl-3-(3-sulfopropyl)-imidazolium hydrogen sulfate. It was seen that Bronsted acidic ionic liquids (BAILs) perform better than solid acid [Faujasite and Mordenite zeolites; ion exchange resin, Amberlyst-15] and mineral catalysts [HCl and H2SO4]. The higher activity of BAILs compared to solid acids and mineral acids was correlated to the Hammett acidity function (Ho) and ion-dipole type of interactions. The catalysts were characterized using NMR (H-1 and C-13), elemental analysis and TGA to confirm that they were stable under reaction conditions and were thus recyclable.}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj00342k}, author = {Matsagar, Babasaheb M. and Dhepe, Paresh L.} } @article {43481, title = {Fluoride-mediated dephosphonylation of alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {372-375}, abstract = {The possibility of fluoride-mediated selective dephosphonylation of alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates such as the Ohira-Bestmann reagent has been proposed and executed. The resulting alpha-diazocarbonyl intermediates undergo a (3 + 2)pcycloaddition at room temperature with conjugated olefins and benzynes. Interestingly, under the current conditions, the resulting cycloaddition products underwent either N-acylation (with excess alpha-diazo-beta-carbonyl phosphonates) or Michael addition (with conjugated olefins).}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.6b03573}, author = {Phatake, Ravindra S. and Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Wakchaure, Vivek C. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {45732, title = {Formal synthesis of bioactive indole alkaloids eburnamonine, eburnaminol, and vindeburnol}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {49}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1849-1856}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Starting from (+/-)-3-acetoxyglutarimide, diastereoselective formal synthesis of indole alkaloids (+/-)-eburnamonine, (+/-)-eburnaminol, and (+/-)-vindeburnol have been demonstrated via a common intermediate (+/-)-1-hydroxy-12-tosyl-2,3,6,7,12,12b-hexahydroindolo[2,3a] quinolizin-4(1H)-one in very good overall yields. The acetoxy group from (+/-)-3-acetoxyglutarimide was first used to induce the diastereoselectivity and also as a latent source of ketone carbonyl group. The stereoselective eliminations, reductions, and intramolecular cyclizations were the involved key steps.

}, keywords = {cyclizations, eburnaminol, eburnamonine, elimination, hexahydroindoloquinolizinone, reduction, vindeburnol}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1588386}, author = {Mondal, Pravat and Argade, Narshinha P.} } @article {43808, title = {Fruit peel waste: characterization and its potential uses}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {113}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {444-454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Globally, India is the leading producer of fruits. Fruits after consumption leave a peel which is a nuisance to the environment as a solid waste. In this article, commonly available large volume-fruit peels (FP) (viz. banana, orange, citrus, lemon and jackfruit) were investigated for surface, physical and chemical characteristics with a view to propose their valorization in detail. Each FP was characterized by proximate and ultimate analysis, porosity, particle density, bulk density, point of zero charge (pH(pzc)), surface pH, surface charges, water absorption capacity, BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and TGA/derivative of thermogravimetric. The BET surface area of FP is very less, between 0.60 and 1.2 m(2)/g. The pH(pzc) and surface pH values of orange peel (OP), citrus peel (CP), lemon peel (LP) and jackfruit peels (JFP) are in the range of 3-4. The pH(pzc) value and surface pH of banana peel (BP) is closer to 7. The order of surface acidity is OP > LP > CP > JFP > BP. From TG curves it is clear that FPs are stable below 150 degrees C. The results will be useful for rational design, when FP is used as a substrate for bioactive compounds, phenolic antioxidants, organic acids, enzymes, biofertilizer, production of energy and as adsorbents.}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v113/i03/444-454}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {45736, title = {Functional stability and structural transitions of kallikrein: spectroscopic and molecular dynamics studies}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {35}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {330-342}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Kallikrein, a physiologically vital serine protease, was investigated for its functional and conformational transitions during chemical (organic solvents, Gdn-HCl), thermal, and pH induced denaturation using biochemical and biophysical techniques and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations approach. The enzyme was exceptionally stable in isopropanol and ethanol showing 110\% and 75\% activity, respectively, after 96h, showed moderate tolerance in acetonitrile (45\% activity after 72h) and much lower stability in methanol (40\% activity after 24h) (all the solvents [90\% v/v]). Far UV CD and fluorescence spectra indicated apparent reduction in compactness of KLKp structure in isopropanol system. MD simulation studies of the enzyme in isopropanol revealed (1) minimal deviation of the structure from native state (2) marginal increase in radius of gyration and solvent accessible surface area (SASA) of the protein and the active site, and (3) loss of density barrier at the active site possibly leading to increased accessibility of substrate to catalytic triad as compared to methanol and acetonitrile. Although kallikrein was structurally stable up to 90 degrees C as indicated by secondary structure monitoring, it was functionally stable only up to 45 degrees C, implicating thermolabile active site geometry. In GdnHCl [1.0M], 75\% of the activity of KLKp was retained after incubation for 4h, indicating its denaturant tolerance. A molten globule-like structure of KLKp formed at pH 1.0 was more thermostable and exhibited interesting structural transitions in organic solvents. The above results provide deeper understanding of functional and structural stability of the serine proteases at molecular level.

}, keywords = {isopropanol tolerance, Kallikrein, MD Simulation, Molten globule, Serine protease, Thermostability}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2016.1138884}, author = {Dalal, Sayli and Mhashal, Anil and Kadoo, Narendra and Gaikwad, Sushama M.} } @article {43918, title = {Genetic programming based drag model with improved prediction accuracy for fluidization systems}, journal = {International journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, issn = {2016-0210}, doi = {10.1515/ijcre-2016-0210}, author = {Sonolikar, R. R. and Patil, M. P. and Mankar, R. B. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {45682, title = {Genomic and functional characterization of coleopteran insect-specific alpha-amylase inhibitor gene from amaranthus species}, journal = {Plant Molecular Biology}, volume = { 94 }, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {319-332}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The smallest 32 amino acid alpha-amylase inhibitor from Amaranthus hypochondriacus (AAI) is reported. The complete gene of pre-protein (AhAI) encoding a 26 amino acid (aa) signal peptide followed by the 43 aa region and the previously identified 32 aa peptide was cloned successfully. Three cysteine residues and one disulfide bond conserved within known alpha-amylase inhibitors were present in AhAI. Identical genomic and open reading frame was found to be present in close relatives of A. hypochondriacus namely Amaranthus paniculatus, Achyranthes aspera and Celosia argentea. Interestingly, the 3{\textquoteright}UTR of AhAI varied in these species. The highest expression of AhAI was observed in A. hypochondriacus inflorescence; however, it was not detected in the seed. We hypothesized that the inhibitor expressed in leaves and inflorescence might be transported to the seeds. Sub-cellular localization studies clearly indicated the involvement of AhAI signal peptide in extracellular secretion. Full length rAhAI showed differential inhibition against alpha-amylases from human, insects, fungi and bacteria. Particularly, alpha-amylases from Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera) were not inhibited by AhAI while Tribolium castaneum and Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera) alpha-amylases were completely inhibited. Molecular docking of AhAI revealed tighter interactions with active site residues of T. castaneum alpha-amylase compared to C. chinensis alpha-amylase, which could be the rationale behind the disparity in their IC50. Normal growth, development and adult emergence of C. chinensis were hampered after feeding on rAhAI. Altogether, the ability of AhAI to affect the growth of C. chinensis demonstrated its potential as an efficient bio-control agent, especially against stored grain pests.}, doi = {10.1007/s11103-017-0609-5}, author = {Bhide, Amey J. and Channale, Sonal M. and Yadav, Yashpal and Bhattacharjee, Kabita and Pawar, Pankaj K. and Maheshwari, V. L. and Gupta, Vidya S. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {43865, title = {Glycoprotein alpha-amylase inhibitor from Withania somnifera differentially inhibits various alpha-amylases and affects the growth and development of Tribolium castaneum}, journal = {PEST Management Science}, volume = {73}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1382-1390}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Identification and characterisation of plant defensive molecules enrich our resources to design crop protection strategies. In particular, plant-derived proteinaceous inhibitor(s) of insect digestive enzymes appear to be a safe, sustainable and attractive option. RESULTS: A glycoprotein having non-competitive alpha-amylase inhibitory activity with a molecular weight of 8.3 kDa was isolated and purified from seeds of Withania somnifera alpha-amylase inhibitor (WSAI). Its mass spectrometry analysis revealed 59\% sequence coverage with Wrightide II-type alpha-amylase inhibitor from Wrightia religiosa. A dose-dependent inhibition of alpha-amylases from Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus subtilis, Helicoverpa armigera and Tribolium castaneumwas recorded. Interestingly, WSAI did not inhibit human salivary alpha-amylase significantly. When adults of T. castaneum were fed with WSAI (1.6mg g(-1)), decrease inconsumption, growthandefficiency of conversion of ingested foodwas evident, along withover fourfold increases in feedingdeterrence index. Adecline inlarval residual alpha-amylase activity after feedingofWSAI resulted ina reduction in longevity of T. castaneum. CONCLUSION: The study reflects the significance of WSAI in affecting the overall growth and development of T. castaneum. Pre-and post-harvest pest resistive capability makes WSAI a potential candidate for insect pest management. Further, the effectiveness of this inhibitor could be explored either in formulations or through a transgenic approach. (C) 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

}, doi = {10.1002/ps.4467}, author = {Kasar, Sainath S. and Marathe, Kiran R. and Bhide, Amey J. and Herwade, Abhijeet P. and Giri, Ashok P. and Maheshwari, Vijay L. and Pawar, Pankaj K.} } @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 {44154, title = {H-Bonding assisted self-assembly of anionic and neutral ligand on metal: a comprehensive strategy to mimic ditopic ligands in olefin polymerization}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12448-12456}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Self-assembly of two neutral ligands on a metal to mimic bidentate ligand coordination has been frequently encountered in the recent past, but self-assembly of an anionic ligand on a metal template alongside a neutral ligand remains an elusive target. Such a self-assembly is hampered by additional complexity, wherein a highly negatively charged anion can form intermolecular hydrogen bonding with the supramolecular motif, leaving no scope for self-assembly with neutral ligand. Presented here is the self-association of anionic ligand 3-ureidobenzoic acid (2a) and neutral ligand 1-(3-(diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl)urea (1a) on a metal template to yield metal complex [{COOC6H4-NH(CO)NH2}{Ph2PC6H4NH(CO)NH2}PdMeDMSO] (4a). The identity of 4a was established by NMR and mass spectroscopy. Along the same lines, 3-(3-phenylureido)benzoic acid (2b) and 1-(3-(diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl)-3-phenylurea (1b) self-assemble on a metal template to produce palladium complex [{COOC6H4NH(CO)NHPh}{Ph2PC6H4NH(CO)NHPh}PdMePy] (5c). The existence of 5c was confirmed by Job plot, 1-2D NMR spectroscopy, deuterium labeling, IR spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, model complex synthesis, and DFT calculations. These solution and gas phase investigations authenticated the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between hydrogen{\textquoteright}s of 1b and carbonyl oxygen of 2b. The generality of the supramolecular approach has been validated by preparing six complexes from four monodentate ligands, and their synthetic utility was demonstrated in ethylene polymerization. Complex 4a was found to be the most active, leading to the production of highly branched polyethylene with a molecular weight of 55700 g/mol and melting temperature of 112 degrees C.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b01923}, author = {Mote, Nilesh R. and Patel, Ketan and Shinde, Dinesh R. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Koshti, Vijay S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44017, title = {Hydrogen production from reforming of biogas: review of technological advances and an Indian perspective}, journal = {Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews}, volume = {76}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1032-1052}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

This paper examines the benefits and potential of biogas generation and uses in India, with focus on advances made in hydrogen production by catalytic reforming technologies with steam, O2, and CO2 as the oxidants. Utilization of biomass by means of generating biogas is one of the easiest and cost effective methods of harnessing renewable energy. As India is an agricultural country, a tremendous amount of biomass and livestock waste is generated every year. Likewise the large population of India generates much food and municipal solid waste that is not being utilized for biogas generation. Fuel cells are one of the effective means of utilizing biogas, although the synthesis gas or hydrogen generated from biogas can also be used in internal combustion engines. Higher efficiency of fuel cells (45\%) compared to internal combustion engines (30\%) and even higher with co-generation systems (70\%) make them highly desirable for biogas utilization for power generation. Investigations of hydrogen productionfor fuel cell use are in their infancy stage in India. Apart from a few scattered investigations not much work has been undertaken in the area of research. Large scale hydrogen production is achieved by steam reforming of hydrocarbons, in particular natural gas. Although the process is a proven technology it has come under considerable scrutiny due to its environmental impact and the energy intensive nature of the process. Several technical and scientific challenges have to be overcome for assimilation of the technology for hydrogen production from biogas and wide scale application in India. These challenges include development of less energy intensive features, highly active and poisons-resistant catalyst, and fuel cell development for utilization of biogas generated hydrogen. Hydrogen production from reforming of biogas: Review of technological advances and an Indian perspective. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315896154_Hydrogen_production_from_reforming_of_biogas_Review_of_technological_advances_and_an_Indian_perspective [accessed Oct 16 2017].

}, doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2017.02.031}, author = {Nahar, G. and Mote, D. and V. Dupont} } @article {45662, title = {Hydrogenolysis of sorbitol over Ni, Pt and Ru supported on SBA-15}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry. Section A: Inorganic, Physical, Theoretical \& Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {56 }, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {226-231}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Hydrogenolysis of sorbitol (15\% aqueous solution) has been carried out in a batch reactor over Ni (6 wt\%), Pt (1 wt\%) and Ru (1 wt\%) supported on SBA-15 and carbon coated SBA-15 (SBA-15(C)). For comparison, the three metals have also been supported on activated carbon (AC). The catalysts are characterized by XRD, N-2 and H-2 adsorption measurements. Addition of Ca(OH)(2) to the reaction mixture increases conversion and selectivity for the dihydroxy compounds, 1,2-propanediol (PD) and ethylene glycol (EG). Based on yield of dihydric alcohols (PD+EG), the performance of the catalysts at 220 degrees C and 60 bar in the presence of Ca(OH)(2) is in the order: Ru-AC similar to Ru-SBA-15(C) > Ru-SBA-15 similar to Ni-SBA-15, the yields being 40, 39, 31 and 29 wt\%, respectively.}, url = {http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/40903}, author = {Banu, M. and Sankaranarayanan, T. M. and Venuvanalingam, P. and Magesh, G. and Sivasanker, S.} } @article {44141, title = {Identification and functionality prediction of pathogenesis-related protein 1 from legume family}, journal = {Proteins-Structure Function and Bioinformatics}, volume = {85}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2066-2080}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The production and accumulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins in plants is one of the important responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Large number of identified PR proteins has been categorized into 17 functional families based on their structure, phylogenetics, and biological activities. However, they are not widely studied in legume crops. Using 29 PR1 proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, as query, here we have predicted 92 candidate PR1 proteins through the PSI-BLAST and HMMER programs. These candidate proteins were comprehensively analyzed with, multiple sequence alignment, domain architecture studies, signal peptide, and motif extraction followed by phylogenetic analysis. Further, response of two candidate PR1 proteins from chickpea against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.ciceri attack was validated using qRT-PCR followed by their 3D structure prediction. To decipher mode of action for PR1s, docking of pathogen extracellular matrix components along with fungal elicitors was performed with two chickpea PR1 proteins. Based on these findings, we propose carbohydrate to be the unique pathogen-recognition feature for PR1 proteins and beta-glucanase activity via beta-glucan binding or modification.}, doi = {10.1002/prot.25361}, author = {Tellis, Meenakshi and Mathur, Monika and Gurjar, Gayatri and Kadoo, Narendra and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {43556, title = {Identification of biomolecules involved in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles from living peanut seedlings}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1787-1795}, abstract = {In present work, we have fabricated gold nanoparticles by treating an aqueous solution of 10(-4) M HAuCl4 with the proteins extracted from roots of in vitro raised peanut seedlings and purified them by FPLC at room temperature. These proteins which tested positive for the reduction of 10(-4) M HAuCl4 were identified as Mannose glucose binding lectin and Ara h 8 allergen isoforms by ESI MS/MS. It is a well known fact that aromatic amino acids possess delocalized pi electrons in their ring structures, rendering them as the best electron donors which can transfer electrons and reduce the acceptor. These results suggest that the aromatic amino acids present in the proteins from the peanut seedlings are the primary biomolecules involved in the reduction of Au (III) to Au (0). We isolated different protein of molecular weight 16.4, 28.3 and 30 kDa involved in the formation of nanoparticles. The protein with molecular weight 16.4 kDa (allergens) yielded NPs of 25-60 nm whereas, the proteins with molecular weight 28.3 kDa and 30 kDa (lectins) yielded highly monodispersed NPs of 5-20 nm in size. The results clearly indicate that the size of nanoparticles can be controlled by different proteins.}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2017.12879}, author = {Raju, D. and Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmad and Prasanth, S. and Khan, Bashir M. and Mehta, Urmil J. and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {43925, title = {Impact of rare-earth metal oxide (Eu 2 O 3 ) on the electrochemical properties of a polypyrrole/CuO polymeric composite for supercapacitor applications}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {20037-20048}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A ternary composite of polypyrrole/copper oxide/europium oxide (PPY/CuO/Eu2O3), synthesized via a facile in situ chemical oxidative polymerization method, exhibits the maximum specific capacitance of 320 F g$^{-}${\textonesuperior} at the current density of 1 A g$^{-}${\textonesuperior}. Incorporation of the rare-earth metal oxide Eu2O3 in the PPY/CuO matrix can promote charge transportation in the resulting ternary nanocomposite by enhancing the porosity. The interconnected mesoporous networks reduce the internal resistance and the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of the composite electrode material. Moreover, the incorporation of Eu2O3 in the PPY/CuO provides support to the fragile polymer backbone resulting in an excellent cycle stability and a markedly enhanced thermal stability. These together with the exhibition of an excellent coulombic efficiency demonstrates that incorporation of rare earth metal oxide can play a significant role in improving the performance of a polymeric composite opted as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitor.}, doi = {10.1039/C7RA01438D}, author = {Majumder, Mandira and Choudhary, Ram Bilash and Thakur, Anukul. K. and Karbhal, Indrapal} } @article {43950, title = {Impact of science, technology and innovation on the economic and political power}, journal = {AI \& Society}, volume = {321}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {243}, doi = {10.1007/s00146-015-0639-y}, author = {Mashelkar, Raghunath Anant} } @article {44401, title = {In situ grown nickel nanoparticles in a calixarene nanoreactor on a graphene-MoS2 support for efficient water electrolysis}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {1}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1329-1338}, abstract = {Electrochemical production of hydrogen, facilitated in electrolysers, holds great promise for energy storage and solar fuel production. Catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a bottleneck of this process. However, the sluggish OER kinetics and the utilization of precious metal catalysts are key obstacles in the broad deployment of this energy technology. We report the preparation and use of an inexpensive GrMoS(2)SC(8)Ni nanocomposite material as a highly effective OER catalyst in an alkaline electrolyte. Experimental investigations have shown that improvements can be realized in the catalytic performance of Ni metal if it is a component of the composite material. We propose an explanation for these enhancements based on a hydrogen acceptor concept. This concept comprises the stabilization of an *-OOH intermediate, which effectively lowers the potential needed for breaking bonds on the surface. Herein, an inexpensive immobilized SC8 layer was used as the nanoreactor to synthesize metallic Ni nanoparticles (NPs) through an in situ redox process. The process was applied to form immobilized NPs on flat and curved 2D surfaces. The outstanding OER performance of Ni NPs could be attributed to their large surface area, efficient mass and charge transport, and high structural stability arising from the unique SC8 cage structure, built on the GrMoS(2) substrate. The GrMoS(2)SC(8)Ni nanocomposite shows the highest activity, exhibiting a 214 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm(-2) (equivalent to 10\% efficiency of solarto-fuel conversion) and a Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1) in 1 M KOH solution. It further demonstrates high stability as there is no apparent OER activity loss (based on a chronoamperometry test) or particle aggregation (based on SEM image observation) after a 10 h anodization test. The facile preparation method and high efficiency and durability enable this electrocatalyst to be a promising candidate for future large-scale applications in water splitting. Thus, this work opens a new avenue toward the development of highly efficient, inexpensive OER catalysts.}, doi = {10.1039/c7se00190h}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Unni, SreeKuttan M. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {44014, title = {Influence of carbon based supports on selectivity behavior of diols and propanol in Ru catalyzed glycerol hydrogenolysis}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B: Environmental}, volume = {204}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {134-146}, abstract = {

Activated carbon (AC) and three graphite materials were studied as supports for Ru catalyzed glycerol hydrogenolysis to propanediols and 1-propanol. Structural characteristics of AC and graphite materials were found to greatly affect the reducibility and particle size of supported Ru and hence, the activity and product distribution in glycerol hydrogenolysis. XRD of graphite materials showed distinctly (002) plane having highly organized layered structure and the peak intensity decreased in the order of Ru/KS150 \> Ru/HSAG100 \> Ru/KS6 due to decrease in the graphite sheet thickness. In Raman, the intense D band in HSAG100 compared to that in KS6 and KS150 samples indicated its highly amorphous nature or mixed carbon hybridization. Glycerol conversion for Ru on AC was higher than that on graphite and among different graphites, it showed a descending activity order of Ru/KS6 \> Ru/HSAG100 \> Ru/KS150. The product distribution for AC and HSAG100 supported Ru was similar, giving 1-propanol (45\%) alongwith 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) (37\%) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) (9{\textendash}11\%). For graphite supports, availability of Ru although bigger in size (4{\textendash}5 nm), would be higher on the surface than in case of AC which formed deep hydrogenolysis products like 1-, 2- propanol, ethanol etc.

}, keywords = {activated carbon, Amorphous carbon, catalysis, Glycerol, Glycerol conversions, Glycerol hydrogenolysis, graphite composites, Graphite supports, Hydrogenolysis, Hydrolysis, layered structures, Particle size, Product distributions, Propanediols, Propanol, Selectivity behavior, Structural characteristics, Structural effect, Structural effects}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2016.11.032}, author = {Mane, Rasika B. and Patil, S. and Shirai, Masayuki and Rayalu, Sadhana S. and Rode, Chandrashekhar V.} } @article {43946, title = {Influence of hyperglycemic conditions on self-association of the alzheimer{\textquoteright}s amyloid beta (a beta(1-42)) peptide}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, chapter = {2134-3147}, abstract = {
Abstract Image

Clinical studies have identified a correlation between type-2 diabetes mellitus and cognitive decrements en route to the onset of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD). Recent studies have established that post-translational modifications of the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide occur under hyperglycemic conditions; particularly, the process of glycation exacerbates its neurotoxicity and accelerates AD progression. In view of the assertion that macromolecular crowding has an altering effect on protein self-assembly, it is crucial to characterize the effects of hyperglycemic conditions via crowding on Aβ self-assembly. Toward this purpose, fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the effects of glucose crowding on Aβ dimerization, which is the smallest known neurotoxic species. The dimers formed in the glucose-crowded environment were found to have weaker associations as compared to that of those formed in water. Binding free energy calculations show that the reduced binding strength of the dimers can be mainly attributed to the overall weakening of the dispersion interactions correlated with substantial loss of interpeptide contacts in the hydrophobic patches of the Aβ units. Analysis to discern the differential solvation pattern in the glucose-crowded and pure water systems revealed that glucose molecules cluster around the protein, at a distance of 5{\textendash}7 {\r A}, which traps the water molecules in close association with the protein surface. This preferential exclusion of glucose molecules and resulting hydration of the Aβ peptides has a screening effect on the hydrophobic interactions, which in turn diminishes the binding strength of the resulting dimers. Our results imply that physical effects attributed to crowded hyperglycemic environments are incapable of solely promoting Aβ self-assembly, indicating that further mechanistic studies are required to provide insights into the self-assembly of post-translationally modified Aβ peptides, known to possess aggravated toxicity, under these conditions.

}, keywords = {Conformation; Drug discovery and Drug delivery systems; Free energy; Glycoproteins; Molecular association; Molecular dynamics simulation}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00018}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana} } @article {43651, title = {Influence of thermocleavable functionality on organic field-effect transistor performance of small molecules}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {678}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {139-145}, abstract = {Diketopyrrolopyrrole based donor-acceptor-donor conjugated small molecules using ethylene dioxythiophene as a donor was synthesized. Electron deficient diketopyrrolopyrrole unit was substituted with thermocleavable (tert-butyl acetate) side chains. The thermal treatment of the molecules at 160 degrees C eliminated the tert-butyl ester group results in the formation of corresponding acid. Optical and theoretical studies revealed that the molecules adopted a change in molecular arrangement after thermolysis. The conjugated small molecules possessed p-channel charge transport characteristics in organic field effect transistors. The charge carrier mobility was increased after thermolysis of tert-butyl ester group to 5.07 x 10(-5) cm(2)/Vs. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2017.04.041}, author = {Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar and Venugopalan, Vijay} } @article {43937, title = {Influences of functionalized nanoclays on morphology and mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol based composites by twin-screw extruder}, journal = {Polymer-Plastics Technology and Engineering}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based nanocomposites filled with different weight percentage of functionalized nanoclays were prepared by melt processing with a twin-screw extruder. The effective incorporation of amine modified bentonite nanoclays (AMB) in the PVA matrix leads to increase in thermal stability, stress-strain properties. The effect of addition of functionalized nanoclays in PVA matrix exhibits intercalated nanocomposite structure. The thermal decomposition (Td) temperature of the composites increases up to 30 {\textdegree}C, than pristine PVA. The morphology influences were studied by TEM. These clay nanocomposite films could be useful for wound dressing material and for enhancing the moisture absorbance properties.}, doi = {10.1080/03602559.2016.1236390}, author = {Rajeswari, B. and Malarvizhi, N. and Elumalai, Deenadayalan and Jaisankar, Sellamuthu N.} } @article {43942, title = {Investigation into the taxonomy of {\textquotedblleft} B. aminovorans{\textquotedblright} and its reclassification to the genus Domibacillus as Domibacillus aminovorans sp. nov.}, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {40 }, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {458-467}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The species "Bacillus aminovorans" was categorized as species Incertae Sedis meaning taxa with uncertain taxonomic position because of insufficient description of phenotypic properties and lack of understanding of its phylogenetic relationship (Claus and Berkeley [5]). In this study two strains "B. aminovorans" DSM 1314T and DSM 4337 were phenotypically and phylogenomically analyzed. The strains are Gram-staining-positive, spore forming rods and unable to utilize/ferment most of the sugars tested except glucose. The major fatty acids are anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0. The major polar lipids are diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and an aminophosphoglycolipid. The cell wall peptidoglycan is of A1γ type with meso-Dpm as the diamino acid. The menaquinone type present is MK-6. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of the type strain is 40.8mol\%. These characteristics were found to be in line with description of the genus Domibacillus. Moreover phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence retrieved "B. aminovorans" within the genus Domibacillus with D. antri XD 80T as the closest relative. Additionally genome sequencing of the strains and their comparison with whole genome sequences of other Domibacillus spp. confirmed their distinctiveness and separate species status within the genus based on parameters of genome to genome distance calculator (GGDC) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values. Therefore a novel species Domibacillus aminovorans sp. nov. (DSM 1314T =LMG 16796T) is proposed.}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Domibacillus aminovorans, MALDI-TOF, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Bacillus aminovorans{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}}, issn = {0723-2020}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2017.07.003}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Pal, Yash and Kumari, Parveen and Schumann, Peter and Gruber-Vodicka, Harald and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Natarajan, Ramesh Kumar and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {43459, title = {Investigation of the biocompatibility and cytotoxicity associated with ROP initiator and its role in bulk polymerization of L-lactide}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {111}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {244-251}, abstract = {Poly (L-lactide) (PLLA) is one of the most attractive polymers for use in biomedical applications. In such applications it is necessary to reduce the use of toxic chemicals and catalysts used in PLLA synthesis, to minimize any adverse effects. In view of this, we have performed ring opening polymerization (ROP) of Llactide (LA) using biocompatible initiator, namely, Zinc L-Proline (ZnP) in bulk. High molecular weight PLLA (Mw up to 1.45 x 10(5) Da) was obtained using the ZnP complex. The ZnP complex is safe, easy to prepare, store and handle. H-1 and C-13 NMR spectra of PLLA were used to determine the extent of monomer conversion and stereo sequence respectively. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) were used to determine thermal properties, Mn, Mw and polydispersity index respectively. The mechanism of ROP of LA in the presence of ZnP was studied using Density Functional Theory (DFf) which was in good agreement with results from H-1 NMR and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). Biocompatibility/non toxicity of PLLA prepared using ZnP was studied in-vitro using MTT assay by examining the proliferation rate of mouse myoblast C2C12 cell line. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were used for the study of antibacterial activity of PLLA. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2017.01.058}, author = {Parwe, Sharad P. and Warkad, Shrikant D. and Mane, Manoj V. and Shedage, Pranita S. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article {44036, title = {Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the binary systems of dimethyl carbonate with xylene isomers at 93.13 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {62}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2436-2442}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Isobaric binary vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for dimethyl carbonate with xylene isomers (p-xylene, m-xylene, o-xylene, and ethylbenzene) were measured at the local atmospheric pressure of 93.13 kPa by using a dynamic recirculation still. The experimental VLE data were tested and found to be thermodynamically consistent by Herington and Van Ness consistency test. The experimental VLE data were correlated using the Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models and binary interactions parameters were estimated using a suitable objective function. The absolute mean deviation between the experimental and the model predicted values of vapor phase composition and total pressure was well within acceptable limits. No azeotrope was observed in any of the binary pairs and appeared to be easy for separation using conventional distillation method. }, keywords = {Atmospheric Pressure, binary mixture, Distillation, Xylene}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.7b00372}, author = {Yadav, S.S.}, editor = {Mali, N. A.} } @article {44038, title = {Less frustration, more Activity{\textemdash}theoretical insights into frustrated lewis pairs for hydrogenation catalysis}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = { 3013-3022}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The field of frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) chemistry has seen rapid development in only a few years. FLPs have performed most spectacularly in hydrogenation catalysis: a wide variety of FLP-based systems can catalyze the hydrogenation of a range of different substrates, including imines, enamines, ketones, alkynes, and alkenes. However, FLP-based hydrogenation catalysts are yet to match the efficiency of their transition-metal counterparts. The current investigation reveals an important aspect of FLPs that can be exploited to improve their efficiency, that is, the more sterically hindered the FLP catalyst is, the lower is its turnover frequency. Full quantum chemical calculations with DFT for a family of different, experimentally known hydrogenation FLP catalysts shows that superior FLP catalysts can be designed by reducing the frustration (by reducing the steric demand and acid/base strength) in the FLP. However, as lowering the steric demand without reduction in the frustration can result in unwanted side reactions, the design of the most efficient FLP catalysts depends on tuning the system so that both the steric demand and the frustration are reduced appropriately.}, keywords = {Boranes, Hydrogenation, reaction mechanism, Steric Hindrance}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.201700289}, author = {Mane, M.V.}, editor = {Vanka, K.} } @article {44171, title = {Linking catalyst-coated isotropic colloids into {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}active{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} flexible chains enhances their diffusivity}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {11}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10025-10031}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Active colloids are not constrained by equilibrium: ballistic propulsion, superdiffusive behavior, or enhanced diffusivities have been reported for active Janus particles. At high concentrations, interactions between active colloids give rise to complex emergent behavior. Their collective dynamics result in the formation of several hundred particle-strong flocks or swarms. Here, we demonstrate significant diffusivity enhancement for colloidal objects that neither have a Janus architecture nor are at high concentrations. We employ uniformly catalyst-coated, viz. chemo-mechanically, isotropic colloids and link them into a chain to enforce proximity. Activity arises from hydrodynamic interactions between enchained colloidal beads due to reaction-induced phoretic flows catalyzed by platinum nanoparticles on the colloid surface. This results in diffusivity enhancements of up to 60\% for individual chains in dilute solution. Chains with increasing flexibility exhibit higher diffusivities. Simulations accounting for hydrodynamic interactions between enchained colloids due to active phoretic flows accurately capture the experimental diffusivity. These simulations reveal that the enhancement in diffusivity can be attributed to the interplay between chain conformational fluctuations and activity. Our results show that activity can be used to systematically modulate the mobility of soft slender bodies.}, keywords = {active matter, Brownian motion, colloidal assembly, diffusivity, ice templating}, issn = {1936-0851}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.7b04265}, author = {Biswas, Bipul and Manna, Raj Kumar and Laskar, Abhrajit and Kumar, P. B. Sunil and Adhikari, Ronojoy and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {44120, title = {Ln(8) (Ln = Gd, Ho, Er, Yb) Butterfly core-exhibiting magnetocaloric effect and field-induced SMM behavior for Er analouge}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {11341-11345}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this article, we report four pyridyl-pyrazolyl based poly-nuclear cluster complexes with Ln(8) {Ln = [Gd-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(2)(MeOH)(1), [Ho-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](2), [Er-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(MeOH)(H2O)(3), [Yb-8(III)(mu(3)-OH)(4)(L-1)(4)(DEA)(4)Cl-4](DMF)(MeOH)(4) [DEA = Diethanolamine] cores. The impetus for this study was to explore the magnetic behaviour of lanthanide ions which are often ignored or overlooked. X-ray crystal analysis show that these complexes are isostructural and exhibit an interesting butterfly like topology. The semi-rigidity and asymmetric nature of the ligand led to different coordination environment around the metal centres. The lanthanide ions adopt two types of geometry, a bicapped trigonal prism and a distorted square antiprismatic geometry around the metal center. Such dissimilar coordination environments around the lanthanide centre can have profound effects on their magnetic behaviour. Indeed, the magnetic measurements revealed significant magnetocaloric effect for octanuclear gadolinium complex 1 with magnetic entropy change (-Delta S-m ) of 31.4 J kg(-1) K-1 for Delta H = 9 T at T = 3 K whereas Er analogue complex 3 displayed SMM behavior.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701905}, author = {Bala, Sukhen and Adhikary, Amit and Bhattacharya, Sudeshna and Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Poddar, Pankaj and Mondal, Raju} } @article {43823, title = {Low-dimensional hybrid perovskites as high performance anodes for alkali-ion batteries}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {18634-18642}, abstract = {

State-of-the-art Li (or Na) ion batteries work by insertion/extraction of the alkali metal ions into a porous electrode material, where the overall capacity is strongly dependent on the accessibility of the host material interior to the ions. On the other hand, the performance stability depends on various factors governed by the specific constitution of the electrode. Here we show that molecularly engineered low-dimensional hybrid perovskites can work as excellent anode materials for alkali-ion batteries. We measure a high reversible capacity of 646 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) with good stability tested up to 250 cycles for the benzidine mediated lead iodide based 1D system. An ex situ analysis of the electrodes reveals that the storage primarily occurs via the Li-x(or Na-x)Pb alloying/de-alloying process. We anticipate that these results open a new direction for the use of low-dimensional hybrid perovskites for energy storage applications.

}, keywords = {Generation, Inorganic-Organic Hybrid, Lead Iodide, lithiation-intramolecular electrophilic reaction, Na-Air Battery, Negative Electrodes, Organometal Halide perovskites, PB, Sequential Deposition, Solar-cells}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/c7ta04529h}, author = {Tathavadekar, Mukta and Krishnamurthy, Shrreya and Banerjee, Aparna and Nagane, Satyawan and Gawli, Yogesh and Suryawanshi, Anil and Bhat, Suresh and Puthusseri, Dhanya and Mohite, Aditya D. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {43772, title = {Magnetic reduced graphene oxide loaded hydrogels: highly versatile and efficient adsorbents for dyes and selective Cr(VI) ions removal}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {507}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {360-369}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The formation of composites of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and magnetic nanoparticles (MP) has flourished in recent years as they combine the advantages of both nanomaterials. Most of these composite materials are prepared by in situ formation of MP onto rGO or by the post-adsorption onto rGO. We report here on a simple and highly controlled method for the fabrication of different magnetic 3D rGO-loaded hydrogels. Cellulose bound magnetic nanoparticles (MP@cellulose) were synthesized by chemical co-precipitation and loaded together with rGO into poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate based hydrogels during their fabrication using photo-polymerization. The magnetic rGO-loaded hydrogels proved to be highly adaptable to different applications. The as-formed composites allowed for efficient dye removal with an adsorption capacity of 111.9 +/- 4 mg g(-1) in the case of methylene blue (MB). Integration of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) allowed for the selective capturing of Cr6+ ions with an adsorption capacity of 313 12 mg g-1. Most importantly, independent of the application, the magnetic rGO-loaded hydrogel can be regenerated without loss of its adsorption capacity. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2017.07.075}, author = {Halouane, Fatima and Oz, Yavuz and Meziane, Dalila and Barras, Alexandre and Juraszek, Jean and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Shaw, Pankaj K. and Sanyal, Rana and Boukherroub, Rabah and Sanyal, Amitav and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {43790, title = {Mapping architectural and transcriptional alterations in non-lesional and lesional epidermis in vitiligo}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In vitiligo, chronic loss of melanocytes and consequent absence of melanin from the epidermis presents a challenge for long-term tissue maintenance. The stable vitiligo patches are known to attain an irreversible depigmented state. However, the molecular and cellular processes resulting in this remodeled tissue homeostasis is unclear. To investigate the complex interplay of inductive signals and cell intrinsic factors that support the new acquired state, we compared the matched lesional and non-lesional epidermis obtained from stable non-segmental vitiligo subjects. Hierarchical clustering of genome-wide expression of transcripts surprisingly segregated lesional and non-lesional samples in two distinct clades, despite the apparent heterogeneity in the lesions of different vitiligo subjects. Pathway enrichment showed the expected downregulation of melanogenic pathway and a significant downregulation of cornification and keratinocyte differentiation processes. These perturbations could indeed be recapitulated in the lesional epidermal tissue, including blunting of rete-ridges, thickening of stratum corneum and increase in the size of corneocytes. In addition, we identify marked increase in the putrescine levels due to the elevated expression of spermine/spermidine acetyl transferase. Our study provides insights into the intrinsic self-renewing ability of damaged lesional tissue to restore epidermal functionality in vitiligo.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-10253-w}, author = {Singh, Archana and Gotherwal, Vishvabandhu and Junni, Paivi and Vijayan, Vinaya and Tiwari, Manisha and Ganju, Parul and Kumar, Avinash and Sharma, Pankaj and Fatima, Tanveer and Gupta, Aayush and Holla, Ananthaprasad and Kar, Hemanta K. and Khanna, Sangeeta and Thukral, Lipi and Malik, Garima and Natarajan, Krishnamurthy and Gadgil, Chetan J. and Lahesmaa, Riitta and Natarajan, Vivek T. and Rani, Rajni and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article {45663, title = {Mapping of optimum operating condition for LiBr-water refrigeration cycles}, journal = {Sadhana: Academy Proceedings in Engineering Sciences}, volume = { 42 }, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {257-269}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, optimum operating condition maps are generated covering wide ranges of refrigeration and sink temperatures for single-and double-effect LiBr-water vapour absorption refrigeration cycle. These optimum condition maps will be useful to choose optimum operating conditions while designing LiBr-water cycle for desired applications. Methodology for generating such maps is discussed in detail, which can also be used for other absorption refrigeration cycles with various working fluids. Three configurations of LiBr-water absorption refrigeration cycles, single effect, double-effect series flow and double-effect parallel flow, are analysed with the most accurate thermodynamic property correlation available in the literature. Sensitivity of cycle performance to various operating variables such as generator, absorber and condenser temperatures is determined. Second law analysis shows that when a higher temperature heat source is available, double-effect cycles are more effective over single effect as they have higher coefficient of performance.

}, doi = {10.1007/s12046-017-0597-9}, author = {Mali, Nilesh A. and Bhagwat, Sunil S.} } @article {44139, title = {Mass spectrometry based identification of galectin-3 interacting proteins potentially involved in lung melanoma metastasis}, journal = {Molecular Biosystems}, volume = {13}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {2303-2309}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Adhesive interactions between molecules on tumor cells and those on target organs play a key role in organ specific metastasis. Poly-N-acetyl-lactosamine (polyLacNAc) substituted N-oligosaccharides on melanoma cell surface glycoproteins promote lung specific metastasis via galectin-3 by facilitating their arrest and extravasation. This study reports the identification and characterization of galectin-3 interacting proteins using a combination of galectin-3 sepharose affinity and leucoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (L-PHA) columns. A total of 83 proteins were identified as galectin-3 interacting glycoproteins, of which 35 were constituents of the L-PHA bound fraction, suggesting that these proteins carry polyLacNAc substituted beta 1,6 branched N-glycans. The identities of some of these proteins, like LAMP-1, LAMP-3, basigin, embigin, and alpha 5 and beta 1 Integrin, have been confirmed by western blotting, and functional relevance with respect to metastatic properties has been established.}, doi = {10.1039/c7mb00260b}, author = {Dange, Manohar C. and Bhonsle, Hemangi S. and Godbole, Rashmi K. and More, Shyam K. and Bane, Sanjay M. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Kalraiya, Rajiv D.} } @article {45755, title = {Mechanism of unfolding of human prion protein}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {121}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {550-564}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Misfolding and aggregation of prion proteins are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of the misfolding process is of enormous interest in the scientific community. It has been speculated and widely discussed that the native cellular prion protein (PrPC) form needs to undergo substantial unfolding to a more stable PrPC* state, which may further oligomerize into the toxic scrapie (PrPSc) form. Here, we have studied the mechanism of the unfolding of the human prion protein (huPrP) using a set of extensive well-tempered metadynamics simulations. Through multiple microsecond-long metadynamics simulations, we find several possible unfolding pathways. We show that each pathway leads to an unfolded state of lower free energy than the native state. Thus, our study may point to the signature of a PrPC*. form that corresponds to a global minimum on the conformational free-energy landscape. Moreover, we find that these global minima states do not involve an increased beta-sheet content, as was assumed to be a signature of PrPSc formation in previous simulation studies. We have further analyzed the origin of metastability of the PrPC form through free energy surfaces of the chopped helical segments to show that the helices, particularly H2 and H3 of the prion protein, have the tendency to form either a random coil or a beta-structure. Therefore, the secondary structural elements of the prion protein are only weakly stabilized by tertiary contacts and solvation forces so that relatively weak perturbations induced by temperature, pressure, pH, and so forth can lead to substantial unfolding with characteristics of intrinsically disordered proteins.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b11416}, author = {Singh, R. K. and Chamachi, N. G. and Chakrabarty, S. and Mukherjee, A.} } @article {45740, title = {Mechanochemical synthesis of N-salicylideneaniline: thermosalient effect of polymorphic crystals}, journal = {IUCRJ}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {243-250}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymorphs of the dichloro derivative of N-salicylideneaniline exhibit mechanical responses such as jumping (Forms I and III) and exploding (Form II) in its three polymorphs. The molecules are connected via the amide N-H center dot center dot center dot O dimer synthon and C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O halogen bond in the three crystal structures. A fourth high-temperature Form IV was confirmed by variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 180 degrees C. The behaviour of jumping exhibited by the polymorphic crystals of Forms I and III is due to the layered sheet morphology and the transmission of thermal stress in a single direction, compared with the corrugated sheet structure of Form II such that heat dissipation is more isotropic causing blasting. The role of weak C-Cl center dot center dot center dot O interactions in the thermal response of molecular crystals is discussed.

}, keywords = {crystal design, crystal engineering, Halogen bonding, hydrogen bonding, intermolecular interactions, materials science, mechanochemistry, polymorphism}, issn = {2052-2525}, doi = {10.1107/S2052252517004043}, author = {Mittapalli, Sudhir and Perumalla, D. Sravanakumar and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {43869, title = {Metal-free radical trifluoromethylation of beta-nitroalkenes through visible-light photoredox catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6760-6763}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A catalytic method for functional group interconversion is immensely important in modern sciences. Here, we report an efficient catalytic conversion of nitroalkenes to highly stereoselective 1-trifluoromethylalkenes at room temperature. This unprecedented metal-free photocatalytic strategy is simple and operates under visible-light irradiation using the commercially available CF3 source.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc02589k}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Rana, Jagannath and Abraham, Thomas and Aswin, Bhaskaran and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44020, title = {Microvirga indica sp. Nov., an arsenite-oxidizing alphaproteobacterium, isolated from metal industry waste soil}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {67}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3525-3531}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {A novel Gram-stain-negative bacterium, strain S-MI1bT, belonging to the genus Microvirga was isolated from a metal industry waste soil sample in Pirangut village, Pune District, Maharashtra, India. Cells were non-spore-forming, small rod-shapes, motile and strictly aerobic with light-pink colonies. The strain grew in 0-7.0 \% (w/v) NaCl and at 25-45 {\textdegree}C, with optimal growth at 40 {\textdegree}C. The predominant fatty acids detected were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c) and C19 : 0 cyclo ω8c. The predominant isoprenoid quinone was Q-10. The G+C content was 67.2 mol\% and DNA-DNA relatedness values between strain S-MI1bTand Microvirga subterranea DSM 14364T and Microvirgaaerophila 5420S-12T were 53.9 and 54.8 \%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, indicated that strain S-MI1bT is a member of the genus Microvirga, with greatest sequence similarities of 97.7 and 97.4 \% with M. subterranea DSM 14364T and M.aerophila 5420S-12T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain S-MI1bT forms a clade with the type strain of M. subterranea DSM 14364T, and was readily distinguishable from it due to various phenotypic characteristics. The combination of genotypic and phenotypic data suggests that the isolate represents a novel species of the genus Microvirga, for which the name Microvirga indica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S-MI1bT (=NCIM-5595T=KACC 18792T=BCRC 80972T)}, doi = { 10.1099/ijsem.0.002157}, author = {Tapase, S. R.}, editor = {Mawlankar, R. B.} } @article {43794, title = {Microwave-assisted synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles via [3+2] cycloaddition over a heterogeneous Cu-based catalyst: application to the preparation of N-13-labelled tetrazoles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8084-8091}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The [3+2] cycloaddition between various nitriles and sodium azide proceeds smoothly in the presence of a new Cu-II catalyst in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) to give the corresponding 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles. The desired tetrazoles were obtained in high yields within 3-30 min by employing controlled microwave heating. The reaction most probably proceeds through the activation of the nitrile groups by the Cu-II species, followed by a successive [3+2] cycloaddition with the sodium azide. The good performance of the catalyst enabled the preparation of selected tetrazoles labelled with the positron emitter nitrogen-13 even under conventional heating. The short reaction time, simple work-up procedure, and recyclability of the catalyst are advantages of the method reported here.}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj00568g}, author = {Joshi, Sameer M. and Mane, Rasika B. and Pulagam, Krishna R. and Gomez-Vallejo, Vanessa and Llop, Jordi and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {43878, title = {Mixed-stack charge transfer crystals of pillar[5]quinone and tetrathiafulvalene exhibiting ferroelectric features}, journal = {Chemistry- A European Journal }, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {12630-12635}, abstract = {

Ferroelectric materials find extensive applications in the fabrication of compact memory devices and ultra-sensitive multifunctional detectors. Face-to-face alternate stacking of electron donors and acceptors effectuate long-range unidirectional ordering of charge-transfer (CT) dipoles, promising tunable ferroelectricity. Herein we report a new TTF-quinone system-an emerald green CT complex consisting pillar[5]quinone (P5Q) and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF). The CT crystals, as determined by single crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction, adopt a 1:1 mixed-stack arrangement of donor and acceptor with alternating dimers of TTF and 1,4-dioxane encapsulated P5Q. The TTF-P5Q.dioxane crystal possesses a macroscopic polarization axis giving rise to ferroelectricity at room temperature. The CT complex manifests ferroelectric features such as optical polarization rotation, temperature-dependent phase transition and piezoelectric response in single crystals. Ferroelectric behavior observed in P5Q-based CT complex widens the scope for further work on this structurally intriguing and readily accessible cyclic pentaquinone.

}, keywords = {Acceptor, Charge-transfer complexes, Chemistry, Conductors, DDQ, Donor, ferroelectric, Macrocycles, Organic Metals, Pi-interaction, Pillar[5]quinone, salts, Transfer Complexes, Transport}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201702577}, author = {Shivakumar, Kilingaru I. and Swathi, Kadaba and Goudappagouda and Das, Tamal C. and Kumar, Ashwani and Makde, Ravindra D. and Vanka, Kumar and Narayan, Kavassery S. and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {43941, title = {Multilocus sequence typing of Ochrobactrum spp. isolated from gastric niche}, journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health }, volume = {10}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR-APR}, pages = {201-210}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {The human stomach is colonized by diverse bacterial species. The presence of non-Helicobacter pylori bacteria in urease-positive biopsies of individuals has been reported. Bacteria belonging to the Ochrobactrum genus have been documented in the human gastric niche. The co-occurrence of Ochrobactrum spp. with H. pylori was previously reported in an antral biopsy of a non-ulcer dyspeptic (NUD) subject from Northern India. There is no information on the genetic diversity of Ochrobactrum spp. isolated from the gastric niche in the stomach. We aimed to study the species distribution and diversity of Ochrobactrum spp. with and without H. pylori in urease-positive biopsies across three different geographical regions in India. Sixty-two Ochrobactrum isolates recovered from patients with an upper gastric disorder (n=218) were subjected to molecular identification and multilocus sequence typing. H. pylori DNA was found in the majority of biopsies, which had a variable degree of Ochrobactrum spp present. Interestingly, some of the urease-positive biopsies only had Ochrobactrum without any H. pylori DNA. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the Ochrobactrum isolates were distributed into the O. intermedium, O. anthropi and O. oryzae groups. This indicates there are multiple species in the gastric niche irrespective of the presence or absence of H. pylori. Antibiotyping based on colistin and polymyxin B could differentiate between O. intermedium and O. anthropi without revealing the resistance-driven diversity. Considering the prevalence of multiple Ochrobactrum spp. in the human gastric niche, it is important to evaluate the commensal and/or pathogenic nature of non-H. pylori bacteria with respect to their geographical distribution, lifestyle and nutrition needs.}, keywords = {Helicobater Pyroli, MLST, Non-Ulcer Dyspepsia, Ochrobactrum}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2016.04.013}, author = {Kulkarni, Girish}, editor = {Gohil, Kushal} } @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 {43872, title = {Multipronged quantitative proteomics reveals serum proteome alterations in breast cancer intrinsic subtypes}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {163}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1-13}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Being molecularly heterogeneous, breast cancer tends to be a complicated oncological disease with high incidence rates throughout the world. The primary aim of this study was to identify the set of serum proteins with discriminatory capabilities towards the four major subtypes of breast cancer. We employed multipronged quantitative proteomic approaches like 2D-DIGE, iTRAQ and SWATH-MS and identified 307 differentially regulated proteins. Luminal A subtype consisted of 24, Luminal B subtype 38, HER2 Enriched subtype 17 and Triple negative breast cancer subtype 10 differentially regulated subtype specific proteins. These specific proteins were further subjected to bioinformatic tools which revealed the involvement in platelet degranulation, fibrinolysis, lipid metabolism, immune response, complement activation, blood coagulation, glycolysis and cancer signaling pathways in the subtypes of the breast cancer. The significant discrimination efficiency of the models generated through multivariate statistical analysis was decent to distinguish each of the four subtypes from controls. Further, some of the statistically significant differentially regulated proteins were verified and validated by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry based selected reaction monitoring (SRM) approach. Our Multipronged proteomics approaches revealed panel of serum proteins specifically altered for individual subtypes of breast cancer. The mass spectrometry data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD006441. Biological significance: Worldwide, breast cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in women and it encompasses four major molecular subtypes. As breast cancer treatment majorly depends on identification of specific subtype, it is important to diagnosis the disease at subtype level. Our results using multipronged quantitative proteomics identified 307 differentially regulated proteins in which 24 were specific for Luminal A, 38 for Luminal B, 17 for HER2 enriched and 10 proteins were specific for TN subtype. Bioinformatic analysis of these proteins revealed certain biological processes and pathways altered at subtype level and validation experiments of some of these proteins using immunoblotting and SRM assays are consistent with discovery data. This is the first comprehensive proteomic study on serum proteome alterations at subtype level which will not only help to distinguish subtype of breast cancer but also contribute to a better understanding of the molecular characteristic of breast cancer at individual subtype level. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2017.05.007}, author = {Gajbhiye, Akshada and Dabhi, Raju and Taunk, Khushman and Jagadeeshaprasad, Mashanipalya G. and RoyChoudhury, Sourav and Mane, Anupama and Bayatigeri, Santhakumari and Chaudhury, Koel and Santra, Manas K. and Rapole, Srikanth} } @article {43352, title = {N - heterocyclic - carbene - catalyzed umpolung of imines}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie International Edition}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2730 - 2734}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis has been widely used for the umpolung of aldehydes, and recently for the umpolung of Michael acceptors. Described herein is the umpolung of aldimines catalyzed by NHCs, and the reaction likely proceeds via aza-Breslow intermediates. The NHC-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of aldimines bearing a Michael acceptor resulted in the formation of biologically important 2-(hetero)aryl indole 3-acetic-acid derivatives in moderate to good yields. The carbene generated from the bicyclic triazolium salt was found to be efficient for this transformation.

}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201611268}, author = {Patra, Atanu and Mukherjee, Subrata and Das, Tamal Kanti and Jain, Shailja and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {44030, title = {Nano-heteroarchitectures of two-dimensional MoS 2 @ one-dimensional brookite TiO 2 nanorods: prominent electron emitters for displays}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {2925-2934}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report comparative field electron emission (FE) studies on a large-area array of two-dimensional MoS2-coated @ one-dimensional (1D) brookite (β) TiO2 nanorods synthesized on Si substrate utilizing hot-filament metal vapor deposition technique and pulsed laser deposition method, independently. The 10 nm wide and 760 nm long 1D β-TiO2 nanorods were coated with MoS2 layers of thickness \~{}4 ({\textpm}2), 20 ({\textpm}3), and 40 ({\textpm}3) nm. The turn-on field (Eon) of 2.5 V/μm required to a draw current density of 10 μA/cm{\texttwosuperior} observed for MoS2-coated 1D β-TiO2 nanorods emitters is significantly lower than that of doped/undoped 1D TiO2 nanostructures, pristine MoS2 sheets, MoS2@SnO2, and TiO2@MoS2 heterostructure-based field emitters. The orthodoxy test confirms the viability of the field emission measurements, specifically field enhancement factor (βFE) of the MoS2@TiO2/Si emitters. The enhanced FE behavior of the MoS2@TiO2/Si emitter can be attributed to the modulation of the electronic properties due to heterostructure and interface effects, in addition to the high aspect ratio of the vertically aligned TiO2 nanorods. Furthermore, these MoS2@TiO2/Si emitters exhibit better emission stability. The results obtained herein suggest that the heteroarchitecture of MoS2@β-TiO2 nanorods holds the potential for their applications in FE-based nanoelectronic devices such as displays and electron sources. Moreover, the strategy employed here to enhance the FE behavior via rational design of heteroarchitecture structure can be further extended to improve other functionalities of various nanomaterials.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b00345}, author = {Devan, Rupesh S. and Thakare, Vishal P. and Antad, Vivek V. and Chikate, Parameshwar R. and Khare, Ruchita T. and More, Mahendra and Dhayal, Rajendra S. and Patil, Shankar I. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and Schmidt-Mende, Lukas} } @article {43718, title = {Nanoparticle assembly: a perspective and some unanswered questions}, journal = {Current Science}, volume = {112}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1635-1641}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In early 2016, the Royal Society of Chemistry arranged a meeting on the topic {\textquoteright}Nanoparticle Assemblies: from Fundamentals to Applications{\textquoteright} which was hosted at IIT-Bombay, Mumbai. The meeting brought several leading nanoscience and nanotechnology researchers to India and is only the second Faraday Discussions meeting to have been held in the country. The papers presented at the meeting and the resulting active discussions have been summarized in a Faraday Discussion issue(1). The broad range of topics discussed at the meeting led to an understanding on where we stand in the field of nanoparticle assembly, and also enunciated some of the outstanding fundamental and practical issues that remain to be resolved before these ideas can be applied to practical situations. Driven by these ideas, here we focus on four topics/questions: (i) Can we achieve function-driven design of nanoparticle assemblies? (ii) What is the minimal information needed to build a desired assembly? (iii) How complex a structure can one build? How can one make it responsive? What are the relative roles of equilibrium versus dynamics in the assembly process, and are we at a point where we can now pursue active assembly as a viable mode for creating complex assemblies? (iv) What are the applications that are being targeted and what are the barriers to implementation? In this perspective, we do not present an exhaustive survey of the vast literature in this area, but indicate overarching themes/questions that require immediate attention, largely based on the discussions at the Mumbai meeting.}, author = {Kumar, Sanat K. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. and Bandyopadhyaya, Rajdip and Granick, Steve and Gang, Oleg and Manoharan, Vinothan N. and Frenkel, Daan and Kotov, Nicholas A.} } @article {43807, title = {Nanotubular hard carbon derived from renewable natural seed gel for high performance sodium-ion battery anode}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6909-6915}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrical energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors are perhaps the most researched topic today in view of its critical implications for the successful implementations of various renewable energy harvesting initiatives. Amongst the various battery systems being currently examined, the Li-battery continues to be a main player, but the Na-ion battery has been attracting significant attention lately due to the concerns about the limited reserves and high cost of Li. Hard carbon is recognized to be a good anode material for Na-battery. In this work we present a novel approach to synthesize such hard carbon from a natural gel derived from the commonly used Basil seeds (Osimum Basilicum) which swell 30 times their weight by absorbing water. The hard carbon obtained by pyrolysis of the freeze-dried mucilage possesses sheet-like and tubular morphology with decorated surface defects attributed to the presence of oxygen functionalities. This hard carbon shows a good reversible capacity of 195 mAh g(-1) at 0.1A g(-1) with an impressive approximate to 91\% retention of initial capacity after 300 cycles and sustains high current densities with not much change in capacity value.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201701123}, author = {Sharma, Neha and Gawli, Yogesh and Ahmad, Absar and Muhammed, Musthafa and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {43817, title = {Nature of selenium hydrogen bonding: gas phase spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations}, journal = {Physical chemistry Chemical physics}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {24179-24187}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Subsequent to the recent re-definition of hydrogen bonding by the IUPAC committee, there has been a growing search for finding the presence of this ever interesting non-covalent interaction between a hydrogen atom in an X-H group and any other atom in the periodic table. In recent gas phase experiments, it has been observed that hydrogen bonding interactions involving S and Se are of similar strength to those with an O atom. However, there is no clear explanation for the unusual strength of this interaction in the case of hydrogen bond acceptors which are not conventional electronegative atoms. In this work, we have explored the nature of Se hydrogen bonding by studying indole...dimethyl selenide (indmse) and phenol...dimethyl selenide (phdmse) complexes using gas phase IR spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations. We have found through various energy decomposition analysis (EDA) methods and natural bond orbital (NBO) calculations that, along with electrostatics and polarization, charge transfer interactions are important to understand Se/S hydrogen bonding and there is a delicate balance between the various interactions that plays the crucial role rather than a single component of the interaction energy. An in-depth understanding of this type of non-covalent interaction has immense significance in biology as amino acids containing S and Se are widely present in proteins and hence hydrogen bonding interactions involving S and Se atoms contribute to the folding of proteins.

}, keywords = {Center-Dot-O, Clusters, Co-Ordination, Complexes, intermolecular interactions, Proteins, Replacement, spectra, Strength, Sulfur}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/c7cp05265k}, author = {Mishra, Kamal K. and Singh, Santosh K. and Ghosh, Paulami and Ghosh, Debashree and Das, Aloke} } @article {43499, title = {New and efficient enantioselective synthesis of both enantiomers of the calcium channel blocker bepridil}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {824-829}, abstract = {A concise and efficient enantioselective synthesis of both enantiomers of bepridil, a calcium channel blocker, is reported. Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s hydrolytic kinetic resolution method was utilized to resolve racemic 2-(isobutoxymethyl) oxirane. The incorporation of the succinimide moiety by the Mitsunobu reaction, which was investigated in detail, occurred without any loss of enantioselectivity. Using this strategy, both enantiomers of the target molecule were obtained in good yield and with high enantiopurity (ee > 99\%).}, doi = {10.1039/c6nj02928k}, author = {Mujahid, Mohammad and Subramanian, Jambu and Nalla, Viswanadh and Sasikumar, Murugesan and Kunte, Sunita Sharad and Muthukrishnan, Murugan} } @article {42937, title = {New bithiazolyl hydrazones: novel synthesis, characterization and antitubercular evaluation}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {27}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {288{\textendash}294}, abstract = {

New bithiazolyl hydrazones (6a{\textendash}l) have been first time synthesized by carrying novel one pot cyclocondensation of 5-acyl thiazoles (1a{\textendash}b), thiosemicarbazide (2) and substituted phenacyl chlorides (4a{\textendash}f) in freshly prepared ionic liquid, diisopropyl ethyl ammonium acetate (DIPEAc) at room temperature. The newly synthesized compounds have been evaluated for their antitubercular activity and the compounds 3b, 6a, 6b, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, and 6l have displayed noticeable antitubercular activity compared to Rifampicin with tolerable cytotoxicity. All these compounds were also screened for their antibacterial activity and found that, compounds 6j and 6k have exhibited a very good antibacterial activity. Molecular docking study has shown better harmony with the evaluation trend shown by these compounds under in vitro antitubercular screening.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2016.11.056}, author = {Bhalerao, Mahendra B. and Dhumal, Sambhaji T. and Deshmukh, Amarsinh R. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mane, Ramrao A.} } @article {43940, title = {New pyrene cored small organic molecule with a flexible alkyl spacer: a potential solution processable blue emitter with bright photoluminescence}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11383-11390}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A new pyrene cored small organic molecule viz. 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(4-((5-(9H-carbazol-9-yl) pentyl)oxy) phenyl)pyrene (PY-II) was designed and synthesized. The carbazole moiety with an alkyl spacer was introduced at 1, 3, 6 and 8 positions of the pyrene core to improve the charge transport properties and solution processability. PY-II exhibited excellent solubility in common organic solvents and high thermal stability up to 345 degrees C. The photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of PY-II in solution was found to be 0.9 with bright blue emission near 450 nm which is just appropriate for the human eye. The solution processed non-doped OLED device fabricated using PY-II as an emissive layer afforded a pure blue emission with CIE coordinates of 0.16 and 0.16, a power efficiency of 0.17 lm W-1, a maximum current efficiency of 0.41 cd A(-1) and a maximum brightness of 202 cd m(-2).}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj01921a}, author = {Valsange, Nitin G. and Wong, F. L. and Shinde, Durgaprasad and Lee, C. S. and Roy, V. A. L. and Manzhos, Sergei and Feron, K. and Chang, Samuel and Katoh, Ryuzi and Sonar, Prashant and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {45769, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed aldol-lactonization of ketoacids via dynamic kinetic resolution}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3995-3999}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

N-Heteroryclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed enantioselective aldol lactonization of acyclic ketoacids, proceeding via dynamic kinetic resolution, is presented. The carbene generated from the chiral anninoinclanol-derived triazolium salt in the presence of LiCl was the key for the success of this transformation. The reaction allowed the diastereoselective and enantioselective synthesis of cyclopentane-fused beta-lactones having three contiguous stereocenters. The reaction products are shown to undergo substrate-controlled beta-lactone opening in the presence of amines to afford succinimide derivatives with four contiguous stereocenters.

}, keywords = {aldol lactonization, beta-lactones, DKR strategies, ketoacids, N-heterocyclic carbenes, organocatalysis}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.7b00681}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Mukherjee, Subrata and Das, Tamal Kanti and Gonnade, Rajesh and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43544, title = {Nonlinear Fowler-Nordheim behavior of a single SnO2 nanowire}, journal = {Journal of Vacuum Science \& Technology B}, volume = {35}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 02C105}, abstract = {The present work deals with the field emission study on multiple SnO2 nanowires synthesized by a simple thermal evaporation method. The randomly oriented multiple nanowires grown by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism exhibit low turn on field (0.8V/mu m defined for the current density of 1 mu A/cm(2)) and linear Fowler-Nordheim nature (FN). However, for the understanding of the nature of the FN plot, field emission behavior of a single SnO2 nanowire is investigated. The FN plot is observed to be nonlinear in nature. A simple model explaining the field emission mechanism from the semiconducting single SnO2 nanowire is proposed. (C) 2017 American Vacuum Society.}, doi = {10.1116/1.4973949}, author = {Joshi, Padmashree D. and Joag, Dilip S. and Late, Dattatray J. and Mulla, Imtiaz S.} } @article {43963, title = {Novel interaction study of Th(IV) and Zr(IV) with 4-sulfonatocalix[6]arene: experimental and theoretical investigation}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {137}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {137}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Calixarenes based ligands are well known in the extraction of heavy metal ions. The modifications at lower as well as upper rim increase the new possibilities of metal extraction in terms of quantum and selectivity of metal. In comparison to calix[4]arene, complexing nature of calix[6]arene is less studied due to its large size and flexible nature. In the present study, 4-sulfonatocalix[6]arene (SCX6) is synthesized and an attempt has been made to understand its complexation behavior with Th(IV) and Zr(IV) metal ions. The effect of different solvents has been examined along with calculation of binding constants for better complexation possibilities. Though in general, its complexation proves to be at 1:1 stoichiometry with respect to ligand and metal, the specific metals show its characteristic modes of interaction with the ligand. This has been understood through IR spectroscopic analysis and density functional theory based first principle studies. 1H NMR spectra of SCX6 and its complexes with Th(IV) and Zr(IV) metal ions was established. IR, UV{\textendash}Vis, fluorescence spectroscopic studies provided a systematic understanding about the binding behavior of these two metals including interference possibilities from other metals.

}, keywords = {4-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene, DFT, metal complexation, Th(IV) Zr(IV)}, doi = { 10.1016/j.poly.2017.08.026}, author = {Rathod, N.V.}, editor = {Joshi, K.} } @article {45678, title = {Novel silaproline (Sip)-incorporated close structural mimics of potent antidepressant peptide drug rapastinel (GLYX-13)}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {58}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1568-1571}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Rapastinel (GLYX-13) is a C-amidated tetrapeptide drug under clinical development for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Rapastinel features two consecutive proline residues centered at the peptide sequence (Thr-Pro-Pro-Thr-NH2), which are detrimental to its biological activity. In this communication, we report the synthesis of very close structural analogues of rapastinel comprising silaproline (Sip) as proline surrogate. By virtue of its enhanced lipophilicity and metabolic stability, Sip introduction in the native rapastinel sequence is expected to improve its pharmacokinetic profiles.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.03.015}, author = {Madica, Krishnaprasad and Nadimpally, Krishna Chaitanya and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {43938, title = {Optimization for the production of mycelial biomass from Benjaminiella poitrasii to isolate highly deacetylated chitosan}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {145-156}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Benjaminiella poitrasii, a dimorphic zygomycetous fungus contains more chitosan in the mycelial cell wall than the cell wall of its yeast form. The optimized medium containing yeast extract, peptone, MgSO4, KH2PO4, trace metals (Fe2+, Mn2+ Zn2+ and Co2+ ) solution and 1\% starch produced 10-12 g/L(dry wt.) of mycelial biomass in 48 h in a 2L fermenter. Using 1N NaOH treatment from 1 g of dried biomass 51.00 {\textpm} 0.52 mg of chitosan of 42.82 KDa molecular weight and 94.24 \% degree of deacetylation was extracted. With Metarhizium anisopliae chitin deacetylase (CDA), chitosan yield was 59.00 {\textpm} 0.84 mg while treatment with CDA of B. poitrasii it was 78.05 {\textpm} 0.58 mg/g of dry wt. of biomass. The chitosan dissolved in 2\% acetic acid showed higher antifungal activity against Candida albicans (MIC90 0.025 mg/mL) and Candida glabrata (MIC90 0.2 mg/mL) than chitosan extracted from marine source (MIC90 \>1.6 mg/mL) suggesting use of fungal chitosan in healthcare.

}, author = {Mane, S. R. and Pathan, Ejaj K. and Kale, D. and Ghormade, Vandana and Gadre, Ramchandra V. and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil Ramanpillai and Badiger, Manohar V. and Deshpande, Mukund V.} } @article {45749, title = {Optimizing culture conditions for establishment of hairy root culture of semecarpus anacardium L.}, journal = {3 Biotech}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, pages = {21}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Semecarpus anacardium L. is a tree species which produces secondary metabolites of medicinal importance. Roots of the plant have been traditionally used in folk medicines. Different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes (A4, ATCC15834 and LBA 9402) were used for induction of hairy roots in in vitro grown tissues of the plant. Hairy root initiation was observed after 25-30 days of infection. Optimum transformation frequency of 61\% was achieved on leaf explants with ATCC15834 strain. Infection time of 30 min resulted in greater transformation frequency compared to 10 and 20 min, respectively. The hairy roots cultured in growth regulator-free semi-solid woody plant medium differentiated into callus. Whole shoots infected with ATCC 15834 were found to produce more transformants upon co-cultivation for 4 (65\%) and 5 (67\%) days. Induction of hairy roots in stem explants infected with ATCC 15834 was lower (52\%) compared to leaves (62\%) after 4 days of co-cultivation. In A4 and LBA9402 strains transformation efficiency was 49 +/- 2.8\% and 36 +/- 5.7\% in shoots after 4 days of co-cultivation. Transformation frequency was higher in ATCC15834 strain, irrespective of explants. The hairy roots of S. anacardium elongated slowly upon transfer to half-strength liquid medium. After 3-4 passages in liquid medium slender hairy roots started differentiating which were separated from the original explants. Visible growth of the roots was observed in hormone-free liquid medium after 2-3 months of culturing. Polymerase chain reaction with gene-specific primers from rol A, B and C genes confirms the positive transformation events.

}, keywords = {Hairy root culture, In vitro culture, rol genes, Semecarpus anacardium, Transformation}, issn = {2190-572X}, doi = {10.1007/s13205-017-0608-x}, author = {Panda, Bhuban Mohan and Mehta, Urmil J. and Hazra, Sulekha} } @article {43798, title = {Organocatalytic enantioselective vinylogous michael-aidoi cascade for the synthesis of spirocyclic compounds}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4367-4370}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Enantioselective synthesis of pyrazolone-fused spirocyclohexenols by the secondary amine-catalyzed cascade reaction of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with alpha-arylidene pyrazolinones is reported. This formal [3 + 3] organocascade reaction proceeds through a vinylogous Michael-aldol sequence to furnish the spiroheterocycles with three stereocenters including an all-carbon quaternary center in good yields and selectivities. The catalytic generation of alpha,beta-unsaturated iminium ions from enals and tandem dienolate/enolate formation from pyrazolinones are the key for the success of this spiroannulation reaction.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b02085}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Mukherjee, Subrata and Yetra, Santhivardhana Reddy and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {43554, title = {Organocatalyzed efficient one-pot synthesis, biological evaluation, and molecular docking studies of 4,4-(Arylmethylene)bis-(3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-ols)}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1109-1120}, abstract = {The synthesis of 4,4-(arylmethylene)bis-(3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-ol) derivatives catalyzed by ?-proline is a simple, versatile, and efficient method. In vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities of compounds 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g, 4h, 4i, 4j were studied. Furthermore, to rationalize the observed anti-inflammatory activity data, molecular docking study has been performed against COX-2 enzyme which revealed a good binding affinity for these molecules and could provide an insight into the various bonded and non-bonded interactions guiding their binding affinity.}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.2681}, author = {Mahajan, Pravin S. and Nikam, Mukesh D. and Khedkar, Vijay and Jha, Prakash and Badadhe, Pravin V. and Gill, Charansingh H.} } @article {44116, title = {Overcoming the lack of oral availability of cyclic hexapeptides: design of a selective and orally available ligand for the integrin alpha v beta 3}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {16405-16409}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Ahighly systematic approach for the development of both orally bioavailable and bioactive cyclic N-methylated hexapeptides as high affinity ligands for the integrin alpha v beta 3 is based on two concepts: a) screening of systematically designed libraries with spatial diversity and b) masking of the peptide charge with a lipophilic protecting group. The key steps of the method are 1) initial design of a combinatorial library of Nmethylated analogues of the stem peptide cyclo(d-Ala-Ala(5)); 2) selection of cyclic peptides with the highest intestinal permeability; 3) design of sublibraries with the bioactive RGD sequence in all possible positions; 4) selection of the best ligands for RGD-recognizing integrin subtypes; 5) finetuning of the affinity and selectivity by additional Ala to Xaa substitutions; 6) protection of the charged functional groups according to the prodrug concept to regain intestinal and oral permeability; 7) proof of biological effects in mice after oral administration.}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201709709}, author = {Weinmueller, Michael and Rechenmacher, Florian and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Reichart, Florian and Kapp, Tobias G. and Raeder, Andreas F. B. and Di Leva, Francesco Saverio and Marinelli, Luciana and Novellino, Ettore and Munoz-Felix, Jose M. and Hodivala-Dilke, Kairbaan and Schumacher, Adi and Fanous, Joseph and Gilon, Chaim and Hoffman, Amnon and Kessler, Horst} } @article {43960, title = {Palladium supported ionic liquid phase catalyst (Pd@SILP-PS) for room temperature Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {442}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {126-132}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

A new Pd-SILP based on amino functionalized imidazolium ionic liquid immobilized on Merrifield resin (Pd@SILP-PS) has been synthesized. The catalyst was characterized by different techniques like FT-IR, SEM-EDS, TEM, TGA-DTA and XPS. The catalyst has shown to be highly active in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of various aryl halides and aryl boronic acids in ethanol at room temperature. The activity of catalyst and the nature of product were highly dependent on the type of the solvent used, as well as the substituents present on the aryl halides. The protic polar solvent ethanol gave desired cross-coupling product in good to excellent yields at room temperature. However the aprotic polar solvent THF gave homocoupling product. The catalyst showed at least five times recyclability without a decrease in product yield.

}, keywords = {Immobilization, Ionic liquid, Palladium, SILP, Suzuki-Miyaura reaction}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2017.08.023}, author = {More, S. and Jadhav, S and Salunkhe, R. and Kumbhar, A.} } @article {43309, title = {Panchromatic sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells: un-symmetrical squaraine dyes incorporating benzodithiophene π-spacer with alkyl chains to extend conjugation, control the dye assembly on TiO2 and retard charge recombination}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1920{\textendash}1930}, abstract = {Metal-free near-infrared (NIR) active unsymmetrical squaraine dyes, RSQ1 and RSQ2, with benzodithiophene (BDT) π-spacer and cyanoacrylic acid acceptor were synthesized by utilizing palladium catalyzed direct (hetero)arylation reaction. Methyl and 2-ethylhexyl groups were strategically placed at the BDT unit for RSQ1 and RSQ2 respectively, to investigate the effect of alkylated π-spacer on dye aggregation on the TiO2 surface and recombination reactions at TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface. These dyes have strong absorption ( ε>10(5) M(-1)cm(-1)) in near-infra red (NIR) region and exhibit similar optical and electrochemical properties as they have same conjugated framework. RSQ2 performed better than RSQ1 owing to its higher open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (ff) in spite of having comparable short-circuit current density (Jsc). The panchromatic incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) response was also observed for both the dyes. RSQ2 showed power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.72\% with short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 18.53 mA/cm(2), open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.538 V, and fill factor (ff) of 67.4\%, without any co-adsorbent. Attenuation of the charge recombination for RSQ2 was revealed by electrochemical impedance analysis (EIS) and open-circuit potential decay transients (OCVD), which attributes to its higher Voc and ff in comparison to RSQ1. }, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.6b02670}, author = {Bisht, Rajesh and Munavvar, Fairoos Mk and Singh, Ambarish Kumar and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {43832, title = {PbS nanostar-like structures as field emitters}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5175-5179}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The crystalline PbS nanostars were synthesized by thermal decomposition of thioacetamide (TAA) in aqueous solutions of lead acetate and acetic acid at 80 8 degrees C. The structure and morphology of the PbS nanostars have been characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The optical properties of the PbS nanostars have been studied using UV-Visible absorption Spectroscopy (UVVis). The field emission investigations have been carried out on the as synthesized PbS nanostars at the base pressure of similar to 13 10(-8) mbar. The turn on field required to draw an emission current density of 1 mu A/cm(2) is found to be 1.8 V/mm. The emission current-time plots show good emission current stability of the PbS nanostar emitter over a period of 4 hrs. The results in terms of low turn-on field and long term emission current stability of the PbS nanostars emitter reveals that it can be used in field emission based vacuum microelectronics / nanoelectronic devices.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700350}, author = {Pawar, Mahendra S. and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {43879, title = {Pd-catalyzed regioselective mono-arylation: quinazolinone as the inherent directing group for C(sp(2))-H activation}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {6366-6372}, type = {Article}, chapter = {6366-6372}, abstract = {

The Pd-catalyzed quinazolinone-directed regioselective monoarylation of aromatic rings by C-H bond activation is developed. A broad substrate scope is demonstrated for both quinazolinone as well as diary-liodonium triflates. The use of a base was found to be crucial for this transformation, unlike for the known nitrogen-directed arylations. All of the novel quinazolinones of biological interest were synthesized by using the operationally simple Pd(II)-catalyzed arylation reaction.

}, keywords = {Aromatic rings, catalysis, Chemical activation, Chemical reactions, Palladium compounds, Regioselectivity}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b00948}, author = {Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Viveki, Amol B. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {43898, title = {Phenol oxidative dearomatization of modified nucleoside templates: a simple access to the c7-spiroannulated octosyl acid framework}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {49}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {4221-4228}, abstract = {

Phenol oxidative dearomatization and cyclization has been executed successfully on nucleoside templates to synthesize C7-spiroannulated perhydrofuropyran nucleosides and C6-spiroannulated perhydrofurofuran nucleosides as novel analogues of octosyl acid and related peptidyl nucleosides.

}, keywords = {Analogs, antibiotics, Biosynthesis, Chitin synthase, Derivatives, Ezomycins, Glucose Diacetonide Natural-products, Griseofulvin, Malayamycin, Modified nucleosides, Moiety, Peptidyl Glycosides, Phenol Oxidative Dearomatization, Vorbruggen Glycosylation}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1588543}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Bhogade, Ravindra B. and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {43666, title = {Photo-induced cytotoxicity and anti-metastatic activity of ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl complexes functionalized with tyrosine or tryptophan}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6634-6644}, abstract = {The synergistic effect of oxygen, light, and photosensitizer (PS) has found applications in medicine for the treatment of cancer through photodynamic therapy (PDT). Induction of apoptosis to cancerous cells will prevent tumor metastasis that spreads cancer cells to the neighboring organs/tissues. Herein, we report the two apoptotic Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes that are functionalized with pendant amino acid moieties tyrosine (1) and tryptophan (2), respectively. These two water soluble complexes were found to interact strongly (K-a(1) = (1.18 +/- 0.28) x 10(5) M-1 and K-a(2) = (1.57 +/- 0.77) x 10(5) M-1) with CT-DNA. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) studies revealed that these complexes bind to CT-DNA through an entropically driven process. Both the complexes showed photo-induced cytotoxicity and exhibit apoptotic activity under photo-irradiation conditions. The comet assay indicated that these complexes can damage cellular DNA, which is attributed to the significant build-up of O-1(2) level even on irradiation with low intensity light (10 J cm(-2), lambda(Range) 450-480 nm). This photoinduced DNA damage and apoptosis in A549 cells was induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and occurred through up-regulation of apoptotic marker caspase-3. Control experiments under dark conditions revealed an insignificant cytotoxicity towards these cells for two photosensitive molecules.}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt00670e}, author = {Ramu, Vadde and Aute, Sunil and Taye, Nandaraj and Guha, Rweetuparna and Walker, Michael G. and Mogare, Devaraj and Parulekar, Apoorva and Thomas, Jim A. and Chattopadhyay, Samit and Das, Amitava} } @article {43819, title = {pi-Conjugated chromophore incorporated polystyrene nanobeads as single optical agent for three-channel fluorescent probe in bioimaging application}, journal = {ACS Biomaterials Science \& Engineering}, volume = {3}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1788-1798}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fluorescent polystyrene (PS) nanobeads in the size range similar to 70-120 nm incorporating perylene bisimide (PBI-PS) and/or oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV-PS) was developed by miniemulsion polymerization technique. A dye loading content (DLC) of \<3\% was sufficient to impart high fluorescence emission capability to the PS beads. OPV-PS exhibited emission in the range 400-550 nm with peak emission at 450 nm (lambda(ex) = 350 nm; phi(FL) = 26\%); PBI-PS showed emission from 520-650 nm with peak emission at 545 nm (lambda(ex) = 490 nm; phi(FL) = 9.7\%) in 1x PBS buffer, whereas OPV(PBI)-PS nanobeads incorporating both the fluorophores exhibited multicolor emission capabilities (lambda(ex) from 350 to 490 nm). The nanoparticles were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) for size and zeta potential for surface charge. For bioimaging applications, the PS nanoparticles were incubated with HeLa cells. Cell viability analysis involving HeLa cells showed more than 90\% cell viability confirming the biocompatibility of the PS The cellular uptake of the nanoparticles was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images. The subcellular localization of the nanoparticles in the cytoplasm could be precisely established by their simultaneous multicolor emission. The PS-based single optical agent presented here that can function as three-channel fluorescent probe to meet the requirements for multicolor bioimaging is advantageous.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, bioimaging}, doi = {10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00259}, author = {Makkad, Sarabjot Kaur and Asha, S. K.} } @article {43028, title = {Placental proteomics provides insights into pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia and predicts possible markers in plasma}, journal = {Journal of Proteome Research}, volume = {16}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1050-1060}, abstract = {

Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder characterized by the new onset of hypertension \>140/90 mmHg and proteinuria after the 20th week of gestation. The disorder is multi-factorial and originates with abnormal placentation. Comparison of the placental proteome of normotensive (n=25) and pre-eclamptic (n=25) patients by gel-free proteomic techniques, identified a total of 2145 proteins in the placenta of which 180 were differentially expressed (\>1.3 fold, p\<0.05). Gene ontology enrichment analysis of biological process suggested that the differentially expressed proteins belonged to various physiological processes such as angiogenesis, apoptosis, oxidative stress, hypoxia, placental development, which are implicated in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. Some of the differentially expressed proteins were monitored in the plasma by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis, which showed an increase in Apolipoprotein AI and AII in gestational week 26-30th (2-fold, p\<0.01) while haptoglobin and hemopexin decreased in gestational week 26-30th and 40th week/at delivery (1.8 fold, p\<0.01) in pre-eclamptic patients. This study provides a proteomic insight into the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia. Identified candidate proteins can be evaluated further for the development of potential biomarkers associated with pre-eclampsia pathogenesis.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00955}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Malakar, Dipankar and Joshi, Sadhana Ramchandra and Mehendale, Savita S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {45673, title = {Plant cholesterol biosynthetic pathway overlaps with phytosterol metabolism}, journal = {Nature Plants}, volume = {3}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The amount of cholesterol made by many plants is not negligible. Whereas cholesterogenesis in animals was elucidated decades ago, the plant pathway has remained enigmatic. Among other roles, cholesterol is a key precursor for thousands of bioactive plant metabolites, including the well-known Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids. Integrating tomato transcript and protein co-expression data revealed candidate genes putatively associated with cholesterol biosynthesis. A combination of functional assays including gene silencing, examination of recombinant enzyme activity and yeast mutant complementation suggests the cholesterol pathway comprises 12 enzymes acting in 10 steps. It appears that half of the cholesterogenesis-specific enzymes evolved through gene duplication and divergence from phytosterol biosynthetic enzymes, whereas others act reciprocally in both cholesterol and phytosterol metabolism. Our findings provide a unique example of nature{\textquoteright}s capacity to exploit existing protein folds and catalytic machineries from primary metabolism to assemble a new, multi-step metabolic pathway. Finally, the engineering of a {\textquoteright}high-cholesterol{\textquoteright} model plant underscores the future value of our gene toolbox to produce high-value steroidal compounds via synthetic biology.}, doi = {10.1038/nplants.2016.205}, author = {Sonawane, P. D. and Pollier, J. and Panda, S. and Szymanski, J. and Massalha, H. and Yona, M. and Unger, T. and Malitsky, S. and Arendt, P. and Pauwels, L. and Almekias-Siegl, E. and Rogachev, I. and Meir, S. and Cardenas, P.D. and Masri, A. and Petrikov, M. and Schaller, H. and Schaffer, A. A. and Kamble, A. and Giri, A. P. and Goossens, A. and Aharoni, A.} } @article {44092, title = {Polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites filled with waste leather buff (WLB)}, journal = {Journal of Polymers and the Environment}, volume = {25}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1099-1109}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A large amount of leather waste is generated from tanning industries and most of which are disposed of landfill or discharged into the natural water bodies without any treatment, causing environmental problems. The aim of this study is to develop eco-biocomposites using waste leather buff (WLB) as filler in Polylactic acid (PLA) matrix to reduce the environmental issues and provide sustainable solution. WLB/PLA composites were prepared by twins-screw micro extruder varying the WLB content from 2\% to 30 wt\%. These composite were extensively characterise by several techniques. Tensile properties of the composites showed addition of WLB resulted in improvement of tensile property of composite and reduction in percentage crystallinity of PLA matrix observed with increase in WLB content. The effect of WLB on properties of interfacial adhesion and dispersion in WLB/PLA composites were studied by SEM. Wettability of composites was tested by contact angle and water absorption studies. WLB/PLA composite showed increase in water absorption with WLB loading. These WLB/PLA composite could be used to develop low cost eco-friendly product material.}, doi = {10.1007/s10924-016-0891-3}, author = {Ambone, Tushar and Joseph, Seena and Deenadayalan, E. and Mishra, Satyendra and Jaisankar, S. and Saravanan, P.} } @article {45719, title = {Polymerization-incompetent uromodulin in the pregnant stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat}, journal = {Hypertension}, volume = {69}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {910+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The kidney is centrally involved in blood pressure regulation and undergoes extensive changes during pregnancy. Hypertension during pregnancy may result in an altered urinary peptidome that could be used to indicate new targets of therapeutic or diagnostic interest. The stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHRSP) is a model of maternal chronic hypertension. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry was conducted to interrogate the urinary peptidome in SHRSP and the control Wistar-Kyoto strain at three time points: prepregnancy and gestational days 12 and 18. The comparison within and between the Wistar-Kyoto and SHRSP peptidome at all time points detected 123 differentially expressed peptides (fold change \>1.5; P\<0.05). Sequencing of these peptides identified fragments of collagen a-chains, albumin, prothrombin, actin, serpin A3K, proepidermal growth factor, and uromodulin. Uromodulin peptides showed a pregnancy-specific alteration in SHRSP with a 7.8-fold (P\<0.01) and 8.8-fold (P\<0.05) increase at gestational days 12 and 18, respectively, relative to the Wistar-Kyoto. Further investigation revealed that these peptides belonged to the polymerization-inhibitory region of uromodulin. Two forms of uromodulin (polymerization competent and polymerization incompetent) were found in urine from both Wistar-Kyoto and SHRSP, where the polymerizationincompetent form was increased in a pregnancy-specific manner in SHRSP. Nifedipine-treated pregnant SHRSP showed only polymerization-competent uromodulin, indicating that calcium may be mechanistically involved in uromodulin polymerization. This study highlights, for the first time, a potential role of uromodulin and its polymerization in hypertensive pregnancy.

}, keywords = {Hypertension, Kidney, Nifedipine, pregnancy, uromodulin}, issn = {0194-911X}, doi = {10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.08826}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Small, Heather Yvonne and Siwy, Justyna and Mullen, William and Giri, Ashok and Delles, Christian} } @article {43721, title = {Porous porphyrin organic polymer (PPOP) for visible light triggered hydrogen production}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {53}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {4461-4464}, type = {Article}, chapter = {4461-4464}, abstract = {A visible light active porphyrin-based porous organic polymer having high chemical stability and surface area has been synthesized and its ability to influence the photocatalytic activity of large band gap-TiO2 nanoparticles has been tested. The resultant composite shows improved photocatalytic activity as compared to the parent precursors. This study provides insights into the photosensitizing ability of the polymer in addition to its ability to firmly harbor nanoparticles onto its surface.}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc00879a}, author = {Mukherjee, Gargi and Thote, Jayshri and Aiyappa, Harshitha Barike and Kandambeth, Sharath and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Vanka, Kumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {44129, title = { Porous reduced graphene oxide modified electrodes for the analysis of protein aggregation. part 1: lysozyme aggregation at pH 2 and 7.4}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {254}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {375-383}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Protein instability due to misfolding and aggregation is of big concern for protein based therapeutics because it impacts the bioavailability and immunogenicity of such drugs. The development of simple and cost-effective methods for the analysis of pharmaceutical formulations, indicating the presence or absence of protein aggregates, is consequently of high importance. This work proposes a novel electrochemical interface based on porous reduced graphene oxide coated glassy carbon electrode (GC/prGO) allowing for the early and sensitive identification of protein aggregation by following the change in the oxidative current of the proteins. The novelty of this work lies in the exploration of the ability of GC/prGO interfaces to capture different aggregation behaviors. Lysozyme is used as a model to follow by electrochemistry its aggregation at two pH values, pH 2 and pH 7.4, leading to the formation of amyloid and amorphous aggregates, respectively. Comparing the oxidation peak of lysozyme by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) for different electrode architectures allowed validating the higher sensitivity of the GC/prGO interface versus bare glassy electrodes or electrodes coated with non-porous reduced graphene oxide. Parallel experiments were performed by fluorescence with thioflavin T, size exclusion chromatography and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging. These tests further highlighted the usefulness of GC/prGO electrode to visualize in a fast and reliable manner the changes in the protein structure and the differences between the processes occurring at pH 2 and pH 7.4. In particular, the ability to emphasize changes related to the first steps in aggregation that could be indicative of the aggregation course, recommend the GC/prGO electrode in combination with DPV as a new analytical tool for aggregation studies of biopharmaceuticals. Part 2 of this work will demonstrate later the utility of this approach for the analysis of a fast acting injectable human insulin formulation, Humulin R, used for diabetes treatment as well as for calcitonin. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2017.09.083}, author = {Vasilescu, Alina and Boulahneche, Samia and Chekin, Fereshteh and Gaspar, Szilveszter and Medjram, Mohamed Salah and Diagne, Abdou Aziz and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {43732, title = {Predesigned metal-anchored building block for in situ generation of Pd nanoparticles in porous covalent organic framework: application in heterogeneous tandem catalysis}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {13785-13792}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The development of nanoparticle-polymer-hybrid-based heterogeneous catalysts with high reactivity and good recyclability is highly desired for their applications in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries: Herein, we have developed a novel synthetic strategy by choosing a predesigned metal-anchored building block for in situ generation of metal (Pd) nanoparticles in the stable, porous, and crystalline covalent organic framework (COF), without using conventional reducing agents. In situ generation of Pd nanoparticles in the COF Skeleton is explicitly confirmed{\textquoteright} from PXRD, XPS, TEM images, and N-15 NMR spectral analysis. This hybrid material is found to be an excellent reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of biologically and pharmaceutically important 2-substituted benzofurans from 2-bromophencils and terminal alkynes via a tandem process with the turnover number up to 1101. The heterogeneity of the catalytic process is unambiguously verified by a mercury poisoning experiment and leaching test. This hybrid material shows superior catalytic performance compared to commercially available homogeneous as well as heterogeneous Pd catalysts.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.7b02355}, author = {Bhadra, Mohitosh and Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar and Basu, Arghya and Midya, Siba P. and Kandambeth, Sharath and Pachfule, Pradip and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {43550, title = {Proton-coupled electron-transfer processes in ultrafast time domain: evidence for effects of hydrogen-bond stabilization on photoinduced electron transfer}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {23}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3455-3465}, abstract = {The proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) reaction is investigated for a newly synthesized imidazoleanthraquinone biomimetic model with a photoactive RuIIpolypyridyl moiety that is covalently coupled to the imidazole fragment. Intramolecular H-bonding interactions between imidazole and anthraquinone moieties favor the PCET process; this can be correlated to an appreciable positive shift in the one-electron reduction potential of the coordinated anthraquinone moiety functionalized with the imidazole fragment. This can also be attributed to the low luminescence quantum yield of the RuII-polypyridyl complex used. The dynamics of the intramolecular electron-transfer (ET) and PCET processes are studied by using femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The steady- state spectroscopic studies and the results of the time- resolved absorption studies confirm that H- bonded water molecules play a major role in both ET and PCET dynamics as a proton relay in the excited state. The electron- transfer process is followed by a change in the H- bonding equilibrium between AQ and imidazole in acetonitrile solvent, and protonation of AQ(-) water leads to PCET in the presence of water. A slower forward and backward electron- transfer rate is observed in the presence of D2O compared with that in H2O. These results provide further experimental support for a detailed understanding of the PCET process.}, doi = {10.1002/chem.201605594}, author = {Dey, Ananta and Dana, Jayanta and Aute, Sunil and Maity, Partha and Das, Amitava and Ghosh, Hirendra N.} } @article {45742, title = {Ratiometric sensor for DNA based on a dual emission Ru(dppz) light-switch complex}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {46}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY }, pages = {6079-6086}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we describe the DNA binding properties of two new water-soluble ruthenium complexes; experimental and computational data reveal that both complexes display dual emission from MLCT and LLCT excited states. The interaction of the new complexes with DNA was also investigated. Although one of the complexes only binds DNA though groove binding, the second complex has separate ligands capable of groove binding and intercalation. Nevertheless, it was found that both complexes interact with duplex DNA with high affinity. DNA induced distinctive changes in the emission of the complexes; although the groove binding complex only displays a modest increase in emission on binding, the complex that contains the intercalating Ru-II(dppz) moiety displays a large increase in MLCT-based emission on DNA binding while emission from the LLCT excited state is unaffected. This means that the complex functions as the first ratiometric sensor for DNA.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c7dt00801e}, author = {Walker, Michael G. and Ramu, Vadde and Meijer, Anthony J. H. M. and Das, Amitava and Thomas, Jim A.} } @article {43495, title = {Reaction engineering of urea alcoholysis: alkyl carbamates}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemical Technology}, volume = {24}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {9-19}, abstract = {Urea alcoholysis is a reversible reaction generating alkyl carbamate and ammonia as products. The reaction can be performed non-catalytically or in presence of catalyst. The first step in Reaction engineering analysis is to finalize the reactor configuration. In this case it is important to determine the necessity of reactive separation (simultaneous reaction and separation). This has been addressed by first establishing the reversibility of the reaction through theoretical and experimental investigation. Based on this analysis, an experimental setup comprising tubular reactor and a separator has been built. Experiments have been performed for different alcohols at different flow rates and temperatures. The experimental data is used to establish kinetic parameters. Systematic reaction engineering analysis based on multi-stage ideal reactors with and without simultaneous mass transfer is then carried out in terms of three dimensionless numbers. The analysis presented in this work can be readily applied to a general class of reversible reactions with volatile products and the methodology can be used to develop and design reactors for them. The approach and results presented here will be useful to establish optimal reactor configuration and design for urea alcoholysis reactions.}, author = {Mote, Dhananjay R. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {43476, title = {Reactive distillation for the production of methoxy propyl acetate: experiments and simulation}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {56}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {832-843}, abstract = {Propylene glycol methyl ether acetate is an industrially important solvent. In this work, we study the applicability of reactive distillation (RD) for its synthesis in the presence of an ion-exchange resin, Amberlyst 15, as a catalyst. Simultaneous separation of water during the course of reaction shifts the reaction in the forward direction, which renders cost effectiveness and compactness to the process. The presence of an azeotrope between methoxy propanol and water complicates the separation, leading to a loss of reactants in the product streams, thereby hampering both conversion and purity. Toluene is thus used as an entrainer to further intensify the process. In this work, the intrinsic kinetic parameters are determined from batch reactor data, and used subsequently to simulate the column performance. An experimentally validated simulator is used to examine the effect of various operating and design parameters. Reactant and product losses are minimized to negligible levels and a significant increase in the conversion is realized.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.6b03489}, author = {Gadekar-Shinde, Shambala and Reddy, Bhoja and Khan, Mohammad and Chavan, Sanjay and Saini, Dauiat and Mahajani, Sanjay} } @article {44044, title = {Recovery of radio-cesium from actual high level liquid waste using solvents containing calix[4]arene-crown-6 ligands}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, chapter = {4134-4140}, abstract = {

This paper gives two methods, viz. a solvent extraction method and a hollow fiber contactor based liquid membrane method, for the separation of radio-cesium from actual high level liquid waste (HLLW) solutions using calix[4]arene-crown-6 based solvent systems. While the solvent extraction method involved calix[4]arene-bis-benzo-crwon-6 (CBC) in PTMS (phenyltrifluoromethyl sulphone), the hollow fiber supported liquid membrane method used a polysulphone fiber containing contactor and bis-octyl-benzo-calix[4]arene-mono-crown-6 (CMC) in 40\% iso-decanol + 60\% n-dodecane. Both methods reported selective radio-cesium separation with almost no contamination from the associated fission product radionuclides. The radiolytic stability of the hollow fiber contactor was checked by keeping the contactor module in contact with the diluted HLLW for 50 days. The second run carried out after 50 days resulted in excellent reproducibility suggesting efficacy of this method for radioactive waste remediation.

}, keywords = {137Cs, Calix-crown-6, Cesium, fibers, Fission products, Hollow fiber contactor, Liquid membranes, liquids, PUREX-HLLW, Radioactive wastesSolvent extraction, solvent extraction, Solvents}, issn = {2213-3437}, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2017.07.055}, author = {Jagasia, P. and Dhami, P. S. and Mohapatra, P. K. and Ansari, S. A. and Jadhav, S. Y. and Kalyankar, G. K. and Gandhi, P. M. and Kharul, U. K.} } @conference {43743, title = {Resistin mediates sex-dependent effects of perivascular adipose tissue on vascular function in the shrsp}, booktitle = {20th Annual Meeting of the Scottish-Cardiovascular-Forum}, volume = {103}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = { A3-A3}, type = {Meeting Abstract }, doi = {10.1136/heartjnl-2017-311433.6}, author = {McNeilly, Sarah and Small, Heather Y. and Mary, Sheon and Sheikh, Adam and Delles, Christian} } @article {44174, title = {Resolution of the identity and cholesky representation of EOM-MP2 approximation: implementation, accuracy and efficiency}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1611-1626}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We present a Resolution of Identity and Cholesky Decomposition Based Implementation of EOM-MP2 approximation. The RI and CD based EOM-MP2 shows significant speed-up and less storage requirement than the conventional canonical version and can be applied to very large systems. The new algorithm used for this implementation eliminates the most storage requiring four-index quantities resulting in the decrease of storage requirement, reduction in I/O penalties and improved parallel performance, at the expense of more floating point operations. Therefore, the speed-up compared to conventional EOM-MP2 method is more prominent in case of EA, EE and SF case where the storage bottleneck is significant than the EOM-IP-MP2 method, where the storage requirement is significantly less. However, the RI/CD based EOM-IP-MP2 can be coupled with frozen natural orbitals to gain further speed-up.}, keywords = {CC, CD, Cholesky decomposition, EA, EE, electron attachment, electron correlation, EOM, equation-of-motion, excited state, ionization, IP, MP2, Resolution-of-identity, RI, SF, spinflip}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1378-z}, author = {Kumar, Dinesh and Dutta, Achintya Kumar and Manohar, Prashant Uday} } @article {43725, title = {Rigid peptide scaffold-incorporated structural analogs of the potent antidepressant peptide drug rapastinel (GLYX-13)}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {3594-3596}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rapastinel (GLYX-13) is a natural amidated tetrapeptide (Thr-Pro-Pro-Thr-NH2)endowed with strong antidepressant property. Rapastinel shows considerable promise for treating drug-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD), and is under clinical phase III development. Herein, we report the synthesis of a novel class of analogues of the potent antidepressant peptide drug rapastinel featuring rigid dipeptide scaffolds comprising proline (L/D) and amino thiophene carboxylates (Atc). Amino thiophene carboxylate is a conformationally constrained aromatic beta-amino acid, known to rigidify peptide backbones thereby limiting the conformational flexibility of peptides and improving proteolytic stability.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201700605}, author = {Nadimpally, Krishna Chaitanya and Chakrapani, Aswathi and Prabhu, Priyanka J. and Madica, Krishnaprasad and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {43919, title = {Salts and cocrystals of furosemide with pyridines: differences in π-Stacking and color polymorphism}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {17}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3071{\textendash}3087}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Furosemide (FS), a loop diuretic drug that has a potential to exhibit polymorphism, produced color polymorphs of orange (form 1I) and yellow (form 1II) concomitantly with coformer 1, 2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene. However, cocrystallization of FS with other pyridines yielded colorless salts (2 and 4) and cocrystals (3 and 5). The significant color difference between the two polymorphs (forms 1I and 1II) could be attributed to the dissimilar π-stacking patterns between the two components and differences in their highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap. The molecular packing of form 1I and 2 is very similar, but 2 is colorless due to lack of extended π-conjugation.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.6b01868}, author = {Sangtani, Ekta and Mandal, Suman Kumar and Sreelakshmi, A. S. and Munshi, Parthapratim and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {43726, title = {Secondary interactions arrest the hemiaminal intermediate to invert the modus operandi of schiff base reaction: a route to benzoxazinones}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {82}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {4342-4351}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Discovered by Hugo Schiff, condensation between amine and aldehyde represents one of the most ubiquitous reactions in chemistry. This classical reaction is widely used to manufacture pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. However, the rapid and reversible formation of Schiff base prohibits formation of alternative products, of which benzoxazinones are an important class. Therefore, manipulating the reactivity of two partners to invert the course of this reaction is an elusive target. Presented here is a synthetic strategy that regulates the sequence of Schiff base reaction via weak secondary interactions. Guided by the computational models, reaction between 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluoro-benzaldehyde with 2-amino-6methylbenzoic acid revealed quantitative (99\%) formation of 5-methyl-2-(perfluoropheny01,2-dihydro-4H-benzo[d][1,3]oxazin-4-one (15). Electron donating and electron withdrawing ortho-substituents on 2-aminobenzoic acid resulted in the production of benzoxazinones 936. The mode of action was tracked using low temperature NMR, IN vis spectroscopy, and isotopic (O-18) labeling experiments. These spectroscopic mechanistic investigations revealed that the hemiaminal intermediate is arrested by the hydrogen-bonding motif to yield benzoxazinone. Thus, the mechanistic investigations and DFT calculations categorically rule out the possibility of in situ imine formation followed by ring-closing, but support instead hydrogen-bond assisted ring-closing to prodrugs. This unprecedented reaction represents an interesting and competitive alternative to metal catalyzed and classical methods of preparing benzoxazinone.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b00352}, author = {Patel, Ketan and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Bodkhe, Dnyaneshwar and Mane, Manoj and Vanka, Kumar and Shinde, Dinesh and Rajamohanan, Pattuparambil R. and Nandi, Shyamapada and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44144, title = {Selective isolation and eradication of E. coli associated with urinary tract infections using anti-fimbrial modified magnetic reduced graphene oxide nanoheaters}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry B}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = { 8133-8142}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The fast and efficient elimination of pathogenic bacteria from water, food or biological samples such as blood remains a challenging task. Magnetic isolation of bacteria from complex media holds particular promise for water disinfection and other biotechnological applications employing bacteria. When it comes to infectious diseases such as urinary tract infections, the selective removal of the pathogenic species in complex media such as human serum is also of importance. This issue can only be accomplished by adding pathogen specific targeting sites onto the magnetic nanostructures. In this work, we investigate the potential of 2-nitrodopamine modified magnetic particles anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites for rapid capture and efficient elimination of E. coli associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) from water and serum samples. An optimized magnetic nanocarrier achieves a 99.9\% capture efficiency even at E. coli concentrations of 1 x 10(1) cfu mL(-1) in 30 min. In addition, functionalization of the nanostructures with poly(ethylene glycol) modified pyrene units and anti-fimbrial E. coli antibodies allowed specific elimination of E. coli UTI89 from serum samples. Irradiation of the E. coli loaded nanocomposite with a near-infrared laser results in the total ablation of the captured pathogens. This method can be flexibly modified for any other pathogenic bacteria, depending on the antibodies used, and might be an interesting alternative material for a magnetic-based body fluid purification approach.}, doi = {10.1039/c7tb01890h}, author = {Halouane, Fatima and Jijie, Roxana and Meziane, Dalila and Li, Chengnan and Singh, Santosh K. and Bouckaert, Julie and Jurazek, Jean and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Barras, Alexandre and Li, Musen and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {43995, title = {Selective molecular separation by interfacially crystallized covalent organic framework thin films}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {139}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {13083-13091}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Exponential interest in the field of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stems from the direct correlation between their modular design principle and various interesting properties. However, existing synthetic approaches to realize this goal mainly result in insoluble and unprocessable powders, which severely restrict their widespread applicability. Therefore, developing a methodology for easy fabrication of these materials remains an alluring goal and a much desired objective. Herein, we have demonstrated a bottom-up interfacial crystallization strategy to fabricate these microcrystalline powders as large-scale thin films under ambient conditions. This unique design principle exploits liquid-liquid interface as a platform, allowing simultaneous control over crystallization and morphology of the framework structure. The thin films are grown without any support in free-standing form and can be transferred onto any desirable substrate. The porous (with Tp-Bpy showing highest SBET of 1a151 m2 g-1) and crystalline thin films, having high chemical as well as thermal stability, also hold the merit to tune the thickness as low as sub-100 nm. These nanostructured thin COF films demonstrate remarkable solvent-permeance and solute-rejection performance. A prominent instance is the Tp-Bpy thin film, which displays an unprecedented acetonitrile permeance of 339 L m-2 h-1 bar-1.}, doi = { 10.1021/jacs.7b06640}, author = {Dey, K. and Das, A and Mukherjee, R. and Kharul, U. K. and Banerjee, R.}, editor = {Pal, M.} } @article {45656, title = {Selective molecular sieving in self-Standing porous covalent-Organic-framework membranes}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Self-standing, flexible, continuous, and crack-free covalent-organic-framework membranes (COMs) are fabricated via a simple, scalable, and highly cost-effective methodology. The COMs show long-term durability, recyclability, and retain their structural integrity in water, organic solvents, and mineral acids. COMs are successfully used in challenging separation applications and recovery of valuable active pharmaceutical ingredients from organic solvents.}, doi = {10.1002/adma.201603945}, author = {Kandambeth, S. and Biswal, B. P. and Chaudhari, H. D. and Rout, K. C. and Kunjattu, H. S. and Mitra, S. and Karak, S. and Das, A. and Mukherjee, R. and Kharul, U. K. and Banerjee, R.} } @article {45762, title = {Selective synthesis of WO3 and W18O49 nanostructures: ligand-free pH-dependent morphology-controlled self-assembly of hierarchical architectures from 1D nanostructure and sunlight-driven photocatalytic degradation}, journal = {CrystEngComm}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {APR }, pages = {2096-2105}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, simple inorganic routes for the synthesis of WO3 and W18O49 nanostructures with variable size and self-assembly are reported. The morphologies and formation of stoichiometric WO3 as well as substoichiometric W18O49 single-crystal phase could be controlled by changing the pH of the reactions medium. This synthesis strategy has the advantages that it is one step, aqueous medium-based, and requires no surfactant or stabilizing agent. Furthermore, it also enables the self-assembly of 1D nanorods of WO3 and W18O49 into hierarchical nanostructures as nanorods bundles, cocoons, urchins, fishbones, etc. This synthesis method may open up a new way to control and tune the stoichiometric and substoichiometric composition of metal oxide nanostructures. Efficient sunlight-driven photocatalytic performance to degrade Rhodamine B (100 mL; 40 mg L-1.) with these tungsten oxide nanostructures was also demonstrated.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c6ce02518h}, author = {Shirke, Yogita Manikrao and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article { ISI:000371453700057, title = {Self-exfoliated guanidinium-based ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs)}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {138}, number = {8}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2823-2828}, publisher = {AMER CHEMICAL SOC}, address = {1155 16TH ST, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 USA}, abstract = {

Covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) have emerged as functional two-dimensional materials for versatile applications. Although pi-pi stacking between layers, hydrolytic instability, possible restacking prevents their exfoliation on to few thin layered CONs from crystalline porous polymers. We anticipated rational designing of a structure by intrinsic ionic linker could be the solution to produce self-exfoliated CONs without external stimuli. In an attempt to address this issue, we have synthesized three self-exfoliated guanidinium halide based ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs) with antimicrobial property. Self-exfoliation phenomenon has been supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as well. Intrinsic ionic guanidinium unit plays the pivotal role for both self-exfoliation and antibacterial property against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Using such iCONs, we have devised a Mixed matrix membrane which could be useful for antimicrobial coatings with plausible medical benefits.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5b13533}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Kandambeth, Sharath and Biswal, Bishnu P. and Khayum, Abdul M. and Choudhury, Chandan Kumar and Mehta, Mihir R. and Kaur, Gagandeep and Banerjee, Subhrashis and Prabhune, Asmita and Verma, Sandeep and Roy, Sudip and Kharul, Ulhas K. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {44035, title = {Silk degumming and utilization of silk sericin by hydrolysis using alkaline protease from beauveria Sp. (MTCC 5184): a green approach}, journal = {Journal of Natural Fibers}, volume = {15}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1-11}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Conventionally, degumming is carried out at 90{\textdegree}C--110{\textdegree}C temperature by boiling the raw silk with Marseilles soap and sodium bicarbonate which eventually requires a lot of water and energy. In this study, degumming of Chinese bivoltine raw silk fibres with alkaline protease produced by Beauveria sp. (MTCC 5184) is studied. Complete degumming was obtained in 45 min with 75 units of enzyme per gram of silk. Degumming was found to be optimal at 50{\textdegree}C and pH 9.0. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the sericin deposits were removed and the obtained fibres were clean, separated, had smooth feel with shine as compared to untreated fibres. Sericin isolated from silk cocoon (by-product which goes waste) was hydrolyzed with the same alkaline protease obtained from Beauveria sp. to get small molecular weight peptides. These peptides can be utilized further for cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and various industrial applications.}, keywords = {Alkaline Protease, bivoltine, degumming, Silk, weight loss}, issn = {1544-0478}, doi = {10.1080/15440478.2017.1330718}, author = {More, Snehal V. and Chavan, Sakalya and Prabhune, Asmita Ashutosh} } @article {43894, title = {Simple cobalt(II) chloride catalyzed N-alkylation of amines with alcohols}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart }, volume = {49}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3957-3961}, type = {Journal Article}, chapter = {3957-3961}, abstract = {

A facile cobalt-catalyzed N-alkylation of amines with alcohols using inexpensive, commercially available CoCl2 center dot 6H(2)O is reported. Employing this readily available cobalt catalyst, a variety of amines with wide functional group tolerance were selectively alkylated under benign conditions.

}, keywords = {(Hetero)Aromatic Amines, Alcohols, Amination, amines, Anilines, Aromatic-amines, Cobalt Catalysis, Dehydrogenation Borrowing Hydrogen, Efficient Catalysts, Hydrogen Autotransfer, Iridium, N-alkylation, Pincer-complex, Secondary Alcohols, Selective Alkylation}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1589064}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Mondal, Akash and Begum, Ayesha and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {43863, title = {Size reduction of bulk alumina for mass production of fluorescent nanoalumina by fungus humicola sp.}, journal = {Journal of Cluster Science}, volume = {28}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1981-1993}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In recent years, nanomaterials have made their way into hundreds of biomedical, life-sciences and technological applications. One such nanomaterial of extreme importance is nanoalumina (Al2O3 nanoparticles). This nanomaterial is an epitome of diversity with applications exhibited in the fields of catalysis, cosmetics, theranostics, energy generation, biosensors, drug-delivery, tumor-regression, etc. However, problems persist in terms of biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, reproducibility and mass-production of nanoalumina by the presently existent physical, chemical and biological methodologies. Herein, we for the first time are presenting a top-down biofabrication method by which size reduction of commercial bulk alumina/aluminum oxide (5 A mu m) into nanoalumina (5-25 nm) is carried out by a thermophilic fungus Humicola sp. within 96 h of reaction at just 50 A degrees C. The so-formed nanoalumina is highly stable, water dispersible, fluorescent and natural protein capped; characterization engaged standard techniques. These nanoparticles exhibit anti-bacterial properties against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis strain and may serve as broad spectrum bactericidal agents. We believe that our novel top-down approach may be extensively used in the facile, inexpensive, eco-friendly and reliable fabrication of abundant quantities of nanomaterials of different chemical compositions, sizes and shapes with better control and predictability over the properties as derived from their substrates. The mechanistic aspect of said protocol is underway.}, doi = {10.1007/s10876-017-1195-z}, author = {Moeez, Sana and Siddiqui, Ejaz Ahmad and Khan, Shadab and Ahmad, Absar} } @article {43892, title = {Sorption of metaldehyde using granular activated carbon}, journal = {Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {280-287}, abstract = {

In this work, the ability of granular activated carbon (GAC) to sorb metaldehyde was evaluated. The kinetic data could be described by an intra-particle diffusion model, which indicated that the porosity of the sorbent strongly influenced the rate of sorption. The analysis of the equilibrium sorption data revealed that ionic strength and temperature did not play any significant role in the metaldehyde uptake. The sorption isotherms were successfully predicted by the Freundlich model. The GAC used in this paper exhibited a higher affinity and sorption capacity for metaldehyde with respect to other GACs studied in previous works, probably as a result of its higher specific surface area and high point of zero charge.

}, keywords = {Degradation, Diffusion-controlled Sorption, Environmental Pollution, Granular Activated Carbon, Metaldehyde, Sorption Adsorption}, issn = {2220-1319}, doi = {10.2166/wrd.2016.074}, author = {Salvestrini, S. and Vanore, P. and Bogush, A. and Mayadevi, S. and Campos, L. C.} } @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 {43996, title = {Structural insights into the hydrogen-bonding and folding pattern in ant-ant-pro-gly tetrapeptides}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2944{\textendash}2949}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this paper, we provide structural insights into the hydrogen-bonding and folding pattern in Ant-Ant-Pro-Gly tetrapeptides (Ant: anthranilic acid; Pro: proline; and Gly: glycine). Comparison of the C-terminal esters and their amide analogs revealed strikingly different H-bonding networks. Whereas the ester analogs displayed an open structure without terminal H-bonding interactions, the amide analogs showed a completely folded structure. Structural details were revealed by using a combination of X-ray crystal structure studies and NOE-based molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies.}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201700181}, author = {Baravkar, Sachin B. and Kotmale, Amol S. and Mobin, Samir R. and Gonnade, Rajesh Ghanshyam and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {43497, title = {Structural, magnetic, dielectric and magnetodielectric properties of Bi1-xCaxFe1-xMnxO3 in the morphotropic phase boundary region}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article Number: 016104}, abstract = {Structural, magnetic, dielectric and magnetodielectric properties of Ca and Mn co-substituted bismuth ferrite, Bi1-xCaxFe1-xMnxO3 (0 <= x <= 0.4) are reported. Structural studies by Rietveld refinement of XRD patterns revealed rhombohedral R3c structure for x <= 0.11 and orthorhombic Pbnm structure for x >= 0.2. For compositions in the range 0.11 < x < 0.2, mixed phase behaviour is observed showing a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region. Magnetisation at room temperature increases with increasing Ca and Mn content, showing weak ferromagnetism. Coercivity and remanence initially increase and then decrease with increasing x, showing a maximum for x = 0.175 in the MPB region. Dielectric constant also shows a maximum value in the mixed phase region. Magnetodielectric (MD) studies revealed positive MD for the R3c phase and a negative MD for the Pbnm phase, showing a maximum MD (similar to 1\%) for x approximate to 0.1 and crossover at x approximate to 0.175. The studies show strong interplay between the structure and properties, suggesting tuneable bismuth ferrite based compositions for magnetoelectric applications.}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/aa5686}, author = {Manjunath, B. and Thakuria, P. and Joy, P. A.} } @article {45675, title = {Structure and short time degradation studies of sodium zirconium phosphate ceramics loaded with simulated fast breeder (FBR) waste}, journal = {Journal of Nuclear Materials}, volume = {487 }, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {5-12}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Sodium zirconium phosphate (NZP) ceramics have been prepared using conventional sintering and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) routes. The structure of NZP ceramics, prepared using the HIP route, has been compared with conventionally sintered NZP using a combination of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and (P-31 and Na-23) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques. It is observed that NZP with no waste loading is aggressive toward the steel HIP -can during hot isostatic compaction and significant fraction of cations from the steel enter the ceramic material. Waste loaded NZP samples (10 wt\% simulated FBR waste) show significantly low can -interaction and primary NZP phase is evident in this material. Upon exposure of can -interacted and waste loaded NZP to boiling water and steam, P-31 NMR does not detect any major modifications in the network structure. However, the Na-23 NMR spectra indicate migration of Na+ ions from the surface and possible re -crystallization. This is corroborated by Small -Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) data and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) measurements carried out on these samples.}, doi = {10.1016/j.jnucmat.2017.01.054}, author = {Ananthanarayanan, A. and Ambashta, R. D. and Sudarsan, V. and Ajithkumar, T. and Sen, D. and Mazumder, S. and Wattal, P. K.} } @conference {44414, title = {Studies on use of sodium poly acrylate (SPA) for low salt animal skinpreservation}, booktitle = { IULTCS CONGRESS 2017}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, publisher = {Central Leather Research Institute}, organization = {Central Leather Research Institute}, address = { ITC CHOLA , CHENNAI}, abstract = {In this study, commercial sodium poly acrylate (SPA) is used along with sodium chloride for low salt skin preservation. SPA is a super-absorbent polymer which can absorb water many times of its own weight.}, author = {Sandhya, K. V. and Brindha, Velappan and Abinandan, Sudharsanam and Vedaraman, N. and John, Sundar V. and Suresha, P. R. and Badiger, Manohar and Chinnaraj, Velappan kandukalpatti and Muralidharan, C.} } @article {44413, title = {Study of nanofiber scaffolds of PAA, PAA/CS, and PAA/ALG for its potential use in biotechnological applications}, journal = {International Journal of Polymeric Materials}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, abstract = {In recent times, electrospun nanofibers have been widely studied from several biotechnological approaches; in this work, poly (acrylic acid) solutions mixed with chitosan and alginate were electrospun and characterized in order to determine the behavior of these fibers when used in combination with bacteria, different samples were incubated with the bacterial strains: Streptomyces spp., Micromonospora spp. and Escherichia coli and a OD600 test was performed. The formation of nanofibers via electrospinning and the physicochemical properties of the obtained fibers were evaluated. Results showed that the presence of Chitosan enhanced the thermal stability of poly (acrylic acid), since poly (acrylic acid)/alginate fibers lost 5\% of their mass at 41{\textdegree}C while poly (acrylic acid)/chitosan lost this amount at around 125{\textdegree}C. The fibers demonstrated suitable characteristics to be used as a bacteria bioreactor.}, doi = {10.1080/00914037.2017.1378887}, author = {Rodolfo, Velasco and Ricardo, Vera-Graziano and L{\'o}pez-Maldonado, E.A. and Mercedes, Oropeza and Dastager, Syed and Adriana, {\'A}lvarez-Andrade and Ana, leticia Iglesias and Luis, Jes{\'u}s Villarreal-G{\'o}mez} } @article {44012, title = {Study of the effect of operating parameters on the extractive distillation of isopropyl alcohol{\textendash}water mixture using dimethyl sulphoxide as an entrainer}, journal = {Indian Chemical Engineer}, volume = {60}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {141-161}, type = {Journal Article}, chapter = {1-21}, abstract = {

Abstract: In this paper, the simulation analysis of separation of isopropyl alcohol (IPA){\textendash}water via extractive distillation by using dimethyl sulphoxide as an entrainer is presented. The steady-state simulation for this process was done using Aspen Plus simulator. The aim of this work is to study the effect of various operating parameters such as number of stages, molar reflux ratio, binary feed stage number, entrainer feed stage number, temperature of entrainer feed and entrainer to feed molar ratio on the purity and energy consumption. The sensitivity of these parameters serves as a basis to choose the optimum operating conditions to maximize the IPA purity and minimize the energy requirement. In this analysis, among various operating parameters, those which directly affect the IPA purity and the parameters which affect the reboiler duty, for the given separation task, are identified. Simulation results with optimum operating conditions and their economic analysis are also presented.

}, keywords = {Aspen Plus Simulators, Azeotrope, Computer software, Distillation, Energy requirements, Energy utilization, Extractive distillation, Isopropyl alcohol/water, Isopropyl alcohols, Operating parameters, Optimum operating conditions, Sensitivity analysis, simulation, SimulationSteady-state simulations, Solvents}, issn = {0019-4506}, doi = {10.1080/00194506.2017.1322923}, author = {Ghuge, Pravin D. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Sirsam, R. S.} } @article {45696, title = {Study of thermally coupled distillation systems for energy-efficient distillation}, journal = {Sadhana-Academy Proceedings in Engineering Sciences}, volume = {42}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {119-128}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Distillation is one of the most widely used separation unit operations in process industries, although it is quite energy intensive. In many cases, the enormous energy requirements for distillation make it economically infeasible to carry out the separation. Thermally coupled distillation system (TCDS) is an advanced distillation method that provides significant energy savings of about 30\% as compared with conventional distillation column sequences. The most well-known TCDS sequence, the Petlyuk configuration, has some operational challenges due to bidirectional vapour flow, which makes its implementation difficult in two-column mode. To overcome these limitations, a number of unidirectional vapour flow configurations have been proposed in the literature. The work on simulation analysis for such configurations is limited. In this paper, simulation models for two such configurations are developed, analyzed and compared with the Petlyuk and conventional distillation column sequences for separation of equimolar mixture of benzene-toluene-ethylbenzene.

}, keywords = {Distillation, energy efficient, Petlyuk, simulation, thermally coupled}, issn = {0256-2499}, doi = {10.1007/s12046-016-0580-x}, author = {Saxena, Neha and Mali, Nilesh and Satpute, Satchidanand} } @article {44142, title = {Study on doped heterojunctions in TiO2 nanotubes: an efficient photocatalyst for solar water splitting}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {7}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {Article Number: 14314}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The two important factors that affect sunlight assisted water splitting ability of TiO2 are its charge recombination and large band gap. We report the first demonstration of nitrogen doped triphase (anatase-rutile-brookite) TiO2 nanotubes as sun light active photocatalyst for water splitting with high quantum efficiency. Nitrogen doped triphase TiO2 nanotubes, corresponding to different nitrogen concentrations, are synthesized electrochemically. Increase in nitrogen concentration in triphase TiO2 nanotubes is found to induce brookite to anatase phase transformation. The variation in density of intra-band states (Ti3+ and N 2p states) with increase in nitrogen doping are found to be critical in tuning the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes. The presence of bulk heterojunctions in single nanotube of different nitrogen doped TiO2 samples is confirmed from HRTEM analysis. The most active nitrogen doped triphase TiO2 nanotubes are found to be 12 times efficient compared to pristine triphase TiO2, for solar hydrogen generation. The band alignment and charge transfer pathways in nitrogen doped TiO2 with triphase heterojunctions are delineated. Bulk heterojunctions among the three phases present in the nanotubes with intra-band defect states is shown to enhance the photocatalytic activity tremendously. Our study also confirms the theory that three phase system is efficient in photocatalysis compared to two phase system.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-14463-0}, author = {Preethi, L. K. and Antony, Rajini P. and Mathews, Tom and Walczak, Lukasz and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {43671, title = {Synthesis and antimycobacterial screening of new thiazolyl-oxazole derivatives}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {132}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {333-340}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present study a series of 4-methyl-2-aryl-5-(2-aryl/benzyl thiazol-4-yl) oxazole (4a-v) have been synthesized and evaluated for their preliminary antitubercular, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activity. Among all the synthesized compounds, 4v reported comparable activity against dormant M. tuberculosis H37Ra and M. bovis BCG strains with respect to standard drug rifampicin. The active compounds from the antitubercular study were further tested for anti-proliferative activity against HeLa, A549 and PANC-1 cell lines using MU assay and showed no significant cytotoxic activity at the maximum concentration evaluated. Further, the synthesized compounds were found to have potential antibacterial activities with MIC range of 2.1-26.8 mu g/mL. High potency, lower cytotoxicity and promising antimycobacterial activity suggested that these compounds could serve as good leads for further optimisation and development. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.03.065}, author = {Abhale, Yogita K. and Sasane, Amit V. and Chavan, Abhijit P. and Shekh, Saddam Husen and Deshmukh, Keshav K. and Bhansali, Sujit and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {42980, title = {Synthesis and antitubercular activity of new thiazolidinones with pyrazinyl and thiazolyl scaffolds}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {54}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, pages = {125-130}, abstract = {

Emergence of multidrug resistant and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis has prompted to develop new molecular entities to treat the disease. A series of new 4-thiazolidinones with pyrazinyl and thiazolyl scaffolds has been synthesized, and their antitubercular activity is reported. The title 4-thiazolidinones, N-(pyrazinyl substituted thiazoloylamino)-2-aryl-4-thiazolidinones () have been first time prepared using pyrazinamide as a starting material via five successive steps. The purity and the structures of the intermediates (carboethoxythiazole, acid hydrazide, and azomethines) and title thiazolidinones () have been confirmed by TLC and spectral analyses, respectively. An antitubercular screening of the new 4-thiazolidinones has been performed on bacterial strains, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and Mycobacterium BCG using the solutions of different concentrations of the compounds () and the screening results are presented. Compound has displayed notable antitubercular activity.

}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.2552}, author = {Dhumal, Sambhaji T. and Deshmukh, Amarsinh R. and Khillare, Lalit D. and Arkile, Manisha A. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mane, Ramrao A.} } @article {42938, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of new fluconazole β-lactam conjugates linked via 1,2,3-triazole}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {FEB}, pages = {470-479}, abstract = {

Novel 1,2,3-triazole-linked β-lactam{\textendash}fluconazole conjugates 12(a{\textendash}l) were designed and synthesized. The compounds showed potent antifungal activity against two pathogenic Candida strains; Candida albicans ATCC 24433 and Candida albicans ATCC 10231 with MIC values in the range of 0.0625{\textendash}2 μg mL-1. Compounds 12h, 12j and 12k showed promising antifungal activity against all the tested fungal pathogens except C. neoformans ATCC 34554 compared to fluconazole. Compound 12j in which the β-lactam ring was formed using para-anisidine and benzaldehyde was found to be more potent than fluconazole against all the fungal strains with an IC50 value of \<0.015 μg mL-1 for Candida albicans (ATCC 24433). Mechanistic studies for active compounds revealed that the antifungal action was due to ergosterol inhibition. Compounds 12h and 12j at a concentration of 0.125 μg mL-1 caused 91.5 and 96.8\% ergosterol depletion, respectively, compared to fluconazole which at the same concentration caused 49\% ergosterol depletion. The molecular docking study revealed that all the fluconazole β-lactam conjugates 12(a{\textendash}l) could snugly fit into the active site of lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) with varying degrees of affinities. As anticipated, the binding energy for compound 12j (-58.961 kcal mol-1) was much smaller than that for fluconazole (-52.92 kcal mol-1). The synthesized compounds have therapeutic potential for the control of candidemia.

}, doi = {10.1039/C6NJ03117J}, author = {Divse, Jaisingh M. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Charolkar, Chaitanya R. and Sant, Duhita G. and Tupe, Santosh G. and Deshpande, Mukund V. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Pore, Vandana S.} } @article {44041, title = {Synthesis, antimycobacterial screening and molecular docking studies of 4-aryl-4'-methyl-2'-aryl-2,5'-bisthiazole derivatives}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of 4-aryl-4'-methyl-2'-aryl-2,5'-bisthia- zole derivatives (5a{\textendash}o) were synthesized and screened for inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (ATCC 35743) strains. Five lead compounds (5e, 5f, 5g, 5h, and 5o) were further confirmed from their dose dependent effect against MTB and Bovine{\textendash}Calmette{\textendash}Guerin. The most promising compounds 5f (MIC90: 11.32 μg/mL), 5h (MIC90: 11.59 μg/mL), and 5o (MIC90: 23.64 μg/mL) showed strong antitubercular activity against dormant MTB and BCG as well as almost insignificant cytotoxicity up to 100μg/mL against HeLa, A549, and PANC-1 human cancer cell lines. Further, the synthesized compounds were found to have potential antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bac- teria, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas flurescence and Gram- positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis. Most of the synthesized compounds showed moderateactivity against fungal strain Candida albicans. Molecular docking studies of these compounds showed significant interactions with crystal structure of the cytochrome P45014α-sterol demethylase (CYP51) PDB ID: 1E9X. Hydrogen bond interactions with SER261 and VAL395 are important interactions for selective inhibition of designed inhibitors. Compounds 5f, 5h, and 5o showed significant interactions with 1E9X. All the experimental results promote us to consider this series as a starting point for the devel- opment of novel, selective and more potent antitubercular agents in the future.}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-017-1988-5}, author = {Abhale, Yogita K. and Shinde, Abhijit D. and Deshmukh, Keshav K. and Nawale, Laxman U. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Choudhari, Prafulla B. and Kumbhar, Santosh S. and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {43971, title = {Synthesis, antitubercular and antimicrobial potential of some new thiazole substituted thiosemicarbazide derivatives}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {26}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, chapter = {2557-2567}, abstract = {

The increase in antibiotic resistance due to multiple factors has warranted the need for the search of new compounds which are active against multidrug resistant pathogens. In this context a small focused library of thiosemicarbazide derivatives of 2-arylthiazole-4-carbaldehyde, 4-methyl-2-arylthiazole-5-carbaldehyde and 1-(4-methyl-2-arylthiazol-5-yl) ethanone, (5a{\textendash}l) has been synthesized. The title compounds were screened for inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette Guerin (ATCC 35743) strains. The synthesized compounds, 5a{\textendash}l were further assayed for their cytotoxic activity against the two human cancer cell lines, HeLa and human colon carcinoma 116 cell lines and showed no significant cytotoxic activity against these two cell lines at the maximum concentration evaluated. Further, the synthesized compounds were found to have potential antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas flurescence and Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis. Most of the synthesized compounds showed moderate activity against fungal strain Candida albicans. This study provides valuable directions to our ongoing endeavor of rationally designing more potent antimycobacterial agent. {\textcopyright} 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial activity, Antitubercular activit, Cytotoxicity, Thiazole, Thiosemicarbazide}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-017-1955-1}, author = {Abhale, Y. K. and Shinde, A. and Deshmukh, K. K. and Nawale, L. and Sarkar, D. and Mhaske, P. C.} } @article {43788, title = {Synthesis of amphiphilic isoindigo co-polymers for organic field effect transistors: A comparative study}, journal = {Journal of the apllied polymer science}, volume = {134}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, chapter = {45461}, abstract = {

In this work, the amphiphilic isoindigo (am-iInd) based conjugated polymers namely poly(am-iInd-DT) and poly(am-iInd-TT) and their regular counterpart poly(reg-iInd-DT) and poly(reg-iInd-TT) were synthesized to compare their opto-electronic and charge transport properties. They were used to fabricate organic field effect transistors. Charge transport properties in conjugated polymers depend upon intermolecular interaction which is strongly affected by the nature of side chains. The amphiphilic nature of the conjugated polymers has little impact on the charge transport properties. The charge carrier mobility of amphiphilic conjugated polymers was comparable with the regular polymers except poly(reg-iInd-DT) which can be correlated by X-ray diffraction and thin film morphology. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45461.

}, keywords = {Alkyl, Applications; Conducting polymers; Copolymers; Optical and Photovoltaic applications, conjugated polymers, High-performance, mobility, Packaging, Semicondoctors, Side-chains, Solar-cells, Thin-film Transformer}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.45461}, author = {Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Arulkashmir, Arulraj and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar} } @article {43526, title = {Synthesis of extended conjugated indolyl chalcones as potent anti-breast cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {27}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1502-1507}, abstract = {In the present investigation, synthesis of a series of extended conjugated delta-chloro-alpha-cyano substituted indolyl chalcones (5a-p) was accomplished by reacting 3-cyanoacetylindole 2 with 3-chloro-3-phenylpropenal 4 in the presence of piperidine. The structural interpretations of newly synthesized compounds were based on chemical and spectroscopic evidences. Anti-tumor evaluation of the synthesized compounds in vitro against MCF-7 (breast carcinoma) cell line revealed that they possess high anti-tumor activities. Among them, compound 5e and 5a demonstrated excellent activity against breast carcinoma (GI(50) <0.1 and mu M respectively) as good as adriamycin (GI(50) <0.1 mu M). The compounds were also screened against the normal Vero monkey cell line, which showed moderate selectivity against inhibition of cancer cells. The effect of extended conjugation on activity authenticated by comparing activity profile of compound 5a, 5i and 5m with their simple analogues. Among the synthesized compounds, 5i and 51 were found to be active anti-inflammatory agents in addition to having noteworthy antioxidant potential. These results suggest the possible use of these compounds for the design and development of novel anti breast cancer agents. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.02.052}, author = {Bhale, Pravin S. and Chavan, Hemant V. and Dongare, Sakharam B. and Shringare, Sadanand N. and Mule, Yoginath B. and Nagane, Samadhan S. and Bandgar, Babasaheb P.} } @article {43893, title = {Synthesis of isohexide-di(ether-ene)s and ADMET polymerization}, journal = {Green Materials}, volume = {5}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {As the fossil fuel reserves deplete and the greenhouse gases increase, the scientific community is challenged to provide sustainable solutions. Sugar-based isohexides can be modified to prepare a library of isohexide-diene monomers for polymerization. Such isohexide diene monomers can be subjected to Acyclic Diene Metathesis Polymerization to obtain green materials. Here we report a single step synthetic protocol to access a small family of isohexide-di(ether-ene)s and the corresponding polymers. The isohexide di(ether-ene)s 2a-2c could be isolated in good to excellent yields under optimized conditions. The resultant isohexide-di(ether-ene)s 2a-2c are potential versatile building blocks for pharmaceuticals and material science. The synthetic utility of 2a-2c was demonstrated by subjecting them to ADMET polymerization using Grubbs 1st and 2nd generation catalysts. The resultant viscous material was evaluated using 1H NMR and MALDI-ToF-MS, which suggests the formation of anticipated ADMET polymers}, doi = {10.1680/jgrma.16.00017}, author = {Rajput, Bhausaheb S. and Lekshmy, Kalpakasseril Girija and Menon, Shamal K. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {43815, title = {Synthesis of meta-substituted monodentate phosphinite ligands and implication in hydroformylation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1143-1152}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Synthesis of meta-substituted phosphinite ligands 3,3{\textquoteright}-(methoxyphosphanediyl) bis(N, N-diethylaniline) (4a) and methoxybis(3-methoxyphenyl) phosphane (4b), in high yields, has been demonstrated. Typical phosphorus chemical shift between 110-120 ppm, appearance of methoxy protons and corresponding carbon, as well as ESI-MS spectra unambiguously confirmed the existence of phosphinite ligands 4a and 4b. To demonstrate the synthetic usefulness of 4a and 4b, these ligands were tested in the rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-octene. The diethylamine substituted ligand 4a was found to be highly active, whereas 4bwas less reactive but revealed slightly better regioselectivity of 62\% under optimized conditions. Additionally, 4a and 4b were found to catalyze the hydroformylation of styrene, 1-undecenol and 1,1-disubstituted functional olefin, methyl methacrylate. Both the ligands displayed excellent conversion of styrene, and 4b revealed an excellent branch selectivity of 75\%. Although 1-undecenol proved to be amenable to hydroformylation (85-90\% conversion to aldehyde), both the ligands failed to discriminate between the linear and branched products. Substrate methyl methacrylate proved to be highly challenging and reduced conversion (between 33-42\%) was observed under optimized conditions. Ligand 4a was found to be highly selective towards linear aldehyde (81\% linear selectivity).}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1341-z}, author = {Deshmukh, Satej S. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Pandey, Swechchha and Mali, Pramod S. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45680, title = {Synthesis of methyl-protected (+/-)-chlorizidine A}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19 }, year = {2017}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2774-2776}, type = {Article}, chapter = {10 }, abstract = {The first total synthesis of the methyl-protected (+/-)-chlorizidine A has been achieved in 10 steps. Pd-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling and late-stage oxidation were utilized to, construct the 5H-pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoindol-5-one scaffold. Samarium(II) iodide mediated Reformatsky reaction and intramolecular Mitsunobu reactions were efficiently applied for the synthesis of the 2,3-dihydropyrrolizine ring system. Chlorizidine A is highly prone to degradation; hence, methyl-protected (+/-)-chlorizidine A was prepared.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b01090}, author = {Mahajan, Jyoti P. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {43730, title = {Synthesis of o-methyl trifluoromethyl sulfide substituted benzophenones via 1,2-difunctionalization of aryne by insertion into the C-C bond}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {2134-2137}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An efficient process for the preparation of valuable o-methyl trifluoromethyi sulfide substituted benzopheriones has been developed. The transition-metal-free method features insertion of aryne into a C-C sigma-bond under mild reaction conditions for the first time to achieve ortho-difunctionalized arenes containing a pharmaceutically important trifluoromethylthio functional group. A wide substrate, scope has been demonstrated for the developed protocol.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b00768}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Khan, Ruhima and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44033, title = {Synthesis of orthorhombic-molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO3) thin films by hot wire-CVD and investigations of its humidity sensing properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science Materials in Electronics}, volume = {1}, year = {2017}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In present work, we report synthesis of orthorhombic-molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO 3) thin films using home-build hot wire-CVD (HW-CVD) method simply by heating the Mo filament in a controlled O 2 atmosphere. The formation of α-MoO 3 was confirmed by low angle-XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Low angle-XRD analysis revealed that α-MoO 3 crystallites have orientations along (110), (101) and (111) directions while Raman spectroscopy analysis shows two prominent vibrational modes ~819 and ~994 cm -1 associated with Mo 2{\textendash}O and Mo=O respectively. SEM and TEM analysis show the formation of nano-sheets like morphology of α-MoO 3 thin films. The SAED pattern shows highly crystalline nature of α-MoO 3. The humidity-sensing properties were investigated at room temperature by fabricating the two probe device. The humidity sensing results showed n-type behavior of α-MoO 3. The maximum humidity sensitivity of ~6957\% along with response time of ~66 s and recovery time of ~5 s were observed for α-MoO 3 thin film humidity sensor device. Our results have opened up a new avenue to grow α-MoO 3 for humidity sensor applications.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-017-7473-6}, author = {Jadkar, Vijaya and Pawbake, Amit S. and Waykar,Ravindra G. and Jadhavar, Ashok Arjun and Mayabadi, Azam and Date, Abhijit and Late, Dattatray J. and Pathan, Habib M. and Gosavi, Suresh W. and Jadkar, Sandesh R.} } @article {44412, title = {Synthesis of succinimide derivatives by NHC-catalyzed stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with N-substituted itaconimides}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6598{\textendash}6604}, abstract = {

An N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed intermolecular Stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with N-substituted itaconimides has been developed. A delicate balance between the Stetter reaction and the competing isomerization of the itaconimide double bond has been achieved in this operationally simple reaction to afford valuable new succinimide derivatives containing 1,4 and 1,5 dicarbonyl scaffolds in good to excellent yields. The reaction tolerates variable substituents on both aldehydes and N-substituted itaconimides.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01213}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44125, title = {Synthesis route to pyrrolones from -cyano ,-unsaturated ketones and -isocyano esters by oxidative dearomatization of 2-aminofuran intermediates}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6427-6433}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An efficient method for the catalyst/promoter-free synthesis of tetrasubstituted furan derivatives proceeding through the [4+1] cycloaddition of isocyanoacetates with electron-deficient olefins was developed. The products were obtained in good to excellent yields without any column chromatography. Oxidative dearomatization of these furans was achieved only in the presence of oxygen, which led to pyrrolones in high yields.}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.201701194}, author = {Mahida, Anil K. and Kale, Someshwar B. and Das, Utpal} } @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 {43533, title = {Targeted drug delivery in covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) via sequential postsynthetic modification}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {139}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4513-4520}, abstract = {Covalent organic nanosheets (CONs) have emerged as a new class of functional two-dimensional (2D) porous organic polymeric materials with a high accessible surface, diverse functionality, and chemical stability. They could become versatile candidates for targeted drug delivery. Despite their many advantages, there are limitations to their use for target specific drug delivery. We anticipated that these drawbacks could be overturned by judicious postsynthetic modification steps to use CONs for targeted drug delivery. The postsynthetic modification would not only produce the desired functionality, it would also help to exfoliate to CONs as well. In order to meet this requirement, we have developed a facile, salt-mediated synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) in the presence of p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA). The COFs were subjected to sequential postsynthetic modifications to yield functionalized targeted CONs for targeted delivery of 5-fluorouracil to breast cancer cells. This postsynthetic modification resulted in simultaneous chemical delamination and functionalization to targeted CONs. Targeted CONs showed sustained release of the drug to the cancer cells through receptor mediated endocytosis, which led to cancer cell death via apoptosis. Considering the easy and facile COF synthesis, functionality based postsynthetic modifications, and chemical delamination to CONs for potential advantageous targeted drug delivery, this process can have a significant impact in biomedical applications.}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.7b00925}, author = {Mitra, Shouvik and Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar and Kundu, Tanay and Kandambeth, Sharath and Math, Kavya and Diaz Diaz, David and Banerjee, Rahul} } @inbook {44491, title = {Targeting RNA G-Quadruplexes for potential therapeutic applications}, booktitle = {Topics in Medicinal Chemistry}, year = {2017}, pages = {177-206}, publisher = {Springer Verlag}, organization = {Springer Verlag}, abstract = {

RNA G-quadruplexes are non-canonical structures formed in G-rich regions of transcriptome. Considerable research points towards the potential role for these dynamic structures in various genes involved in multiple pathways. The ability of these structures to influence important biological processes has been demonstrated in few selected important genes and more recently in a global manner across the transcriptome. RNA G-quadruplexes are implicated in fundamental processes such as translational regulation, alternative splicing, mRNA transport and telomere homeostasis to name a few. The involvement of these structures in key biological processes makes them attractive targets for therapeutic interventions. Here we discuss the structural features of RNA G-quadruplex that make it more monomorphic to develop ligands unlike the polymorphic DNA G-quadruplexes. Furthermore, the role of RNA G-quadruplexes in important genes involved in diseases and disorders such as neurodegeneration, cancer and viral infections has been highlighted. A summary of ligands and their established roles in targeting RNA G-quadruplex structures has been discussed in context of important processes. Moreover, we highlight the need to develop ligands that are highly specific in targeting RNA G-quadruplexes, a new target to restore homeostasis in dysregulated conditions.

}, doi = {10.1007/7355_2016_22}, author = {Pandey,Satyaprakash and Agarwala, Prachi and Maiti,Souvik} } @article {43928, title = {Template -free assembly in living bacterial suspension under an external electric field}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1019-1024}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Although template-assisted self-assembly methods are very popular in materials and biological systems, they have certain limitations such as lack of tunability and switchable functionality because of the irreversible association of cells and their matrix components. With an aim to achieve more tunability, we have made an attempt to investigate the self-assembly behavior of rod-shaped living bacteria subjected to an external alternating electric field using confocal microscopy. We demonstrate that rod-shaped living bacteria dispersed in a low salinity aqueous medium form different types of reversible freely suspended structures when subjected to an external alternating electric field. At low field strength, an oriented phase is observed where individual bacterium orients with its major axis aligned along the field direction. At intermediate field strength, bacteria align in the form of one-dimensional (1D) chains that lie along the field direction. Further, at high field strength, more bacteria associate with these 1D chains laterally to form a two-dimensional (2D) array. At higher bacterial concentration, these field-induced 2D arrays extend to form three-dimensional columnar structures. These results are discussed in the context of previously reported studies on bacterial self-assembly.

}, keywords = {Bacteria, Electric Properties, Self- Assembly}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.6b00541}, author = {Samantaray, Kunal and Bhol, Prachi and Sahoo, Bhaban and Barik, Subrat Kumar and Jathavedan, Kiran and Sahu, Bikash Ranjan and Bikash Ranjan and Suar, Mrutyunjay and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mohanty, Priti Sunda} } @article {44039, title = {Tf2NH-catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of vinyl azides with p-quinone methides: a mild and efficient method for the synthesis of β-bis-arylamides}, journal = {Synthesis}, year = {2017}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Tf2NH-catalyzed tandem 1,6-conjugate addition/Schmidt type rearrangement using vinyl azides and p-quinone methides to access a variety of β-bis-arylated amides is reported. The method is quick, efficient, mild, and high yielding with broad substrate scope.}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1588546}, author = {Rathod, Jayant and Sharma, Brijesh M. and Mali, Pramod S. and Kumar, Pradeep} } @article {44137, title = {Thermomechanical effect in molecular crystals: the role of halogen-bonding interactions}, journal = {IUCRJ}, volume = {4}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {812-823}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The design and synthesis of mechanically responsive materials is interesting because they are potential candidates to convert thermal energy into mechanical work. Reported in this paper are thermosalient effects in a series of halogen derivatives of salinazids. The chloro derivative, with higher electronegativity and a weaker inter-halogen bond strength (Cl center dot center dot center dot Cl) exhibits an excellent thermal response, whereas the response is weaker in the iodo derivative with stronger I center dot center dot center dot I halogen bonding. 3,5-Dichlorosalinazid (Compound-A) exists in three polymorphic forms, two room-temperature polymorphs (Forms I and II) and one high-temperature modification (Form III). The transformation of Form I to Form III upon heating at 328-333 K is a reversible thermosalient transition, whereas the transformation of Form II to Form III is irreversible and nonthermosalient. 3,5-Dibromo- (Compound-B) and 3-bromo-5-chloro(Compound-C) salinazid are both dimorphic: the Form I to Form II transition in Compound-B is irreversible, whereas Compound-C shows a reversible thermosalient effect (362-365 K). In the case of 3,5-diiodosalinazid (CompoundD) and 3,5-difluorosalinazid (Compound-E), no phase transitions or thermal effects were observed. The thermosalient behaviour of these halosalinazid molecular crystals is understood from the anisotropy in the cell parameters (an increase in the a axis and a decrease in the b and c axes upon heating) and the sudden release of accumulated strain during the phase transition. The dihalogen salinazid derivatives (chlorine to iodine) show a decrease in thermal effects with an increase in halogen-bond strength. Interestingly, Compound-B shows solid-state photochromism in its polymorphs along with the thermosalient effect, wherein Form I is cyan and Form II is light orange.}, doi = {10.1107/S2052252517014658}, author = {Mittapalli, Sudhir and Perumalla, D. Sravanakumar and Nanubolu, Jagadeesh Babu and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {43774, title = {Thermo-responsive PNIPAM-metal hybrids: an efficient nanocatalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {420}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {753-763}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Micron size thermoresponsive cross-linked polymeric microgels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) are used as "microreactor" for embedding metal nanoparticles of different shapes. Using a simple and robust method, we have synthesized various polymer-metal hybrid nanostructures incorporated with Au nanorods (AuNR), Au nanospheres (AuNS) and Ag nanospheres (AgNS). These hybrid nanostructures have been characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) followed by their catalytic activity. TEM studies directly confirmed the mondispersity of synthesized hybrid microgels and stability of the embedded metal nanoparticles within the microgels. Optical studies confirmed the presence of respective absorption bands that correspond to AuNS, AgNS and AuNR respectively. Extensive DLS studies demonstrated that although these hybrid microgels preserve their thermoresponsive properties, i.e their hydrodynamic radius decreased with increasing temperature, their thermosensitivity were comparatively lesser than pure PNIPAM microgels. Combining with studies using static light scattering, we further found that AuNS and AgNS were inhomogeneously distributed within microgels where the majority of the nanoparticles present within the loosely cross-linked shell. On the other hand AuNR were distributed more homogeneously within the microgels. Catalytic performance of various nanostructures loaded onto PNIPAM microgel beads were evaluated by studying the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Complete catalytic conversion using AgNS occurred in similar to 30 min with a first-order rate constant of 0.159 min(-1) having a 7 min induction period. On the other hand no induction period was observed for AuNS and AuNR and the reaction completed in 3-4 min with a first-order rate constant of 1.607 min(-1) and 1.627 min(-1) respectively. Further, PNIPAM-AuNS and PNIPAM-AuNR possess better catalytic activity as well as recyclability compared to that of PNIPAM-AgNS. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.05.172}, author = {Satapathy, Smith Sagar and Bhol, Prachi and Chakkarambath, Aswathy and Mohanta, Jagdeep and Samantaray, Kunal and Bhat, Suresh K. and Panda, Subhendu K. and Mohanty, Priti S. and Si, Satyabrata} } @article {43901, title = {Thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from 2-chloro hydroquinone}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {129}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, chapter = {1461-1468}, abstract = {

Synthesis of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from bis[4-hydroxy benzoyloxy]-2-chloro-1,4-benzene (BHBOCB) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides by interfacial polycondensation methodology is presented. Synthesised polyesters consist of bis[4-hydroxy benzoyloxy]-2-chloro-1,4-benzene as a mesogen and aliphatic diacid chloride as flexible spacer. The length of oligomethylene units in the polymer was varied from the trimethylene to the dodecamethylene groups. Synthesized polyesters were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy. The transition temperatures and thermodynamic properties were studied for all these polymers. These polyesters exhibited thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior and showed nematic texture except decamethylene spacer. Decamethylene spacer based polyester showed marble texture of smectic C. Mesophase stability of these polyesters was higher than (except first heating cycle of PE-1).\ 

SYNOPSIS The present study deals with the synthesis of thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters derived from bis[4-hydroxy benzoyloxy]-2-chloro-1,4-benzene (BHBOCB) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acid chlorides by interfacial polycondensation methodology.

}, keywords = {acid, Aliphatic Flexible Spacers Main-chain, Aromatic Mesogen, Elastomer, Morphology, Polydomain, Polymers, Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polyesters, Units}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-017-1342-y}, author = {Manurkar, Nagesh and More, Sayaji and Mulani, Khudbudin and Ganjave, Nitin and Chavan, Nayaku} } @article {43888, title = {TiO2/RGO composites: Its achievement and factors involved in hydrogen production}, journal = {Renewable \&sustainable energy reviews}, volume = {76}, year = {2017}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1384-1392}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The immense potential shown by TiO2 to participate as a designer material resulting into a new class of high performing photocatalyst has acclaimed it to become an important player in the designing and synthesis of various solar harvesting materials. This role has further been explored by the introduction of graphene into TiO2 matrix. TiO2/reduced graphene oxide (TiO2/RGO) or TiO2/graphene (TiO2/GR) has shown its prospects or relevance to be considered as the next generation photocatalyst for hydrogen production by its reported values in terms of producing hydrogen gas. Hence, there is a requirement of having a detailed up to date write up on the work done in this area in terms of its synthetic procedures, properties and its effect on hydrogen production. Herein, we discuss the different methods involved in the synthesis of such highly efficient materials followed by a brief explanation on its structural and morphological properties. Furthermore, a comparative study on the recent developments in terms of hydrogen evolution efficiency along with a mechanistic approach is also described. Finally, the current challenge and possibility of the future development in this direction is emphasized.

}, keywords = {Au-tio2 Photocatalysts, Evolution, Generation, graphene, Hydrogen generation, Nanocomposite, Nitrogen-doped Tio2, Photocatalysis, Photocatalytic H-2 Production, Recent Progress, Reduced graphene oxide, TiO2, Tio2-graphene Nanocomposites, Visible-light Irradiation, Water}, issn = {1364-0321}, doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2017.03.1}, author = {Gupta, Bhavana and Melvin, Ambrose A.} } @article {43734, title = {Transition metal, azide, and oxidant-free homo- and heterocoupling of ambiphilic tosylhydrazones to the regioselective triazoles and pyrazoles}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {APR}, pages = {1534-1537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {With N-tosylhydrazone as an ambiphilic reagent, an unprecedented cyclization reaction of two identical or different tosylhydrazones has been developed to access various 4,5-disubstituted-2H-triazoles under transition metal, azide, and oxidant-free conditions. A mechanistic.rationalization study led to the identification of several electronically diverse unsaturated systems for regioselective synthesis of 1- and 2-substituted 1,2,3-triazoles and pyrazoles.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b00313}, author = {Panda, Subhankar and Maity, Pradip and Manna, Debasis} } @article {43536, title = {Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 protein is downregulated in the placenta of pre-eclamptic women}, journal = {Clinical Proteomics}, volume = {14}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 8}, abstract = {Background: Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 protein (TINAGL1), is a matricellular protein, known to play role in cell adhesion and cell receptor interaction. Research related to TINAGL1 is limited to cell culture and animal models. Demonstration of TINAGL1 as a positive regulator of angiogenesis and its expression in the decidua of postimplantation mouse uterus, prompted us to validate its expression in human placenta during impaired angiogenesis in pre-eclamptic condition. Methods: Placental tissue from normotensive (n = 25) and pre-eclamptic (n = 25) pregnancies were used to study the differentially expressed proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and TINAGL1 protein was validated with Western blotting. Results: A total of 55 protein spots were differentially expressed (fold change > 1.5, p < 0.05), of which 27 were upregulated and 28 were downregulated in the pre-eclamptic placenta. TINAGL1 was found to be downregulated in pre-eclamptic compared to normotensive pregnant women. Conclusion: This is the first study reporting TINAGL1 to be present in human placenta and differentially expressed in pre-eclamptic condition. The functional role of TINAGL1 in association to human pregnancy needs to be explored further.}, doi = {10.1186/s12014-017-9144-2}, author = {Mary, Sheon and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mehendale, Savita S. and Joshi, Sadhana R. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @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 {44087, title = {Understanding alloy structure and composition in sinter-resistant AgPd@SiO2 encapsulated catalysts and their effect on catalytic properties}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {41}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {14652-14658}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The extent of alloying and the alloy composition, which are crucial in determining the activity and selectivity of bimetallic catalysts, were studied in porous silica encapsulated AgPd catalysts using XRD, HRTEM and HAADF-STEM. Water-dispersible ligand protected Pd ultra-small clusters and Ag nanoparticles of three different sizes were used as the precursors. The high reactivity of Pd ultra-small clusters enhanced the alloying of larger Ag nanoparticles to some extent. Encapsulation appeared to have minimised the sintering of the resultant nanoparticles. The earlier suggestions of the role of d-band positions with respect to adsorption energies holds good for the AgPd system and alloying enhances the activity. Alloy with the composition of Ag50Pd50 was found to be the most active with the reaction rate enhanced two fold compared to that in other compositions. Other factors like particle size and sinter-resistance also played important roles in enhancing the activity of these catalysts.}, doi = {10.1039/c7nj03652c}, author = {Mondal, Sourik and Rajesh, Thattarathody and Dhar, Basab B. and Snellman, Markus and Li, Junjie and Deepak, Francis Leonard and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {45750, title = {Unified strategy for silver-, base-, and oxidant-free direct arylation of C-H bonds}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {19}, year = {2017}, month = {MAY }, pages = {2111-2117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here, we report a dual catalytic approach for room temperature direct arylation of C-H bonds with aryldiazonium salts as a simple aryl group donor, also working as an internal oxidant via C-N-2 bond cleavage. This unified strategy has been achieved by the synergistic combination of visible-light metal-free photoredox and palladium catalysis under silver-, base-and/or additive-free conditions. The broad substrate scope, functional group tolerance, excellent regioselectivity and redox-neutral conditions of this process make it attractive for the effective synthesis of a wide range of important N-heterocyclic commodities such as dibenzo [b,d]azepine, carbazole and phenanthridine.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/c6gc03438a}, author = {Sahoo, Manoj K. and Midya, Siba P. and Landge, Vinod G. and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44001, title = {Valorization of pomegranate peels: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {8}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, chapter = {1127-1137}, abstract = {

Recent studies have shown that pomegranate peels (PP) is a valuable source of valuable bioactive compounds, most of which can be converted into value-added products. We herein review this conversion process and provide an outline on the chemical composition of PP and the possible value-added products that can be produced from this commonly discarded agro-waste. We have also discussed its use as a substrate to produce medicinal compounds and bioactive phenolic compounds (e.g., phenolic acids, flavonoids, vitamin C, fertilizers, dietary fibers, and tannins) as well as its use in nanomaterial synthesis. Based on available evidence, it is obvious that PP has a wide variety of applications, and thus, developing an efficient system to utilize PP adequately will help to completely utilize its potential benefits. The biorefinery approach shows promising potential for efficient utilization of PP; however, additional studies should be conducted in this area. {\textcopyright} 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

}, issn = {1877-2641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-016-9668-0}, author = {Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {44006, title = {Valorization of potato peel: a biorefinery approach}, journal = {Critical Reviews in Biotechnology}, year = {2017}, month = {JUN}, chapter = {1-13}, abstract = {

Potato is the fourth main crop consumed worldwide and is an important constituent in the human diet. Consequently, potato is widely used in food-processing industries. However, these industries generate massive amounts of potato peel (PP) as a by-product, which is usually considered a waste, and is discarded. Interestingly, recent research suggests that PP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into value-added products. In this study, we review the physicochemical composition and valorization of PP. In addition to being used as a dietary fiber or medicine, the value-added products obtained by the fermentation of PP have multiple uses, including their use as adsorbents, biocomposites and packaging materials. These products can also be used in energy production, biopolymer film development, corrosion inhibition and the synthesis of cellulose nanocrystals. The biorefinery approach for PP will increase the value of this waste by producing an array of value-added products and reducing extensive waste generation.

}, keywords = {Bioactive compounds, Biorefinery, Potato peel, Valorization, Value-added products}, doi = {10.1080/07388551.2017.1331337}, author = {Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Puranik, N. M. and Jambhulkar, S. J and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {43551, title = {Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for binary mixtures of acetic acid plus anisole, acetone plus anisole, and isopropanol plus anisole at pressure 96.15 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {62}, year = {2017}, month = {MAR}, pages = {947-953}, abstract = {In this work, the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data have been generated at the local atmospheric pressure of 96.15 kPa for the binary systems acetic acid + anisole, acetone + anisole, and isopropanol + anisole. A circulation type apparatus was designed and developed with few modifications in one of the stills proposed in the literature. For the validation of the new apparatus, VLE data were generated for the known system of N,N-DMF + aniline and compared with the literature data. The VLE data, generated in Txy form for all pairs, were found to be consistent through the point-to-point consistency test. Activity coefficient models, Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC, were fitted to these data using an objective function of minimizing the sum of deviation between experimental and calculated total pressures to estimate the binary interaction parameters. The model predictions with estimated parameters were compared with the experimental data and found appropriate.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.6b00700}, author = {Mali, Nilesh A. and Mali, Pawan K. and Patil, Asmita P. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {44407, title = {Vapor-liquid equilibrium data for binary mixtures of dimethyl carbonate with methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate at 93.13 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {62}, year = {2017}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4356-4363}, abstract = {Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data was measured at the local atmospheric pressure of 93.13 kPa for the binary systems of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) with methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, n-butyl acetate, and isoamyl acetate using a dynamic recirculation still. VLE data was generated in the form of T-x,y and was checked for thermodynamic consistency using the Herington area test, Van Ness test, and mean absolute deviation between experimental and calculated total pressure and vapor phase composition. Data for all pairs meet the criteria for thermodynamic consistency and were found suitable for process modeling. Binary interaction parameters for the Wilson, nonrandom two-liquid (NRTL), and universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) activity coefficient models were determined using the objective function of minimizing the deviation between the experimental and the calculated vapor phase composition and total pressure. For all binary systems, Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC models gave good predictions. Azeotropic behavior was observed for the isopropyl acetate-DMC pair at 357.8 K and 0.6 mole fraction of isopropyl acetate.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.7b00704}, author = {Mali, Nilesh A. and Yadav, Satyajeet S. and Ghuge, Pravin D. and Joshi, Sunil. S.} } @article {43965, title = {X-ray structure, spectral characteristics, thermal and redox behavior of quinoline encapsulated in sulfonatocalix[4]arene}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {246}, year = {2017}, month = {NOV}, pages = {187-196}, type = {Journal Article}, keywords = {Crystal Structure Analysis, Partial Encapsulation, single crystal X-ray diffraction, Spectral Characteristics, Sulfanatocalixarene, Theoretical Calculations}, doi = { 10.1016/j.molliq.2017.09.061}, author = {Thorave, R. G.}, editor = {Lande, D.N.} } @article {44408, title = {ZnO{\textendash}ZnS heterojunctions: a potential candidate for optoelectronics applications and mineralization of endocrine disruptors in direct sunlight}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {2}, year = {2017}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6768{\textendash}6781}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Simple solution combustion synthesis was adopted to synthesize ZnO{\textendash}ZnS (ZSx) nanocomposites using zinc nitrate as an oxidant and a mixture of urea and thiourea as a fuel. A large thiourea/urea ratio leads to more ZnS in ZSx with heterojunctions between ZnS and ZnO and throughout the bulk; tunable ZnS crystallite size and textural properties are an added advantage. The amount of ZnS in ZSx can be varied by simply changing the thiourea content. Although ZnO and ZnS are wide band gap semiconductors, ZSx exhibits visible light absorption, at least up to 525 nm. This demonstrates an effective reduction of the optical band gap and substantial changes in its electronic structure. Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and secondary-ion mass spectrometry results show features due to ZnO and ZnS and confirm the composite nature with heterojunctions. The above mentioned observations demonstrate the multifunctional nature of ZSx. Bare ZSx exhibits a promising sunlight-driven photocatalytic activity for complete mineralization of endocrine disruptors such as 2,4-dichlorophenol and endosulphan. ZSx also exhibits photocurrent generation at no applied bias. Dye-sensitized solar cell performance evaluation with ZSx shows up to 4\% efficiency and 48\% incident photon conversion efficiency. Heterojunctions observed between ZnO and ZnS nanocrystallites in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy suggest the reason for effective separation of electron{\textendash}hole pairs and their utilization.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01172}, author = {Perumal Devaraji and Maitri Mapa and Hasna M. Abdul Hakkeem and Vediappan Sudhakar and Kothandam Krishnamoorthy and Chinnakonda S. Gopinath} } @article {44416, title = {Accelerated in vitro model for occlusion of biliary stents: investigating the role played by dietary fibre}, journal = {BMJ Innovations}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, abstract = {ackground To develop a new accelerated in vitro model that has implications for investigating the mechanism of biliary stent occlusion and help in the development of new materials that can alleviate this problem. Methods We employ a combination of reconstituted animal bile, bacteria and cellulose fibres optimised to reproducibly generate accelerated occlusion of stents, and produce occlusions that closely mimic those found in clinical studies. Results Our model affords repeatable, highly accelerated occlusion (within 2{\textendash}3 days, compared with between about a week to 2 months in previous models). Our results highlight the role of dietary fibre in blockage of stents and demonstrate their importance in the onset of occlusion. Conclusions This accelerated model may have implications for developing biliary stents with enhanced patency.}, doi = {dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjinnov-2017-000209}, author = {Surwase, Sachin and Balakrishnan, Harishankar and Acharya, Subrat K. and Makharia, Govind K. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {45428, title = { Accessing alpha-arylated nitriles via BF3 center dot OEt2 catalyzed cyanation of para-quinone methides using tert-butyl isocyanide as a cyanide source}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {12305-12314}, type = {Article}, abstract = {BF3 center dot OEt2 catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of tertbutyl isocyanide to para-quinone methides and fuchsones for the synthesis of alpha-diaryl and alpha-triaryl nitriles has been reported. This protocol allows alpha-diaryl- and alpha-triaryl nitriles to be accessed in good to excellent yields and with a broad substrate scope, which could be further functionalized to give a versatile set of products. This is the first example wherein tert-butyl isocyanide has been used as a cyanide source for the 1,6-conjugate addition.}, issn = { 0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b01926}, author = {Shirsath, Sachin R. and Shinde, Ganesh H. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {44419, title = {Aluminium oxide supported on SBA15 molecular sieves as potential lewis acid catalysts for epoxidering opening using aniline}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {148}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1407-1415}, abstract = {A series of aluminium oxide (Al2O3)-supported SBA-15 molecular sieves were prepared using a one-step wet-impregnation method. Powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, infrared spectroscopy and ammonia TPD were used to investigate the structures and chemical natures of the surface-bound species. The FT-IR studies of metal-impregnated SBA-15 materials revealed strong covalent interaction of Al2O3 on SBA-15 materials with strong Lewis acidic properties, evident from ammonia-TPD studies. The metal oxide-supported SBA-15 catalysts are active for epoxide ring opening with aniline at room temperature, and showed remarkably high stability and selectivity towards mono-alkylated products (about 86\%) viz., 1-(phenylamino)propan-2-ol and 2-(phenylamino)propan-1-ol. The catalytic activities remained intact after several recycles. The observed activities and selectivities were compared with other metal oxide-loaded SBA-15 catalysts obtained by similar preparation methods. Aluminium oxide supported SBA-15 molecular sieves were prepared using a one-step wet-impregnation method. The materials showed strong Lewis acidic sites and promising catalytic activity for epoxide ring opening with aniline at room temperature. }, doi = {10.1007/s10562-018-2366-8}, author = {Yadav, Rekha and Muralidhar, Akhila and Shamna, A. and Aghila, P. and Gurrala, Lakshmiprasad and Sakthivel, Ayyamperumal} } @article {44422, title = {Analysis of tail-anchored protein translocation pathway in plants}, journal = {Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports }, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {161-167}, abstract = {Tail-anchored (TA) proteins are a special class of membrane proteins that carry out vital functions in all living cells. Targeting mechanisms of TA proteins are investigated as the best example for post-translational protein targeting in yeast. Of the several mechanisms, Guided Entry of Tail-anchored protein (GET) pathway plays a major role in TA protein targeting. Many in silico and in vivo analyses are geared to identify TA proteins and their targeting mechanisms in different systems including Arabidopsis thaliana. Yet, crop plants that grow in specific and/or different conditions are not investigated for the presence of TA proteins and GET pathway. This study majorly investigates GET pathway in two crop plants, Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum, through detailed in silico analysis. 508 and 912 TA proteins are identified in Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum respectively and their localization with respect to endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria, and chloroplast has been delineated. Similarly, the associated GET proteins are identified (Get1, Get3 and Get4) and their structural inferences are elucidated using homology modelling. Get3 models are based on yeast Get3. The cytoplasmic Get3 from O. sativa is identified to be very similar to yeast Get3 with conserved P-loop and TA binding groove. Three cytoplasmic Get3s are identified for S. tuberosum. Taken together, this is the first study to identify TA proteins and GET components in Oryza sativa subsp. Indica and Solanum tuberosum, forming the basis for any further experimental characterization of TA targeting and GET pathway mechanisms in crop plants. }, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrep.2018.05.001}, author = {Manu, M. S. and Ghosh, Deepanjan and Chaudhari, Bhushan P. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar} } @article {44191, title = {Application of sulfur ylides in 1,2-difunctionalization of arynes via insertion into a C-S sigma-bond}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {848-851}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel reactivity of sulfur ylides has been demonstrated in a transition-metal-free protocol to access ortho-substituted thioanisole derivatives by insertion of arynes into a C-S sigma-bond in moderate to good yields. The reaction involves the formation of C-C and C-S bonds and consecutive breaking of two C-S bonds under operationally mild reaction conditions.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b04003}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Thoke, Mahesh B. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44427, title = {Base-promoted heterogeneous reusable copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) catalyzed facile synthesis of 1,2-diarylethanols via C(sp3)-H functionalization of nitrotoluene}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {719-723}, abstract = {A novel, an efficient protocol has been developed for the facile synthesis of various 1,2-diarylethanol in good to excellent yields via C(sp3)-H functionalization of various nitrotoluenes with substituted aromatic, heterocyclic aldehydes/isatin. This is the first example in which base promoted heterogeneous, reusable copper fluorapatite (CuFAP) catalyzed C(sp3)-H functionalization of various nitrotoluenes was achieved under ligand-, additive- free reaction condition. The developed protocol is an environmentally benign approach, which replaces cumbersome protocols, avoids the use of costly precious metal catalysts, prefunctionalized substrates, and toxic reagents. The heterogeneous CuFAP catalyst was recovered by simple filtration and reused several times without the loss of its catalytic activity. The selective functional group transformation of 1,2-diaryethanol was accomplished.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702416}, author = {Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article {44370, title = {Bimetallic Au-Ag/Al2O3 as efficient catalysts for the hydrocarbon selective reduction of NOx from lean burn engine exhaust}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {306}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {23-31}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Catalytic properties of Au-Ag/Al2O3 catalysts, prepared by successive impregnation, have been investigated for the hydrocarbon selective catalytic reduction (HC-SCR) of NOx. The performances of pre-reduced and aged catalysts were evaluated on synthetic reaction mixtures with gas compositions representative of the exhaust of Diesel powered engines. An optimal 2 wt.\% Ag loading was chosen and the order of introduction during sequential impregnation of Ag or Au on respectively pre-impregnated Au/Al2O3 and Ag/Al2O3 substrates was investigated revealing drastic changes on the catalytic properties after aging. XPS analysis shows a significant silver enrichment irrespective of the preparation route and aging conditions whereas ex situ UV-vis DRS analysis reveals significant electronic disturbances which reflect different interactions between Au and Ag in fresh and aged Au-Ag/Al2O3 and Ag-Au/Al2O3 catalysts. As a consequence, significant rate enhancements in NOx conversion were observed with the superior performance of Au-Ag/Al2O3 but a lower resistance to deactivation at high temperature explained by different behaviour towards redispersion/agglomeration processes highlighted from TEM observations. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2016.12.002}, author = {More, P. M. and Dongare, M. K. and Umbarkar, S. B. and Granger, P. and Dujardin, C.} } @article {45468, title = { Bubble size prediction in gas-solid fluidized beds using genetic programming }, journal = {Current Science }, volume = {115}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV }, pages = {1904-1912}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The hydrodynamics of a gas-solid fluidized bed (FB) is affected by the bubble diameter, which in turn strongly influences the performance of a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Thus, determining the bubble diameter accurately is of crucial importance in the design and operation of an FBR. Various equations are available for calculating the bubble diameter in an FBR. It has been found in this study that these models show a large variation while predicting the experimentally measured bubble diameters. Accordingly, the present study proposes a new equation for computing the bubble diameter in a fluidized bed. This equation has been developed using an efficient, yet infrequently employed computational intelligence (CI)-based data-driven modelling method termed genetic programming (GP). The prediction and generalization performance of the GP-based equation has been compared with that of a number of currently available equations for computing the bubble diameter in a fluidized bed and the results obtained show a good performance by the newly developed equation.}, issn = {0011-3891}, doi = {10.18520/cs/v115/i10/1904-1912}, author = {Sonolikar, R. R. and Patil, M. P. and Mankar, R. B. and Tambe, S. S. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {44646, title = {Calixarene intercalated NiCo layered double hydroxide for enhanced oxygen evolution catalysis}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {9649-9660}, abstract = {

Water splitting provides a promising, sustainable way to resolve problems arising due to depleting fossil fuels. The success needs development of low-cost and high-performance electrode materials. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial reaction in water splitting. The combined Ni and Co oxide developed nanostructures having a small overpotential and fast kinetics of OER. They have drawn considerable attention, because of their theoretically high efficiency, high abundance, low cost, and environmental benignity in comparison with precious metal oxides, such as RuO2 and IrO2. However, the desired efficiency needs the developments of enhanced specific active area and conductivity. In the present communication, we address these issues. Specifically, exfoliation of layer double hydroxide (LDH) is applied to enhance the active surface area. The study reveals that intercalation by calixarene in NiCo LDH affords a multifunctional interlayer to deliver a large active surface area and fast electron transport toward the carbon nano-onion (CNO) support. It favorably lowers the overpotentials in OER (290 mV) and attains Tafel slope of 31 mV/decade. Enhanced conductivity is achieved using CNO as a support for the calixarene intercalated NiCo LDH. These developments offer a synergistic effect in achieving superior electrocatalytic activity for OER. This work gives insight into designing binder-free electrodes in alkaline media with good stability for advanced OER activity.

}, keywords = {Calixarene, electrocatalyst, Exfoliation, NiCo LDH, Oxygen Evolution Reaction}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b04788}, author = {Waghmode, Babasaheb J. and Gaikwad, Aarti P. and Rode, V, Chandrashekhar and Sathaye, Shivaram D. and Patil, Kashinath R. and Malkhede, Dipalee D.} } @article {44428, title = {Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2954-2965}, abstract = {Transformation of biomass into valuable nitrogen-containing compounds is highly desired, yet less explored. Here, we report a simple and efficient method for the direct conversion of bioglycerol to oxazoline involving glycerol dehydration to acetol followed by its amination using an aqueous solution of ammonia. For the two-step strategy a non-noble metal Cu-Zr catalyst was developed, giving a glycerol to acetol conversion of 78\% followed by amination separately with 95\% selectivity to oxazoline. Moreover, we have demonstrated a single-pot oxazoline synthesis using Ru/C as the most stable catalyst to achieve 95\% selectivity to oxazoline without any leaching. XPS studies revealed the co-existence of multivalent Ru species in different percentages depending on the nature and structure of the support. These multivalent species (RuO2 and RuO3) have a synergistic effect on the activation of the carbonyl group, whereas Ru-0 is an active site for ammonia dissociation. NH3-TPD and Py-IR spectroscopy results also suggest that the presence of relatively moderate acid sites and a higher BrOnsted/Lewis acid ratio in the catalyst promote the selective production of oxazoline. The reaction pathway involves first glycerol dehydration to acetol. In the subsequent step, NH3 is dissociatively adsorbed on the catalyst surface and the imine thus formed is condensed with a second molecule of acetol to obtain oxazoline. The studied catalyst could be recycled successfully without any significant loss of catalytic activity.}, doi = {10.1039/c8cy00185e}, author = {Pandya, R. and Mane, R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {44429, title = {Chemical oxidative and solid state synthesis of low molecular weight polymers for organic field effect transistors}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {696}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {48-54}, abstract = {Solution processability of the precursor molecules is a major issue owing to their limited solubility for the synthesis of conjugated polymers. Therefore, we favour the solvent free solid state chemical oxidative polymerization route for the synthesis of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) based donor-acceptor (D-A) type conjugated polymers. D-A type polymer Poly(S-OD-EDOT) which contains DPP coupled with EDOT donor units is synthesized via solid state polymerization method. The polymer is employed as an active layer for organic field-effect transistors to measure charge transport properties. The Polymer shows good hole mobility 3.1 x 10(-2) cm(2) V-1 s(-1), with a on/off ratio of 1.1 x 10(3). (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2018.02.021}, author = {Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar} } @article {44227, title = {Cobalt-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of aminoalcohols with alcohols: direct access to pyrrole, pyridine and pyrazine derivatives}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {90-93}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here, the first example is reported of a new, molecularly defined SNS-cobalt(II) catalyst for the acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) of unprotected amino alcohols with secondary alcohols leading to pyrrole and pyridine derivatives.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c7cc07427a}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Landge, Vinod G. and Sahoo, Manoj K. and Rana, Jagannath and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {45462, title = {Controlled surface/interface structure and spin enabled superior properties and biocompatibility of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Allied Surface Science }, volume = {459}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {788-801}, type = {Article }, abstract = {High quality, crystalline, well-dispersed, and stable magnetic oxide nanoparticles (NPs) of inverse spinel cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4; CFO) were prepared by a facile, reproducible, and simple hydrothermal route. The transmission electron microscopy, small-angle scattering and X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate the structural quality of CFO NPs with a controlled size of similar to 12 nm. Small-angle scattering experiments demonstrate that the pristine CFO NPs have the individual size similar to 8.5 nm and spherical shape. The Raman and infrared spectroscopic measurements further confirm their high chemical quality and cubic symmetry. CFO NPs exhibit a remarkable, maximum coercivity (H-c) value of 18.92 kOe, which is the highest value achieved to date. Surface spins and spins canting along with a weak dipolar interaction accounts for the giant H-c and large effective anisotropy (11.45 x 10(6) erg/cm(3)) of these CFO NPs. The magnetic grain size of NPs reveals that the canted surface spins exist around the magnetic particles. Reorientation of surface spins and interparticle interaction causes the jumping behaviour in M-H hysteresis loops at H = 0. The cell viability of CFO NPs against the cancer (cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer - A2780/CP70) was evaluated to determine their potential application in biomedicine and health science. The mild response of CFO NPs in terms of their anti-proliferative nature against cancer cells and negligible cytotoxicity suggests their human-safe-and-friendly nature which makes them suitable for biomedical/health-related applications. Assessment of toxicity toward human red blood cells (RBC) revealed that hemolysis is less than 5\% compared to the positive control confirming the potential applications of CFO NPs targeting human cells and making relevant for adopting them in biomedicine.}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = { 10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.08.063}, author = {Ansari, Sumayya M. and Sinha, Bhavesh B. and Pai, Kalpana R. and Bhat, Suresh K. and Ma, Yuan-Ron and Sen, Debasis and Kolekar, Yesh D. and Ramana, C., V.} } @article {45541, title = {Convenient synthesis of the enantiomerically pure (S)-2,4-dihydroxybutyl-4-hydroxybenzoate using hydrolytic kinetic resolution}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {48}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = { 2093-2098}, type = {Article }, abstract = {(S)-2,4-Dihydroxybutyl-4-hydroxybenzoate was prepared in an extremely simple and practical way with high enantiomeric excess (99\% ee) using Jacobsen{\textquoteright}s Hydrolytic Kinetic Resolution technique as a key step and source of chirality. }, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2018.1484486}, author = {More, N. A. and Jadhao, N. L. and Garud, D. R. and Gajbhiye, J. M.} } @article {44443, title = {Cross-metathesis of biorenewable dioxalates and diols to film-forming degradable polyoxalates}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1584-1592}, abstract = {Starting from commonly available sugar derivatives, a single step protocol to access a small family of isohexide-dioxalates (2a-c) has been established. The synthetic competence of 2a-c has been demonstrated by subjecting them to condensation polymerization. Quite surprisingly, the proton NMR of poly(isomannide-co-hexane)oxalate revealed a 1:2 ratio between isomannide-dioxalate (2a) and 1,6-hexanediol (3a) in the polymer backbone. This intriguing reactivity was found to be an outcome of a cross metathesis reaction between 2a and 3a. The cross metathesis products 3a[2-(2-methoxyacetoxy)ethyl 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-2-(3-oxydanylidene)acetate] and 2a(3R,6R)-6-hydroxyhexahydrofuro[3,2-b]-furan-3-yl methyl oxalate were isolated in a control experiment. Based on direct and indirect evidence, and control experiments, an alternative polymerization mechanism is proposed. Polymerization conditions were optimized to obtain polyoxalates P1(2a-3a)-P9(2c-3c) with molecular weights in the range of 14,000-68,000 g/mol, and narrow polydispersities. The identity of the polyoxalates was unambiguously established using 1-2D NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-ToF-MS, and GPC measurements. The practical implication of these polymers is demonstrated by preparing transparent, mechanically robust films. The environmental footprint of the selected polyoxalates was investigated by subjecting them to solution and solid-state degradation. The polyoxalates were found to be amenable to degradation. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 1584-1592}, doi = {10.1002/pola.29043}, author = {Rajput, Bhausaheb S. and Ram, Farsa and Menon, Shamal K. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45430, title = {CSGID solves structures and identifies phenotypes for five enzymes in toxoplasma gondii}, journal = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Toxoplasma gondii, an Apicomplexan parasite, causes significant morbidity and mortality, including severe disease in immunocompromised hosts and devastating congenital disease, with no effective treatment for the bradyzoite stage. To address this, we used the Tropical Disease Research database, crystallography, molecular modeling, and antisense to identify and characterize a range of potential therapeutic targets for toxoplasmosis. Phosphoglycerate mutase II (PGMII), nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDK), ribulose phosphate 3-epimerase (RPE), ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (RPI), and ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) were structurally characterized. Crystallography revealed insights into the overall structure, protein oligomeric states and molecular details of active sites important for ligand recognition. Literature and molecular modeling suggested potential inhibitors and druggability. The targets were further studied with vivoPMO to interrupt enzyme synthesis, identifying the targets as potentially important to parasitic replication and, therefore, of therapeutic interest. Targeted vivoPMO resulted in statistically significant perturbation of parasite replication without concomitant host cell toxicity, consistent with a previous CRISPR/Cas9 screen showing PGM, RPE, and RPI contribute to parasite fitness. PGM, RPE, and RPI have the greatest promise for affecting replication in tachyzoites. These targets are shared between other medically important parasites and may have wider therapeutic potential.

}, issn = { 2235-2988}, doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2018.00352}, author = {Lykins, Joseph D. and Filippova, Ekaterina V and Halavaty, Andrei S. and Minasov, George and Zhou, Ying and Dubrovska, Ievgeniia and Flores, Kristin J. and Shuvalova, Ludmilla A. and Ruan, Jiapeng and El Bissati, Kamal and Dovgin, Sarah and Roberts, Craig W. and Woods, Stuart and Moulton, Jon D. and Moulton, Hong and Mcphillie, Martin J. and Muench, Stephen P. and Fishwick, Colin W. G. and Sabini, Elisabetta and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Roos, David S. and Mcleod, Rima and Anderson, Wayne F. and Ngo, Huan M.} } @article {44445, title = {Curcumin-artemisinin coamorphous solid: Xenograft model preclinical study}, journal = {Pharmaceutics}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {Article Number: 7}, abstract = {Curcumin is a natural compound present in Indian spice turmeric. It has diverse pharmacological action but low oral solubility and bioavailability continue to limit its use as a drug. With the aim of improving the bioavailability of Curcumin (CUR), we evaluated Curcumin-Pyrogallol (CUR-PYR) cocrystal and Curcumin-Artemisinin (CUR-ART) coamorphous solid. Both of these solid forms exhibited superior dissolution and pharmacokinetic behavior compared to pure CUR, which is practically insoluble in water. CUR-ART coamorphous solid showed two fold higher bioavailability than CUR-PYR cocrystal (at 200 mg/kg oral dose). Moreover, in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids (SGF and SIF), CUR-ART is stable up to 3 and 12 h, respectively. In addition, CUR-PYR and CUR-ART showed no adverse effects in toxicology studies (10 times higher dose at 2000 mg/kg). CUR-ART showed higher therapeutic effect and inhibited approximately 62\% of tumor growth at 100 mg/kg oral dosage of CUR in xenograft models, which is equal to the positive control drug, doxorubicin (2 mg/kg) by i.v. administration.}, doi = {10.3390/pharmaceutics10010007}, author = {Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Suresh, Kuthuru and Bommaka, Manish Kumar and Konga, Durga Bhavani and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {45390, title = {Design, synthesis, docking studies and biological screening of 2-thiazolyl substituted-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-e][1,3]oxazines as potent HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitors}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {157}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {310-319}, type = {Article}, abstract = {1,3-oxazine nucleus and thiazolyl group features prominently in many biologically important natural products as well as bioactive molecules. A series of novel 2-thiazolyl substituted-2,3-dihydro-1H-naphtho [1,2-e][1,3]oxazine derivatives were designed and synthesized based on their structure-activity relationships (SARs) from 2-naphthol, substituted thiazolyl amines and formalin through ring closure by one-pot three component reaction. These derivatives were first evaluated for their inhibitory effect on HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase (RT) enzyme activity. Out of 14 compounds, 4 showed potent inhibition of HIV-1 RT activity at significantly low concentration. Docking studies of these molecules revealed their high affinity binding to several amino acids of HIV-1 RT which are less sensitive to point mutations. Furthermore, anti-HIV activity of these molecules was analysed in a CD4(+) T cell-line, which indicates that Therapeutic Index (TI) of some of these compounds is better than Zidovudine and Efavirenz, known HIV-1 RT inhibitors. Taken together, our studies report for the first time some novel naphthoxazine derivatives with significant TI, which is through inhibition of HIV-1 RT activity. (C) 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.07.067}, author = {Gawali, Rakhi and Trivedi, Jay and Bhansali, Sujit and Bhosale, Raghunath and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mitra, Debashis} } @conference {44600, title = {Differential responses of CHO cells adapted to limitation of inorganic phosphate, glucose or glutamine}, booktitle = {255th National Meeting and Exposition of the American-Chemical-Society (ACS) - Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, publisher = {American-Chemical-Society, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, organization = {American-Chemical-Society, 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA}, address = {New Orleans, LA}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Pant, Tejal and Gadgil, Chetan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {44453, title = {Dihedral angle control to improve the charge transport properties of conjugated polymers in organic field effect transistors}, journal = {Chemical Physics Letters}, volume = {695}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {51-58}, abstract = {Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and i-Indigo (i-Ind) are two monomers that are widely explored as active materials in organic field effect transistor and solar cells. These two molecules showed impressive charge carrier mobility due to better packing that are facilitated by quadrupoles. We hypothesized that the copolymers of these monomers would also exhibit high charge carrier mobility. However, we envisioned that the dihedral angle at the connecting point between the monomers will play a crucial role in packing as well as charge transport. To understand the impact of dihedral angle on charge transport, we synthesized three copolymers, wherein the DPP was sandwiched between benzenes, thiophenes and furans. The copolymer of i-Indigo and furan comprising DPP showed a band gap of 1.4 eV with a very high dihedral angle of 179 degrees. The polymer was found to pack better and the coherence length was found to be 112 angstrom. The hole carrier mobility of these polymer was found to be highest among the synthesized polymer i. e. 0.01 cm(2)/vs. The copolymer comprising benzene did not transport hole and electrons. The dihedral angle at the connecting point between i and Indigo and benzene DPP was 143 angstrom, which the packing and consequently charge transport properties. (C) 2018 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cplett.2018.01.052}, author = {Dharmapurikar, Satej S. and Chithiravel, Sundaresan and Mane, Manoj V. and Deshmukh, Gunvant and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {44615, title = {Direct access to N-alkylated amines and imines via acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling catalyzed by a cobalt(ii)-NNN pincer complex}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3469-3473}, abstract = {

A simple, phosphine-free Co(ii)-NNN pincer complex catalyzed direct N-alkylation of anilines with alcohols via hydrogen auto-transfer (HA) and selective acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling (ADC) of benzylamines with alcohols affording imines with the liberation of molecular hydrogen and water is reported.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c8cy00859k}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Landge, Vinod G. and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44454, title = {Divergent synthesis of oxindolylidene acetates and spirooxindolopyrrolidones from arynes}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1483-1486}, abstract = {A novel process for the preparation of various (E)-oxindolylidene acetates using arynes and carbamoylpropiolates has been developed. The utility of this protocol is also further extended to the one-pot synthesis of complex spirooxindolopyrrolidones. This method provides a milder and transition-metal-free access to both of the target scaffolds in moderate to good yields.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.7b03661}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44456, title = {Diversity in binding, regulation, and evolution revealed from high-throughput ChIP}, journal = {PLoS Computational Biology}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article Number: e1006090}, abstract = {

Genome-wide in vivo protein-DNA interactions are routinely mapped using high-throughput chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). ChIP-reported regions are typically investigated for enriched sequence-motifs, which are likely to model the DNA-binding specificity of the profiled protein and/or of co-occurring proteins. However, simple enrichment analyses can miss insights into the binding-activity of the protein. Note that ChIP reports regions making direct contact with the protein as well as those binding through intermediaries. For example, consider a ChIP experiment targeting protein X, which binds DNA at its cognate sites, but simultaneously interacts with four other proteins. Each of these proteins also binds to its own specific cognate sites along distant parts of the genome, a scenario consistent with the current view of transcriptional hubs and chromatin loops. Since ChIP will pull down all X-associated regions, the final reported data will be a union of five distinct sets of regions, each containing binding sites of one of the five proteins, respectively. Characterizing all five different motifs and the corresponding sets is important to interpret the ChIP experiment and ultimately, the role of X in regulation. We present DIVERSITY which attempts exactly this: it partitions the data so that each partition can be characterized with its own de novo motif. DIVERSITY uses a Bayesian approach to identify the optimal number of motifs and the associated partitions, which together explain the entire dataset. This is in contrast to standard motif finders, which report motifs individually enriched in the data, but do not necessarily explain all reported regions. We show that the different motifs and associated regions identified by DIVERSITY give insights into the various complexes that may be forming along the chromatin, something that has so far not been attempted from ChIP data. Webserver at nci.res.i, if; standalone (Mac OS X/Linux) from from https://github.com/NarlikarLab/DIVERSITY/releases/tag/v1.0.0.

}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006090}, author = {Mitra, Sneha and Biswas, Anushua and Narlikar, Leelavati} } @article {44647, title = {Dynamics of loops at the substrate entry channel determine the specificity of iridoid synthases}, journal = {Febs Letters}, volume = {592}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2624-2635}, abstract = {

Iridoid synthases belong to the family of short-chain dehydrogenase reductase involved in the biosynthesis of iridoids. Despite having high sequence and structural homology with progesterone 5 beta- reductase, these enzymes exhibit differential substrate specificities. Previously, two loops. L1 and L2 at substrate-binding pocket, were suggested to be involved in generating substrate specificity. However, the structural basis of specificity determinants was elusive. Here, combining sequence and structural analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and molecular dynamics simulations, we have shown that iridoid synthase contains two channels for substrate entry whose geometries are altered by L1-L2 dynamics, primarily orchestrated by interactions of residues Glu161 and Gly162 of L1 and Asn358 of L2. A complex interplay of these interactions confer the substrate specificity to the enzyme.

}, keywords = {iridoid synthase, iridoids, Molecular dynamics simulations, progesterone 5 beta-reductase, Substrate specificity}, issn = {1873-3468}, doi = {10.1002/1873-3468.13174}, author = {Sandholu, Anand S. and Mohole, Madhura and Duax, William L. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Sengupta, Durba and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article {44602, title = {Effect of hyperglycemic conditions on the early self-assembly of the alzheimer{\textquoteright}s amyloid beta peptide: implications for neurotoxicity}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {114}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {227A}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana} } @article {44465, title = {Electron transfer rate analysis of a site-specifically wired copper oxidase}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6159-6166}, abstract = {Electron transfer kinetic parameters of site-specifically wired copper oxidase were investigated. The enzyme{\textquoteright}s orientation towards the electrode was controlled by incorporation of propargyl-L-lysine as a site-specific anchoring point. Herein, we demonstrate the importance of immobilization orientation and how it affects electron transfer efficiency and kinetics to each of the enzyme{\textquoteright}s two active sites.}, doi = {10.1039/c8cp00041g}, author = {Schlesinger, Orr and Pasi, Mor and Dandela, Rambabu and Meijler, Michael M. and Alfonta, Lital} } @article {45481, title = {Enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cascade reaction for the synthesis of pyrroloquinolines via N-H functionalization of indoles}, journal = {Organic letters }, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {6998-7002}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Functionalization of the indole N-H bond for enantioselective synthesis of biologically important pyrroloquinoline derivatives has been reported under oxidative N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis conditions. The interception of catalytically generated chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazoliums with the indole derivatives proceeds in an aza-Michael/Michael/lactonization sequence to deliver the pyrroloquinoline derivatives in good yields, diastereoselectivities, and enantioselectivities. The simultaneous enhancement of reactivity and selectivity observed in polar aprotic solvents is noteworthy.}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = { 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b02820}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Shee, Sayan and Poisson, Thomas and Besset, Tatiana and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {44223, title = {Enhanced and synergistic downregulation of oncogenic miRNAs by self-assembled branched DNA}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {195-202}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

miRNAs, a group of small non-coding RNA molecules, regulate the expression of many genes involved in various cellular processes. Acute evidence suggests that one miRNA can regulate many genes as its targets, while one gene can be targeted by many miRNAs that co-operatively regulate the gene. Thus, targeting a single miRNA is not sufficient enough to rescue the disease phenotype but it is also essential to target multiple miRNAs simultaneously. This inspired us to design a novel DNA nanostructure that can concurrently downregulate multiple oncomiRNAs. Here we designed a programmable antimiR branched DNA (antimiR-bDNA) nanostructure having antimiRNAs for selective binding to oncomiRNAs miRNA-27a, 96 and 182 which collectively downregulate FOXO1a expression. The antimiR-bDNAs show enhanced stability compared to naked antimiRNAs in serum and are able to knockdown these miRNAs with up to similar to 50\% greater repression as compared to antimiRNAs. This synergistic miRNA repression leads to the restoration of FOXO1a protein levels which in turn inhibit G1-S traversion in cancer cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study harnessing the ability of bDNA structures to silence multiple miRNAs simultaneously.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c7nr06601e}, author = {Nahar, S. and Nayak, A. K. and Ghosh, A. and Subudhi, U. and Maiti, S.} } @article {45542, title = {Enhancement of field electron emission in topological insulator Bi2Se3 by Ni doping}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {18429-18435}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Nanostructures of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3), a 3D topological insulator material, and nickel (Ni) doped Bi2Se3 samples were prepared by a hydrothermal method to explore the field emission properties. An enrichment in the field electron emission (FE) properties in terms of the threshold and turn-on field values of Bi2Se3 and Ni doped Bi2Se3 nanostructures was measured at a base pressure of \~{}1 {\texttimes} 10-8 mbar. Using the background of the Fowler{\textendash}Nordheim (FN) theory a field enhancement factor (β) of 5.7 {\texttimes} 103 and a threshold field value of 2.5 V μm-1 for 7.5\% Ni doped Bi2Se3 were determined by investigating the J{\textendash}E plot of the FE data. The value of β is three times higher than that of pure Bi2Se3 confirming the superior FE properties. The emission current was found to be very stable with the property of long standing durability as a negligible amount of variation was observed when measured at a constant value of 5 mA for 3 hours. The experimental results signify many opportunities for potential applications of Ni doped Bi2Se3 as a source of electrons in scanning as well as transmission electron microscopy, flat panel displays and as an X-ray generator, etc.}, doi = {10.1039/c8cp01982g}, author = {Mazumder, K. and Sharma, A. and Kumar, Y. and Bankar, P. and More, M. A. and Devan, R. and Shirage, P. M.} } @article {45448, title = {Entacapone: improving aqueous solubility, diffusion permeability, and cocrystal stability with theophylline}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6061-6069}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Cocrystallization is a well-established technique to improve the solubility, bioavailability, and stability of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) but permeability and diffusion rate control via cocrystals is relatively less well studied, and the exact role of coformers in influencing the diffusion rate of drug cocrystals is still not fully understood. The aqueous solubility and permeability diffusion of Entacapone, ETP, a Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) Class IV drug of low solubility and low permeability, with Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) coformers has been studied. Fixed stoichiometry cocrystals of ETP with acetamide (ACT, 1:1), nicotinamide (NAM, 1:1), isonicotinamide (INAM, 1:1), pyrazinamide (PYZ, 1:1), and isoniazid (INZ), 1:1) were prepared by solvent-assisted grinding. Theophylline (THP) resulted in a cocrystal hydrate (ETP-THP-FIYD 1:1:1). The cocrystals were structurally characterized by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, DSC and TGA thermal measurements, and IR and NMR spectroscopy. Solubility and dissolution rate showed that there is a correlation between cocrystal stability and solubility governed by the heteromeric N-H center dot center dot center dot O, O-H center dot center dot center dot N, and O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds and conformational changes of ETP in cocrystal structures. ETP-THP-HYD and ETP-PYZ exhibit faster dissolution rate and high solubility and they are stable in phosphate buffer medium compared to the other cocrystals which dissociate partially during solubility experiments. Diffusion rates in a Franz cell showed that the stable and high solubility ETP-THP-HYD cocrystal has good permeability. Given that stability, solubility, and permeability are in general inversely correlated, the entacapone-theophylline hydrate cocrystal is a unique example of the thermodynamically stable cocrystal exhibiting high solubility and high permeability.}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.8b00921}, author = {Bommaka, Manish Kumar and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Suresh, Kuthuru and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {44466, title = {Environmental impact study of bagasse valorization routes}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {2067-2078}, type = {Article}, abstract = {India is the world{\textquoteright}s second largest sugarcane producer and a major manufacturer of molasses-derived ethanol. The sugarcane produced is widely used in the production of sugar and 1G ethanol. Though sugar and 1G ethanol are the major concerns, there is still a huge amount of bagasse waste generated in the sugar factories. This bagasse has also some end use value, as it can be utilized for production of methanol, 2G ethanol and electricity. Even though the technology for production of these value added products is well established, it is important to analyze the social, economical and environmental impacts associated with these production processes. This work compares the environmental impacts of various sugarcane conversion processes on life cycle basis. The functional unit used is one tonne of sugarcane cultivated in field. Four routes identified for bagasse conversion- conversion of bagasse to methanol (Route 1), conversion of bagasse to ethanol via 2 stage dilute acid process (Route 2), conversion of bagasse to ethanol via enzymatic process (Route 3) and electricity production from bagasse (Route 4). On comparison of these routes on midpoint indicators such as global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP) and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP), it is observed that the methanol production is having the highest environmental indicator values. Even though ethanol production processes and cogeneration process are having nearly similar results, it can be said that cogeneration process is the more eco-friendly one.}, keywords = {Bagasse valorization, Environmental impact, LCA, Midpoint indicators}, issn = {1877-2641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-018-0198-9}, author = {Mandavgane, Sachin Arvind and Joglekar, Saurabh and Tandulje, Akshay P. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {44469, title = {Enzymatic formation of a skipped methyl-substituted octaprenyl side chain of longestin (KS-505a): involvement of homo-IPP as a common extender unit}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6629-6632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Longestin (KS-505a), a specific inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, is a meroterpenoid that consists of a unique octacyclic terpene skeleton with branched methyl groups at unusual positions (C1 and C12). The biochemical analysis of Lon23, a methyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of longestin, demonstrated that methylation of IPP afforded 3Z-3-methyl IPP. This compound as well as IPP was selectively accepted as extender units by Lon22, a geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) synthase homolog, to yield dimethylated GGPP (dmGGPP). Absolute configuration of dmGGPP was determined to be (4R, 12R) by degradation and chiral GC analysis. These findings led us to propose key steps of the biosynthetic pathway of the unusual homoterpenoid longestin.

}, doi = {10.1002/ange.201802116}, author = {Taro Ozaki and Shinde, Sandip S. and Gao, Lei and Okuizumi, Ryo and Liu, Chengwei and Ogasawara, Yasushi and Lei, Xiaoguang and Dairi, Tohru and Minami, Atsushi and Oikawa, Hideaki} } @article {44221, title = {Epoxyazadiradione suppresses breast tumor growth through mitochondrial depolarization and caspase-dependent apoptosis by targeting PI3K/Akt pathway}, journal = {BMC Cancer}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {52}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed invasive cancers among women around the world. Among several subtypes, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive and chemoresistant. Treatment of TNBC patients has been challenging due to heterogeneity and devoid of well-defined molecular targets. Thus, identification of novel effective and selective agents against TNBC is essential. Methods: We used epoxyazadiradione to assess the cell viability, mitochondrial potential, ROS level, cell migration, apoptosis and protein expression in cell culture models of TNBC MDA-MB-231 and ER+MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The molecular mechanism was examined in two different type of breast cancer cells in response to epoxyazadiradione. We have also analyzed the effect of epoxyazadiradione on breast tumor growth using in vivo mice model. Results: In this study, we for the first time investigated that out of 10 major limonoids isolated from Azadirachta indica, epoxyazadiradione exhibits most potent anti-cancer activity in both TNBC and ER+breast cancer cells. Epoxyazadiradione induces apoptosis and inhibits PI3K/Akt-mediated mitochondrial potential, cell viability, migration and angiogenesis. It also inhibits the expression of pro-angiogenic and pro-metastatic genes such as Cox2, OPN, VEGF and MMP-9 in these cells. Furthermore, epoxyazadiradione attenuates PI3K/Akt- mediated AP-1 activation. Our in vivo data revealed that epoxyazadiradione suppresses breast tumor growth and angiogenesis in orthotopic NOD/SCID mice model. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that epoxyazadiradione inhibits PI3K/Akt-dependent mitochondrial depolarisation, induces apoptosis and attenuates cell migration, angiogenesis and breast tumor growth suggesting that this compound may act as a potent therapeutic agent for the management of breast cancer.

}, keywords = {Angiogenesis, Apoptosis, Breast cancer, Limonoids, Metastasis, PI3K}, issn = {1471-2407}, doi = {10.1186/s12885-017-3876-2}, author = {Kumar, Dhiraj and Haldar, Saikat and Gorain, Mahadeo and Kumar, Santosh and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Yadav, Amit S. and Miele, Lucio and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kundu, Gopal C.} } @article {45492, title = {Evaluation of humidity sensor based on PVP-RGO nanocomposites}, journal = {IEEE sensors journal }, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {9097-9104}, type = {Article }, abstract = {

his paper describes the humidity sensing properties of one step in situ synthesized poly (N-vinyl pyrrolidone)- reduced graphene oxide (PVP-RGO) nanocomposites. Different PVP-RGO nanocomposites were obtained by varying PVP/GO weight \%ratio as x/50 mg, wherein x = 25, 50, and 75 mg, respectively. The real-time adsorption kinetics of the water molecules during the humidity sensing were also discussed using Elovich model, pseudo first and second order equations. The increase in humidity response of 1.5 PVP-RGO nanocomposite is attributed to the presence of large amount of oxygen functionalities. The above observation was corroborated using spectroscopic analysis. The optimized PVP-RGO nanocomposite showed faster response kinetics with response and recovery times of 10 and 20 s, respectively. The present humidity sensor shows remarkable linearity over the range of 20-90\%RH. More specifically, sensitivity was correlated with oxygen functionalities created due to variation of PVP during the functionalization of RGO nanosheets.

}, issn = { 1530-437X}, doi = {10.1109/JSEN.2018.2870324}, author = {Bhangare, Bhagyashri and Jagtap, Shweta and Ramgir, Niranjan and Waichal, Rupali and Muthe, K. P. and Gupta, S. K. and Gadkari, Sanjay C. and Aswal, D. K. and Gosavi, Suresh} } @article {45405, title = {Experimental and theoretical investigations of different diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymers}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {11710-11717}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-based polymers are often considered las the most promising donor moiety in traditional bulk heterojunction solar cell devices. In this paper, we report the synthesis, characterization of various DPP-based copolymers with different molecular weights, l and polydisper sity where other aromatic repeating units (phenyl or thiophene based) are connected by alternate double bonds or triple bonds. Some of the copolymers were used for device fabrication and the crucial parameters such as fill factor (FF) and open circuit voltage (V-oc) were calculated. The density functional theory was used to optimize the geometries and deduce highest occupied molecular orbital lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gaps of all the polymers and{\textquoteright}theoretically predict their optical and electronic properties. Optical properties of all the polymers, electrochemical properties and band gaps were also obtained experimentally and compared with the theoretically predicted values.}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b01132}, author = {Murugan, Pachaiyappan and Raghavendra, Venkatraman. and Chithiravel, Sundaresan and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Mandal, Asit Baran and Subramanian, Venkatesan and Samanta, Debasis} } @article {44474, title = {Exploring GPCR lipid interactions by molecular dynamics simulations: excitements, challenges, and the way forward}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {5727-5737}, abstract = {Gprotein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are seven transmembrane receptors that mediate a large number of cellular responses and are important drug targets. One of the current challenges in GPCR biology is to analyze the molecular signatures of receptor-lipid interactions and their subsequent effects on GPCR structure, organization, and function. Molecular dynamics simulation studies have been successful in predicting molecular determinants of receptor-lipid interactions. In particular, predicted cholesterol interaction sites appear to correspond well with experimentally determined binding sites and estimated time scales of association. In spite of several success stories, the methodologies in molecular dynamics simulations are still emerging. In this Feature Article, we provide a comprehensive overview of coarse-grain and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of GPCR-lipid interaction in the context of experimental observations. In addition, we discuss the effect of secondary and tertiary structural constraints in coarse-grain simulations in the context of functional dynamics and structural plasticity of GPCRs. We envision that this comprehensive overview will help resolve differences in computational studies and provide a way forward.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01657}, author = {Sengupta, Durba and Prasanna, Xavier and Mohole, Madhura and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {45381, title = { Flim-Map: gene context based identification of functional modules in bacterial metabolic pathways}, journal = {Frontiers in microbiology}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Prediction of functional potential of bacteria can only be ascertained by the accurate annotation of its metabolic pathways. Homology based methods decipher metabolic gene content but ignore the fact that homologs of same protein can function in different pathways. Therefore, mere presence of all constituent genes in an organism is not sufficient to indicate a pathway. Contextual occurrence of genes belonging to a pathway on the bacterial genome can hence be exploited for an accurate estimation of functional potential of a bacterium. In this communication, we present a novel annotation resource to accurately identify pathway presence by using gene context. Our tool FLIM-MAP (Functionally Important Modules in bacterial Metabolic Pathways) predicts biologically relevant functional units called {\textquoteright}GCMs{\textquoteright} (Gene Context based Modules) from a given metabolic reaction network. We benchmark the accuracy of our tool on amino acids and carbohydrate metabolism pathways.}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2018.02183}, author = {Bhatt, Vineet and Mohapatra, Anwesha and Anand, Swadha and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {44652, title = {Fluorinated nanocellulose-reinforced all-organic flexible ferroelectric nanocomposites for energy generation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {16540-16549}, abstract = {

We report here enhanced ferroelectric crystal formation and energy generation properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) in the presence of surface-modified crystalline nanocellulose. Incorporation of only 2-5 wt \% fluorinated nanocellulose (FNC) in PVDF has been found to significantly induce polar beta/gamma-phase crystallization as compared to the addition of unmodified nanocellulose (carboxylated nanocellulose). A device made up of electrically poled PVDF/FNC composite films yielded 2 orders of magnitude higher voltage output than neat PVDF in vibrational energy harvesting. This remarkable increase in energy generation properties of PVDF at such a low loading of an organic natural biopolymer could be attributed to the tailored surface chemistry of nanocellulose, facilitating strong interfacial interactions between PVDF and FNC. Interestingly, energy harvesting devices fabricated from PVDF/FNC nanocomposites charged a 4.7 mu F capacitor at significantly faster rate and the accumulated voltage on capacitor was 3.8 times greater than neat PVDF. The fact that PVDF/FNC nanocomposites still retain a strain at break of 10-15\% and can charge a capacitor in few seconds suggests potential use of these nanocomposites as flexible energy harvesting materials at large strain conditions.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b03470}, author = {Ram, Farsa and Ambone, Tushar and Sharma, Aakash and Murugesan, Rajarathinam and Kajale, Deepak and Borkar, Vivek and Ali, Shaikh Faruque and Balu, Praveen Kumar and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {45401, title = {From a helix to a small cycle: metadynamics-inspired alpha v beta 6 integrin selective ligands}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14645-14649}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The RGD-recognizing alpha v beta 6 integrin has only recently emerged as a major target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Thus, the development of selective, low-molecular-weight ligands of this receptor is still in great demand. Here, a metadynamics-driven design strategy allowed us to successfully convert a helical nonapeptide into a cyclic pentapeptide (6) showing remarkable potency and alpha v beta 6 specificity. NMR and docking studies elucidated the reasons for the high affinity and selectivity of this compound, setting the ground for the rational design of new alpha v beta 6-specific small peptides or even peptidomimetics. In vivo PET imaging studies demonstrated the potential use of 6 for medical applications.}, issn = { 1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201803250}, author = {Di Leva, Francesco Saverio and Tomassi, Stefano and Di Maro, Salvatore and Reichart, Florian and Notni, Johannes and Dangi, Abha and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Brancaccio, Diego and Merlino, Francesco and Wester, Hans-Juergen and Novellino, Ettore and Kessler, Horst and Marinelli, Luciana} } @article {44345, title = { Functionalized carbon nanotube reinforced polymer nanocomposite microcapsules with enhanced stiffness}, journal = {Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects}, volume = {550}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {82-89}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Microcapsules with tunable mechanical properties are highly desirable in pressure sensitive applications. We report here a facile approach to prepare polyurea/multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) nanocomposite microcapsules (MICs) with enhanced stiffness. A model compound dimethyl phthalate (DMP) was used as core material. MWCNTs were modified with reactive functional groups namely carboxyl (-COOH), amines (-NH2), and isocyanates (-NCO) to ensure a stronger interface between polymer wall and MWCNTs. Functionalization of MWCNTs was corroborated by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to study the surface morphology of MICs. The presence of MWCNTs in the microcapsule wall was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). MICs with functionalized MWCNTs show almost 100\% increase in stiffness with respect to pristine capsules. All MICs show 92-97 +/- 1\% encapsulation efficiency. The approach used in this paper can be broadly utilized to tune the mechanical properties of the microcapsules.}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.04.028}, author = {Jagtap, Siddheshwar B. and Patil, Vishal D. and Suresh, Karthika and Ram, Farsa and Mohan, Muthu Subramanian and Rajput, Shatruhan S. and Patil, Shivprasad and Shukla, Parshuram G. and Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan} } @article {44479, title = {GA3 application in grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) modulates different sets of genes at cluster emergence, full bloom, and berry stage as revealed by RNA sequence-based transcriptome analysis}, journal = {Functional \& Integrative Genomics}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {439{\textendash}455}, abstract = {In grapes (Vitis vinifera L.), exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) is applied at different stages of bunch development to achieve desirable bunch shape and berry size in seedless grapes used for table purpose. RNA sequence-based transcriptome analysis was used to understand the mechanism of GA3 action at cluster emergence, full bloom, and berry stage in table grape variety Thompson Seedless. At cluster emergence, rachis samples were collected at 6 and 24 h after application of GA3, whereas flower clusters and berry samples were collected at 6, 24, and 48 h after application at full bloom and 3{\textendash}4 mm berry stages. Seven hundred thirty-three genes were differentially expressed in GA3-treated samples. At rachis and flower cluster stage respectively, 126 and 264 genes were found to be significantly differentially expressed within 6 h of GA3 application. The number of DEG reduced considerably at 24 h. However, at berry stage, major changes occurred even at 24 h and a number of DEGs at 6 and 24 h were 174 and 191, respectively. As compared to upregulated genes, larger numbers of genes were downregulated. Stage-specific response to the GA3 application was observed as evident from the unique set of DEGs at each stage and only a few common genes among three stages. Among the DEGs, 67 were transcription factors. Functional categorization and enrichment analysis revealed that several transcripts involved in sucrose and hexose metabolism, hormone and secondary metabolism, and abiotic and biotic stimuli were enriched in response to application of GA3. A high correlation was recorded for real-time PCR and transcriptome data for selected DEGs, thus indicating the robustness of transcriptome data obtained in this study for understanding the GA3 response at different stages of berry development in grape. Chromosomal localization of DEGs and identification of polymorphic microsatellite markers in selected genes have potential for their use in breeding for varieties with improved bunch architecture.}, keywords = {Bunch architecture, GA3 response, Microsatellite markers, RNA seq, Transcription factors, Vitis vinifera}, issn = {1438-793X}, doi = {10.1007/s10142-018-0605-0}, author = {Upadhyay, Anuradha and Maske, Smita and Jogaiah, Satisha and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {44482, title = {Generic and scalable method for the preparation of monodispersed metal sulfide nanocrystals with tunable optical properties}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {34}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5788-5797}, abstract = {

A rational synthetic method that produces monodisperse and air-stable metal sulfide colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) in organic nonpolar solvents using octyl dithiocarbamic acid (C(8)DTCA) as a sulfur source, is reported. The fast decomposition of metal-C(8)DTCA complexes in presence of primary amines is exploited to achieve this purpose. This novel technique is generic and can be applied to prepare diverse CQDs, like CdS, MnS, ZnS, SnS, and In2S3, including more useful and in-demand PbS CQDs and plasmonic nanocrystals of Cu2S. Based on several control reactions, it is postulated that the reaction involves the in situ formation of a metal-C(8)DTCA complex, which then reacts in situ with oleylamine at slightly elevated temperature to decompose into metal sulfide CQDs at a controlled rate, leading to the formation of the materials with good optical characteristics. Controlled sulfur precursor{\textquoteright}s reactivity and stoichiometric reaction between C(8)DTCA and metal salts affords high conversion yield and large-scale production of monodisperse CQDs. Tunable and desired crystal size could be achieved by controlling the precursor reactivity by changing the reaction temperature and reagent ratios. Finally, the photovoltaic devices fabricated from PbS CQDs displayed a power conversion efficiency of 4.64\% that is comparable with the reported values of devices prepared with PbS CQDs synthesized by the standard methods.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b00741}, author = {Bera, Abhijit and Mandal, Debranjan and Goswami, Prasenjit N. and Rath, Arup K. and Bhagavatula L. V. Prasad} } @article {44034, title = {Genetic engineering approach using early Vinca alkaloid biosynthesis genes led to increased tryptamine and terpenoid indole alkaloids biosynthesis in differentiating cultures of catharanthus roseus}, journal = {Protoplasma}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1-11}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Catharanthus roseus today occupies the central position in ongoing metabolic engineering efforts in medicinal plants. The entire multi-step biogenetic pathway of its very expensive anticancerous alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine is fairly very well dissected at biochemical and gene levels except the pathway steps leading to biosynthesis of monomeric alkaloid catharanthine and tabersonine. In order to enhance the plant-based productivity of these pharma molecules for the drug industry, cell and tissue cultures of C. roseus are being increasingly tested to provide their alternate production platforms. However, a rigid developmental regulation and involvement of different cell, tissues, and organelles in the synthesis of these alkaloids have restricted the utility of these cultures. Therefore, the present study was carried out with pushing the terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway metabolic flux towards dimeric alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine production by over-expressing the two upstream pathway genes tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase at two different levels of cellular organization viz. callus and leaf tissues. The transformation experiments were carried out using Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA1119 strain having tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase gene cassette. The callus transformation reported a maximum of 0.027\% dry wt vindoline and 0.053\% dry wt catharanthine production, whereas, the transiently transformed leaves reported a maximum of 0.30\% dry wt vindoline, 0.10\% catharanthine, and 0.0027\% dry wt vinblastine content. {\textcopyright} 2017 Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria

}, keywords = {Agroinfiltration, Strictosidine Synthase (CrSTR), Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids (TIAs)}, doi = {10.1007/s00709-017-1151-7}, author = {Sharma, A. and Verma, P. and Mathur, A. and Mathur, A.K.} } @inbook {45577, title = {Genomic roadmaps for augmenting salinity stress tolerance in crop plants}, booktitle = {Salinity Responses and Tolerance in Plants}, volume = {2}, year = {2018}, pages = {189-216}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, chapter = {8}, abstract = {Serious antagonistic impacts of saline environment on plant growth, development, and yield are well established. In this regard, researchers and breeders have been utilizing many conventional as well as modern approaches to aid the pro- cess of developing salt-tolerant crops. Biotechnological tools have made the task of engineering salinity tolerance in plants easier. Currently, two major annexes are effectively employed to develop salt-tolerant crops, first, investigation of genetic variation via marker-assisted selection (MAS) and second the transgenic technology. Sustenance of plants under dynamically growth-limiting saline environment depends on alterations and/or switching between multiple biochemical pathways involved in response. A number of key regulatory genes have been successfully identified and characterized in this context which can be explored to serve the purpose of alleviation in salt-tolerant nature of plants. Several genomics-abetted approaches have been reported aiming toward improvement in growth and yield of crops under saline envi- ronment. Present chapter focuses on genomic roadmaps for augmentation of crop salt tolerance by various methods including MAS, transgenic breeding, manipulations in small non-coding RNAs, and genome editing. These approaches utilize key players involved in salinity-mediated plant defense mechanisms, such as ion transporters, osmolytes, antioxidants, transcription factors, signaling proteins, and microRNA. The chapter attempts to summarize the effective targets and exploration of these key entities to raise salt-tolerant plants through various genomics-related tools. }, isbn = {978-3319903170}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-319-90318-7_8}, author = {Suprasanna, P. and Ghuge, S. A. and Patade, V. Y. and Mirajkar, S. J. and Nikalje, G. C.} } @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 {44489, title = {G-quadruplex motif at the 3{\textquoteright} end of sgRNAs improves CRISPR-Cas9 based genome editing efficiency}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2377-2380}, abstract = {Originating as a component of prokaryotic adaptive immunity, the type II CRISPR/Cas9 system has been repurposed for targeted genome editing in various organisms. Although Cas9 can bind and cleave DNA efficiently under in vitro conditions, its activity inside a cell can vary dramatically between targets owing to differences between genomic loci and availability of enough Cas9/sgRNA (single guide RNA) complex molecules for cleavage. Most methods to improve CRISPR/Cas9 activity have so far relied on Cas9 protein engineering or base modifications in the sgRNA sequence. Here we demonstrate that a structure based rational design of sgRNAs can enhance the efficiency of Cas9 cleavage in vivo. By appending a naturally forming RNA G-quadruplex motif to the 3' end of sgRNAs we can improve its stability and target cleavage efficiency in zebrafish embryos without inducing off-target activity, thereby underscoring its value in the design of better and optimized genome editing triggers.}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/C7CC08893K}, author = {Nahar, Smita and Sehgal, Paras and Azhar, Mohammad and Rai, Manish and Singh, Amrita and Sivasubbu, Sridhar and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {45587, title = {Graphene quantum dots-driven multiform morphologies of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphors: the underlying mechanism and their optical properties}, journal = {ACS omega }, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1834 -1849}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Dimension and shape tunable architectures of inorganic crystals are of extreme interest because of morphology-dependent modulation of the properties of the materials. Herein, for the first time, we present a novel impurity-driven strategy where we studied the influence of in situ incorporation of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) on the growth of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphor crystals via a hydrothermal route. The GQDs function as a nucleation site and by changing the concentration of GQDs, the morphology of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphors was changed from rod to flowerlike structure to disklike structure, without phase transformation. The influence of size and functionalization of GQDs on the size and shape of phosphor crystals were also systematically studied and discussed. Plausible mechanisms of formation of multiform morphologies are proposed based on the heterogeneous nucleation and growth. Most interestingly, the experimental results indicate that the photoluminescence properties of β-NaYF4:Gd3+/Tb3+ phosphor crystals are strongly dependent on the crystallite size and morphology. This study would be suggestive for the precisely controlled growth of inorganic crystals; consequently, it will open new avenues and thus may possess potential applications in the field of materials and biological sciences.}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.7b01947}, author = {Malik, M. and Padhye, P. and Poddar, P.} } @article {44492, title = {Helically structured peptide architecture engineered using dimedone as a rigid organic scaffold}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2776-2780}, abstract = {This communication reports the use of a rigid organic scaffold to attach two unsymmetrical peptide chains on a single carbon atom. The approach describes the step-by-step attachment of peptide chains to the rigid dimedone template (5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione) - a molecular scaffold that directs orientation of the peptide helices in a well-defined arrangement via intra-molecular hydrogen bonding. The overall topology of the final molecules was studied using CD spectroscopy which suggested existence of helical architecture.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702856}, author = {Nadimpally, Krishna C. and Madica, Krishnaprasad and Kotmale, Amol S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @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 {44655, title = {Highly diverged novel subunit composition of apicomplexan F-type ATP synthase identified from Toxoplasma gondii}, journal = {Plos Biology}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e2006128}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The mitochondrial F-type ATP synthase, a multisubunit nanomotor, is critical for maintaining cellular ATP levels. In T. gondii and other apicomplexan parasites, many subunit components necessary for proper assembly and functioning of this enzyme appear to be missing. Here, we report the identification of 20 novel subunits of T. gondii F-type ATP synthase from mass spectrometry analysis of partially purified monomeric (approximately 600 kDa) and dimeric (\> 1 MDa) forms of the enzyme. Despite extreme sequence diversification, key F-O subunits a, b, and d can be identified from conserved structural features. Orthologs for these proteins are restricted to apicomplexan, chromerid, and dinoflagellate species. Interestingly, their absence in ciliates indicates a major diversion, with respect to subunit composition of this enzyme, within the alveolate clade. Discovery of these highly diversified novel components of the apicomplexan F-type ATP synthase complex could facilitate the development of novel antiparasitic agents. Structural and functional characterization of this unusual enzyme complex will advance our fundamental understanding of energy metabolism in apicomplexan species.

}, issn = {1545-7885}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.2006128}, author = {Salunke, Rahul and Mourier, Tobias and Banerjee, Manidipa and Pain, Arnab and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran} } @article {45517, title = {Highly efficient field emission properties of radially aligned carbon nanotubes}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6584-6590}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Here, we report extraordinary field emission properties from one pot synthesized aligned carbon nanotubes endowed with related Fe nanoparticles (NPs). The CNT configuration is in the form of a carbon hollow cylinder (CHC) with CNTs radially aligned towards the CHC axis. The structure generates electron field emission properties such as an ultralow turn on field (0.35 V μm-1 at 10 μA cm-2), a low threshold field (0.41 V μm-1 at 100 μA cm-2) and a high field emission current density (7.71 mA cm-2 at 0.78 V μm-1). It also exhibits multi-fold improvement in the field enhancement factor (1.34 {\texttimes} 104) with highly stable current emission at 100 μA measured for 14 h. No post synthesis treatment is required for enhanced field emission characteristics. The growth related Fe NPs assist in lowering the work function and hence enhancing the field emission properties. The possibility of assembling nano-structured field emitters into macroscale architectures suggests new prospects for next generation three dimensional electron sources.}, doi = {10.1039/c8tc00814k}, author = {Tripathi, P. and Gupta, B.K. and Bhatnagar, A and Patel, C.R.P and Banker, P.K. and Late, D.J. and More, M.A. and Lalla, N.P. and Phase, D.M., and Choudhary, R.J. and Shaz, M.A. and Ajayan, P.M. and Srivastava, O.N.} } @article {45385, title = {Highly stable COF-supported Co/Co(OH)(2) nanoparticles heterogeneous catalyst for reduction of nitrile/nitro compounds under mild conditions}, journal = {Small}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Ordered nanoporosity in covalent organic framework (COF) offers excellent opportunity for property development. Loading nanoparticles (nPs) onto them is one approach to introducing tailor-made properties into a COF. Here, a COF-Co/Co(OH)(2) composite containing about 16 wt\% of <6 nm sized Co/Co(OH)(2) nPs is prepared on a N-rich COF support that catalyzes the release of theoretical equivalence of H-2 from readily available, safe, and cheap NaBH4. Furthermore, the released H-2 is utilized for the hydrogenation of nitrile and nitro compounds to amines under ambient conditions in a facile one-pot reaction. The COF "by choice" is built from "methoxy" functionalized dialdehydes which is crucial in enabling the complete retention of the COF structure under the conditions of the catalysis, where the regular Schiff bonds would have hydrolyzed. The N-rich binding pockets in the COF ensure strong nP-COF interactions, which provides stability and enables catalyst recycling. Modeling studies reveal the crucial role played by the COF in exposing the active facets and thereby in controlling the activation of the reducing agent. Additionally, via density functional theory, we provide a rational explanation for how these COFs can stabilize nanoparticles which grow beyond the limiting pore size of the COF and yet result in a truly stable heterogeneous catalyst - a ubiquitous observation. The study underscores the versatility of COF as a heterogeneous support for developing cheap and highly active nonnoble metal catalysts.}, doi = {10.1002/smll.201801233}, author = {Mullangi, Dinesh and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Pradeep, Anu and Koshti, Vijay and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Panja, Soumendranath and Nair, Sunil and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {44233, title = {High-performance field emission device utilizing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes-based pillar architectures}, journal = {AIP Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {015117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The vertical aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-based pillar architectures were created on laminated silicon oxide/silicon (SiO2/Si) wafer substrate at 775 degrees C by using water-assisted chemical vapor deposition under low pressure process condition. The lamination was carried out by aluminum (Al, 10.0 nm thickness) as a barrier layer and iron (Fe, 1.5 nm thickness) as a catalyst precursor layer sequentially on a silicon wafer substrate. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that synthesized CNTs are vertically aligned and uniformly distributed with a high density. The CNTs have approximately 2-30 walls with an inner diameter of 3-8 nm. Raman spectrum analysis shows G-band at 1580 cm(-1) and D-band at 1340 cm(-1). The G-band is higher than D-band, which indicates that CNTs are highly graphitized. The field emission analysis of the CNTs revealed high field emission current density (4mA/cm(2) at 1.2V/mu m), low turn-on field (0.6 V/mu m) and field enhancement factor (6917) with better stability and longer lifetime. Emitter morphology resulting in improved promising field emission performances, which is a crucial factor for the fabrication of pillared shaped vertical aligned CNTs bundles as practical electron sources. (c) 2018 Author(s).

}, issn = {2158-3226}, doi = {10.1063/1.5004769}, author = {Gupta, Bipin Kumar and Kedawat, Garima and Gangwar, Amit Kumar and Nagpal, Kanika and Kashyap, Pradeep Kumar and Srivastava, Shubhda and Singh, Satbir and Kumar, Pawan and Suryawanshi, Sachin R. and Seo, Deok Min and Tripathi, Prashant and More, Mahendra A. and Srivastava, O. N. and Hahm, Myung Gwan and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {44213, title = {HxZr3-xPW12O40 as an insoluble and reusable heteropolyacid for highly selective dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethyl fufural in DMSO system}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {832-836}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Dehydration of fructose is a way to produce an important platform chemical such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which is widely used to synthesize variety of renewable chemicals and fuel. Heteropoly acid, H3PW12O40 is highly soluble strong acidic catalyst with well-defined structure. This study reports the modification of soluble heteropoly acid to insoluble and reusable heteropolyacid (HxZr3-xPW12O40 ) by exchanging with Zr and investigation of its catalytic performance in selective transformation of renewable fructose to 5-HMF in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) system. The physico-chemical properties of H(x)Zr(3-x)PW(12)O(40)were derived from Powder-XRD, NH3-TPAD and FT-IR technique. The characterization of HxZr3-xPW12O40 revealed that the Keggin structure of HPA remained intact as proton replaced by Zr. The partial exchange of Zr in H2Zr1PW12O40 catalyst resulted in an increase in acidity, however further increase of Zr above 1, acidity was found to be decreased. At optimized reaction condition, 5-HMF yield of 85\% with 100\% selectivity was achieved with H1Zr2 PW12O40 catalyst at much lower reaction time of 10 min than reported. The catalyst was observed to be recoverable, reusable as compared to parent H3PW12O40.}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702669}, author = {Mulik, Nagesh L. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Pandhare, Kiran V. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {45457, title = {Hydrogen bonding assissted supramolecular metal catalysis}, journal = {Chemistry - an Asian Journal }, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3623-3646}, type = {Article }, abstract = {The process of catalyst screening and discovery still largely relies on traditional ligand-design approaches, which suffer from complex synthetic requirements and offer limited structural diversity. On the contrary, supramolecular chemistry offers the potential to harness multiple weak secondary interactions to deliver self-assembled catalysts with diverse structures or to orient substrates to achieve enzyme-like activity and selectivity. Herein, the application of hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) interactions as a construction element and directing group in "supramolecular transition-metal catalysis" is critically reviewed and the current state-of-the-art in the field is presented. H-bonding interactions empower structurally simple ligands to deliver complex self-assembled catalysts, which have been found to catalyze a gamut of organic transformations, including hydroformylation, hydrogenation, and allylation reactions. As we will discuss, on many occasions, these supramolecular catalysts outperform their analogous covalently linked catalytic systems. The potential of H-bonding interactions as directing groups has recently been recognized by the scientific community and this Focus Review presents the role of hydrogen-bonding interactions in directing substrates to obtain excellent selectivities and activities in a range of catalytic transformations}, issn = { 1861-4728}, doi = { 10.1002/asia.201801302}, author = {Mote, Nilesh R. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45427, title = {Hydrogen-bonding-assisted supramolecular metal catalysis}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {3623-3646}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The process of catalyst screening and discovery still largely relies on traditional ligand-design approaches, which suffer from complex synthetic requirements and offer limited structural diversity. On the contrary, supramolecular chemistry offers the potential to harness multiple weak secondary interactions to deliver self-assembled catalysts with diverse structures or to orient substrates to achieve enzyme-like activity and selectivity. Herein, the application of hydrogen-bonding (H-bonding) interactions as a construction element and directing group in "supramolecular transition-metal catalysis" is critically reviewed and the current state-of-the-art in the field is presented. H-bonding interactions empower structurally simple ligands to deliver complex self-assembled catalysts, which have been found to catalyze a gamut of organic transformations, including hydroformylation, hydrogenation, and allylation reactions. As we will discuss, on many occasions, these supramolecular catalysts outperform their analogous covalently linked catalytic systems. The potential of H-bonding interactions as directing groups has recently been recognized by the scientific community and this Focus Review presents the role of hydrogen-bonding interactions in directing substrates to obtain excellent selectivities and activities in a range of catalytic transformations.}, issn = {1861-4728 }, doi = {10.1002/asia.201801302}, author = {Mote, Nilesh R. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {44356, title = {Hydrothermal synthesis of rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite and investigation of its structural, chemical and field emission properties}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {29}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {10494-10503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present study we report the one step facile synthesis of pristine lead bismuth selenide (PbBi2Se4) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and its composites with PbBi2Se4. Formation of pristine PbBi2Se4 and rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite were confirmed by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The surface morphology and topography investigated by using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of nano-flowers pristine PbBi2Se4. After coupling pristine PbBi2Se4 with rGO the surface morphology shows the formation of sharp vertically protruded nano-sheets/nano-flaks originated from the nano-flowers. Finally, the field emission properties of pristine PbBi2Se4 and rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite have been investigated. It has been observed that the rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite emitter exhibited excellent field emission properties with low turn-on field (similar to 2.8 V/A mu m for 10 A mu A/cm(2)), high emission current density (similar to 1288 A mu A/cm(2) at 3.9 V/A mu m) and superior current stability (similar to 4.5 h for similar to 1 A mu A) compare to pristine PbBi2Se4 emitter. Thus, the facile one step synthesis approach and robust nature of rGO-PbBi2Se4 composite emitter can provide prospects for the future development of large-area emitter applications such as flat-panel-display and vacuum micro/nanoelectronics devices.}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-018-9114-0}, author = {Aher, Rahul and Bhorde, Ajinkya and Sharma, Priyanka and Nair, Shruthi and Borate, Haribhau and Pandharkar, Subhash and Rondiya, Sachin and Chaudhary, Minakshi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda and Suryawanshi, Sachin and More, Mahendra and Jadkar, Sandesh} } @article {44497, title = {Identification of potent chromone embedded [1,2,3]-triazoles as novel anti-tubercular agents}, journal = {Royal Society Open Science}, volume = {5}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {Article Number: 171750}, abstract = {A series of 20 novel chromone embedded [1,2,3]-triazoles derivatives were synthesized via an easy and convenient synthetic procedure starting from 2-hydroxy acetophenone. The in vitro anti-mycobacterial evaluation studies carried out in this work reveal that seven compounds exhibit significant inhibition against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain with MIC in the range of 1.56-12.5 mu g ml(-1). Noticeably, compound 6s was the most potent compound in vitro with a MIC value of 1.56 mu g ml(-1). Molecular docking and chemoinformatics studies revealed that compound 6s displayed drug-like properties against the enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase of M. tuberculosis further establishing its potential as a potent inhibitor.}, doi = {10.1098/rsos.171750}, author = {Nalla, Viswanadh and Shaikh, Aslam and Bapat, Sanket and Vyas, Renu and Karthikeyan, M. and Yogeeswari, P. and Sriram, D. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {44611, title = {Impact of half-crown/two carbonyl:-Ca2+ metal ion interactions of a low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) on its fiber to nanosphere morphology transformation with a gel-to-sol phase transition}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5821-5831}, abstract = {

We report here a smart functional low molecular weight gelator (LMWG) L, containing an unusual metal ion coordination site, i.e. {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}half-crown/two carbonyl{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The gelator L shows excellent gelation behavior with typical fibrillar morphology in acetonitrile, methanol and ethanol media. Upon Ca2+ ion binding with its {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}half-crown/two carbonyl{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} coordination site, the acetonitrile gel of L exhibits a fiber to nanosphere morphology transformation along with a gel-to-sol phase transition as confirmed by microscopic investigation and by direct naked eye visualization, respectively. The mechanism involved in this morphology transformation and gel-to-sol phase transition process was studied thoroughly with the help of computational calculations and various spectroscopic experiments and discussed.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c8sm01071d}, author = {Maity, Arunava and Dey, Ananta and Si, Mrinal Kanti and Ganguly, Bishwajit and Das, Amitava} } @article {44501, title = {Improved stability of tuberculosis drug fixed-dose combination using isoniazid-caffeic acid and vanillic acid cocrystal}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {107}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1667-1679}, abstract = {The classic fixed-dose combination (FDC) of 4 tuberculosis drugs, namely rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH), pyrazinamide (PZA), and ethambutol dihydrochloride (EDH) has the twin issues of physical stability and RIF cross-reaction in the 4-FDC. The major reason for these quality issues is the interaction between RIF and INH to yield isonicotinyl hydrazone in drug tablets. Pharmaceutical cocrystals of INH with caffeic acid (CFA) (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH-CFA cocrystal) and vanillic acid (VLA) (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH-VLA cocrystal) are able to stabilize the FDC formulation compared with the reference batch (PZA + EDH + RIF + INH). Stability studies under accelerated humidity and temperature stress conditions of 40{\textdegree}C and 75\% relative humidity showed that the physical stability of the cocrystal formulation was superior by powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis, and chemical purity was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Changes in the composition and structure were monitored on samples drawn at 7, 15, 22, and 30 days of storage. FDC-INH-CFA cocrystal batch exhibited greater stability compared with FDC-INH-VLA cocrystal and FDC reference drug batches. The superior stability of INH-CFA cocrystal is attributed to the presence of stronger hydrogen bonds and cyclic O-H...O synthon in the crystal structure.}, doi = {10.1016/j.xphs.2018.02.014}, author = {Battini, Swapna and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Nangia, Ashwini Kumar} } @article {45452, title = { In situ base release for pH maintenance can allow shake flasks to better mimic bioreactor performance for CHO cell culture}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {93}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2842-2850}, type = {Article}, abstract = {BACKGROUNDShake flasks are widely used for evaluating mammalian cells in suspension. Lack of pH control can contribute to differences in culture performance between them and bioreactors. This study evaluates whether a previously reported in situ base releasing hydrogel (pHmH) to counter pH decrease can enable shake flask cultures to better mimic bioreactor cultures. RESULTSCompared with bioreactor culture, fed-batch cultures of a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell-line in shake flasks without pHmH showed a decrease in pH to 6.6, accompanied by 40, 60 and 22\% lower peak cell density, lactate accumulation, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) titer, respectively. Use of pHmH allowed shake flasks to maintain pH above 6.8 and reduced this difference to 20, 30, and 15\%, respectively, thus enabling culture performance in shake flasks to better mimic the bioreactor. IgG glycosylation profiles were similar in identically fed cultures across all three platforms. Application of pHmH hydrogel during clone screening was evaluated by comparing correlation between titers for five recombinant CHO clones in bioreactors and shake flasks with and without pHmH; a higher correlation was found in shake flasks with pHmH than without. CONCLUSIONIn situ base release through hydrogel can allow identically fed fed-batch cultures in shake flasks to better mimic cell growth, lactate accumulation and IgG titers in bioreactors, without additional infrastructure. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.5635}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Shenoy, Bharath R. and Hazarika, Jahnabi and Unnikrishnan, Divya and Prabhu, Anuja and Maity, Sunit and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {44234, title = {In situ synthesis of nitrogen- and sulfur-enriched hierarchical porous carbon for high-performance supercapacitor}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {32}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {908-915}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we present a simple and facile method for the nitrogen (N)- and sulfur (S)- doped porous three-dimensional (3D) spongelike carbon materials via direct pyrolysis of N and S containing polymer N,N{\textquoteright}-methylene-bis-acrylamide cross-linked poly(acrylamide-co-2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) at varying temperatures under inert atmosphere. The obtained nitrogen- and sulfur-doped porous carbons (NSPCs) possess 3D hierarchical porous structure and contain a significantly high amount of N and S species. The concurrent incorporation of N and S successfully modified the surface properties of carbon materials and lead to enhanced capacitive performance. The presented NSPC exhibits specific capacitance of 230 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) and showed excellent cycling stability, depicting a promising material for energy storage devices.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b02305}, author = {Mehare, Rupali S. and Ranganath, Suresha P. and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Badiger, Manohar. V. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {44586, title = {Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses suggest the participation of endogenous protease inhibitors in the regulation of protease gene expression in helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Molecular \& Cellular Proteomics}, volume = {17}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1324-1336}, abstract = {Insects adapt to plant protease inhibitors (PIs) present in their diet by differentially regulating multiple digestive proteases. However, mechanisms regulating protease gene expression in insects are largely enigmatic. Ingestion of multi-domain recombinant Capsicum annuum protease inhibitor-7 (CanPI-7) arrests growth and development of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Using de novo RNA sequencing and proteomic analysis, we examined the response of H. armigera larvae fed on recombinant CanPI-7 at different time intervals. Here, we present evidence supporting a dynamic transition in H. armigera protease expression on CanPI-7 feeding with general down-regulation of protease genes at early time points (0.5 to 6 h) and significant up-regulation of specific trypsin, chymotrypsin and aminopeptidase genes at later time points (12 to 48 h). Further, coexpression of H. armigera endogenous PIs with several digestive protease genes were apparent. In addition to the differential expression of endogenous H. armigera PIs, we also observed a distinct novel isoform of endogenous PI in CanPI-7 fed H. armigera larvae. Based on present and earlier studies, we propose potential mechanism of protease regulation in H. armigera and subsequent adaptation strategy to cope with anti-nutritional components of plants.}, doi = {10.1074/mcp.RA117.000533}, author = {Lomate, Purushottam R. and Dewangan, Veena and Mahajan, Neha S. and Kumar, Yashwant and Kulkarni, Abhijeet and Wang, Li and Saxena, Smita and Gupta, Vidya S. and Giri, Ashok P.} } @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 {44510, title = {Integrative approaches to understand the Mastery in manipulation of host cytokine networks by protozoan parasites with emphasis on Plasmodium and Leishmania species}, journal = {Frontiers in Immunology}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article Number: 296}, abstract = {cDiseases by protozoan pathogens pose a significant public health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries, where these are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Protozoan pathogens tend to establish chronic infections underscoring their competence at subversion of host immune processes, an important component of disease pathogenesis and of their virulence. Modulation of cytokine and chemokine levels, their crosstalks and downstream signaling pathways, and thereby influencing recruitment and activation of immune cells is crucial to immune evasion and subversion. Many protozoans are now known to secrete effector molecules that actively modulate host immune transcriptome and bring about alterations in host epigenome to alter cytokine levels and signaling. The complexity of multi-dimensional events during interaction of hosts and protozoan parasites ranges from microscopic molecular levels to macroscopic ecological and epidemiological levels that includes disrupting metabolic pathways, cell cycle (Toxoplasma and Theileria sp.), respiratory burst, and antigen presentation (Leishmania spp.) to manipulation of signaling hubs. This requires an integrative systems biology approach to combine the knowledge from all these levels to identify the complex mechanisms of protozoan evolution via immune escape during host-parasite coevolution. Considering the diversity of protozoan parasites, in this review, we have focused on Leishmania and Plasmodium infections. Along with the biological understanding, we further elucidate the current efforts in generating, integrating, and modeling of multi-dimensional data to explain the modulation of cytokine networks by these two protozoan parasites to achieve their persistence in host via immune escape during host-parasite coevolution.}, doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2018.00296}, author = {Mahanta, Anusree and Ganguli, Piyali and Barah, Pankaj and Sarkar, Ram Rup and Sarmah, Neelanjana and Phukan, Saurav and Bora, Mayuri and Baruah, Shashi} } @article {45363, title = {Interconverting hydrogen-bonding and weak n -> pi* interactions in aqueous solution: A direct spectroscopic evidence}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5425-5429}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Molecular structure and function depend on myriad noncovalent interactions. However, the weak and transient nature of noncovalent interactions in solution makes them challenging to study. Information on weak interactions is typically derived from theory and indirect structural data. Solvent fluctuations, not revealed by structure analysis, further complicate the study of these interactions. Using 2D infrared spectroscopy, we show that the strong hydrogen bond and the weak n -\> pi* interaction coexist and interconvert in aqueous solution. We found that the kinetics of these interconverting interactions becomes faster with increasing water content. This experimental observation provides a new perspective on the existence of weak noncovalent interactions in aqueous solution.

}, author = {Deb, Pranab and Jin, Geun Young and Singh, Santosh K. and Moon, Juran and Kwon, Hyejin and Das, Aloke and Bagchi, Sayan and Kim, Yung Sam} } @article {44398, title = {Isa-NHC-catalyzed intermolecular stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with maleimides: an efficient access to 3-aroylsuccinimides}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {76}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {2079-2084}, abstract = {An intermolecular Stetter reaction of aromatic aldehydes with maleimides has been developed using thiazolylidene salt derived Isa-NHC as an efficient organocatalyst. The synthesized Stetter products "3-aroylsuccinimides" are important building blocks for the synthesis of natural products and bioactive compounds. The reaction conditions are mild, and various substituents on aromatic aldehyde and maleimide nitrogen were tolerated. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2018.03.009}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44389, title = {Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium data for binary systems of anisole with methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, and isopropyl acetate at 93.9 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {63}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1761-1766}, abstract = {The present work reports experimental isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium data at 93.9 kPa pressure using a dynamic recirculation still for four binary pairs of acetates with anisole. The suitability of the experimental data for modeling was established by performing the Herington area test, Van Ness test, and mean absolute deviation test. Binary interaction parameters necessary for process modeling were derived through the regression of the VLE data for Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models with a suitable objective function. VLE data in the form of T-x, y plots indicates no formation of azeotropes for all pairs.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.8b00063}, author = {Bhoi, Bharat R. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {44589, title = {Judicious reduction of supported Ti catalyst enables access to disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene}, journal = {Macromolecules}, volume = {51}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4541-4552}, abstract = {

Heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta and homogeneous metallocene catalysts are known to produce ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in the entangled state. On the other hand, only (two) homogeneous single-site catalysts are reported to yield disentangled UHMWPE (dis-UHMWPE). This disparity between the two types of catalysts and the two states of polyethylene can be bridged if a heterogeneous single-site catalyst that can yield dis-UHMWPE is made accessible. Here, one-pot two-step synthesis of a MgCl2 supported [Ti(OEt)(4)] derived catalyst 1 with a two-stage activation strategy is reported to produce dis-UHMWPE. Second activation of catalyst 1 was performed by adding excess modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO12), and XPS analysis indicated that the catalyst existed in only Ti(III) state at [A1]/[Ti] ratio of 600. Catalyst 1 after second activation with MMAO12 was found to be highly active in ethylene polymerization and produced dis-UHMWPE. Polymerization conditions were tailored to obtain molecular weight (M-w) as high as 13 million g/mol PE. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a heterogeneous catalyst (catalyst 1) that displays pseudosingle site nature is able to produce dis-UHMWPE. The thus-prepared nascent polyethylene revealed a melting temperature of 141-144 degrees C, which is a characteristic melting transition for a dis-UHMVVPE. The disentangled state of the nascent PE and its M-w and MVVD were further authenticated by rheological investigations. Isothermal time, sweep oscillatory experiments in linear viscoelastic limit revealed a rapid rise in elastic modulus followed by equilibration to plateau modulus, which are characteristic features of the disentangled state. Thus, a pseudo-singlesite heterogeneous catalyst has been accessed, which upon second activation with excess MMAO12 led to the production of dis-UHMWPE.

}, issn = {0024-9297}, doi = {10.1021/acs.macromol.8b00590}, author = {Gote, Ravindra P. and Mandal, Dipa and Patel, Ketan and Chaudhuri, Krishnaroop and Vinod, C. P. and Lele, Ashish K. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {45526, title = {Kinetic investigation for the catalytic reduction of nitrophenol using ionic liquid stabilized gold nanoparticles}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {38384-38390}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We demonstrate the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) stabilized by 1-butyl-3-hexadecyl imidazolium bromide (Au@[C4C16Im]Br) and their use as a catalyst for the reduction of nitrophenol. The AuNPs show excellent stability in presence of [C4C16Im]Br ionic liquids for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitrophenol using NaBH4 as a reducing agent. The detailed kinetics for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol and 2-nitrophenol were investigated and the catalytic activity of Au@[C4C16Im]Br was evaluated. The pseudo first-order rate constant (kapp) values for 4-nitrophenol was observed to be greater than that of 2-nitrophenol and explained on the basis of hydrogen bonding present in 2-nitrophenol. Au@[C4C16Im]Br showed good separability and reusability and hence, it can be used for the complete reduction of nitrophenols in multiple cycles. The Langmuir{\textendash}Hinshelwood reaction mechanism is elucidated for reduction of 4-nitrophenol by Au@[C4C16Im]Br nanocatalyst on the basis of the kapp values. The thermodynamic activation parameters such as activation energy, enthalpy of activation and entropy of activation were determined and explained using the temperature dependent kinetics for the reduction of nitrophenol using Au@[C4C16Im]Br. The above results reveal that the Au@[C4C16Im]Br nanocatalyst demonstrates excellent catalytic performance for the reduction of nitrophenol by NaBH4 at room temperature. }, doi = {10.1039/c8ra07404f}, author = {Thawarkar, S.R. and Thombare, B. and Munde, B.S. and Khupse, N.D.} } @article {45472, title = {Limonene inhibits Candida albicans growth by inducing apoptosis}, journal = {Medical Mycology}, volume = {56}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = { 565-578}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Anti-Candida potential of limonene was evaluated against planktonic growth, biofilm (adhesion, development and maturation) and morphogenesis of Candida albicans in this study. Limonene is a major constituent of citrus oil and most frequently used terpene in food and beverage industry due to its pleasant fragrance, nontoxic, and is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) flavoring agent as well as treatment option in many gastrointestinal diseases. Limonene exhibited excellent anti-Candida activity and was equally effective against planktonic growth of C. albicans isolates differentially susceptible to FLC (N = 35). Limonene inhibited morphogenesis significantly at low concentration. However, it showed stage dependent activity against biofilm formation, that is, it was more effective against adhesion followed by development and maturation. Limonene also exhibited excellent synergy with FLC against planktonic and biofilm growth. SWATH-MS analysis led to identification of limonene responsive proteins that provided molecular insight of its anti-Candida activity. Proteomic analysis revealed upregulation of proteins involved in cell wall glucan synthesis (Kre6); oxidative stress (Rhr2, Adh7 and Ebp1); DNA damage stress (Mbf1 and Npl3); nucleolar stress (Rpl11, Rpl7, Rpl29, Rpl15) and down regulation of cytoskeleton organization (Crn1, Pin3, Cct8, Rbl2), and so forth, in response to limonene. Limonene mediated down regulation of Tps3 indicates activation of caspase (CaMca1) and induction of apoptosis in C. albicans. These results suggest that limonene inhibits C. albicans growth by cell wall/membrane damage induced oxidative stress that leads to DNA damage resulting into modulation of cell cycle and induction of apoptosis through nucleolar stress and metacaspase dependent pathway.

}, issn = {1369-3786}, doi = {10.1093/mmy/myx074}, author = {Thakre, Archana and Zore, Gajanan and Kodgire, Santosh and Kazi, Rubina and Mulange, Shradha and Patil, Rajendra and Shelar, Amruta and Santhakumari, Bayitigeri and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Kharat, Kiran and Karuppayil, Sankunny Mohan} } @article {44514, title = {Lipase catalyzed synthesis of antimicrobial andrographolide derivatives}, journal = {Data in Brief}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1134-1141}, abstract = {In this data article we describe screening of various lipases for the regioselective acylation of Andrographolide. Each lipase was screened with seven acyl donors. Amano lipase AK from Pseudomonas fluorescens was used for the synthesis of two new acylated andrographolide derivatives. Two new compounds, andrographolide-14-propionate and andrographolide-14-caproate were characterized by various spectral studies. These two derivatives showed more antimicrobial activity than andrographolide.}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2018.03.103}, author = {Patil, Harshal S. and Jadhav, Dipesh and Paul, Ajay and Mulani, Fayaj Alam and Karegaonkar, Shrikant J. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {45476, title = {Manganese catalyzed N-alkylation of anilines with alcohols: ligand enabled selectivity}, journal = {Organic and biomolecular chemistry }, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {8175-8180}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Ligand enabled Earth-abundant manganese catalyzed N-alkylation of amines with alcohols via a hydrogen auto-transfer strategy is reported. The choice of the ligand plays a significant role in the alcohol reactivity (aliphatic or aromatic) toward N-alkylation reactions.}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c8ob01886c}, author = {Landge, Vinod G. and Mondal, Akash and Kumar, Vinit and Nandakumar, Avanashiappn and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44515, title = {Manganese-catalyzed direct conversion of ester to amide with liberation of H 2}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3381-3384}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient Mn-catalyzed acylation of amines is achieved using both acyl and alkoxy functions of unactivated esters with the liberation of molecular hydrogen as a sole byproduct. The present protocol provides an atom-economical and sustainable route for the synthesis of amides from esters by employing an earth-abundant manganese salt and inexpensive phosphine-free tridentate ligand.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01305}, author = {Mondal, Akash and Subaramanian, Murugan and Avanashiappan, Nandakumar and Balaraman, Kambaram} } @article {45423, title = {Mapping valence band and interface electronic structure changes during the oxidation of Mo to MoO3 via MoO2 and MoO3 reduction to MoO2: A NAPPES study}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {122}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {23034-23044}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tuning the surface energetics, especially work function (phi) of the materials, is of a great deal of interest for a wide range of surface- and interface-based devices and applications. How the phi of a solid surface changes under the reaction conditions is of paramount interest to the chemists, particularly in the areas of surface dependent phenomena such as, catalysis and electrochemistry. In the present study, by using the valence band and core-level photoelectron spectroscopy, surface-electronic changes from Mo to MoO3 via MoO2 was studied under relevant near-ambient pressure (NAP) and high temperature conditions. A very significant change in phi from Mo to MoO3 was observed and it is well corroborated with the changes in gas-phase vibrational features of O-2 in both near-ambient pressure ultraviolet photoelectron spectra (NAPUPS) as well in NAP X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Reversible changes in the electronic structure is observed when MoO3 was reduced in H-2 to MoO2. On the basis of the extent of oxidation/reduction of MoOx NAPUPS has shown, one or two additional peaks in the band gap at 0.6 and 1.6 eV below the Fermi level. Mo5+ features are identified in the VB and in the Mo 3d core levels with distinct features. Mo5+ features are also stable and essential to bridge MoO2 and MoO3 layers, and their co-existence. In addition, characteristic changes in Mo 4d and O 2p features observed from Mo to MoO3 and well corelated to the band gap of MoO3. Oxidation and reduction propagate from the surface to bulk; indeed, this has significant implications in surface-dependent phenomena. The present study demonstrates (a) the uniqueness of NAPUPS in identifying the subtle to large changes in the electronic structure on solid surfaces under common oxidation and reduction (in general, under reaction) conditions, and (b) relevance of NAPUPS to all surface dependent phenomena, such as catalysis and electrochemistry.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.8b07024}, author = {Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Ghosalya, Manoj Kumar and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {44194, title = {Marginally hydrogenated triphasic titania nanotubes for effective visible-light photocatalytic hydrogen generation}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {6}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {280-288}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the first demonstration of hydrogen-annealed triphase TiO nanotubes (anatase-rutile-brookite) (T-ARB) as a visible-light-active photocatalyst for water splitting with high quantum efficiency. As-synthesized T-ARB was annealed under hydrogen atmosphere at 250 and 4508 degrees C for 2 h. We found that the tubular structures were retained in the hydrogenated TiO2 samples. It was observed that the concentrations of Ti3+ and the oxygen vacancies and their distribution significantly increased with respect to the hydrogen annealing temperature. Such changes in defects were found to be critical in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the hydrogen-annealed triphase TiO2 nanotubes. The triphase TiO2 nanotubes hydrogen annealed at 450 degrees C were 16 times more efficient than pristine TiO2. Such an increase in the photocatalytic activity was explained by a triphase band diagram with defect states below the conduction band of each phase, which facilitated visible-light activity and easy transfer of charge carriers from one phase to another. Our study showed that the well-designed multiphase construction with oxygen vacancies enhanced the photocatalytic activity tremendously owing to the presence of a higher number of phase junctions.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, Defects, Hydrogenation, titania, water splitting}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.201700406}, author = {Preethi, Laguduva K. and Mathews, Tom and Walczak, Lukasz and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {44516, title = {Mechanism of the formation of microphase separated water clusters in a water-mediated physical network of perfluoropolyether tetraol}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {14}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2339-2345}, abstract = {

Perfluoropolyether tetraol (PFPE tetraol) possesses a hydrophobic perfluoropolyether chain in the backbone and two hydroxyl groups at each chain terminal, which facilitates the formation of hydrogen bonds with water molecules resulting in the formation an extended physical network. About 3 wt\% water was required for the formation of the microphase separated physical network of PFPE tetraol. The mechanism responsible for the microphase separation of water clusters in the physical network was studied using a combination of techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and DSC. MD simulation studies provided evidence for the formation of clusters in the PFPE tetraol physical network and the size of these clusters increased gradually with an increase in the extent of hydration. Both MD simulations and NMR spectroscopy studies revealed that these clusters position themselves away from the hydrophobic backbone or vice versa. The presence of intra-and inter-chain aggregation possibility among hydrophilic groups was evident. DSC results demonstrated the presence of tightly and loosely bound water molecules to the terminal hydroxyl groups of PFPE tetraol through hydrogen bonding. The data from all the three techniques established the formation of a physical network driven by hydrogen bonding between the hydrophilic end groups of PFPE tetraol and water molecules. The flexible nature of the PFPE tetraol backbone and its low solubility parameter favour clustering of water molecules at the terminal groups and result in the formation of a gel.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c7sm02181j}, author = {Deshpande, Ashwini A. and Torris, Arun A. T. and Pahari, Swagata and Menon, Shamal K. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Rajamohanan, P. R. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. and Roy, Sudip and Tonelli, Claudio} } @article {45392, title = {Melamine formaldehyde-metal organic gel interpenetrating polymer network derived intrinsic Fe-N-doped porous graphitic carbon electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry }, volume = {42}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {18690-18701}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Fe, N doped porous graphitic carbon electrocatalyst (Fe-MOG-MF-C), obtained by pyrolysis of an Interpenetrating Polymer Network (IPN) comprised of melamine formaldehyde (MF as hard segment) and Metal-Organic Gel (MOG as soft segment), exhibited significant Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) activity in alkaline medium. BET surface area analysis of Fe-MOG-MF-C showed high surface area (821 m(2) g(-1)), while TEM, Raman and XPS results confirmed Fe and N co-doping. Furthermore, a modulated porous morphology with a higher degree of surface area (950 m(2) g(-1)) has been accomplished for the system (Fe-MOG-MFN-C) when aided by a sublimable porogen, such as naphthalene. XPS results further demonstrated that these systems exhibited a better degree of distribution of graphitic N and an onset potential value of 0.91 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH solution following an efficient four-electron ORR pathway. The electrocatalytic activity of Fe-MOG-MFN-C is superior to that of Fe-MOG-MF-C by virtue of its higher graphitic N content and surface area. Thus, the study presents a new class of IPN derived MF-MOG nanocomposites with the potential to generate extended versions of in situ Fe-N doped porous graphitic carbon structures with superior ORR activity.}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c8nj03170c}, author = {Shijina, Kottarathil and llathvalappil, Rajith and Sumitha, N. S. and Sailaja, G. S. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Nair, Balagopal N. and Mohamed, A. Peer and Anilkumar, Gopinathan M. and Yamaguchig, Takeo and Hareesh, U. S.} } @article {44334, title = {Mesoporous tin oxide: an efficient catalyst with versatile applications in acid and oxidation catalysis}, journal = {Catalysis Today}, volume = {309}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {61-76}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Mesoporous tin oxide was prepared by template assisted and template-free methods. As-prepared materials were calcined at various temperatures to generate different nature (Bronsted and Lewis), amount and strength of acidic sites. The physico-chemical properties of the catalysts were studied by XRD, N-2 sorption, pyridine-FTIR, NH3-TPD, DRS UV-vis, TGA, SEM, TEM, H-1 MAS and Sn-119 MAS NMR analyses. The catalytic behavior of mesoporous tin oxide catalysts was evaluated for acetalization and ketalization of glycerol with benzaldehyde and acetone respectively under solvent free conditions. The catalytic performance of mesoporous tin oxide was compared with that of other conventional solid acid catalysts namely H-ZSM-5, H-mordenite, H-beta, Al-MCM-41, Al-SBA-15 and Al-TUD-1. The efficiency of mesoporous tin oxide was also tested for cyclohexene epoxidation reaction. The catalyst prepared by template assisted method showed excellent catalytic performance compared to other catalysts due the difference in nature and amount of acidic sites in the catalyst. Meso-SnO2-T-350 was stable and reusable catalyst for four cycles without any appreciable loss in activity, and therefore it offers a good catalyst for potentially wide applications.}, doi = {10.1016/j.cattod.2017.10.009}, author = {Manjunathan, Pandian and Marakatti, Vijaykumar S. and Chandra, Prakash and Kulal, Atul B. and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Ravishankar, Raman and Shanbhag, Ganapati V.} } @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 {44594, title = {MiRNA160 is associated with local defense and systemic acquired resistance against Phytophthora infestans infection in potato}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany}, volume = {69}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {2023-2036}, abstract = {

To combat pathogen infection, plants employ local defenses in infected sites and elicit systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in distant tissues. MicroRNAs have been shown to play a significant role in local defense, but their association with SAR is unknown. In addition, no such studies of the interaction between potato and Phytophthora infestans have been reported. We investigated the role of miR160 in local and SAR responses to P. infestans infection in potato. Expression analysis revealed induced levels of miR160 in both local and systemic leaves of infected wild-type plants. miR160 overexpression and knockdown plants exhibited increased susceptibility to infection, suggesting that miR160 levels equivalent to those of wild-type plants may be necessary for mounting local defense responses. Additionally, miR160 knockdown lines failed to elicit SAR, and grafting assays indicated that miR160 is required in both local and systemic leaves to trigger SAR. Consistently, SAR-associated signals and genes were dysregulated in miR160 knockdown lines. Furthermore, analysis of the expression of defense and auxin pathway genes and direct regulation of StGH3.6, a mediator of salicylic acid-auxin cross-talk, by the miR160 target StARF10 revealed the involvement of miR160 in antagonistic cross-talk between salicylic acid-mediated defense and auxin-mediated growth pathways. Overall, our study demonstrates that miR160 plays a crucial role in local defense and SAR responses during the interaction between potato and P. infestans.

}, keywords = {Auxin-salicylic acid antagonism, microRNA, miR160, Phytophthora infestans, Solanum chacoense, Solanum tuberosum, systemic acquired resistance}, issn = {0022-0957}, doi = {10.1093/jxb/ery025}, author = {Natarajan, Bhavani and Kalsi, Harpreet S. and Godbole, Prajakta and Malankar, Nilam and Thiagarayaselvam, Aarthy and Siddappa, Sundaresha and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Chakrabarti, Swarup K. and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @article {44528, title = {Mixed bacterial culture mediated direct conversion of bio-glycerol to diols}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {250}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {86-93}, abstract = {

Direct and economic transformation of biodiesel derived crude glycerol is gaining more significance. During screening of bacterial cultures Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes were able to convert crude bio-glycerol to 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), as major compounds, ethanol and acetoin as minor compounds, with a conversion of 69\% and 79\% respectively. Process optimization could achieve maximum conversion at pH 7.0, 37 degrees C, 30-40 g/L glycerol and 1.5 g of inoculum until 120 h. Mixed cultures led to complete glycerol conversion with optimal yield and productivity. An innovative approach of using crude glycerol for sustained growth and tolerance of bacteria as source of carbon and energy makes this study more significant. In addition to this, a mixed culture concept introduced here is expected to make impact in process economics for industrial scale synthesis for direct transformation of glycerol into C3 and specifically, C4 diols.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Butanediol, 3-Propanediol, Bioconversion, Bioglycerol, Mixed culture}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.019}, author = {Parate, Roopa and Mane, Rasika and Dharne, Mahesh and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {44230, title = {Modeling and simulation of a fluidized bed gasifier}, journal = {ASIA-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2155}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A mathematical model to simulate continuous gasification of coal particles in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor is presented. Material and energy balance equations have been formulated based on the 2-phase theory. Well-known correlations have been used to estimate the hydrodynamics. Devolatilization, heterogeneous reactions, and homogenous reactions have been included in the model. The model is used to simulate 29 experimental data sets from the published literature. The model predictions agree very well with the experimental data by adjusting the particle size. After establishing agreement with the data, the model was used to investigate influence of various operating parameters on overall performance (carbon conversion and the gross calorific value of generated gas). Thermodynamic analysis (using the minimization of the Gibbs free energy approach) has also been discussed. The presented model and results provide useful tool and insight on design and operation of fluidized bed gasifier.

}, issn = {1932-2135}, doi = {10.1002/apj.2155}, author = {Jain, A. A. and Mehra, A. and Ranade, V. V.} } @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 {44632, title = {Morphology and thermophysical properties of non-aqueous titania nanofluids}, journal = {Heat and Mass Transfer}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2645-2650}, abstract = {

This work deals with the experimental investigation on thermophysical properties of TiO2-nanofluids and characterization of morphology and structure of TiO2 nanoparticles. Non-aqueous liquids like silicone oil and ethylene glycol are used as base fluids to prepare the nanofluids. Thermophysical properties including viscosity and thermal conductivity of these nanofluids are measured at different concentrations and temperatures. Results showed that silicone oil-based TiO2 nanofluid is Newtonian and the viscosity of this nanofluid increases with the loading of nanoparticles but it decreases nonlinearly with increasing temperature. Existing viscosity models are found unable to predict the viscosity of nanofluids. Although the effective thermal conductivities of both the silicone oil and ethylene glycol-based nanofluids increased with the TiO2 concentration, their enhanced thermal conductivity was found to decrease with increasing temperature.

}, issn = {0947-7411}, doi = {10.1007/s00231-018-2308-4}, author = {Murshed, S. M. S. and Santos, F. J. V. and Nieto de Castro, C. A. and Patil, V. S. and Patil, K. R.} } @article {45399, title = { A new class of N-doped ionic PAHs via intramolecular [4+2]-cycloaddition between arylpyridines and alkynes}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {11909-11912}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Reported herein, for the first time, is a copper-promoted intramolecular [4+2]-cycloaddition cascade to access ionic N-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with tunable emission wavelengths. It is shown that the reaction can be made catalytic with respect to Cu(OTf)(2) when an external oxidant, Selectfluor, was used.}, issn = { 1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c8cc05743e}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Gade, Amol B. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {44644, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of spiro-glutarimides via alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazoliums}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4499-4503}, abstract = {

NHC-catalyzed enantioselective [3 + 3] spiro-annulation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with cyclic beta-ketoamides allowing the preparation of synthetically and biologically important spiro-glutarimide derivatives has been reported. The interception of the ketoamides with catalytically generated chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazoliums proceeds in a Michael addition-intramolecular amidation pathway to deliver the spirocyclic products with good yield, diastereoselectivity, and enantioselectivity.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b01799}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Ghosh, Arghya and Mukherjee, Subrata and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {44535, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed michael-michael-lactonization cascade for the enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic delta-lactones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2952-2955}, abstract = {

Enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic delta-lactones with three contiguous stereocenters has been demonstrated by the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed functionalization of benzylic C(sp(3))-H bonds. The NHC-catalyzed reaction of enals with dinitrotoluene derivatives under oxidative conditions proceeds via the chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazoliums and produces the delta-lactones in good yields and excellent diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity. This mild and atom-economic cascade reaction takes place in a Michael/Michael/lactonization sequence and tolerates a broad range of functional groups.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b00998}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Ghosh, Arghya and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {45471, title = { Ni-catalyzed alpha-alkylation of unactivated amides and esters with alcohols by hydrogen auto-transfer strategy }, journal = {CHEMSUSCHEM}, volume = {11}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3911-3916}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A transition-metal-catalyzed borrowing hydrogen/hydrogen auto-transfer strategy allows the utilization of feedstock alcohols as an alkylating partner, which avoids the formation of stoichiometric salt waste and enables a direct and benign approach for the construction of C-N and C-C bonds. In this study, a nickel-catalyzed alpha-alkylation of unactivated amides and ester (tert-butyl acetate) is carried out by using primary alcohols under mild conditions. This C-C bond-forming reaction is catalyzed by a new, molecularly defined nickel(II) NNN-pincer complex (0.1-1 mol \%) and proceeds through hydrogen auto-transfer, thereby releasing water as the sole byproduct. In addition, N-alkylation of cyclic amides under Ni-catalytic conditions is demonstrated.}, doi = {10.1002/cssc.201801443}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Rana, Jagannath and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Nandakumar, Avanashiappan and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @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 {44537, title = {Ni(OH)(2)-Fe2O3/CNOs ternary nanocomposite designed as an anode with complementary properties for high-performance li-ion battery}, journal = {Chemistryselect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2286-2292}, type = {Article }, abstract = {

Synthesis of the new ternary hybrid composite with excellent electrochemical performances for Li-ion battery is demonstrated. The ternary hybrid composite of Ni(OH)(2)-Fe2O3/Carbon Nano Onions (NFOC) is synthesized by using two-step solution phase method delivers a high reversible discharge capacity of 928 mAhg(-1) at 50 mAg(-1) and 673 mAhg(-1) at a higher current density of 1000 mAg(-1) with excellent rate performance. Additionally, it shows to have stable cycle life up to 1000 cycles with 96\% capacity retention and more than 99\% of coulombic efficiency. The synergetic effect between Ni(OH)(2), Fe2O3 and carbon nano onions (CNOs) as well as the unique feature of heterostructures are responsible for the improved electrochemical performance of the battery. The reversible reaction of Fe2O3 and Ni(OH)(2) with Li, maintains its long cycle life with higher reversible discharge capacity and CNOs improve the efficient electronic transfer, accommodate substantial volume expansion and maintain the structural integrity of the material during lithiation-delithiation process.

}, keywords = {Heterostructures, Long cycle stability, Superior rate capability, Ternary Composite, Transition metal oxides}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201702779}, author = {Dwivedi, Pravin Kumari and Muniraj, Vedi Kuyil Azhagan and Devarapalli, Rami Reddy and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {44597, title = {N-Methylation of isoDGR peptides: discovery of a selective alpha 5 beta 1-integrin ligand as a potent tumor imaging agent}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2490-2499}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Specific targeting of the integrin subtype alpha 5 beta 1 possesses high potential in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Through sequential N-methylation, we successfully converted the biselective alpha 5 beta 1/alpha v beta 6 peptide c(phg-isoDGR-k) into a potent peptidic RGD binding aSfil subtype selective ligand c(phg-isoDGR-(NMe)k). Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and molecular modeling clarified the molecular basis of its improved selectivity profile. To demonstrate its potential in vivo, c(phg-isoDGR-(NMe)k) was trimerized with the chelator TRAP and used as a positron-emission tomography tracer for monitoring alpha 5 beta 1 integrin expression in a M21 mouse xenograft.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01752}, author = {Kapp, Tobias G. and Di Leva, Francesco Saverio and Notni, Johannes and Raeder, Andreas F. B. and Fottner, Maximilian and Reichart, Florian and Reich, Dominik and Wurzer, Alexander and Steiger, Katja and Novellino, Ettore and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Wester, Hans-Juergen and Marinelli, Luciana and Kessler, Horst} } @article {44541, title = {One-pot cascade synthesis of 2-cyanoacrylamides via Sn-catalyzed acetic acid free selective monohydration of dinitrile}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3534-3538}, abstract = {

The simple, mild, novel and an efficient new protocol has been developed for the straightforward synthesis of 2-cyanoacrylamides. This is the first report in which Sn-catalyzed acetic acid free selective monohydration of dinitrile was achieved for a one pot cascade synthesis of 2-cyanoacrylamides in good to excellent yield via condensation of various aldehydes, heterocyclic aldehydes with malononitrile.

}, keywords = {2-cyanoacrylamides, Aldehyde, one pot, SnCl2 center dot 2H(2)O}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201703171}, author = {Shaikh, Taufeekaslam M. Y. and Mulla, Shafeek A. R.} } @article {44612, title = {Organocatalyst bound -aminoalkyl radical intermediate for controlled aerobic oxidation of iminium ions}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5081-5085}, abstract = {

A catalyst bound -aminoalkyl radical intermediate from iminium is developed to control its formation and reactivity with aerobic oxygen. The influence of the catalyst was demonstrated via the ease of radical intermediate formation and its subsequent reactivity, including the first catalyst-controlled enantioselective aerobic oxidation with a chiral phosphite catalyst.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c8ob01032c}, author = {Motaleb, Abdul and Bera, Asish and Maity, Pradip} } @article {44544, title = {Overexpression of tryptophan decarboxylase and strictosidine synthase enhanced terpenoid indole alkaloid pathway activity and antineoplastic vinblastine biosynthesis in Catharanthus roseus}, journal = {Protoplasma}, volume = {255}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1281-1294}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Terpenoid indole alkaloid (TIA) biosynthetic pathway of Catharanthus roseus possesses the major attention in current metabolic engineering efforts being the sole source of highly expensive antineoplastic molecules vinblastine and vincristine. The entire TIA pathway is fairly known at biochemical and genetic levels except the pathway steps leading to biosynthesis of catharanthine and tabersonine. To increase the in-planta yield of these antineoplastic metabolites for the pharmaceutical and drug industry, extensive plant tissue culture-based studies were performed to provide alternative production systems. However, the strict spatiotemporal developmental regulation of TIA biosynthesis has restricted the utility of these cultures for large-scale production. Therefore, the present study was performed to enhance the metabolic flux of TIA pathway towards the biosynthesis of vinblastine by overexpressing two upstream TIA pathway genes, tryptophan decarboxylase (CrTDC) and strictosidine synthase (CrSTR), at whole plant levels in C. roseus. Whole plant transgenic of C. roseus was developed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens LBA1119 strain having CrTDC and CrSTR gene cassette. Developed transgenic lines demonstrated up to twofold enhanced total alkaloid production with maximum ninefold increase in vindoline and catharanthine, and fivefold increased vinblastine production. These lines recorded a maximum of 38-fold and 65-fold enhanced transcript levels of CrTDC and CrSTR genes, respectively.

}, doi = {10.1007/s00709-018-1233-1}, author = {Sharma, Abhishek and Verma, Priyanka and Mathur, Archana and Mathur, Ajay} } @article {44361, title = {pH-dependent speciation and hydrogen (H-2) control U(VI) respiration by Desulfovibrio vulgaris}, journal = {Biotechnology and Bioengineering}, volume = {115}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1465-1474}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In situ bioreduction of soluble hexavalent uranium U(VI) to insoluble U(IV) (as UO2) has been proposed as a means of preventing U migration in the groundwater. This work focuses on the bioreduction of U(VI) and precipitation of U(IV). It uses anaerobic batch reactors with Desulfovibrio vulgaris, a well-known sulfate, iron, and U(VI) reducer, growing on lactate as the electron donor, in the absence of sulfate, and with a 30-mM bicarbonate buffering. In the absence of sulfate, D. vulgaris reduced >90\% of the total soluble U(VI) (1mM) to form U(IV) solids that were characterized by X-ray diffraction and confirmed to be nano-crystalline uraninite with crystallite size 2.8 +/- 0.2nm. pH values between 6 and 10 had minimal impact on bacterial growth and end-product distribution, supporting that the mono-nuclear, and poly-nuclear forms of U(VI) were equally bioavailable as electron acceptors. Electron balances support that H-2 transiently accumulated, but was ultimately oxidized via U(VI) respiration. Thus, D. vulgaris utilized H-2 as the electron carrier to drive respiration of U(VI). Rapid lactate utilization and biomass growth occurred only when U(VI) respiration began to draw down the sink of H-2 and relieve thermodynamic inhibition of fermentation.}, doi = {10.1002/bit.26579}, author = {Kushwaha, Shilpi and Marcus, Andrew K. and Rittmann, Bruce E.} } @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 {44205, title = {Phosphine-free cobalt pincer complex catalyzed Z-selective semi-hydrogenation of unbiased alkynes}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {428-433}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a novel, molecularly defined NNN-type cobalt pincer complex catalyzed transfer semi-hydrogenation of unbiased alkynes to Z-selective alkenes. This unified process is highly stereo-and chemo-selective and exhibits a broad scope as well as wide functional group tolerance. Ammonia-borane (AB), a bench-stable substrate with high gravimetric hydrogen capacity, was used as a safe and practical transfer hydrogenating source.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/c7cy01994g}, author = {Landge, Vinod G. and Pitchaimani, Jayaraman and Midya, Siba P. and Subaramanian, Murugan and Madhu, Vedichi and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {44348, title = {Polycrystalline MnGe2 thin films on InAs(001) substrates}, journal = {Thin Solid Films}, volume = {657}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {38-41}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We report on the growth of MnGe2 thin films on InAs(001) substrates using radio frequency-magnetron cosputtering. Polycrystalline thin films were obtained at a substrate temperature of 353 K. X-ray diffractometry was used to identify the tetragonal MnGe2 phase (space group 14/mcm). Measurements of the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the magnetization revealed that the MnGe2 thin films are ferromagnetic with a magnetization of 280 kAm(-1) and a Curie temperature of 62 K. Additionally, an antiferromagnetic component is observed at low temperatures, which may arise atomic disorder at the grain boundaries between MnGe2 crystallites.}, doi = {10.1016/j.tsf.2018.05.007}, author = {Gutierrez-Naranjo, David and Holguin-Momaca, Jose T. and Solis-Canto, Oscar O. and Gupta, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj and Espinosa Magana, Francisco and Olive-Mendez, Sion F.} } @conference {44549, title = {Polyethyleneglycol/silver functionalized Reduced graphene oxide aerogel for environmental application}, booktitle = {62nd Dae Solid State Physics Symposium}, year = {2018}, publisher = {Dept Atom Energy; Board Res Nucl Sci, Dept Atom Energy; Bhabha Atom Res Ctr}, organization = {Dept Atom Energy; Board Res Nucl Sci, Dept Atom Energy; Bhabha Atom Res Ctr}, address = {2 Huntington Quadrangle, Ste 1 No1, Melville, NY 11747-4501 USA}, abstract = {

Polyethylene glycol (PEG)/Silver (Ag) functionalized reduced graphene oxide aerogel (RGOA) was synthesized. PEG/Ag decorated reduced graphene oxide aerogel was characterized using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The surface morphology of PEG/Ag/RGOA was analyzed using scanning electron microscope. The non-covalent interaction between reduced graphene oxide layers and the interaction between PEG and Ag on RGOA were studied by FT-IR spectra. It was observed that the interaction between Ag and PEG could enhance the properties of RGOA. Methyl Orange (MO) dye degradation was observed from UV-Vis Spectra. The process was studied by monitoring the simultaneous decrease in the height of UV-Vis absorption peak of dye solution. The results show that PEG/RGOA and PEG/Ag/RGOA are an efficient catalyst for dye degradation.

}, isbn = {978-0-7354-1634-5}, doi = {10.1063/1.5028718}, author = {Kumari, G. Vanitha and Asha, S. and Ananth, A. Nimrodh and Rajan, M. A. Jothi and Mathavan, T.} } @article {44552, title = {Porous reduced graphene oxide modified electrodes for the analysis of protein aggregation. Part 2: Application to the analysis of calcitonin containing pharmaceutical formulation}, journal = {Electrochimica Acta}, volume = {266}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR }, pages = {364-372}, abstract = {

In part 1 (A. Vasilescu et al., Porous reduced graphene oxide modified electrodes for the analysis of protein aggregation. Part 1: Lysozyme aggregation at pH 2 and 7.4 Electrochem. Acta, 254 (2017) 375 -383) we proposed porous reduced graphene oxide coated glassy carbon electrode (GC/prGO) in combination with differential pulse voltammetry as a new analytical tool for aggregation studies of proteins. Lysozyme was used as a model to follow its aggregation by electrochemical means at pH 2 and pH 7.4, leading to the formation of amyloid and amorphous aggregates, respectively. Part 2 of this work widens the scope of this approach by investigating a biopharmaceutical product, as the aggregation of peptide based drugs affects their therapeutic activity and can induce allergic reactions in patients. The salmon polypeptide calcitonin (sCT) was chosen as an example of a bioactive peptide with limited pharmaceutical potential due to a tendency to form cytotoxic aggregates and amyloid fibrils. For practical applications, screen printed electrodes (SPE) and flexible electrodes (FE) modified with polydiallyldimethylammonium (PDDA) and prGO by using the layer-by-layer deposition technique have been developed for the detection of sCT. The results indicate that these electrodes can differentiate between formation of amyloid aggregates of calcitonin (2 mg mL(-1)) in citrate buffer to no aggregation in acetate buffer. It was further demonstrated that these electrodes are able to analyze a pharmaceutical drug product of low potency, Miacalcic (8.3 mu g mL(-1)), where no aggregation was observed. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Calcitonin, Disposable electrodes, Electrochemistry, Porous reduced graphene oxide, Protein aggregation}, issn = {0013-4686}, doi = {10.1016/j.electacta.2018.02.038}, author = {Vasilescu, Alina and Ye, Ran and Boulahneche, Samia and Lamraoui, Sabrina and Jijie, Roxana and Medjram, Mohamed Salah and Gaspar, Szilveszter and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Melinte, Sorin and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {45498, title = {Prediction of coal ash fusion temperatures using computational intelligence based models}, journal = {International Journal of Coal Science and Technology}, volume = {4}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {486-507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the coal-based combustion and gasification processes, the mineral matter contained in the coal (predominantly oxides), is left as an incombustible residue, termed ash. Commonly, ash deposits are formed on the heat absorbing surfaces of the exposed equipment of the combustion/gasification processes. These deposits lead to the occurrence of slagging or fouling and, consequently, reduced process efficiency. The ash fusion temperatures (AFTs) signify the temperature range over which the ash deposits are formed on the heat absorbing surfaces of the process equipment. Thus, for designing and operating the coal-based processes, it is important to have mathematical models predicting accurately the four types of AFTs namely initial deformation temperature, softening temperature, hemispherical temperature, and flow temperature. Several linear/nonlinear models with varying prediction accuracies and complexities are available for the AFT prediction. Their principal drawback is their applicability to the coals originating from a limited number of geographical regions. Accordingly, this study presents computational intelligence (CI) based nonlinear models to predict the four AFTs using the oxide composition of the coal ash as the model input. The CI methods used in the modeling are genetic programming (GP), artificial neural networks, and support vector regression. The notable features of this study are that the models with a better AFT prediction and generalization performance, a wider application potential, and reduced complexity, have been developed. Among the CI-based models, GP and MLP based models have yielded overall improved performance in predicting all four AFTs.

}, issn = {20958293}, doi = {10.1007/s40789-018-0213-6}, author = {Tambe, S.S. and Naniwadekar, M. and Tiwary, S. and Mukherjee, A. and Das, T. B.} } @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 {44193, title = {Pressure equalization approach for flow uniformity in microreactor with parallel channels}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Science}, volume = {176}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {96-106}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Numbering-up using parallel channels helps to achieve higher processing capacity while retaining the advantages of microreactors. However it may also lead to non-uniformity in flow across all the channels. Here we report the CFD simulations and experimental observations on the extent of uniformity in the flow from an assembly of several parallel channels. In the conventional parallel channel geometry, smaller channel size (\<300 m) as well as higher fluid viscosity is seen to give better flow uniformity. Inequality in pressure distribution at the inlet of a large number of parallel channels is overcome by having two {\textquoteleft}pressure equalization slots{\textquoteright} at an equal distance from inlet and outlets that open in the respective manifolds. Having such an arrangement helped to reduce the standard deviation in the flow by almost 90\% when compared to the conventional geometry. However the modification was seen to increase the extent of back mixing to some extent. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {CFD, Experiments, Flow distribution, microreactor, Numbering-up, Parallel channels}, issn = {0009-2509}, doi = {10.1016/j.ces.2017.10.021}, author = {Madane, Ketan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {45348, title = {Quantum dots coupled to an oriented two-dimensional crystalline matrix for solar cell application}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {39074-39082}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising materials to harness panchromatic solar light, owing to their size-tunable optoelectronic properties. Advancements in surface passivation strategy and processing technique have contributed immensely to their developments in photovoltaic applications. Recently, surface passivation using halometallate ligands was shown to form a protective shell layer, which reduced the structural and energetic disorder in the QD solid. Here, we report lead sulfide (PbS) QDs coupled to an oriented two-dimensionally (2D) confined crystalline matrix by using a halometallate ligand. The QDs undergo surface reconstruction during the ligand treatment process, which leads to change in their shape, size, and axis length. We show that the 2D matrix is a combination of two distinct crystalline layers consisting of a crystalline Pb amine complex and a 2D perovskite layer. The thickness of the matrix layer is modulated further by adjusting counter cations, which results in the enhancement in charge carrier mobility, carrier recombination lifetime, and diffusion length in the QD solid. 2D passivated QDs are implemented to fabricate photovoltaic devices with high power conversion efficiency of 9.1\%.}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.8b15469}, author = {Mandal, Debranjan and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {45436, title = { Rational design of coumarin derivatives as antituberculosis agents}, journal = {Future Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2431-2444}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of coumarin derivatives was designed as potential antituberculosis agents. Results: The compounds were screened against active and dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Compounds 3k and 3n were found to have the most promising activity against replicating MtbH37Rv exhibiting minimum inhibitory concentration of 4.63 and 9.75 mu M respectively. The compounds were also effective against dormant MtbH37Rv exhibiting more potency than the standard drugs, isoniazid and rifampicin. The compounds were found to be non-cytotoxic against human cell lines. Conclusion: This study provides promising antituberculosis agents that are effective against replicating as well as dormant Mtb and can thus act as potential leads for further development. }, issn = {1756-8919}, doi = {10.4155/fmc-2018-0015}, author = {Mali, Hemlata M. and Sabale, Sandip S. and Degani, Mariam S. and Borkute, Rachana and Choudhari, Amit S. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Krishna, Vagolu Siva and Sriram, Dharmarajan} } @article {45463, title = {Recent advances in the organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of functionalized -lactones}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {13 }, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2333-2349 }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This Focus Review highlights recent developments in the organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of -lactone derivatives. Owing to the importance of -lactones as a heterocyclic motif that is present in a variety of natural products and biologically active molecules, several catalytic methods have been developed for the synthesis of these compounds in their enantiomerically pure form. Organocatalytic methods that employ N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), cinchona alkaloids, isothioureas, 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) derivatives, and phosphines have allowed the highly enantioselective synthesis of -lactones from cheap and readily available starting materials. Moreover, the inherent strain in the four-membered ring of -lactones has also been utilized in further synthetic transformations, thus making -lactones a versatile intermediate in organic synthesis.

}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201800902}, author = {Mukherjee, Subrata and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {45407, title = { Refractive index and vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the binary systems of anisole with xylene isomers at 93.13 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {63}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3475-3481}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Phase equilibrium behavior of binary systems of anisole with xylene isomers was analyzed experimentally. An apparatus which establishes equilibrium conditions through continuous circulation of equilibrium vapor condensate and equilibrium liquid was used. Experimental data comprising refractive indices of binary mixtures, equilibrium compositions of vapor and liquid, and equilibrium temperature are reported for all binary systems. Thermodynamic consistency of vapor-liquid equilibrium data was established for using the Herington, Van Ness and absolute mean deviation tests. Interaction parameters of activity coefficient models, Wilson, nonrandom two liquid, and universal quasichemical, which are important for accounting nonideal behavior in process modeling, are also estimated through regression of the respective binary VLE data. Although VLE data shows that binary systems are nonazeotropic in nature, a pinch in the T-x,y plot indicates that separation of all binary system using distillation may need a significant number of stages.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.8b00348}, author = {Yadav, Satyajeet S. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {44556, title = {Regioselective and efficient enzymatic synthesis of antimicrobial andrographolide derivatives}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {28}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {1132-1137}, abstract = {

Labdane diterpene andrographolide (1) is a major constituent of Andrographis paniculata and known to exhibit wide spectrum of biological activities. In this study, regioselective monoesters of (1) have been synthesized by using Amano lipase AK (Pseudomonas fluorescens) as a biocatalyst. Amano lipase AK was able to execute highly efficient esterification of hydroxyl group attached to C-14 carbon of (1) in presence of acyl donors. Among the various synthesized derivatives including two novel compounds such as andrographolide-14-propionate (3) and andrographolide-14-caproate (5) displayed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with low minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) 4 mu g/mL and 16 mu g/mL respectively. Furthermore, they have shown low hemolysis activity at their respective MIC and increase in the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane as delineated by FITC uptake and SEM imaging studies. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Acylation, Andrographolide, Antimicrobial activity, biocatalysis, Hemolysis, Lipase, Natural product}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.01.007}, author = {Patil, Harshal S. and Jadhav, Dipesh D. and Paul, Ajay and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Karegaonkar, Shrikant J. and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {45376, title = {Removable functional group strategy for regiodivergent Wittig rearrangement products}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry }, volume = {16}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {8922-8926}, type = {Article}, abstract = {1,2] and [2,3] Wittig rearrangements are competing reaction pathways, often leading to uncontrollable product distribution. We employ a single removable functional group to fulfill the dual role of attaining a reversible [2,3] and stabilizing radical intermediate for the [1,2] path to obtain both the Wittig products selectively for a broad range of substrates.}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c8ob02221f}, author = {Alam, Md Nirshad and Lakshmi, K. M. and Maity, Pradip} } @article {44643, title = {Repeated photoporation with graphene quantum dots enables homogeneous labeling of live cells with extrinsic markers for fluorescence microscopy}, journal = {Light-Science \& Applications}, volume = {7}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {47}, abstract = {

In the replacement of genetic probes, there is increasing interest in labeling living cells with high-quality extrinsic labels, which avoid over-expression artifacts and are available in a wide spectral range. This calls for a broadly applicable technology that can deliver such labels unambiguously to the cytosol of living cells. Here, we demonstrate that nanoparticle-sensitized photoporation can be used to this end as an emerging intracellular delivery technique. We replace the traditionally used gold nanoparticles with graphene nanoparticles as photothermal sensitizers to permeabilize the cell membrane upon laser irradiation. We demonstrate that the enhanced thermal stability of graphene quantum dots allows the formation of multiple vapor nanobubbles upon irradiation with short laser pulses, allowing the delivery of a variety of extrinsic cell labels efficiently and homogeneously into live cells. We demonstrate high-quality time-lapse imaging with confocal, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), and Airyscan super-resolution microscopy. As the entire procedure is readily compatible with fluorescence (super resolution) microscopy, photoporation with graphene quantum dots has the potential to become the long-awaited generic platform for controlled intracellular delivery of fluorescent labels for live-cell imaging.

}, issn = {2047-7538}, doi = {10.1038/s41377-018-0048-3}, author = {Liu, Jing and Xiong, Ranhua and Brans, Toon and Lippens, Saskia and Parthoens, Eef and Zanacchi, Francesca Cella and Magrassi, Raffaella and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Szunerits, Sabine and Bove, Hannelore and Ameloot, Marcel and Fraire, Juan C. and Teirlinck, Eline and Samal, Sangram Keshari and De Rycke, Riet and Houthaeve, Gaelle and De Smedt, Stefaan C. and Boukherroub, Rabah and Braeckmans, Kevin} } @article {44206, title = {Role of surface ligands in determining the electronic properties of quantum dot solids and their impact on photovoltaic figure of merits}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1072-1080}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Surface chemistry plays a crucial role in determining the electronic properties of quantum dot solids and may well be the key to mitigate loss processes involved in quantum dot solar cells. Surface ligands help to maintain the shape and size of the individual dots in solid films, to preserve the clean energy band gap of the individual particles and to control charge carrier conduction across solid films, in turn regulating their performance in photovoltaic applications. In this report, we show that the changes in size, shape and functional groups of small chain organic ligands enable us to modulate mobility, dielectric constant and carrier doping density of lead sulfide quantum dot solids. Furthermore, we correlate these results with performance, stability and recombination processes in the respective photovoltaic devices. Our results highlight the critical role of surface chemistry in the electronic properties of quantum dots. The role of the size, functionality and the surface coverage of the ligands in determining charge transport properties and the stability of quantum dot solids have been discussed. Our findings, when applied in designing new ligands with higher mobility and improved passivation of quantum dot solids, can have important implications for the development of high-performance quantum dot solar cells.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c7nr06116a}, author = {Goswami, Prasenjit N. and Mandal, Debranjan and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {44190, title = {Rufinamide: crystal structure elucidation and solid state characterization}, journal = {Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis}, volume = {149}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {185-192}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rufinamide (R) is a triazole derivative approved for the management of partial seizures and seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, in November 2007. Crystal structure, solid state characterization, drug-excipient compatibility and solubility play a pivotal role in formulation development. This work deals with the crystal structure elucidation of R by single crystal X-ray diffraction and solid state characterization by thermal, spectroscopic and crystallographic techniques. Drug- excipient compatibility was assessed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). New RP-HPLC method for quantification of R was developed with improved retention time. Solubility and dissolution of drug in different media was determined. Additionally, the flow behavior of the drug was evaluated by measuring Carr{\textquoteright}s index and Hausner{\textquoteright}s ratio, while the compressibility behavior was studied using Well{\textquoteright}s protocol. R crystallized from dimethylformamide (R-DMF) was utilized for single crystal analysis. The drug crystallized in triclinic crystal system with P-1 space group. Asymmetric unit cell consists of two molecules of R held by intermolecular hydrogen bond (connected by N-H center dot center dot center dot O, which forms the catemeric chain). Analytical outcomes from DSC, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) revealed that the drug was present in pure crystalline form and was devoid of any polymorphic or pseudopolymorphic impurities. Influence of pH on the solubility and dissolution of R-DMF was found to be insignificant. The drug exhibited poor aqueous solubility, which was improved nearly 4.6 fold with the addition of 2\% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). The drug exhibits poor flow and elastic compression nature. Excipients such as poly ethylene glycol (PEG) 8000, SLS, lactose monohydrate, starch and Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) E15 were incompatible with R-DMF as identified by thermal analysis. It is envisaged that these information regarding solid state properties of R-DMF would aid in identifying a logical path for formulation development. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Compressibility, Dissolution media, DSC, HPLC method, solubility}, issn = {0731-7085}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpba.2017.11.003}, author = {Salunke, Nita and Thipparaboina, Rajesh and Chavan, Rahul B. and Lodagekar, Anurag and Mittapalli, Sudhir and Nangia, Ashwini and Shastri, Nalini R.} } @article {45438, title = {Ruthenium-catalyzed regioselective alkenylation/tandem hydroamidative cyclization of unmasked quinazolinones using terminal alkynes}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {8906-8913}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ruthenium-catalyzed amide directed C-sp2-H activation of the quinazolinone scaffold has been demonstrated, leading to the selective mono- or dialkenylation in moderate to good yields to achieve medicinally important stilbene containing quinazolinones. The terminal allcyne is utilized as a coupling partner, which resulted in the selective trans-alkene formation. Electron-deficient phenylacetylenes facilitate alkenylation followed by tandem hydroamidation of the newly generated trans double bond to provide novel quinazolinone alkaloids related to the Luotonine class of natural products.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b01143}, author = {Viveki, Amol B. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44380, title = {Silk fibroin micro-particle scaffolds with superior compression modulus and slow bioresorption for effective bone regeneration}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {Article Number: 7235}, abstract = {Silk fibroin (SF), a natural polymer produced by Bombyx mori silkworms, has been extensively explored to prepare porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Here, we demonstrate, a scaffold made of SF, which exhibits compression modulus comparable to natural cancellous bone while retaining the appropriate porosities and interconnected pore architecture. The scaffolds also exhibit high resistance to in-vitro proteolytic degradation due to the dominant beta sheet conformation of the SF protein. Additionally, the scaffolds are prepared using a simple method of microparticle aggregation. We also demonstrate, for the first time, a method to prepare SF micro-particles using a Hexafluoroisopropanol-Methanol solvent-coagulant combination. SF microparticles obtained using this method are monodisperse, spherical, non-porous and extremely crystalline. These micro-particles have been further aggregated together to form a 3D scaffold. The aggregation is achieved by random packing of these microparticles and fusing them together using a dilute SF solution. Preliminary in-vitro cell culture and in-vivo implantation studies demonstrate that the scaffolds are biocompatible and they exhibit the appropriate early markers, making them promising candidates for bone regeneration.}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-25643-x}, author = {Nisal, Anuya and Sayyad, Raeesa and Dhavale, Prachi and Khude, Bhakti and Deshpande, Rucha and Mapare, Vidhyashri and Shukla, Swati and Venugopalan, Premnath} } @article {44573, title = {Silver-mediated oxidative decarboxylative intramolecular asymmetric radical cyclization (C sp3 {\textendash}C sp2 ) via memory of chirality: access to circumdatin alkaloids}, journal = {Organic Letters }, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {APR}, pages = {2092-2095}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel silver-mediated oxidative decarboxylative intramolecular asymmetric radical cyclization has been developed to form a Csp3{\textendash}Csp2 bond via memory of chirality. The application of the process has been demonstrated for the synthesis of the circumdatin class of alkaloids in high enantiopurity with retention of the configuration. The developed protocol is mild and works with an inexpensive silver catalyst in the absence of ligand, base, or additives. The involvement of a monoradical in the reaction has been established by trapping the radical intermediate.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b00652}, author = {Mahajan, Pankaj S. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44182, title = {Single step, phase controlled, large scale synthesis of ferrimagnetic iron oxide polymorph nanoparticles by thermal plasma route and their rheological properties}, journal = {Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials}, volume = {449}, year = {2018}, month = {MAR 1}, pages = {232-242}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper we report single step large scale synthesis of highly crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles viz. magnetite (Fe3O4) and maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3) via gas phase condensation process, where micron sized iron metal powder was used as a precursor. Selective phases of iron oxide were obtained by variation of gas flow rate of oxygen and hence partial pressure of oxygen inside the plasma reactor. Most of the particles were found to possesses average crystallite size of about 20-30 nm. The DC magnetization curves recorded indicate almost super-paramagnetic nature of the iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles. Further, iron oxide nanoparticles were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mossbauer spectroscopy. In order to explore the feasibility of these nanoparticles for magnetic damper application, rheological studies have been carried out and compared with commercially available Carbonyl Iron (CI) particles. The nanoparticles obtained by thermal plasma route show improved dispersion which is useful for rheological applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Iron oxide, magnetic properties, Nano-crystalline materials, Rheological properties, Thermal plasma}, issn = {0304-8853}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmmm.2017.09.056}, author = {Raut, Suyog A. and Mutadak, Pallavi R. and Kumar, Shiv and Kanhe, Nilesh S. and Huprikar, Sameer and Pol, Harshawardhan V. and Phase, Deodatta M. and Bhoraskar, Sudha V. and Mathe, Vikas L.} } @article {44226, title = {Solid state auto-inversion of C-centrochirality: enantioselective total synthesis of furocarbazolones (-)-epi-claulansine D and (-)-claulansine D and pyranocarbazolone (+)-epi-claulansine C}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {382-387}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Starting from dimethyl (E)-2-{[(1-tert-butoxycarbonyl)-1H-indol-3-yl]methylene}succinate and (R)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-carbaldehyde, facile synthesis of (-)-epi-claulansine D was accomplished via condensation and two intramolecular cyclizations. The (-)-epi-claulansine D in the solid state exists in a metastable form, and after an induction period of 30-90 days, it underwent complete epimerization to exclusively deliver the desired natural product (-)-claulansine D in quantitative yield. The witnessed inversion of C-centrochirality in the solid state is conceptually novel and takes place for relatively higher crystal stability reasons. Base-catalyzed ring expansion of both (+/-)/(-)-epi-claulansine D and (+/-)/(-)-claulansine D resulted in (+/-)/(+)-epi-claulansine C in very good yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.7b02773}, author = {Markad, Shivaji B. and N. P. Argade} } @article {44618, title = {Specific stereoisomeric conformations determine the drug potency of cladosporin scaffold against malarial parasite}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5664-5678}, abstract = {

The dependence of drug potency on diastereomeric configurations is a key facet. Using a novel general divergent synthetic route for a three-chiral center antimalarial natural product cladosporin, we built its complete library of stereoisomers (cladologs) and assessed their inhibitory potential using parasite-, enzyme-, and structure-based assays. We show that potency is manifest via tetrahyropyran ring conformations that are housed in the ribose binding pocket of parasite lysyl tRNA synthetase (KRS). Strikingly, drug potency between top and worst enantiomers varied 500-fold, and structures of KRS-cladolog complexes reveal that alterations at C3 and C10 are detrimental to drug potency whereas changes at C3 are sensed by rotameric flipping of glutamate 332. Given that scores of antimalarial and anti-infective drugs contain chiral centers, this work provides a new foundation for focusing on inhibitor stereochemistry as a facet of antimicrobial drug development.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00565}, author = {Das, Pronay and Babbar, Palak and Malhotra, Nipun and Sharma, Manmohan and Jachak, Goraknath R. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Harlos, Karl and Yogavel, Manickam and Sharma, Amit and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {44186, title = {Streptomyces sp metabolite(s) promotes Bax mediated intrinsic apoptosis and autophagy involving inhibition of mTOR pathway in cervical cancer cell lines}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {8}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2810}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In cervical cancer, the association between HPV infection and dysregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway (PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway) places mTOR as an attractive therapeutic target. The failure of current treatment modalities in advanced stages of this cancer and drawbacks of already available mTOR inhibitors demand for novel drug candidates. In the present study we identified the presence of a mTOR inhibitor in an active fraction of the ethyl acetate extract of Streptomyces sp OA293. The metabolites(s) in the active fraction completely inhibited mTORC1 and thereby suppressed activation of both of its downstream targets, 4E-BP1 and P70S6k, in cervical cancer cells. In addition, it also stalled Akt activation via inhibition of mTORC2. The mechanism of mTOR inhibition detailed in our study overcomes significant drawbacks of well known mTOR inhibitors such as rapamycin and rapalogs. The active fraction induced autophagy and Bax mediated apoptosis suggesting that mTOR inhibition resulted in programmed cell death of cancer cells. The molecular weight determination of the components in active fraction confirmed the absence of any previously known natural mTOR inhibitor. This is the first report of complete mTOR complex inhibition by a product derived from microbial source.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-21249-5}, author = {Dan, Vipin Mohan and Muralikrishnan, Balaji and Sanawar, Rahul and Vinodh, J. S. and Burkul, Bhushan Bapusaheb and Srinivas, Kalanghad Puthankalam and Lekshmi, Asha and Pradeep, N. S. and Dastager, Syed G. and Santhakumari, B. and Santhoshkumar, Thankayyan R. and Kumar, R. Ajay and Pillai, Madhavan Radhakrishna} } @article {44360, title = {Structural and magnetic properties of La2Ni1-xCoxMnO6 compounds}, journal = {Materials Research Bulletin}, volume = {102}, year = {2018}, month = {JUN}, pages = {248-256}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Single phase monoclinic La2Ni1-xMnO6 (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.8) compounds, henceforth, referred as LNCxMO (x = 0.2, 0.4, 0.8) have been prepared by Sol-gel technique. The structural study and redox titration suggest that the samples are both La and O deficient. The generated atomic models using Rietveld refined structural parameters show octahedral distortion In the double perovskite structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study has been used to determine the predominant valence states of Ni, Mn and Co ions. LNCxMO (x = 0.2, 0.4) are found to be Heisenberg ferromagnets whereas LNC0.8MO is a phase segregated system. In LNC0.4MO and LNO0.8MO, at temperatures above T-c, chi(-1)(T) curve shows the characteristics of Griffiths phase. The study of ac susceptibility and Isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) discard the possibility of any glassy state at low temperatures. The antiphase boundaries (APBs), antisite disorders (ASDs) and oxygen vacancies play important roles in this system.}, doi = {10.1016/j.materresbull.2018.01.040}, author = {Pramanik, Debabrata and Mukherjee, S. and Dan, Shovan and Nandy, A. and Pradhan, S. K. and Dasgupta, Papri and Poddar, Asok and Mukherjee, Manabendra and Manjunath, B. and Joy, P. A.} } @article {44188, title = {Superior HIV-1 TAR binders with conformationally constrained R52 arginine mimics in the Tat(48-57) peptide}, journal = {Chemmedchem}, volume = {13}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {220-226}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a 100-fold increase in binding affinity of the Tat(48-57) peptide to HIV-1 transcriptional activator-responsive element (TAR) RNA by replacing Arg52, an essential and critical residue for Tat{\textquoteright}s specific binding, with (2S,4S)-4-guanidinoproline. The resulting Tat1M peptide is a far superior binder than Tat1M, a peptide containing another conformationally constrained arginine mimic, (2S,4S)-4-amino-N-(3-guanidinopropyl)proline, or even the control Tat peptide (CtrlTat) itself. Our observations are supported by circular dichroism (CD), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), gel electrophoresis and UV spectroscopy studies. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest increased interactions between the more compact Tat1M and TAR RNA, relative to CtrlTat. The CD signature of the RNA itself remains largely unchanged upon binding of the peptides. The Tat mimetics further have better cell uptake properties than the control Tat peptide, thus increasing their potential application as specific TAR-binding molecules.

}, keywords = {antiviral agents, arginine mimics, RNA, Tat peptide analogues, Tat-TAR binding}, issn = {1860-7179}, doi = {10.1002/cmdc.201700653}, author = {Bhosle, Govind S. and Kharche, Shalmali and Kumar, Santosh and Sengupta, Durba and Maiti, Souvik and Fernandes, Moneesha} } @article {44604, title = {Supramolecular reassembly of self-exfoliated ionic covalent organic nanosheets for label-free detection of double-stranded DNA}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL }, pages = {8443-8447}, abstract = {

Ionic covalent organic nanosheets (iCONs), a member of the two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials family, offer a unique functional platform for a wide range of applications. Herein, we explore the potential of an ethidium bromide (EB)-based covalent organic framework (EB-TFP) that self-exfoliates in water resulting in 2D ionic covalent organic nanosheets (EB-TFP-iCONs) for the selective detection of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In an aqueous medium, the self-exfoliated EB-TFP-iCONs reassemble in the presence of dsDNA resulting in hybrid EB-TFP-iCONs-DNA crystalline nanosheets with enhanced fluorescence at 600 nm. Detailed steady-state and time-resolved emission studies revealed that the reassembly phenomenon was highly selective for dsDNA when compared to single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which allowed us to use the EB-TFP-iCONs as a 2D fluorescent platform for the label-free detection of complementary DNA strands.

}, keywords = {Covalent organic framework, DNA, ionic assembly, ionic covalent organic nanosheets, label-free detection}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201801352}, author = {Mal, Arindam and Mishra, Rakesh K. and Praveen, Vakayil K. and Khayum, M. Abdul and Banerjee, Rahul and Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai} } @article {44525, title = {Surface functionalized fluorescent PS nanobead based dual-distinct solid state sensor for detection of volatile organic compounds}, journal = {Analytical Chemistry}, volume = {90}, year = {2018}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7434{\textendash}7441}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Solid state emitting, distinctly dual vapor sensors with high quantum yield was developed using polystyrene incorporating two fluorophores following a miniemulsion polymerization method. Selective functionalization with carboxy and amine functionality was used to decorate the resulting polystyrene nanobeads having both perylenebisimide (PBI) and oligo (p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV) fluorophores. These nanobeads with a size of 70{\textendash}180 nm showed near white emission under UV light. On contact with vapors of specific electron deficient nitroaromatics OPV emission got selectively quenched to show yellow emission from the nanobeads under UV radiation. Exposure to amine vapor quashed PBI emission selectively resulting in blue emission under UV lamp. Such a vast range of color alteration from white to either blue or yellow from the same sensor makes it a true dual analyte sensor with two distinct outputs. Control of surface functionality (-COOH, -NH2, and neutral) on the nanobeads played a pivotal role in boosting the sensing efficiency; introduction of functionality on the surface facilitated analyte-sensor interaction through hydrogen bonding, prompting their fast responsiveness. Real time, potential device based application was demonstrated with free-standing films which was capable of efficient detection with fast analyte exchange from dilute solutions. Recyclability of the film sensor was demonstrated with 8 cycles of reuse.}, issn = {32700}, doi = {10.1021/acs.analchem.8b00936}, author = {Makkad, Sarabjot Kaur}, editor = {Asha, SK} } @article {44518, title = {Sustainability assessment of brick work for low-cost housing: a comparison between waste based bricks and burnt clay bricks}, journal = {Sustainable Cities and Society}, volume = {37}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {396-406}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Manufacturing of bricks, using clay or fly ash, is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions as their manufacturing involves utilization of coal and cement. To overcome this limitation, alternative construction materials are developed by author using industrial and agro wastes like cotton mill waste, recycled paper mill waste, and rice husk ash. This work aims at performing a sustainability assessment of burnt clay bricks and bricks made of industrial and agro wastes used for brickwork in a low-cost house. The criteria considered for the assessment are economic, environmental, social, and technical aspects for manufacture of bricks and use of different bricks for brickwork. For the evaluation of environmental criterion, a life cycle assessment (LCA) tool is used. Overall sustainability index (SI) is calculated for alternatives based on the various criteria using MIVES approach. The relative SIs of clay and fly ash bricks, were 0.25 and 0.26, respectively. Overall, bricks made of industrial and agro wastes are found more sustainable with the highest SI for cotton waste bricks (0.94). Sensitivity analysis also confirmed that brickwork from waste based bricks is more sustainable compared to brickwork made from clay brick or fly ash brick.}, keywords = {Life cycle assessment, Low cost housing, Multicriteria decision, Sustainability index, Sustainable construction material}, issn = {22106707}, doi = {10.1016/j.scs.2017.11.025}, author = {Joglekar, S. N.}, editor = {Kharkar, R. A.} } @article {44197, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of new 2-aryl-4-((4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)thiazole derivatives}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {44}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1247-1260}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of 2-aryl-4-((4-aryl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)thiazole derivatives (8a-p) have been synthesized. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was determined by spectral analysis. The title compounds were screened for their preliminary antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB, ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG, ATCC 35743). Further, the synthesized compounds were screened for antimicrobial activity against standard Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (NCIM 2576) and Pseudomonas flurescence (NCIM 2059) and Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2602) and Bacillus subtilis (NCIM 2162). Among all the synthesized compounds, 8a-c, f-h, m exhibited good activity against dormant M. bovis BCG strain. Compounds 8h, j exhibited good activity against all tested bacterial strains. All active compounds were screened for cytotoxicity and found inactive. Their high potency and promising antimycobacterial activity suggest that these compounds could serve as good leads for further optimization and development.

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, antibacterial activity, Antitubercular activity, Thiazole}, issn = {0922-6168}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-017-3164-4}, author = {Shinde, Vikas and Mahulikar, Pramod and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {44509, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of some bicyclic [2-(2,4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline and its amide derivatives as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {130}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB }, pages = {22}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, a series of bicyclic [2-(2,4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline analogues were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C) and mass spectra. All newly synthesized 15 compounds were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Ra in both active and dormant state using an established XTT Reduction Menadione assay (XRMA). The titled compounds exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) ranging from 0.05 to \>30 (μg/mL). The potent four compounds were further evaluated in THP-1 infection model where they demonstrated significant antitubercular activity. All the ex vivo active were further evaluated for cytotoxic activity against THP-1, MCK7 and HeLa cell lines in order to check selectivity index. All compounds were further screened against four different bacteria to assess their selectivity towards MTB. These derivatives could be considered as a precursor structure for further design of antituberculosis agent.

}, keywords = {4-dimethylphenylthio)phenyl] aniline, antituberculosis activity, Cytotoxicity, [2-(2}, issn = {9743626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-018-1424-5}, author = {Patil, Yogesh and Shingare, Ramesh} } @article {44650, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of some new tricyclic pyrrolo[3,2-e]tetrazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives as potential antitubercular agents}, journal = {Archiv Der Pharmazie}, volume = {351}, year = {2018}, month = {AUG}, pages = {e1800040}, abstract = {

A series of new tricyclic pyrrolo[3,2-e]tetrazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines 8a-l were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (H-1 and C-13), and mass spectral analysis. The newly synthesized compounds 8a-l were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) H37Ra using an established XTT reduction menadione assay (XRMA). The title compounds exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC90) ranging from 0.09 to \>30g/mL. Five compounds (8c, 8i-l) were further confirmed for their dose-dependent effect against MTB. These compounds were evaluated in the THP-1 infection model, where 8i (MIC90=0.35g/mL), 8j (MIC90=1.17g/mL), 8k (MIC90=2.38g/mL), and 8l (MIC90=1.17g/mL) demonstrated significant antitubercular activity. All the ex vivo active compounds showed insignificant cytotoxicity against the human cancer cell lines, HeLa, MCF-7, and THP-1. Inactivity of all these compounds against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria indicates their specificity. Molecular docking studies in the active site of the sterol 14alpha-demethylase (CYP51) enzyme revealed a similar binding mode to the native ligand in the crystal structure, thereby helping to understand the ligand-protein interactions and to establish a structural basis for inhibition of MTB. The results suggest novel pharmacophores as selective and specific inhibitors against MTB that can be explored further to synthesize lead compounds against tuberculosis. In summary, the results clearly indicate the identification of some novel, selective, and specific inhibitors against MTB that can be explored further for potential antitubercular drugs.

}, keywords = {2-e]tetrazolo[1, 5-c]pyrimidine, Antituberculosis, Cytotoxicity, Molecular docking, tricyclic pyrrolo[3}, issn = {0365-6233}, doi = {10.1002/ardp.201800040}, author = {Patil, Yogesh and Shingare, Ramesh and Choudhari, Amit and Borkute, Rachana and Sarkar, Dhiman and Madje, Balaji R.} } @article {44506, title = {Synthesis of biomass waste derived activated carbon-NBR composites for automobile application}, journal = {Chemistry and Chemical Technology}, volume = {12}, year = {2018}, pages = {236-243}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

This paper reports on usability of activated carbon obtained from areca nut shell, coconut shell, and coconut leaves as a filler to prepare NBR based composite for automobile based application. The carbon was activated by phosphoric acid (H3PO4) as dehydrating agent. The stoichiometric ratio of biomass and phosphoric acid was found to be 3:1 for the batch size of 300 g. As compared to commercially available carbon filler, the activated carbon derived from biomass waste responded better to the petrol swelling test. Among three biomass waste sources, namely, areca nut shell, coconut shell, and coconut leaves, activated carbon derived from coconut shell was appeared to be the best for percent swelling and percent deviation in hardness. The results obtained are confirmed by proximate analysis.

}, keywords = {activated carbon, composites, hardness, NBR, Phosphoric acid}, issn = {19964196}, doi = {10.23939/chcht12.02.236}, author = {Jadhav, A. and Mohanraj, G.T. and Gokarn, A. and Mayadevi, S.} } @article {44660, title = {Synthesis of ecofriendly fluorescent carbon dots and their biomedical and environmental applications}, journal = {Materials Technology}, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {672-680}, abstract = {

Green Synthesis of nanoparticles is an emerging field with enormous advantages over conventional synthesis methods. Herein we have reported a green method for the preparation of water soluble polydisperse carbon dots (c-dots) from Cocos nucifera frond pinnae by a modified version of the {\textquoteleft}single step hydrothermal carbonization{\textquoteright}. C-dots having blue emission were obtained with this method and we further evaluated the effect of metal ions interactions on c-dots, as a sharp decrease in photoluminescence was observed. The synthesized c-dots were found bioactive against B.subtilis, M. smegmatis and S. aureus as determined by the well diffusion assay. We also explored nanotheranostic applications of c-dots as biosensor matrix in DNA hybridization sensor for pancreatic cancer and in bioimaging of cancer cells. This study demonstrated that c-dots can be explored for numerous biomedical and environmental applications in a variety of fields owing to the cost effective synthesis, biocompatibility and excellent physico-chemical properties.

}, keywords = {Carbon dots, differential pulse voltammetry, DNA hybridization sensor, green synthesis, Pancreatic Cancer}, issn = {1066-7857}, doi = {10.1080/10667857.2018.1492683}, author = {Joshi, Preeti Nigam and Mathias, Anjelica and Mishra, Abhishek} } @article {45496, title = {Synthetic control on structure/dimensionality and photophysical properties of low dimensional organic lead bromide perovskite}, journal = { Inorganic chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT }, pages = {13443-13452}, type = {Article }, abstract = {Low dimensional lead halide perovskites have attracted huge research interest due to their structural diversity and remarkable photophysical properties. The ability to controllably change dimensionality/structure of perovskites remains highly challenging. Here, we report synthetic control on structure/dimensionality of ethylenediammonium (ED) lead bromide perovskite from a two dimensionally networked (2DN) sheet to a one dimensionally networked (1DN) chain structure. Intercalation of solvent molecules into the perovskite plays a crucial role in directing the final dimensionality/structure. This change in dimensionality reflects strongly in the observed differences in photophysical properties. Upon UV excitation, the 1DN structure emits white light due to easily formed {\textquotedblleft}self-trapped{\textquotedblright} excitons. 2DN perovskites show band edge blue emission (\~{}410 nm). Interestingly, Mn2+ incorporated 2DN perovskites show a highly red-shifted Mn2+ emission peak at \~{}670 nm. Such a long wavelength Mn2+ emission peak is unprecedented in the perovskite family. This report highlights the synthetic ability to control the dimensionality/structure of perovskite and consequently its photophysical properties.}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02042}, author = {Haris, Muhammed P. U. and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Shaikh, Samir and Kore, Bhushan P. and Moghe, Dhanashree and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Sarma, D. D. and Kabra, Dinesh and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {45379, title = { Systematic synthesis of a 6-component organic-salt alloy of naftopidil, and pentanary, quaternary and ternary multicomponent crystals}, journal = {IUCrJ}, volume = {5}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {816-822}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The single-crystal X-ray structure of a 6-component organic-salt alloy (hexanary) of naftopidil (1) (an active pharmaceutical ingredient) with benzoic acid (2) and four different hydroxy-substituted benzoic acids, i.e. salicylic acid (3), 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (4), 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (5) and 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid (6), is reported. The hexanary assembly originates from the observation that the binary salts of naftopidil with the above acids are isostructural. In addition to the 6-component solid, we also describe five 5-component, ten 4-component, and ten 3-component organic-salt alloys of naftopidil (1) with carboxylic acids (2)-(6). These alloys were obtained from different combinations of the acids with the drug. The synthetic design of the multicomponent organic alloys is based on the rationale of geometrical factors (shape and size) and chemical interactions (hydrogen bonds). The common supramolecular synthon in all these crystal structures was the cyclic N+ - H center dot center dot center dot O- and O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen-bonded motif of R-2(2) (9) graph set between the 2-hydroxyammonium group of naftopidil and the carboxylate anion. This ionic synthon is strong and robust, directing the isostructural assembly of naftopidil with up to five different carboxylic acids in the crystal structure together with the lower-level multicomponent adducts. Solution crystallization by slow evaporation provided the multicomponent organic salts and alloys which were characterized by a combination of single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, NMR and differential scanning calorimetry techniques.}, issn = { 2052-2525}, doi = { 10.1107/S2052252518014057}, author = {Dandela, Rambabu and Tothadi, Srinu and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {44488, title = {Temperature and pressure dependent Raman spectroscopy of plasma treated multilayer graphene nanosheets}, journal = {Diamond and Related Materials}, volume = {84}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {146-156}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Understanding of the fine structure at the atomic level and properties of graphene by creating defects is important from the point of view of thermal and stress management. Here we report Raman spectroscopic studies on pristine and plasma treated multilayer graphene to explore the remarkable structure and phonon properties with temperature and pressure. Temperature dependent studies illustrate monotonic softening of G and G' bands in the temperature range 78 to 573 K. This process can be of fundamental importance in other promising and emerging nano and heterostructured materials. The pressure dependent Raman spectroscopic investigations on G-band of these samples were carried out up to 25 GPa using a diamond anvil cell. Comparatively weak and more compressible nature of the G band (E2g in-plane mode) as a function of applied pressure is found in plasma treated graphene. After pressure release, the samples recover to their original ordered structure. The present study is important for further understanding of the fine structure, properties and effect of defects in graphene, which can affect the atomic bonds, thermal expansion, specific heat, and thermal conductivity as well.

}, keywords = {graphene, high pressure, Phonon, Plasma treated graphene, Raman spectroscopy}, issn = {9259635}, doi = {10.1016/j.diamond.2018.03.021}, author = {Pawbake, Amit S. and Mishra, K. K. and Machuno, Luis G. B. and Gelamo, Rogerio V. and Ravindranathan, T. R. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {45349, title = {Three-dimensional metal-organic polymer of multivalent hexaphenylbenzene}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {3}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {13712-13715}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metal-Organic Frameworks(MOFs) synthesized from ligands more than ten co-ordinating sites may offer material applications due to their structural architecture. Herein, a synthesis of metal-organic framework is reported from a ligand featuring 12-aryl carboxylic acid groups appended on a hexaphenylbenzene and s-block element potassium. The synthesized MOF was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy and X-diffraction studies. The X-ray crystal structure of MOF was shown to have a significant number of trapped and coordinated water molecules in its three-dimensional framework.

}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201802797}, author = {Madhu, Suresh and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {44475, title = {{\textquoteright}TIME{\textquoteright}: A web application for obtaining Insights into Microbial Ecology using longitudinal microbiome data}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {9}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, abstract = {

Realization of the importance of microbiome studies, coupled with the decreasing sequencing cost, has led to the exponential growth of microbiome data. A number of these microbiome studies have focused on understanding changes in the microbial community over time. Such longitudinal microbiome studies have the potential to offer unique insights pertaining to the microbial social networks as well as their responses to perturbations. In this communication, we introduce a web based framework called {\textquoteleft}TIME{\textquoteright} (Temporal Insights into Microbial Ecology{\textquoteright}), developed specifically to obtain meaningful insights from microbiome time series data. The TIME web-server is designed to accept a wide range of popular formats as input with options to preprocess and filter the data. Multiple samples, defined by a series of longitudinal time points along with their metadata information, can be compared in order to interactively visualize the temporal variations. In addition to standard microbiome data analytics, the web server implements popular time series analysis methods like Dynamic time warping, Granger causality and Dickey Fuller test to generate interactive layouts for facilitating easy biological inferences. Apart from this, a new metric for comparing metagenomic time series data has been introduced to effectively visualize the similarities/differences in the trends of the resident microbial groups. Augmenting the visualizations with the stationarity information pertaining to the microbial groups is utilized to predict the microbial competition as well as community structure. Additionally, the {\textquoteleft}causality graph analysis{\textquoteright} module incorporated in TIME allows predicting taxa that might have a higher influence on community structure in different conditions. TIME also allows users to easily identify potential taxonomic markers from a longitudinal microbiome analysis. We illustrate the utility of the web-server features on a few published time series microbiome data and demonstrate the ease with which it can be used to perform complex analysis.

}, issn = {1664302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2018.00036}, author = {Baksi, Krishanu D.}, editor = {Kuntal, Bhusan K.} } @article {45351, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-trans- dihydronarciclasine from (+)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanone}, journal = {Tetrahedron }, volume = {74}, year = {2018}, month = {SEP}, pages = {5752-5757}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A concise asymmetric total synthesis of Amaryllidaceae alkaloid (+)-trans-dihydronarciclasine is accomplished starting from optically pure 7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptanone scaffold in 13 linear steps. Key features of the strategy include substrate-directed stereoselective installation of the trans B-C ring junction and regioselective Wacker-type internal olefin oxidation to provide a rapid access to all hydroxyl functionalities over the key cyclohexane ring in a stereocontrolled manner. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2018.08.016}, author = {Pandey, Ganesh and Fernandes, Rushil and Dey, Debasis and Majumder, Binoy} } @article {45420, title = { Tracing the biosynthetic origin of limonoids and their functional groups through stable isotope labeling and inhibition in neem tree (Azadirachta indica) cell suspension}, journal = {BMC Plant Biology}, volume = {18}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Background Neem tree serves as a cornucopia for triterpenoids called limonoids that are of profound interest to humans due to their diverse biological activities. However, the biosynthetic pathway that plant employs for the production of limonoids remains unexplored for this wonder tree. Results Herein, we report the tracing of limonoid biosynthetic pathway through feeding experiments using C-13 isotopologues of glucose in neem cell suspension. Growth and development specific limonoid spectrum of neem seedling and time dependent limonoid biosynthetic characteristics of cell lines were established. Further to understand the role of mevalonic acid (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathways in limonoid biosynthesis, Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC)- tandem mass spectrometry based structure-fragment relationship developed for limonoids and their isotopologues have been utilized. Analyses of labeled limonoid extract lead to the identification of signature isoprenoid units involved in azadirachtin and other limonoid biosynthesis, which are found to be formed through mevalonate pathway. This was further confirmed by treatment of cell suspension with mevinolin, a specific inhibitor for MVA pathway, which resulted in drastic decrease in limonoid levels whereas their biosynthesis was unaffected with fosmidomycin mediated plastidial methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway inhibition. This was also conspicuous, as the expression level of genes encoding for the rate-limiting enzyme of MVA pathway, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) was comparatively higher to that of deoxyxylulose-phosphate synthase (DXS) of MEP pathway in different tissues and also in the in vitro grown cells. Thus, this study will give a comprehensive understanding of limonoid biosynthetic pathway with differential contribution of MVA and MEP pathways. Conclusions Limonoid biosynthesis of neem tree and cell lines have been unraveled through comparative quantification of limonoids with that of neem tree and through C-13 limonoid isotopologues analysis. The undifferentiated cell lines of neem suspension produced a spectrum of C-seco limonoids, similar to parental tissue, kernel. Azadirachtin, a C-seco limonoid is produced in young tender leaves of plant whereas in the hard mature leaves of tree, ring intact limonoid nimocinol accumulates in high level. Furthermore, mevalonate pathway exclusively contributes for isoprene units of limonoids as evidenced through stable isotope labeling and no complementation of MEP pathway was observed with mevalonate pathway dysfunction, using chemical inhibitors.}, isbn = {1471-2229}, doi = {10.1186/s12870-018-1447-6}, author = {Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Pandreka, Avinash and Kumar, Ashish and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Haldar, Saikat and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {44468, title = {Transition metal free regio-selective C{\textendash}H hydroxylation of chromanones towards the synthesis of hydroxyl-chromanones using PhI(OAc)2 as the oxidant}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {54}, year = {2018}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2252-2255}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

The chromanone scaffold is considered as a privileged structure in drug discovery. Herein, we report a highly efficient PhI(OAc)2 mediated regioselective, direct C{\textendash}H hydroxylation of chromanones. This method offers easy access to substituted 6-hydroxy chromanones in moderate to good isolated yields, thus paving the way for their pharmaceutical studies.

}, issn = {13597345}, doi = {10.1039/C7CC08588E}, author = {Viswanadh, N.}, editor = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S.} } @article {44238, title = {Transition-metal-catalyzed reactions involving arynes}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {50}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-16}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The plethora of transformations attainable by the transition-metal-catalyzed reactions of arynes has found immense contemporary interest in the scientific community. This review highlights the scope and importance of transition-metal-catalyzed aryne reactions in the field of synthetic organic chemistry reported to date. It covers transformations achieved by the combination of arynes and various transition metals, which provide a facile access to a biaryl motif, fused polycyclic aromatic compounds, different novel carbocycles, various heterocycles, and complex natural products. 1 Introduction 2 Insertion of Arynes 3 Annulation of Arynes 4 Cycloaddition of Arynes 5 Multicomponent Reactions of Arynes 6 Miscellaneous Reactions of Arynes 7 Total Synthesis of Natural Products Using Arynes 8 Conclusion

}, keywords = {annulation, arynes, Cycloaddition, Insertion, multicomponent, Natural products, Transition Metal}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0036-1589517}, author = {Dhokale, Ranjeet A. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {44463, title = {Tripeptides derived from reactive centre loop of potato type II protease inhibitors preferentially inhibit midgut proteases of Helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology }, volume = {95}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {17-25}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Potato type II protease inhibitors (Pin-II PIs) impede the growth of lepidopteran insects by inhibiting serine protease-like enzymes in the larval gut. The three amino acid reactive centre loop (RCL) of these proteinaceous inhibitors is crucial for protease binding and is conserved across the Pin-II family. However, the molecular mechanism and inhibitory potential of the RCL tripeptides in isolation of the native protein has remained elusive. In this study, six peptides corresponding to the RCLs of the predominant Pin-II PIs were identified, synthesized and evaluated for in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity against serine proteases of the polyphagous insect, Helicoverpa armigera. RCL peptides with sequences PRN, PRY and TRE were found to be potent inhibitors that adversely affected the growth and development of H. armigera. The binding mechanism and differential affinity of the RCL peptides with serine proteases was delineated by crystal structures of complexes of the RCL peptides with trypsin. Residues P1 and P2 of the inhibitors play a crucial role in the interaction and specificity of these inhibitors. Important features of RCL peptides like higher inhibition of insect proteases, enhanced efficacy at alkaline gut pH, longer retention and high stability in insect gut make them suitable molecules for the development of sustainable pest management strategies for crop protection.

}, keywords = {Helicoverpa armigera, Protease, protease inhibitor, Reactive centre loop peptides}, issn = {9651748}, doi = {10.1016/j.ibmb.2018.02.001}, author = {Saikhedkar, Nidhi S. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Bhoite, Ashwini S. and Mohandasan, Radhika and Yadav, Amit Kumar and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {45437, title = {Tuning the basicity of Cu-based mixed oxide catalysts towards the efficient conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate}, journal = {Molecular catalysis}, volume = {460}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {53-62}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of efficient and robust Cu based mixed oxides were synthesized by a simple co-precipitation method and utilized for the production of glycerol carbonate (GC) via transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The synthesized materials were characterized using XRD, UV-vis spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, N-2 sorption, CO2-TPD, and XPS. The addition of Cu on Mg/Al mixed oxides exhibits significant changes in its physicochemical properties and catalytic activity. The obtained mixed oxides showed remarkably high transesterification activity towards the efficient conversion of glycerol to GC under economical reaction conditions without using any solvent. Among all the catalysts employed, highest catalytic activity was observed over MAC-0.6 catalyst with glycerol conversion of 96.4\% and GC yield of 91.2\%. The improved catalytic performance was observed mainly due to the optimized catalyst molar ratio and strong surface basicity. The strong surface basic sites were greatly attributed to the incorporation of Cu2+ cations in the MgAl (O) periclase that efficiently catalyzed the transesterification of glycerol with DMC. Furthermore, the reported catalyst was robust and could be recycled for more than five times without any significant loss in its catalytic activity.}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2018.09.002}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Prabu, Marimuthu and Kumar, S. K. Ashok and Sangeetha, Palanivelu and Vijayaraghavan, Rajagopalan} } @article {45374, title = { Twelve-armed hexaphenylbenzene-based giant supramolecular framework for entrapping guest molecules}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {83}, year = {2018}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1032-1037}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Host-guest chemistry is a functional model in supramolecular chemistry for understanding specific process occurring in biological systems. Herein, we describe a rationally designed giant multiarmed hexaphenylbenzene (HPB)-based supramolecular frameworks which encapsulate a variety of guest molecules in the voids of their crystal lattice through the cooperative interplay of multivalency, noncovalent forces and backbone rigidity. In this connection, pseudo-axially substituted twelve-armed hexaphenylbenzene was synthesized and its molecular entrapping nature was studied by varying number of H-bond donor-acceptor sites in the arms. The per-methyl esterified HPB acted as a cavitand to include nonpolar and polar aprotic guests in its crystal structure via C-H center dot center dot center dot pi, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot N interactions. The corresponding amidated HPB showed unprecedented inclusion of ammonia and segregation of the guest molecules according to their polarity in the lattice. Furthermore, this molecular entrapping system has been used to obtain the crystal structure of a hitherto unproven 2-azaallenium intermediate, which had been proposed to be involved in aminomethylation of activated arenes.

}, issn = { 2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.201800478}, author = {Madhu, Suresh and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Das, Tamal and Vanka, Kumar and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {45429, title = {Understanding conformational dynamics of complex lipid mixtures relevant to biology}, journal = {Journal of membrane biology}, volume = {251}, year = {2018}, month = {DEC}, pages = {609-631}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This is a perspective article entitled "Frontiers in computational biophysics: understanding conformational dynamics of complex lipid mixtures relevant to biology" which is following a CECAM meeting with the same name.}, issn = {0022-2631 }, doi = {10.1007/s00232-018-0050-y}, author = {Friedman, Ran and Khalid, Syma and Aponte-Santamaria, Camilo and Arutyunova, Elena and Becker, Marlon and Boyd, Kevin J. and Christensen, Mikkel and Coimbra, Joao T. S. and Concilio, Simona and Daday, Csaba and van Eerden, Floris J. and Fernandes, Pedro A. and Graeter, Frauke and Hakobyan, Davit and Heuer, Andreas and Karathanou, Konstantina and Keller, Fabian and Lemieux, M. Joanne and Marrink, Siewert J. and May, Eric R. and Mazumdar, Antara and Naftalin, Richard and Pickholz, Monica and Piotto, Stefano and Pohl, Peter and Quinn, Peter and Ramos, Maria J. and Schiott, Birgit and Sengupta, Durba and Sessa, Lucia and Vanni, Stefano and Zeppelin, Talia and Zoni, Valeria and Bondar, Ana-Nicoleta and Domene, Carmen} } @article {44439, title = {Untapped bacterial diversity and metabolic potential within Unkeshwar hot springs, India}, journal = {Archives of Microbiology}, volume = {200}, year = {2018}, month = {JUL }, pages = {753-770}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Hot springs support diverse and interesting groups of microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions and gaining attention in biotechnological applications. However, due to limitations of cultivation methods, a majority of such extremophiles remain uncultivated and unexplored. The advent of multiple cultivation conditions and specialized culture media could possibly aid to access the unexplored microbial portion of hot springs. In the present study, different media and isolation strategies were applied to isolate hitherto unexplored bacterial taxa in the water samples collected from Unkeshwar hot springs, India. Molecular, phylogenetic and predictive functional characterization of the isolated bacterial population was done using 16S rRNA sequencing coupled with Tax4Fun tools. Furthermore, representative isolates were screened for important enzymes (cellulase, xylanase, amylase, and protease) and heavy metal tolerance (chromium, arsenic) properties. A total of 454 bacterial isolates obtained were mapped into 57 unique bacterial genera and 4 different bacterial phyla. Interestingly, 37 genera not previously isolated from Indian hot springs, were isolated for the first time in the present study. However, most of these genera (23 out of 37) were reported only in metagenomics studies from Indian and global hot springs. Furthermore, around 14 genera not previously cultivated and not detected in metagenomics studies of hot springs are documented here. The metabolic potential was ascertained by determining the abundance of specific genes using in silico based Tax4Fun tool, which identified around 315 metabolic pathways for metabolism of carbohydrates, synthesis of secondary metabolites and degradation of xenobiotic compounds. Bioprospection study revealed that 33 and 25 bacterial genera were positive for enzyme production and resistance to the heavy metals, respectively. The present study revealed the advantages of cultivation methods using a comprehensive multiple isolation approach for exploring untapped and unique bacterial diversity, and also utilities for various biotechnological and environmental applications.

}, keywords = {Bacterial diversity, Bioprospecting, Cultivation, Heavy metals, Untapped}, issn = {3028933}, doi = {10.1007/s00203-018-1484-4}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T.}, editor = {Shah, Manan} } @article {45503, title = {Vapour{\textendash}liquid equilibrium study of binary mixtures of aniline with isopropanol, n -butanol and ethylene glycol at the local atmospheric pressure}, journal = {Indian Chemical Engineer}, year = {2018}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present work analyses the vapour{\textendash}liquid equilibrium (VLE) behaviour of the binary systems of aniline with isopropanol, n-butanol and ethylene glycol. The isobaric VLE data have been generated at the local atmospheric pressure of 96.15 kPa for all the binary systems of aniline. A dynamic type vapour{\textendash}liquid circulating VLE still was used for generating the data. Calibration curves were generated using mole fraction and refractive index data for all pairs for composition measurement. The VLE data, generated in T-x,y form for all pairs, were found thermodynamically consistent through the Herington area test and the mean absolute deviation test. Activity coefficient models, Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC, were fitted to the data to estimate binary interaction parameters using an objective function of minimising the deviation between the experimental and the calculated total pressure and vapour composition. The experimental data were compared with the model predictions with the estimated parameters and the model predictions were found appropriate. The binary system of aniline and ethylene glycol was found to exhibit azeotropic behaviour at 0.61 mole fraction aniline and 445.1 K.}, doi = {10.1080/00194506.2018.1529634}, author = {Mali, P.K. and Mali, N.A. and Yadav, S.S. and Joshi, S.S.} } @article {44207, title = {Water induced morphological transformation of a poly(aryl ether) dendron amphiphile: helical fibers to nanorods, as light-harvesting antenna systems}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {10}, year = {2018}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1464-1473}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Self-assembly of suitable molecular building blocks is an efficient and convenient approach to generate nanomaterials with various morphologies and functions. Moreover, understanding the nature of molecules and controlling factors of their self-assembly process is crucial in fundamental aspects of molecular self-assembly which provide insights into the design of new assemblies with functional nano-architectures. To this end, the present study reports water induced self-assembled multifaceted morphology formation and the plausible pathway of the morphology transformation of a single poly(aryl ether) dendron amphiphile 1(D). In THF, 1(D) self-assembles into helical fibers. However, with an increase in the water fraction in its THF solution, the morphology changes to nanorods through an intermediate scroll-up pathway of exfoliated fibers. The nanorod formation and transformation of 1(D) are investigated using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, which indicate that it has highly ordered multilayered arrays of 1(D) molecules. Finally, these multilayered arrays of 1(D) nanorods are exploited for constructing a model light-harvesting system via the incorporation of small quantities of two newly designed BODIPY based molecules as energy acceptors and 1(D) as an antenna chromophore.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/c7nr07663k}, author = {Maity, Arunava and Dey, Ananta and Gangopadhyay, Monalisa and Das, Amitava} } @article {44558, title = {What drives the H-abstraction reaction in bio-mimetic oxoiron-bTAML complexes? A computational investigation}, journal = {Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics}, volume = {20}, year = {2018}, month = {APR }, pages = {13845-13850 }, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {Monomeric iron-oxo units have been confirmed as intermediates involved in the C{\textendash}H bond activation in various metallo-enzymes. Biomimetic oxoiron complexes of the biuret modified tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (bTAML) have been demonstrated to oxidize a wide variety of unactivated C{\textendash}H bonds. In the current work, density functional theory (DFT) has been employed to investigate the hydrogen abstraction (HAT) reactivity differences across a series of bTAML complexes. The cause for the differences in the HAT energy barriers has been found to be the relative changes in the energy of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) induced by electronic perturbation.}, issn = {14639076}, doi = {10.1039/C8CP01333K}, author = {Mukherjee, Anagh}, editor = {Pattanayak, Santanu} } @article {45571, title = {Additive manufacturing technology empowered complex electromechanical energy conversion devices and transformers}, journal = {Applied Materials Today}, volume = {14}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {35-50}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Additive manufacturing technology (AMT) is popularly known as 3-dimensional (3D) printing has emerged as a reliable, efficient, and cost-effective method for the production of complex 3D-physical models. Effectively coordinated advanced 3D printing technological developments as well as the advanced integrated techniques with pre-existed 2-dimensional (2D) printing techniques have expedited the expansion of this technology to various applications in wide-field disciplines. In this paper, we aim to provide principles of machines and transformers; a comprehensive overview of additive printing technology, process, and the AMT facilitated compatible materials for empowered complex electromechanical energy conversion devices and transformers. Electromechanical energy conversion devices and transformers supply most of the electricity to all applications. Hence, we have provided an informative report broadcasting of additively manufactured electromechanical devices and transformers with significant utilization in electrical power industries. Additionally, AMT advances in electromechanical energy conversion devices such as electrical machines (motors, generators, and transformers) were described. Also, the traditional methods induced complexities overcoming AMT technique and their advantages were elucidated. Thus the additive manufacturing technology is acceptable for fabricating complex electromechanical devices and transformers additionally acquiring the performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of the same. Moreover, the current body of research in 3D printed manufacturing is summarized, and the challenges are highlighted to assist in the further development of this field.}, doi = {10.1016/j.apmt.2018.11.004}, author = {Magisetty, R. and Cheekuramelli, N. S.} } @article {45508, title = {Adsorptive removal of chromium(VI) using spherical resorcinol-formaldehyde beads prepared by inverse suspension polymerization}, journal = { Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {26}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {41}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The spherical cross-linked beaded polymers were prepared by condensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde in presence of tri-ethylamine by inverse suspension polymerization technique. The m-cresol, aniline, urea and thiourea were used as co-monomer and polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) was used as porogen. Paraffin oil was used as non-aqueous suspension agent. The polymeric spherical beads were prepared using various types of comonomers exhibiting range of particle size 77.62 to 158.84m at 90 degrees C and 300rpm for 4h. The resulting beads were analyzed by elemental analysis, particle size analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The synthesized beads were used for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. A simple and sensitive solid phase extraction procedure was used for the determination of chromium at trace level by spectrophotometric method using 1,5-diphenylcarbazide reagent. The adsorption of Cr(VI) on the resorcinol-formaldehyde beads was monitored by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. The metal adsorption parameters such as contact time, pH, metal ion concentration and adsorbent dose were investigated. For Cr(VI), the maximum adsorption capacity was about 99\% at pH2 for the resorcinol-formaldehyde beads obtained.

}, keywords = {adsorption kinetics, Beads, Chromium (VI), Formaldehyde, Inverse suspension, Resorcinol}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-019-1705-9}, author = {Mulani, Khudbudin and Patil, Vishwanath and Chavan, Nayaku and Donde, Kamini} } @article {46155, title = {Adsorptive removal of strontium(II) using macroporous poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads modified with resorcin[4]arene}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {42}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {UNSP 82}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Adsorption behaviour of strontium(II) on macroporous poly(allyl glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads modified with resorcin[4]arene was studied using macroporous cross-linked [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads. The macroporous crosslinked [poly(AGE-co-EGDMA)] beads were synthesized by suspension polymerization techniques, followed by functionalization with amino derivatives of resorcin[4]arene. The poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were characterized by FTIR, 1H and 13C-NMR, elemental analysis and particle-size analysis. The surface morphology of beads was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The functionalized poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were used as adsorbents for strontium removal. The crucial factors including the effect of pH, time, initial concentration of metal ions and adsorbent dose were investigated to optimize the maximum adsorption efficiency of Sr(II). The equilibrium data of strontium(II) ions adsorbed on functionalized poly(AGE-co-EGDMA) beads were analysed by pseudo-first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model indicated that strontium was adsorbed by chemisorption.

}, keywords = {Adsorption, AGE-EGDMA beads, resorcin[4]arene, Sr(II)}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-019-1786-4}, author = {Mulani, K. and Patil, V. and Chavan, N. and Donde, K.} } @article {47491, title = {Advances of hydrazone linker in polymeric drug delivery}, journal = {Journal of Critical Reviews}, volume = {6}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1-4}, abstract = {Polymeric drug delivery vehicles are known for the controlled release of the drug. More importantly, stimuli-responsive systems are emerged as a suitable platform for targeted drug delivery system, due to its properties such as low toxicity, improved patient compliance, and convenience. In the present article, an overview of the hydrazone linker used in drug delivery is discussed. Particularly, the role of hydrazone linker in anti-cancer drug delivery system is elaborated, as the hydrazone linker gets cleaved under cancerous cell environment at pH 5.}, doi = {10.22159/jcr.2019v6i2.31833}, author = {Mane, ‪Shivshankar R.} } @article {46050, title = {AgQDs employing black box synthetic strategy: photocatalytic and biological behavior}, journal = {Journal of Luminescence}, volume = {212}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {133-140}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This investigation relates FRET, photocatalytic and a biological study of AgQDs which found to be dependent on particle size and capping agent used. Surface of AgQDs was one of the most important factors that govern its activity. AgQDs with BSA binding was systematically studied by fluorescence quenching and electrostatic interaction. AgQDs mainly interacted to site II of BSA, binding distance r evaluated according to the FRET theory and was 4.6 nm for AgQDs, which suggested transfer of energy (non-radioactive) between surface modified AgQDs and biological molecule BSA. The photocatalytic activity of AgQDs for the appreciable degradation of erythrosine dye using Ultraviolet-B light was investigated. AgQDs showed specific antibacterial activity against E. coli bacterial stain. Quantum dots displayed a pronounced and specific activity causing \> 50\% growth of COLO-205 and MCF-7 human cancer Cells at concentrations \< 10(-7 )M. Hence, present black box synthetic protocol of AgQDs could be life science application.

}, keywords = {AgQDs, Black box, COLO-205, Photocatalytic}, issn = {0022-2313}, doi = {10.1016/j.jlumin.2019.04.014}, author = {Pansare, Amol V. and Shedge, Amol A. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Das, Debabrata and Murkute, Punam and Pansare, Shubham V. and Nagarkar, Amit A. and Patil, Vishwnath R. and Chakrabarti, S.} } @article {46337, title = {Allenoate prenucleophiles: a triply diastereoselective approach to beta-hydroxy esters containing all-carbon alpha-quaternary centers}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {7952-7955}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Allenyl esters activated by titanium(IV) underwent additions to a wide range of aldehydes in high regio- and diastereoselectivities leading to products containing an all carbon quaternary center bearing an alpha-vinyl group that was installed with high selectivity for the Z-geometry. An aldol product was also converted to an indanone offering a new route to this important compound class. Product triple diastereoselectivity has been rationalized using a concerted transition-state model.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.9b02930}, author = {Maki, Samantha L. and Maity, Pradip and Dougherty, Shannon and Johns, Jennifer and Lepore, Salvatore D.} } @article {46015, title = {Alternating electric-field-induced assembly of binary mixtures of soft repulsive ionic microgel colloids}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science }, volume = {544}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {88-95}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An external alternating electric field is used to study the assembly of a binary mixture of Poly(N-isopro pylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels in their swollen form at hydrodynamic size ratio 2:1 under deprotonated state. The AC field experiments were carried out at a fixed frequency of 100 kHz in the fluid regime for three number density ratios 1:3, 1:1 and 3:1 of big-to-small microgels using a confocal microscope. Strings with different types of co-assembly structures such as buckled, ring, flame and sandwich have been observed at low and intermediate field strengths at ratio 1:3, 1:1. In buckled and ring type, one or two small particles sit at the contact of two big particles and in the flame type, small particles arrange like a cone at end of the string. In the sandwich structure, several double small particle layers lie in between big particles. At high field strength, aggregation of strings and a phase separation into individual aggregates of strings from both big and small microgels have been observed. At higher ratio 3:1, the string formation is mostly dominated by big particles. Our experimental results are discussed with the recent simulation and experimental works on AC field induced structures in binary hard sphere mixtures. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {assembly, dipolar interactions, Microgels, Soft colloids}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2019.02.075}, author = {Jathavedan, Kiran and Bhat, Suresh K. and Mohanty, Priti S.} } @article {46239, title = {Alternative synthesis of the CNS stimulant Prolintane}, journal = {Arkivoc}, year = {2019}, pages = { 292-297}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An alternative synthesis of prolintane, a CNS stimulant, is reported using commercially available allyl benzene in good overall yield (32.3\%). The key transformations include epoxidation, Grignard reaction, Mitsunobu and reduction protocols.

}, doi = {10.24820/ark.5550190.p010.952}, author = {Mujahid, M. and Korpe, G. V. and Deshmukh, S. P. and Bhadange, S. G. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {46003, title = {Antisolvent based precipitation: batch, capillary flow reactor and impinging jet reactor}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {369}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG }, pages = {1161-1171}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A method for continuous antisolvent precipitation of ammonium perchlorate (AP) using a confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR) is studied. The geometry of the CIJR was optimized to achieve excellent mixing with a significant reduction in the particle deposition on walls. Initially, the experimental conditions were optimized in a batch system and then in a continuous capillary reactor. Later those conditions extended for antisolvent precipitation of AP in an impinging jet reactor using water and n-butyl alcohol as a solvent and antisolvent, respectively for optimum performance. The performance was compared with the experiments in batch mode as well as and in a continuous capillary reactor. Over a range of inlet jet velocity that corresponded to 1792 \< Re \< 7193 for the saturated aqueous solution of AP and 1135 \< Re \< 4553 for the antisolvent butanol phase, 8.98-16.98 mu m Ammonium perchlorate particles were attained.

}, keywords = {Ammonium perchlorate, Antisolvent precipitation, CFD, continuous flow, Impinging jet reactor, microparticles}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2019.03.107}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Madane, Ketan and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47176, title = {Aqueous-phase differentiation and speciation of Fe3+ and Fe2+ using water-stable photoluminescent lanthanide-based metal-organic framework}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5169-5178}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fe2+ is vital to O-2 transportation and photosynthesis regulated by oxidases and reductases. On the other hand, Fe3+ is detrimental due to its irreversible binding to O-2. Hence there is a need for selective identification of Fe3+ from aqueous systems in the presence of Fe2+. However, given their close chemical nature, it is not straightforward to differentiate them. Fe2+ and Fe3+ are typically sensed and differentiated using magnetic measurements, Mossbauer, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, or EXAFS, which are complex and equipment intensive techniques. In comparison, the fluorescence technique is advantageous in terms of time and accessibility. Although readily available lanthanide salts exhibit fluorescence, they are weak, and to serve as an optical probe, their luminescence has to be enhanced via ligand design. Hence we have designed a chromophoric ligand that can covalently bind to lanthanides and enhance its fluorescence intensity, and it binds selectively to Fe3+ through its nitrogen centers. It detects Fe3+ from low concentration (similar to 100 mu M) aqueous solutions, with fast response time (\<1 min) and with a detection limit of 3.6 ppm. Importantly, the Fe3+ adsorbed MOF can be readily reactivated for the next cycle by merely washing with an aqueous ascorbic acid solution and can be used for multiple cycles without any appreciable loss in activity. This makes the Ln-MOF an environmentally benign, cost-effective, scalable, and recyclable probe.

}, keywords = {Fe3+ differentiation and speciation, flexible ligand, fluorescent MOF, iron speciation, Metal-organic framework, water sorption}, issn = {2574-0970}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.9b01047}, author = {Maity, Rahul and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Nandi, Shyamapada and Yadav, Ankit Kumar and Mullangi, Dinesh and Vinod, C. P. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {46334, title = {Arresting an unusual amide tautomer using divalent cations}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {123}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8419-8424}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ion-specific effects on peptides and proteins are key to biomolecular structure and stability. The subtle roles of the cations are far less understood, compared to the pronounced effects of the anions on proteins. Most importantly, divalent cations such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ are crucial to several biological functions. Herein, we demonstrate that an amide-iminolate equilibrium is triggered by the binding of the divalent cations to the amide oxygen in aqueous solution. The excellent agreement between the experimental and theoretical results confirms the arrest of an unusual amide tautomer by the divalent cations, which is a rarely known phenomenon that might open up an array of applications in chemistry and biology.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b08463}, author = {Kashid, Somnath M. and Singh, Reman K. and Kwon, Hyejin and Kim, Yung Sam and Mukherjee, Arnab and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {46357, title = {Beneficial effects of Stevioside on AGEs, blood glucose, lipid profile and renal status in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats}, journal = {Journal of Applied Biomedicine}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {190-197}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The advanced glycated end products (AGEs) are formed in the diabetic patients; it is a major cause of macrovascular and microvascular complications in diabetes. Clinically there is no treatment available for the AGEs. Stveoside (Stv), a sweetener has potent anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant activity. Hence, we investigated its use in prevention of AGEs formation using in vitro and in vivo models. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin (STZ). These rats were kept without treatment till blood HbA1c was markedly increased. They were then divided into 5 groups and treated orally with vehicle or Metformin (MET) or Stv respectively for 28 days. Every 7th day, animals were tested for body weight and blood glucose (BG). On the last day of treatment, all the groups were evaluated for physiological and biochemical parameters, histopathology and AGEs; N-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) estimation. Stv showed inhibition of AGEs in in vitro as well as in in vivo respectively. Positive effects were seen on the BG, lipid profile and urine parameters as well it showed reduced formation of CML. It also showed antihyperglycaemic, antihyperlipedemic and nephroprotective activities. The present study provides scientific rationale for the use of Stv as a sweetener with additional benefits in diabetes.

}, keywords = {AGEs, Diabetes, Diabetes complications, N-carboxymethyl-lysine, Stevioside, Streptozotocin}, issn = {1214-021X}, doi = {10.32725/jab.2019.013}, author = {Aswar, Urmila and Gogawale, Vinayak and Miniyar, Pankaj and Patil, Yugendra} } @article {46228, title = {Bioactivities and molecular networking-based elucidation of metabolites of potent actinobacterial strains isolated from the Unkeshwar geothermal springs in India}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {9850-9859}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The bioactive potential of Actinobacteria endemic to hot springs has rarely been investigated. This study highlights the cultivable diversity and bioactivities of Actinobacteria associated with the Unkeshwar hot springs, India. Potent strains were evaluated for their biosynthetic potentials and metabolite analysis was performed using effective dereplication molecular networking tools. A total of 86 actinobacterial strains were isolated and grouped into 21 distinct genera, based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. These strains included rare members such as Micromonospora, Marmoricola, Actinomadura, Cellulomonas, Cellulosimicrobium, Janibacter, Rothia, Barrentisimonas, Dietzia and Glycomyces. In antimicrobial screening, Micromonospora sp. strain GH99 and Streptomyces sp. strain GH176 were found to be potent antimicrobial strains. The metabolic extracts of these strains exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis (NCIM 2493), Shigella flexneri (NCIM 5265), Klebsiella pneumonia (NCIM 2098), and Salmonella abony (NCIM 2257). The extracts also displayed strong anti-biofilm and anticancer activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (NCIM 5029), Acinetobacter junii (NCIM 5188) and breast cancer cell line MCF7, respectively. Both strains also tested positive for the presence of the PKS biosynthetic gene cluster in their genomes. To effectively delineate the secondary metabolites, the extracts were subjected to MS/MS-guided molecular networking analysis. Structurally diverse compounds including the polyketides 22-dehydroxymethyl-kijanolide (GH99 strain) and Abyssomicin I (GH176 strain) were detected in the extracts. Interestingly, Brevianamide F was detected in the extract of Micromonospora, which has previously been mostly found in fungal species. Other compounds such as cyclic tripeptides, Cyclo(l-Pro-d-Ile) and Cyclo(d-Pro-l-Phe), were also identified in this strain. In summary, for the first time, we explored the diversity of Actinobacteria and evaluated their bioactive potential from the Unkeshwar hot springs. The potent strains isolated in the study could be useful in drug discovery programs.

}, doi = {10.1039/c8ra09449g}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Vinodh, J. S. and Burkul, Bhushan B. and Desai, D. and Santhakumari, B. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Dastager, Syed G} } @article {46042, title = {Biodegradation of mixed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by pure and mixed cultures of biosurfactant producing thermophilic and thermo-tolerant bacteria}, journal = {Science of the Total Environment}, volume = {679}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {52-60}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Applicability of thermophilic and thereto-tolerant microorganisms for biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with low water solubility is an interesting strategy for improving the biodegradation efficiency. In this study, we evaluated utility of thermophilic and thermo-tolerant bacteria isolated from Unkeshwar hot spring (India) for biodegradation of four different PAHs. Water samples were enriched in mineral salt medium (MSM) containing a mixture of four PAHs compounds (anthracene: ANT, fluorene: FLU, phenanthrenc: PHE and pyrene: PYR) at 37 degrees C and 50 degrees C. After growth based screening, four potent strains obtained which were identified as Aeribacillus pallidus (UCPS2), Bacillus axarquiensis (UCPD1), Bacillus siamensis (GHP76) and Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum (U277) based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Degradation of mixed PAH compounds was evaluated by pure as well as mixed cultures under shake flask conditions using MSM supplemented with 200 mg/L concentration of PAHs (50 mg/L of each compound) for 15 days at 37 degrees C and 50 degrees C. A relatively higher degradation of ANT (92\% - 96\%), FLU (83\% - 86\%), PHE (16\% - 54\%) and PYR (51\% - 71\%) was achieved at 50 degrees C by Aeribacillus sp. (UCPS2) and mixed culture. Furthermore, crude oil was used as a substrate to study the degradation of same PAHs using these organisms which also revealed with similar results with the higher degradation at 50 degrees C. Interestingly, PAH-degrading strains were also positive for biosurfactant production. Biosurfactants were identified as the variants of surfactins (lipopeptide biosurfactants) based on analytical tools and phylogenetic analysis of the surfactin genes. Overall, this study has shown that hot spring microbes may have a potential for PAHs degradation and also biosurfactant production at a higher temperature, which could provide a novel perspective for removal of PAHs residues from oil contaminated sites. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biodegradation, Biosurfactants, Crude oil, Mixed culture, PAHs, Thermophiles}, issn = {0048-9697}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.376}, author = {Mehetre, Gajanan T. and Dastager, Syed G. and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {45566, title = {Borassus powder-reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites with improved crystallization and mechanical properties}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {136}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article No: 47440}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This article reports on the development of biocomposites based on polylactic acid (PLA) and borassus powder. Borassus powder was treated with alkali to remove hemicelluloses and lignin. The treated borassus improved the homogeneous mixing with PLA and increased the crystallinity of PLA. Dispersibility of the borassus was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray MicroCT. PLA/borassus composites were prepared by melt mixing of PLA with 5, 10, and 15 wt \% treated/untreated borassus. Composites were examined for mechanical properties and crystallization. Composites showed enhanced tensile strength compared to neat PLA. The PLA/treated borassus powder composites displayed higher crystallinity than PLA. The isothermal cold crystallization study showed increase in the crystallization rate of PLA in the presence of treated borassus. The spherulitic growth was studied using polarized optical microscopy. The enhanced performance of the PLA-borassus composites was observed in the presence of borassus. This study demonstrates that the PLA-borassus composites show great promise for bioplastics applications.}, doi = {10.1002/app.47440}, author = {Marathe, Y. N. and Arun, Torris A. T. and Ramesh, C. and Badiger, M. 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 {45514, title = {Clathrin-mediated endocytosis regulates a balance between opposing signals to maintain the pluripotent state of embryonic stem cells}, journal = {Stem Cell Reports}, volume = {12}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {152-164}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Endocytosis is implicated in the maintenance of embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency, although its exact role and the identity of molecular players remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the clathrin heavy chain (CLTC), involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), is vital for maintaining mouse ESC (mESC) pluripotency. Knockdown of Cltc resulted in a loss of pluripotency accompanied by reduced E-cadherin (E-CAD) levels and increased levels of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling. We demonstrate that both E-CAD and TGF-beta receptor type 1 (TGF-beta R1) are internalized through CME in mESCs. While E-CAD is recycled, TGF-beta R1 is targeted for lysosomal degradation thus maintaining inverse levels of these molecules. Finally, we show that E-CAD interacts with ERK, and that the decreased pluripotency upon CME loss can be rescued by inhibiting TGF-beta R, MEK, and GSK3 beta, or overexpressing E-CAD. Our results demonstrate that CME is critical for balancing signaling outputs to regulate ESC pluripotency, and possibly cell fate choices in early development.

}, issn = {2213-6711}, doi = {10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.11.018}, author = {Narayana, V, Yadavalli and Gadgil, Chetan and Mote, Ridim D. and Rajan, Raghav and Subramanyam, Deepa} } @article {46268, title = {Co amorphous valsartan nifedipine system: Preparation, characterization, in vitro and in vivo evaluation}, journal = {European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences}, volume = {139}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Co amorphous systems are supersaturated drug delivery systems which offer a basic platform for delivery of multicomponent adducts (combination of more than one active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)) and/or as a fixed dose combination therapy, in addition to their potential to improve the apparent solubility, dissolution rate and ultimately bioavailability of poorly water soluble APIs. In the present work, a new drug-drug co amorphous system namely valsartan-nifedipine was prepared by quench cooling technique. Prepared co amorphous system was characterized for its solid state behavior with the help of Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Powder X Ray Diffractometry (PXRD). The optimized co amorphous system was stable for 1 month when exposed to accelerated stability condition (40 +/- 2 degrees C and 75 +/- 5\% RH). The improved stability of amorphous nifedipine in co amorphous system was attributed to improved miscibility and intra and intermolecular non-covalent interactions mainly due to presence of hydrogen bonding between valsartan and nifedipine which was studied by FTIR analysis. Co amorphous systems were evaluated by mainly in vitro dissolution and in vivo benefit. In vitro dissolution study showed nearly 5.66 folds and 1.61 folds improvement which was translated to 3.63 and 2.19 times enhancement in vivo C-max for nifedipine and valsartan respectively.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejps.2019.105048}, author = {Lodagekar, Anurag and Chavan, Rahul B. and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Yadav, Balvant and Chella, Naveen and Nangia, Ashwini K. and Shastri, Nalini R.} } @article {45530, title = {Cocrystals, salts, and supramolecular gels of nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug niflumic acid}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {219-230}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Niflumic acid (NFA) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) classified under the BCS (Biopharmaceutical Classification System) Class II category of poor aqueous solubility and high permeability. In an attempt to improve the physicochemical properties of NFA, particularly solubility and dissolution rate by cocrystallization and salt formation, cocrystals of NFA were prepared with caprolactam (CPR, 1:1) and 2-hydroxy pyridine (2HP, 1:1) as well as salts with piperazine (PIP, 1:0.5), benzenesulfonic acid (BSA, 1:1), benzyl amine (BZA, 1:1 and 2:2), and tyramine (TYA, 1:1). The new solid forms were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry and confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. In the cocrystals NFA CPR and NFA-2HP, the cyclic amide of the coformer forms a dimer synthon through N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds and such dimers extend through O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds. In piperazine, benzyl amine, and tyramine salts, proton transfer occurs from the NFA to the basic nitrogen of the coformer, and in NFA BSA salt, the proton is transferred from benzenesulfonic acid to the pyridine nitrogen of NFA. In addition to the above salts and cocrystals, supramolecular gels of NFA-PIP and NFA-BZA salts are reported, which were obtained from nitrobenzene, methyl salicylate, menthol, and mesitylene solvents. These gels were studied by rheology. Solubility and dissolution rate of the novel solid forms (NFA CPR, NFA PIP, NFA BSA, and NFA TYA) in 20\% EtOH water showed the best behavior for NFA-TYA salt with improvement of 42-and 54-times in solubility and dissolution rate compared to the reference drug. The remaining solids such as NFA-PIP, NFA-BSA salts, and NFA-CPR cocrystal exhibited improvement of 39-, 18-, 1.4-times in solubility and 7.8-, 10-, 2-times for dissolution rate.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01298}, author = {Mittapalli, Sudhir and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Sahoo, Rasmita and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {46105, title = {Cold thermal response of an amyloid oligomer differs from typical globular protein cold denaturation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {2453-2457}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In contrast with the general behavior of folded proteins, the cold thermal response of amyloid assemblies is difficult to elicit with simple models. We exploit exhaustive simulations to evaluate the thermal response of a barrel-shaped model amyloid oligomer, with a distinct hydrophobic core akin to that of folded proteins. Cumulative thermal data over the range of 210-483 K indicate a sharp inflection and rise in structural stability as the temperature is decreased below the melting temperature of the water model. This is not commensurate with the equilibrium free energy profile obtained with core packing as the order parameter. However, energetic analyses and the size of their fluctuations indicate the crucial role of hydration in mediating structural transitions, beyond the expected temperature-dependent hydrophobic effect. Structural ordering of the hydration layer over bulk water is maximized at the transition and vanishes at high temperatures. This is a first direct demonstration of the microscopic influence of hydration water on the low-temperature response of an amyloid assembly close to the cryo-regime.

}, issn = {1948-7185}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00709}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana} } @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 {46445, title = {Core-composite mediated separation of diverse nanoparticles to purity}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {15}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {7787-7794}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A generalized method for sorting nanoparticles based on their cores does not exist; it is an immediate necessity, and an approach incorporating cost-effectiveness and biocompatibility is in demand. Therefore, an efficient method for the separation of various mixed core-compositions or dissimilar metallic nanoparticles to their pure forms at the nano-bio interface was developed. Various simple core-combinations of monodispersed nanoparticles with dual cores, including silver plus gold, iron oxide plus gold and platinum plus gold, to the complex three-set core-combinations of platinum plus gold plus silver and platinum plus iron plus gold were sorted using step-gradient centrifugation in a sucrose suspension. Viscosity mediated differential terminal velocities of the nanoparticles permitted diversified dragging at different gradients allowing separation. Stability, purity and properties of the nanoparticles during separation were evaluated based on visual confirmation and by employing advanced instrumentations. Moreover, theoretical studies validated our experimental observations, revealing the roles of various parameters, such as the viscosity of sucrose, the density of the particles and the velocity and duration of centrifugation, involved during the separation process. This remarkably rapid, cost-efficient and sustainable strategy can be adapted to separate other cores of nanoparticles for various biomedical research purposes, primarily to understand nanoparticle induced toxicity and particle fate and transformations in natural biotic environments.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c9sm01571j}, author = {Bhatt, Chandra S. and Nagaraj, Bharathkumar and Ghosh, Deepanjan and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Thapa, Ranjit and Marpu, Sreekar B. and Suresh, Anil K.} } @article {46117, title = {Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles supported on a phenol-pyridyl COF as a heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of unsymmetrical diynes via glaser-hay coupling}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {15670-15679}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new class of porous crystalline polymers with a modular construct that favors fiinctionalization. COF pores can be used to grow nanoparticles (nPs) with dramatic size reduction, stabilize them as dispersions, and provide excellent nP access. Embedding substrate binding sites in COFs can generate host-guest synergy, leading to enhanced catalytic activity. In this report, Cu/Cu2O nPs (2-3 nm) are grown on a COF, which is built by linking a phenolic trialdehyde and a triamine through Schiff bonds. Their micropores restrict the nP to exceptionally small sizes (similar to 2-3 nm), and the pore walls decorated with strategically positioned hydrogen-bonding phenolic groups anchor the substrates via hydrogen-bonding, whereas the basic pyridyl sites serve as cationic species to stabilize the [CuclusterCl2](2-) type reactive intermediates. This composite catalyst shows high activity for Glaser-Hay heterocoupling reactions, an essential 1,3-diyne yielding reaction with widespread applicability in organic synthesis and material science. Despite their broad successes in homocoupled products, preparation of unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes is challenging due to poor selectivity. Here, our COF-based Cu catalyst shows elevated selectivity toward heterocoupling product(s) (Cu nP loading 0.0992 mol \%; turn over frequency: similar to 4S-50; turn over number: similar to 17S-190). The reversible redox activity at the Cu centers has been demonstrated by carrying out X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy on the frozen reactions, whereas the crucial interactions between the substrates and the binding sites in their optimized configurations have been modeled using density functional theory methods. This report emphasizes the utility of COFs in developing a heterogeneous catalyst for a truly challenging organic heterocoupling reaction.

}, keywords = {Copper nanoparticles, Covalent organic framework, Glaser-Hay heterocoupling, heterogeneous catalysis, unsymmetrical diynes}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.9b02860}, author = {Chakraborty, Debanjan and Nandi, Shyamapada and Mullangi, Dinesh and Haldar, Sattwick and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {46107, title = {Demystifying a hexuronic acid ligand that recognizes Toxoplasma gondii and blocks its invasion into host cells}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4535-4542}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous eukaryotic pathogen responsible for toxoplasmosis in humans and animals. This parasite is an obligate intracellular pathogen and actively invades susceptible host cells, a process which is mediated by specific receptor-ligand interactions. Here, we have identified an unnatural 2,4-disulfated D-glucuronic acid (Di-S-GlcA), a hexuronic acid composed of heparin/ heparan sulfate, as a potential carbohydrate ligand that can selectively bind to T. gondii parasites. More importantly, the gelatin conjugated Di-S-GlcA multivalent probe displayed strong inhibition of parasite entry into host cells. These results open perspective for the future use of Di-S-GlcA epitopes in biomedical applications against toxoplasmosis.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob00744j}, author = {Subramani, Balamurugan and Shantamurthy, Chethan D. and Maru, Parag and Belekar, Meenakshi A. and Mardhekar, Sandhya and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kikkeri, Raghavendra} } @article {45806, title = {Density functional theory-based study of the magnetic and optical properties of PbMO3 (M = Cr, Fe) using the modified BeckeJohnson mBJ functional}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, type = {Article}, chapter = {275-282}, abstract = {

In this study, we employed the density functional theory (DFT) approach using WIEN2k code to study the magnetic and optical behaviors of PbCrO3 and PbFeO3 perovskites in both cubic and tetragonal phases. We determined the stability of the ferromagnetic state in terms of the enthalpy of formation, the half-metallic behavior, and spin polarization. The origin and nature of the ferromagnetic state were attributed to John-Teller distortion and a super-exchange mechanism. Comparisons of the calculated crystal field, John-Teller distortion, and exchange energies indicated the stability of the ferromagnetic nature. Due to strong hybridization, the magnetic moment was reduced at the Cr/Fe sites but generated at the nonmagnetic sites. The optical characteristics were explained by in-depth analyses of the polarization, plasmonic resonance, transparency, and other features in terms of the computed parameters.

}, issn = {00223697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2017.12.030}, author = {Mahmood, Q. and Hassan, M. and Bhamu, K.C. and Yaseen, M. and Ramay, S.M. and Mahmood, A.} } @article {47485, title = {Designed amphiphilic polystyrene as surfactant for oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)-incorporated PS nanobeads and visual detection of bilirubin in human blood serum}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, volume = {1}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1230-1239}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Amphiphilic polystyrene having pendant glucuronic acid (PS-DGlu) was designed and systematically synthesized to be used as a stabilizing agent in styrene miniemulsion polymerization, while covalently incorporating oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV)-based fluorophore to prepare PSG-OPV-n. This OPV fluorophore was incorporated with an aim to work as a signal transducer, while glucuronic acid on the surface of PS nanobeads would act as the water solubilizing moiety for PS to enable it to function as surfactant and also serve as an interaction site for free bilirubin to facilitate noncovalent interaction via hydrogen bonding. Efficient energy transfer from OPV to bilirubin was observed, owing to the appreciable spectral overlap between emission of OPV and absorption of bilirubin. Visual color change from blue to bluish green was observed under an UV lamp after the addition of bilirubin into the polymer. Selectivity of the sensor was checked among the pool of other interferences, such as glucose, sucrose, metal ions, cholesterol, and biliverdin. The limit of detection was found to be as low as 20 nM, which is far less than the clinical range for causing jaundice (<25 to >50 mu mol/L). Moreover, the developed sensor showed its effectiveness toward real time monitoring of free bilirubin in human serum.}, keywords = {amphiphilic homopolymer, bilirubin, functionalized polystyrene nanobeads, oligo(p-phenylenevinylene), sensing}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.9b00222}, author = {Makkad, Sarabjot Kaur and Asha, S. K.} } @article {45612, title = {Designing multifunctional MOFs using an inorganic motif [Cu3(μ3-OH)(μ-Pyz)] as SBU and their properties}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {19}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {992-1004}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In a continuation of our interest in pyrazole-based multifunctional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), we report herein the construction of a series of Cu(II) MOFs using pyrazole and various 5-substituted isophthalic acids. The central theme is to generate MOFs using the crystal engineering strategy of spacer and node; however, for the node we have introduced a well-known inorganic motif, a [Cu-3(mu(3)-OH)(mu-Pyz)(3)] unit. The appearance of the SBU in five MOFs confirms the robustness and reproducibility of the motif with some interesting structures of various dimensionality ranging from 1D helical and 2D herringbone grid to a complex 3D framework. The deployment of bent acids brings chirality via helicity in the system, as further confirmed by solid-state CD spectra. A detailed investigation of the porous MOFs reveals their importance as zeolite analogues for environment remediation. MOF-1-MOF-5 show some interesting photodegradation of harmful organic dyes. MOF-4 and MOF-5 show impressive selective CO2 gas sorption properties. Furthermore, magnetic properties associated with the trinuclear and hexanuclear SBUs of MOF-1 and MOF-3-MOF-5 have also been investigated.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.8b01540}, author = {Akhtar, S. and Bala, S. and De, A. and Das, K. S. and Adhikary, A. and Jyotsna, S. and Poddar, P. and Mondal, R.} } @article {46232, title = {Development of low-cost plant probiotic formulations of functional endophytes for sustainable cultivation of Coleus forskohlii}, journal = {Microbiological Research}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Deployment of plant endophytes at field level is reported to make an impact on agricultural crop productivity; development and deployment of suitable crop specific plant probiotics in a suitable delivery matrix is a value-added task. In our study, we attempted to develop bioformulations of native, fungal endophytes of Coleus forskohlii to improve plant yield using two different carrier-based materials (talc and wheat bran). Initially, fungal endophytes (RF1, SF1, and SF2) were grown on sterilized wheat bran under solid state condition and their growth kinetics and pattern were analyzed by ergosterol content and scanning electron microscope, respectively. 10-day-grown fungal endophytic cultures were used for the development of two types of formulations (wheat bran and talc-based formulations) and tested for their efficacy on host plant, C. forskohlii under field conditions. Interestingly, application of wheat bran-based endophytic formulations significantly (p \< 0.01) enhanced plant height (12-29\%), number of branches (51-63\%), root biomass (26-33\%), photosynthetic pigments (32-101\%), and forskolin content (35-56\%) compared to talc-based formulations under field conditions. Shelf life of endophytes (RF1, SF1, and SF2) in both formulations revealed spore viability in wheat bran-based formulations for 6 months storage period as compared to talc-based formulations. Overall, the present investigation envisages developing plant probiotic bioformulations of functional endophytes of C. forskohlii to enhance root biomass and in planta forskolin content.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.micres.2019.126310}, author = {Mastan, Anthati and Rane, Digeshwar and Dastager, Syed and VivekBabu, C. S.} } @article {46333, title = {Development of pristine and Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites for supercapacitor electrodes}, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {32573-32580}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pristine and Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposites were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. Characterization techniques such as XRD, FESEM, HRTEM and XPS were used to explore the structural, morphological and electronic properties. Furthermore, electrochemical characterizations including cyclic voltammetry (CV), the galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed to investigate the supercapacitance behaviour of the synthesized materials. Interestingly, the Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposite showed a higher capacitance of 495.05 F g(-1) (1 M aqueous KOH electrolyte) with improved cycling stability (99.26\%) over 2000 cycles, measured at a current density of 1 A g(-1), when compared to the pristine Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 composite (capacitance of 148.81 F g(-1) and good cycling stability (95.99\%) over 2000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1)). The results clearly reveal that the decoration of the Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 composite with Au nanoparticles enhances its supercapacitance behaviour, which can be attributed to an increase in electrical conductivity, good electrical contact between the electrode and electrolyte, and an increase in effective area. The Au-decorated Bi2O3/Bi2WO6 nanocomposite can be considered as an electrode material for supercapacitor application.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra06112f}, author = {Gote, Gorkshnath H. and Pathak, Mansi and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Rout, Chandra Sekhar} } @article {46100, title = {Dexterous route for synthesis of hollow spherical ZnO and ZnO-Ag nanocomposite with superior photocatalytic ability}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {5518-5526}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hollow spherical ZnO and hollow ZnO-Ag nanocomposites with variable percentage of loading of Ag content were successfully fabricated through a novel, template free and easily reproducible route. Extensive characterizations were carried out using FTIR, XRD, XPS, BET, TEM and SEM. The hollow morphology of the particle and the composite encouraged a detailed photocatalysis study in comparison to solid commercial ZnO and the corresponding ZnO-Ag composite. The photocatalytic activity of the hollow particle and the composite was assessed monitoring the decolouration of methylene blue dye using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopic technique. An increased surface area for hollow morphology as compared to solid particles established a conspicuous boost in photocatalytic activity.

}, keywords = {excellent photocatalysis, synthesis, template free, ZnO hollow nanoparticles, ZnO-Ag nanocomposite}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201900760}, author = {Maity, Jayeta and Bhattacharjee, Gourab and Satpati, Biswarup and Sardar, Debasmita and Ghosalya, Manoj Kumar and Bala, Tanushree} } @article {45626, title = {Dicationic liquid mediated synthesis of tetrazoloquinolinyl methoxy phenyl 4-thiazolidinones and their antibacterial and antitubercular evaluation}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In a search of new potentially active antitubercular agents here we have synthesized 3-substituted phenyl-2-(4-(tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinolin-4-ylmethoxy)phenyl)thiazolidin-4-ones (8a{\textendash}l) and evaluated their antibacterial, particularly antitubercular activity. These have been conveniently synthesized by performing one{\textendash}pot cyclocondensation of 4-(tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinolin-4-ylmethoxy)benzaldehyde, anilines and mercaptoacetic acid in dicationic ionic liquid, (3-methyl-1-[3-(methyl-1H-imidazolium-1-yl)propyl]-1H-imidazolium dibromide [C3(MIM)2{\textendash}2Br]) and obtained excellent yields of (8a{\textendash}l). 4-Thiazolidinones (8a{\textendash}l) were thoroughly characterized by their spectral analyses. These compounds have been screened for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and Mycobacterium bovis (BCG). The compounds 8a, 8c, and 8e exhibited notable in vitro antitubercular activity compare to the reference, Rifampicin. Molecular docking study has also been performed to know the binding mode of these analogs in to the active site of DprE1 enzyme. The synthesized compounds were also evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity and amongst them compound 8k has shown moderate activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacterial strains.}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2018.1564928}, author = {Deshmukh, A. R. and Dhumal, S. T. and Nawale, L. U. and Khedkar, V. M. and Sarkar, D. and Mane, R. A.} } @article {46318, title = {Dimedone-based rigid organic scaffold for organizing symmetrical helical peptide chains.}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {11518-11522}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We describe herein design, synthesis and conformational investigations of polypeptides attached on a rigid dimedone template. Two identical peptide chains are attached on a single carbon containing dimedone as a scaffold. Dimedone assists in controlling the secondary interactions through strong intramolecular helical C-12 and C-15 membered bifurcated hydrogen bonding on both the peptide chains along with propagating the helical architecture of the peptide chains attached. There exists a C-6 hydrogen bonding for the single stranded peptides attached to dimedone. Extensive structural investigations involving single crystal X-ray diffraction, solution-state NMR and CD studies of oligopeptides have been undertaken.

}, keywords = {dimedone, Helical, hydrogen bonding, Peptides, template}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201903087}, author = {Madica, Krishnaprasad and Lakshmi, Jerripothula K. and Madhu, Suresh and Nadimpally, Krishna Chaitanya and Gonnade, Rajesh and Jagadeesh, Bharatam and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {46437, title = {Dinitrogen activation on graphene anchored single atom catalysts: local site activity or surface phenomena}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {123}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {27492-27500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Catalysis on two-dimensional (2D) substrates with metal clusters or centers is generally dealt with as a surface phenomenon under the conjecture that the delocalized electron density is the driving force. When single atom catalysts (SACs) are anchored on such materials with delocalized electron density, for instance graphene, the stimulant for catalysis may be either the d-electrons on the metal or the system altogether. To understand the contributing factors of catalysis on such systems, a case study of dinitrogen (N-2) activation on Mo anchored graphene has been made by employing periodic and finite models of graphene. The periodic model represents a continuum of SACs anchored periodically on graphene, while the finite models are graphene nanoflakes of varying sizes and edge orientations. In addition to the physical aspects, such as size/finiteness of graphene, the influence of varying chemical compositions of the substrate on the activity is also evaluated by doping graphene with different B and N concentrations. This study, while clearly bringing out the connotation of regulating atomic composition of graphene substrate for dinitrogen activation, also surprisingly unveils the relative insignificance of varying the size and edge effects of the substrate. These features are highlighted through an analysis of red shift in the N-N stretching frequency, charge transfer to dinitrogen from the catalytic system, and structural and electronic characteristics of the catalytic system. The total and projected density of states plots reveal hybridization between the metal d orbitals and the p orbitals of carbon and nitrogen in the valence band. On the other hand, the frontier molecular orbital analysis also depicts a strong chemisorption of dinitrogen with the metal-graphene supports on account of direct hybridization between the d orbitals of the supported metal atom and the p orbitals of dinitrogen. The Bader and Lowdin charge distribution on the adsorbed dinitrogen in periodic and finite models shows the preeminence of local site over the surface activity.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b06757}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Govindaraja, Thillai and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @inbook {47468, title = {Distribution and bioprospecting potential of actinobacteria from Indian mangrove ecosystems}, booktitle = {Microbial Diversity in Ecosystem Sustainability and Biotechnological Applications}, year = {2019}, pages = {319-353}, publisher = {Springer, Singapore}, organization = {Springer, Singapore}, abstract = {Actinobacteria are the ecologically and economically important prokaryotes with the unprecedented ability to produce novel metabolites. They are widely distributed in nature due to their physiological and metabolic versatility. Actinobacteria from marine ecosystem are recognized as a promising source for novel bioactive metabolites. Notably, mangroves are the most fertile and productive marine ecosystem due to their ecophysiological conditions and vast microbial diversity. At the global level, there are many novel actinobacteria which have been reported from mangrove ecosystems and also explored for their bioprospecting potential. However, in India, microbiologists have explored actinobacteria from selected mangrove ecosystems for the past five decades with special reference to culturable diversity and antimicrobial, antimycobacterial, anticancer, and enzymatic activities. So far, around 22 rare actinobacterial genera have been reported from the Indian mangrove ecosystems. However, several other novel actinobacteria with promising bioprospecting potential are yet to be explored. Hence, research on actinobacteria in the Indian mangrove ecosystem is still in its infancy. This chapter will describe the exploratory research work carried out on the importance, diversity, antimicrobial and enzymatic activity, biodegradation, and nanotechnological potency of actinobacteria from the Indian mangrove ecosystems. This chapter will enable researchers to identify the gaps to be bridged for further research on Indian mangrove actinobacteria and exploit their potential to the maximum benefit to mankind.}, isbn = {978-981-13-8315-1}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-13-8315-1_11}, author = {Manikkam, Radhakrishnan and Pati, Premalata and Thangavel, Shanmugasundaram and Venugopal, Gopikrishnan and Joseph, Jerrine and Ramasamy, Balagurunathan and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {46221, title = { Downconversion luminescence-based nanosensor for label-free detection of explosives }, journal = {Acs Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {4259-4268}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a selective and sensitive nanosensor probe based on polyethylenimine (PEI)-capped downconverting nanophosphors beta-NaYF4:Gd3+, Tb3+@PEI for the detection of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), both in water and buffer media. These downconverting phosphors were synthesized via a hydrothermal route and are known to show excellent chemical, thermal, and photostability. They emit sharp emission peaks centered at similar to 488, 544, 584, and 619 nm, among which the peak at similar to 544 nm was remarkably quenched (similar to 90\%) by the addition of TNT without giving any new emission peak. The sensing mechanism is based on the formation of a Meisenheimer complex between the electron-rich amine-functionalized beta-NaYF4:Gd3+, Tb3+ nanophosphors and electron-deficient TNT molecule, which was prominently visualized by the change in the color of the solution from whitish to brownish yellow, enabling visual detection, followed by luminescence resonance energy transfer between the nanophosphors and the complex. A linear range for TNT detection was obtained from 0.1 to 300 mu M with a limit of detection as low as 119.9 nM. This method displayed excellent selectivity toward TNT over other nitroaromatic compounds, which had no influence on the detection. Moreover, various other classes of analytes, viz., amino acids, pesticides, and sugars, did not quench the luminescence intensity of the nanophosphors. This developed nanosensor probe possesses high, stable fluorescence brightness and capability for the selective and sensitive on-site recognition of TNT molecules in aqueous media, avoiding complicated strategies and instruments. Thus, this work promises to pave ways to many applications in the detection of ultratrace analytes.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b03491}, author = {Malik, Monika and Padhye, Preeti and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {47167, title = {Draft genome sequence of freshwater-derived streptomyces sp. strain BPSDS2, isolated from damte stream, northeast India}, journal = {American Society for Microbiology}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the draft genome sequence of Streptomyces sp. strain BPSDS2, isolated from freshwater sediments in Northeast India. The draft genome has a size of 8.27 Mb and 7,559 protein-coding sequences.

}, doi = {10.1128/MRA.00874-19}, author = {Zothanpuia and Passari, Ajit Kumar and Deka, Vinay and Rajput, Lakshmi P. M. and Priya, Purbajyoti and Dharne, Mahesh and Dastager, Syed and Mathew, Oommen K. and Hashem, Abeer and Abd_ Allah, Elsayed Fathi and Singh, Bhim Pratap} } @article {46274, title = {Dry molten globule-like intermediate during the base-induced unfolding of a multidomain protein (vol 19, pg 20307, 2017)}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {20499-20499}, type = {Correction}, doi = {10.1039/c9cp90219h}, author = {Acharya, Nirbhik and Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {46210, title = {Effect of media components and growth conditions for improved linoleic acid production by beauveria species}, journal = {Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society}, volume = {96}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {945-954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Beauveria species are well-known insect pathogenic fungi, and Beauveria bassiana is used as a biopesticide against various pests in agriculture. However, the Beauveria species has not been reported as producers of microbial oils. In this study, Beauveria spp. MTCC 5184 was used to produce microbial oil with high linoleic acid (LA) content. Ten experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of several media parameters, such as carbon and nitrogen sources, pH, various concentrations of carbon and nitrogen, growth duration, and oleic acid (OLA) supplementation for maximum LA and dry biomass production by the fungus. Several of these parameters had a significant impact on the production of LA, as well as dry biomass. The glucose yeast extract (GYE) medium supplemented with 1.5\% (w/v) peptone yielded maximum LA (0.32 +/- 0.01 g L-1) and biomass (5.51 +/- 0.26 g L-1). However, through the addition of 1.0\% (w/v) OLA, the precursor of LA, LA production was enhanced 12-fold (1.24 +/- 0.03 g L-1), and the biomass production increased by 5-fold (11.05 +/- 0.46 g L-1) in comparison to those in the basal (GYE) medium. Using lactose as the sole carbon source produced the lowest LA (0.05 +/- 0.00 g L-1) and biomass (1.04 +/- 0.10 g L-1). The results of this study will be useful for the commercial exploitation of this fungus for the production of LA-rich microbial oil for use in the production of lubricants, greases, paints, cosmetics, etc.

}, doi = {10.1002/aocs.12252}, author = {Sanghi, Smrati and Chirmade, Tejas and More, Snehal and Prabhune, Asmita and Gupta, Vidya and Kadoo, Narendra} } @article {45532, title = {Effect of processing conditions on the rheological properties of blends of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene with high-density polyethylene}, journal = {Polymer Engineering and Science}, volume = {59}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {821-829}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Blends of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with small amounts of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared by melt mixing in a twin-screw microcompounder. Two types of UHMWPE differing in their states of chain entanglement were used. The blend composition, time of mixing, and rotation speed of the screws were varied. Rheological properties of the blends were studied in oscillatory shear and uniaxial elongational tests. Reduction in phase angle measured in dynamic shear rheology and increase in extensional strain hardening were found to be useful indicators for quantifying the extent of mixing of the two components. Although the disentangled UHMWPE showed reasonable mixing with HDPE during typical residence times of melt compounding operations, the entangled UHMWPE remained essentially undissolved. The extent of mixing increased with mixing time and screw speed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2018. {\textcopyright} 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

}, issn = {0032-3888}, doi = {10.1002/pen.25016}, author = {Chaudhuri, K. and Poddar, S. and Pol, H. and Lele, A. and Mathur, A. and Srinivasa Rao, G.S. and Jasra, R.} } @article {47496, title = {Efficient and cost effective synthesis of acetamides catalyzed by calcium chloride}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {1125-1130}, type = {Article}, abstract = {CaCl2 has been found to be an efficient and cost effective catalyst for the rapid synthesis of acetamides in high yields. The use of stoichiometric quantities of acetic anhydride under solvent free conditions without any additional chromatographic purifications makes this protocol a safe alternative to the existing methods.}, keywords = {Acetamide, acetylation, Acylation, Amine, CaCl2}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Sangole, M. T. and Thorat, S. M. and Shirsath, S. and Deshmukh, S. P. and Muthukrishnan, M. and Mujahid, M.} } @article {46312, title = {Efficient synthesis of optically active neolignans ligraminol D and E}, journal = {Synthesis-Stuttgart}, volume = {51}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4291-4295}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient syntheses of optically active neolignans ligraminol D and E were achieved in four simple steps starting from easily available chiral benzyl glycidyl ethers. The products were obtained in good overall yields and high enantioselectivities. The protocol might also be useful in the synthesis of other ligraminols or related neolignans.

}, keywords = {benzyl glycidyl ether, Epoxide, lignan, ligraminol, Mitsunobu}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1055/s-0037-1611919}, author = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Mujahid, M. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {45576, title = {Enhanced energy density and stability of self-assembled cauliflower of Pd doped monoclinic WO3 nanostructure supercapacitor}, journal = {Materials Chemistry and Physics}, volume = {225}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {192-199}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Enhanced electrochemical performance of WO3 nanostructures by engineering their morphology, structural and surface defect at nanoscale is feasible. Herein we report the effect of Pd doping on the morphological and electrochemical properties of WO3 at nanoscale prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The synthesized pristine WO3 (cabbage like morphology) and Pd doped WO3 (cauliflower like morphology) are examined by using XRD, XPS, Raman spectra, BET, FE-SEM, TEM. The morphological investigation shows the effective rebuilding of nanosheets assembled cabbage shaped pristine WO3 into nanobricks assembled cauliflower shaped Pd doped WO3 with improvement in crystallinity, surface area and conductivity. As a result, the enhancement in the electrochemical performance of cauliflower shaped Pd-WO3 is recorded four times higher specific capacitance than pristine WO3. Additionally, the excellent cyclic stability (almost ten times higher than pristine WO3) up to 1100 cycles with nearly 86.95\% capacity retention is observed in Pd-WO3 attributed to Pd content and highly modified structural arrangement.}, doi = {10.1016/j.matchemphys.2018.12.077}, author = {Gupta, S. P. and Patil, V. B. and Tarwal, N. L. and Bhame, S. D. and Gosavi, S. W. and Mulla, I. S. and Late, D. J. and Suryavanshi, S. S. and Walke, P. S.} } @article {46298, title = {Estrogen receptor activation in response to Azadirachtin A stimulates osteoblast differentiation and bone formation in mice}, journal = {Journal of Cellular Physiology}, volume = {234}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {23719-23735}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The positive effectsof the sex hormone in sustaining bone homeostasis areexercised by maintaining the equilibrium betweencell activity and apoptosis. In this regard, the importance of estrogen receptors in maintaining the bone is that it is anattractive drug target,if devoid of known side effects. In this study, we show that a natural pure compound Azadirachtin A (Aza A) isolated from Azadirachta indica binds selectively to a site in the estrogen receptor, identifying itself to bea selective tissue modifier. Using computational and medicinal chemistry, we show that Aza A binds potentially and selectively to estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha) as compared with ER beta. This preferential binding of Aza A to ER alpha with good pharmacokinetic distribution in the body forms metabolites, showing that it is well absorbed. In in vivo estrogen deficiency models for osteoporosis, Aza A at a much lower dose enhances new bone formation at both sites of the trabecular and cortical bone with increased bone strength and presentswith no hyperplastic effect in the uterus.

}, keywords = {ALP, Gene expression, micro-CT, mineralization, osteoblast cells}, issn = {0021-9541}, doi = {10.1002/jcp.28940}, author = {Kushwaha, Priyanka and Ahmad, Naseer and Dhar, V. Yogeshwar and Verma, Ashwni and Haldar, Saikat and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Trivedi, Prabodh K. and Mishra, Prabhat R. and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu and Trivedi, Ritu} } @article {46279, title = {"EviMass": A literature evidence-based miner for human microbial associations}, journal = {Frontiers in Genetics}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The importance of understanding microbe-microbe as well as microbe-disease associations is one of the key thrust areas in human microbiome research. High-throughput metagenomic and transcriptomic projects have fueled discovery of a number of new microbial associations. Consequently, a plethora of information is being added routinely to biomedical literature, thereby contributing toward enhancing our knowledge on microbial associations. In this communication, we present a tool called "EviMass" (Evidence based mining of human Microbial Associations), which can assist biologists to validate their predicted hypotheses from new microbiome studies. Users can interactively query the processed back-end database for microbe-microbe and disease-microbe associations. The EviMass tool can also be used to upload microbial association networks generated from a human "disease-control" microbiome study and validate the associations from biomedical literature. Additionally, a list of differentially abundant microbes for the corresponding disease can be queried in the tool for reported evidences. The results are presented as graphical plots, tabulated summary, and other evidence statistics. EviMass is a comprehensive platform and is expected to enable microbiome researchers not only in mining microbial associations, but also enriching a new research hypothesis. The tool is available free for academic use at https://web.rniapps.net/evimass.

}, doi = {10.3389/fgene.2019.00849}, author = {Srivastava, Divyanshu and Baksi, Krishanu D. and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46152, title = {Experimental investigation of isothermal vapor-liquid equilibrium and estimation of excess thermodynamic properties (h(E)) of CHO2K-H2O from 278.15 to 423.15 K}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {64}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {1488-1500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) of a binary mixture, potassium formate-water (CHO2K-H2O), was measured experimentally using a dynamic moving type VLE setup in the temperature range of 313.15 to 393.15 K. Overall, large vapor pressure data points generated for the mole fraction of CHO2K from 0.023 to 0.461 and the solution temperature up to 423.15 K were used to correlate the local composition-based activity coefficient model (NRTL model). The data obtained via the thermodynamic model fitting shows good agreement with the experimental VLE data with overall average relative deviation of 2.15\% and root-mean-square deviation of 0.25\%. The obtained results further indicate that the binary mixture exhibits a negative deviation from the Raoult{\textquoteright}s law, which is an important characteristic of the working fluid used for a heat-activated vapor absorption system (VAS). Therefore, the CHO2K-H2O mixture can be considered as an alternative working pair that will overcome the limitations allied to the crystallization and corrosion of the commercial working fluids mainly lithium bromide-water (LiBr-H2O). The fitted nonrandom two-liquid model was further utilized to determine the excess thermodynamic properties, solution enthalpy, solution entropy, and equilibrium P-T-x (Duhring) plot.

}, issn = {0021-9568}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.8b01078}, author = {Takalkar, Gorakshnath D. and Bhosale, Rahul R. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Bhagwat, Sunil S.} } @article {46335, title = {Exploring battery-type ZnO/ZnFe2O4 spheres-3D graphene electrodes for supercapacitor applications: advantage of yolk-shell over solid structures}, journal = {ChemElectroChem }, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Recently, a ZnO/ZnFe2O4 composite has been reported to be a promising material for energy storage, owing to its large specific capacity and good redox activity. However, due to the inability to accommodate its strong volumetric variations during operation, it fails to retain its capacitance, which remains as a significant hitch. Herein, we present our attempt towards solving this through a binder-free electrode design comprising a porous yolk-shell ZnO/ZnFe2O4 composite matrixed inside a 3D network of graphene, which, in turn, is grown on Ni foam. The design exhibits a four-fold increase in its specific capacitance, yielding 1334 F g(-1) (specific capacity of 370.5 mAh g(-1)) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1) in comparison to that of the ZnO/ZnFe2O4 electrodes (309 F g(-1) (85.8 mAh g(-1)) at 0.5 A g(-1)) comprising solid metal oxide spheres. The major advantage of the design is the well-defined yolk-shell architecture that provides free space for volume expansion during long cycling processes and channels for ionic transportation; whereas, the conductive 3D graphene network and porous Ni foam facilitate electronic conduction. The availability of free space in yolk-shell sphere electrodes facilitates the capacitance retention of up to 80 \% beyond 5000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1), which is in contrast to the capacitance retained by the solid spheres of only approximately 60 \%. These results directly demonstrate the significant consequence of the yolk-shell architecture-based binder-free design and its promising potential in high-performing supercapacitors and batteries.

}, keywords = {binder-free electrodes, graphene hydrogels, Supercapacitors, volume expansion, yolk-shell spheres}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.201901269}, author = {Jhajharia, Suman Kumari and Manappadan, Zinoy and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {46149, title = {Exploring the potential of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. extract against spatial memory deficit in rats}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Magazine}, volume = {15}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {78-83}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: A few published reports demonstrated the neuroprotective effect of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC. in an acute model of dementia. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the preclinical efficacy of D. gangeticum against chronic dementia when administered prophylactically. Materials and Methods: Chronic spatial memory deficit was induced in rats by aluminum chloride (AlCl3, 10 mg/kg, i.p.). Treatment with hydroalcoholic whole plant extract of D. gangeticum (DG extract) was initiated 2 week before AlCl3 challenge and continued till the 51(st) day after the challenge, orally at the dose of 400 mg/kg/day. The spatial memory was assessed by Morris water maze test. Hippocampal and frontal cortex acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) and oxidative stress were assessed in diseased rat brains. Results: Chronic administration of AlCl3 produced spatial memory deficit in rats. Memory impairment was manifested in rats as an increase in escape latency and D-quadrant latency whereas a decrease in total time spent in D-quadrant. These behavioral alterations were reversed significantly by the treatment with DG extract. In addition, DG extract significantly increased the island time, indicating memory improvement. DG extract corrected the declined AChE in frontal cortex and altered frontal cortex/hippocampus catalase activity. Phytochemical investigation of the DG extract revealed large content of saponins among the other phytochemicals such as tannins, alkaloids, and flavonoids. Conclusion: These results indicate the possible prophylactic potential of saponin-rich DG extract against chronic memory deficit in rats.

}, keywords = {Acetyl cholinesterase, Aluminum chloride, dementia, Desmodium gangeticum (L) DC, Oxidative stress}, issn = {0973-1296}, doi = {10.4103/pm.pm_501_18}, author = {Changdar, Nilanjan and Ganjhu, Rajesh Kumar and Rijal, Samita and Kumar, Ayush and Mallik, Shanchari Basu and Nampoothiri, Madhavan and Shenoy, Rekha R. and Sonawane, Kiran B. and Rao, Mallikarjuna C. and Mudgal, Jayesh} } @article {46142, title = {External oxidant-dependent reactivity switch in copper-mediated intramolecular carboamination of alkynes: access to a different class of fluorescent ionic nitrogen-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {4120-4130}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An interesting case of external oxidant-controlled reactivity switch leading to a divergent set of ionic nitrogen-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (N-doped PAHs), is presented here, which is quite unrecognized in copper-mediated reactions. In the current scenario, from the same pyridino-alkyne substrates, the use of the external oxidant Ph1(0Ac)2, in combination with Cu(OTf)(2), gave N-doped spiro-PAHs via a dearomative 1,2-carboamination process; whereas, without the use of oxidant, an alkyne/azadiene [4 + 2]-cycloaddition cascade occurred to exclusively afford ionic N-doped PAHs. These newly synthesized N-doped PAHs further exhibit tunable emissions, as well as excellent quantum efficiencies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.9b00120}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Mule, Ravindra D. and Bera, Saibal and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46355, title = {Ferets diameter estimation of activated carbon for effluent treatment application}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {96}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1067-1074}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, activated carbon was produced of by chemical activation with phosphoric acid of agricultural wastes such as Arecanut shell of 25 micronmeter at 400 degrees C by slow pyrolysis. The BET surface area and iodine number surface area is calculated and compared. The FTIR spectra show the presence of activated carbon. The TGA revealed, activated carbon is thermally stable at 480 degrees C. The SEM shows the incorporation of activated carbon particles leads to the systematic change in morphology of activated carbon. Surface area plot shows the details of morphological change caused by iodine number surface area. Ferets diameter is estimated to know circularity of the particle. Methylene blue number, acid adsorption value is calculated to know adsorption capacity of the carbon. Thus results proves selection of ferets diameter, activation temperature, and impregnation ratio is important in determining the quality of activated carbon obtained and its use in industrial waste water treatment.

}, keywords = {activated carbon, Arecanut shell, Phosphoric acid, teret diameter}, issn = {0019-4522}, author = {Jadhav, Abhijit and Mohanraj, Govindraj and Gokarn, Ashok and Mayadevi, Susheeladevi} } @article {46183, title = {Fiber optic Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor: an efficient and fast approach for ammonia gas sensing}, journal = {Journal of the Optical Society of America B-Optical Physics}, volume = {36}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {684-689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we propose and demonstrate a Fabry-Perot-interferometer-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-composite-coated optical sensor for ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection at room temperature. The principle of sensing is based on change in the cavity length of the FP cavity in the presence of varied concentrations of gases, which results in changes in the total reflectance due to the shift in wavelength of an interference pattern. The sensing composite material was coated on a single-mode optical fiber by using a simple dip-coating technique and explored it for sensing. The ammonia and VOCs measurements were performed for concentrations ranging from 5 to 500 ppm. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection of the developed sensor for ammonia gas detection was observed of the order of around 4.16 pm/ppm and 4.8 ppm, respectively. The response and recovery times of the sensor were found to be of the order of 50 s and 10 s, respectively, for the ammonia gas. This sensor provides a simple, cost-effective, highly sensitive, and repeatable approach to measure ammonia gas and other VOCs at room temperature and could fulfill the demands of industrial applications. (C) 2019 Optical Society of America

}, issn = {0740-3224}, doi = {10.1364/JOSAB.36.000684}, author = {Kanawade, Rajesh and Kumar, Ajay and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Late, Dattatray and Mondal, Samir and Sinha, Ravindra K.} } @article {46150, title = {Formulation and evaluation of wound healing activity of sophorolipid-sericin gel in wistar rats}, journal = {Pharmacognosy Magazine}, volume = {15}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {123-127}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Sericin is a useful by-product of silk processing and is resistant to oxidation and ultraviolet and can absorb and release moisture easily. Sericin has biological activities such as antibacterial, antioxidant, and tyrosinase inhibition. Sophorolipids are microbial extracellular glycolipids produced by resting cells of Candida bombicola. Sophorolipids show excellent skin compatibility and also have antibacterial property. In this study, we have developed a novel formulation consisting of sericin and sophorolipid with calcium alginate as a binding agent. Since both the ingredients are biocompatible and biodegradable, the formulation was tested for wound healing in Wistar rats. A commercial ointment povidone was used as control. The animal group, treated with sericin and sophorolipid cream, showed fast contraction, rapid closure, and healing when compared with control and commercial ointment. These observations were validated with histopathological studies where more fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and keratinization were observed. This is a green, cost-effective formulation for fast wound healing.

}, keywords = {Biocompatibility, formulation, sericin, Sophorolipid, wound Healing}, issn = {0973-1296}, doi = {10.4103/pm.pm_392_18}, author = {More, V. Snehal and Koratkar, Santosh S. and Kadam, Navnath and Agawane, Sachin and Prabhune, Asmita} } @article {46331, title = {Francisella novicida Cas9 interrogates genomic DNA with very high specificity and can be used for mammalian genome editing}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}, volume = {116}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {20959-20968}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used to make precise heritable changes in the DNA of organisms. Although the widely used Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and its engineered variants have been efficiently harnessed for numerous gene-editing applications across different platforms, concerns remain regarding their putative off-targeting at multiple loci across the genome. Here we report that Francisella novicida Cas9 (FnCas9) shows a very high specificity of binding to its intended targets and negligible binding to off-target loci. The specificity is determined by its minimal binding affinity with DNA when mismatches to the target single-guide RNA (sgRNA) are present in the sgRNA:DNA heteroduplex. FnCas9 produces staggered cleavage, higher homology-directed repair rates, and very low nonspecific genome editing compared to SpCas9. We demonstrate FnCas9-mediated correction of the sickle cell mutation in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and propose that it can be used for precise therapeutic genome editing for a wide variety of genetic disorders.

}, keywords = {CRISPR Cas9, gene therapy, Genome editing, iPSCs, sickle cell anemia}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1818461116}, author = {Acharya, Sundaram and Mishra, Arpit and Paul, Deepanjan and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Azhar, Mohd and Kumar, Manoj and Rauthan, Riya and Sharma, Namrata and Aich, Meghali and Sinha, Dipanjali and Sharma, Saumya and Jain, Shivani and Ray, Arjun and Jain, Suman and Ramalingam, Sivaprakash and Maiti, Souvik and Chakraborty, Debojyoti} } @inbook {47469, title = {Fungi the crucial contributors for nanotechnology: a green chemistry perspective}, booktitle = {Advancing Frontiers in Mycology \& Mycotechnology}, year = {2019}, pages = {279-298}, publisher = {Springer}, organization = {Springer}, abstract = {Myconanotechnology has gained an exceptional momentum in today{\textquoteright}s world. It encompasses a wide range of applications like in agriculture, biomedical, electronics, textiles, cell and molecular biology, nanodevices, and many more. This fast-growing research field has a list of many nanoparticles that have been synthesized from different kinds of fungi. It is an eco-friendly approach that has sidelined the conventional methods of chemical and physical synthesis that require high energy and are toxic and expensive. The fungal-based synthesis gains functionality due to its discrete and diversified advantages that are being explored. Various parameters like temperature, pH, time and concentrations of fungal biomass or extract as well as of the precursor play a vital role in the protocols. These factors have to be optimized for the laboratory as well as industrial scale production. A greater importance to the use of cell-free extracts for nanosynthesis has been given. They contain the enzymes that are reported to be involved in the synthesis mechanisms as reducing agents and capping agents. The role of fungi in nanosynthesis and nanotechnology per se has many patents under its name. Although there are voids in the existing synthesis methods as well as lacunae in the application part that need to be addressed and filled. With an extensive research and work, myconanoparticles can be exploited to the maximum and lead its advancement in new areas.}, doi = {10.1007/978-981-13-9349-5_11}, author = {Moudgil, Aliesha and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @inbook {47477, title = {Future prospects of 2D materials for sensing applications}, booktitle = {Fundamentals and Sensing Applications of 2D Materials}, number = {Woodhead Publishing Series in Electronic and Optical Materials}, year = {2019}, pages = {481-482}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Two-dimensional (2D) material attracted significant research interest from the discovery of graphene in 2004. These 2D materials allow a platform for artificial integration of heterostructures with unique platforms that show exotic physical attributes and phenomenon as well as properties and applications. Each layer in 2D materials consist of a covalent bond, a dangling bond-free lattice, and weak van der Waals (vdWs) interaction. This makes it feasible to fabricate lateral and vertical vdWs heterostructures without the constraints of lattice matching and processing compatibility. These vdWs heterostructures open a door for a broad range of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, flexible devices, sensors, and photovoltaics. In this chapter, we have critically assessed the recent developments in 2D materials, the fabrication of heterostructures, and their application for sensing purposes. We conclude with current challenges and ideas concerning future developments in this merging field.}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-08-102577-2.00014-2}, author = {Morgan, Hywel and Rout, Chandra S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {46048, title = {Glycerol acetylation considering competing dimerization}, journal = {International Journal of Chemical Kinetics}, volume = {51}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {634-640}, type = {Editorial Material}, abstract = {

Glycerol acetylation is a very interesting reaction for studies of consecutive kinetics. In this short communication, we present a pseudo-homogeneous model for the synthesis of triacetyl glycerol from the reaction of glycerol and acetic acid over strongly acidic Amberlyst-15 and Amberlyst-70 catalysts, considering a dimerization of diacetyl glycerol (DAG) into diglycerol tetraacetate as a parallel reaction and compare the results with a model without side reactions. The best fits were obtained for apparent zeroth-order dimerization and first-order consecutive reactions in the presence of acetic acid in excess and with removal of water. An adaptation was made for DAG. The proposed model shows that the formation of DAG is faster than the consumption of glycerol, which could be an explanation for the occurrence of DAG dimerization instead of other parallel reactions in acetylation.

}, keywords = {apparent kinetics, diacetyl glycerol dimerization, glycerol acetylation}, issn = {0538-8066}, doi = {10.1002/kin.21282}, author = {Soares, Andre V. -H. and Kale, Sumeet S. and Armbruster, Udo and Passos, Fabio B. and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. and Dongare, Mohan K. and Martin, Andreas} } @article {46282, title = {Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerization of pyridine-bridged 1,8-Diynes: An expedient access to luminescent cycl[3.2.2]azines}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {7109-7113}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gold-catalyzed diyne cycloisomerizations involving carbene/alkyne metathesis have been the focal point of attention for the past few years as it offers great potential to build complex polycyclic architectures. However, the design of novel cycloisomerizations has been mostly limited to 1,5/1,6-diynes and has remained very challenging to apply for higher 1,n-diynes. Herein, we disclose an unprecedented cycloisomerization of pyridine-bridged 1,8-diynes involving carbene/alkyne metathesis to access luminescent cycl[3.2.2]azines.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.9b02677}, author = {Chintawar, Chetan C. and Mane, Manoj V. and Tathe, Akash G. and Biswas, Suprakash and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {45519, title = {Gold(I)-catalyzed hydroxy group assisted C(sp(2))-H alkylation of enaminones with diazo compounds to access 3-alkyl chromones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {335-339}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A strategy for expedient synthesis of 3-substituted chromones from easily available o-hydroxyarylenaminones and diazo compounds has been developed. Carefully conducted experimental and computational studies led us to propose an uncommon mechanistic pathway involving the hydroxyl group assisted alkylation of enaminones with in situ generated gold carbenes.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.8b03989}, author = {Bagle, Pradip N. and Mane, Manoj V. and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Gade, Amol B. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Baik, Mu-Hyun and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46040, title = {Graphene nanosheets assisted carbon hollow cylinder for high-performance field emission applications}, journal = {Materials Research Express}, volume = {6}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {095066}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electron sources are critical constituents for myriad many electronic applications including electron imaging, mass spectroscopy etc. Here, we report the realization of high-performance field emission from graphene assisted carbon hollow cylinders (Gr-CHCs) composed of multi-stacked radially aligned CNTs. These CHCs have built-in synthesis related Fe nanoparticles (NPs). This engineered nano-structure exhibits excellent field emission properties such as one of the ultra-low turn-on field (0.64V mu m(-1) at 10 mu A cm(-2)), low threshold field (0.74V mu m(-1) at 100 mu A cm(-2)), very high current density (15.49 mA cm(-2) at 1.32V mu m(-1)) which is nearly double the current density obtained in our previous study. High field enhancement factor (0.72. x. 10(4)) with highly stable emission current at 100 mu A was observed for more than 3 hrs at the base pressure of similar to 1. x. 10(-8) mbar. This study suggests an approach to enhance the current density using the proposed innovative nanostructure and forms the basic theme of this communication. Highly efficient and stable field emissions observed are attributed to the geometry of cylinder and the production of the high density of sharp protrusions within the graphene sheets which enhance the local electric field and dramatically enhance field emission. This innovative cylindrical geometry associated with graphene assisted on Fe bearing aligned CNTs along with the periphery of the bulk cylinder provides an easy injection of electrons from the conduction band of CHCs into the vacuum in the presence of an external electric field. The tunability of field emission properties of these CHCs can be easily achieved by tailoring their diameter (10 and 20 mm) and different concentrations of the precursor. This new approach of the graphene assisted cylindrical geometry-based field emitter source provides enormous prospects and demand for next-generation high resolutions display devices.

}, keywords = {Carbon nanotubes, field emission, graphene assisted carbon hollow cylinder, protrusions}, issn = {2053-1591}, doi = {10.1088/2053-1591/ab3030}, author = {Tripathi, Prashant and Gupta, Bipin Kumar and Bankar, Prashant K. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J. and Srivastava, Onkar Nath} } @article {46179, title = {Graphene-modified electrodes for sensing doxorubicin hydrochloride in human plasma}, journal = {Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {411}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1509-1516}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Doxorubicin (DOX), an anthracycline molecule, is currently one of the most widely used anticancer drugs in clinics. Systematic treatment of patients with DOX is known to be accompanied by several unpleasant side effects due to the toxicity of the drug. Thus, monitoring of DOX concentration in serum samples has become increasingly important to avoid side effects and ensure therapeutic efficiency. In this study, we discuss the construction of a disposable electrochemical sensor for the direct monitoring of DOX in clinical blood samples. The sensor is based on coating a gold electrode in a flexible integrated electrode construct formed on polyimide sheets using photolithography, with nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) suspended in chitosan. Under optimized conditions, a linear relationship between the oxidative peak current and the concentration of DOX in the range of 0.010-15M with a detection limit of 10nM could be achieved. The sensor was adapted to monitor DOX in serum samples of patients under anticancer treatment.

}, keywords = {Disposable electrodes, doxorubicin, Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide, Serum}, issn = {1618-2642}, doi = {10.1007/s00216-019-01611-w}, author = {Chekin, Fereshteh and Myshin, Vladyslav and Ye, Ran and Melinte, Sorin and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Boukherroub, Rabah and Szunerits, Sabine} } @article {46101, title = {High-energy flexible supercapacitor-synergistic effects of polyhydroquinone and RuO2 center dot xH(2)O with microsized, few-layered, self-supportive exfoliated-graphite sheets}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {18349-18360}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An effective and straightforward route for tailoring the self-supporting, exfoliated flexible graphite substrate (E-FGS) using electrochemical anodization is proposed. E-FGS has essential features of highly exfoliated, few-layered, two-dimensional graphite sheets with the size of several tens of micrometers, interconnected along the axis of the substrate surface. The novel hierarchical porous structural morphology of E-FGS enables large active sites for efficient electrolyte ion and charge transport when used as electrode material for a supercapacitor. In order to effectively utilize this promising E-FGS electrode for energy storage purpose, a ternary composite is further synthesized with pseudocapacitive polyhydroquinone (PHQ) and hydrous RuO2 (hRO). hRO is synthesized via a sol-gel route, while electropolymerization is utilized for the electrodeposition of PHQ over E-FGS. Ultimately, the fabricated self-supporting E-FGS-based flexible supercapacitor is capable of delivering areal specific capacitance values as high as 378 mF cm(-2) at a current density of 1 mA cm(-2). Addition of the pseudocapacitive component to the E-FGS texture leads to similar to 10 times increase of the electrochemical charge storage capability. The imposition of mechanical forces to this flexible supercapacitor device results in trivial changes in electrochemical properties and is still capable of retaining 91\% of the initial specific capacitance after 10 000 cycles. Alongside, the fabricated symmetrical solid-state flexible device exhibited a high energy density of 8.4 mu Wh cm(-2). The excellent performance along with the ease of synthesis and fabrication process of the flexible solid-state supercapacitor device using PHQ/hRO/E-FGS holds promise for large-scale production.

}, keywords = {graphite exfoliation, polyhydroquinone, ruthenium oxide, solid-state flexible supercapacitor, Ternary Composite}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.9b01712}, author = {Muniraj, Vedi Kuyil Azhagan and Dwivedi, Pravin Kumari and Tamhane, Parikshit Shivaji and Szunerits, Sabine and Boukherroub, Rabah and Shelke, Manjusha Vilas} } @article {46177, title = {High-performing PGM-free AEMFC cathodes from carbon-supported cobalt ferrite nanoparticles}, journal = {Catalysts}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {264}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient and durable non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are highly desirable for several electrochemical devices, including anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Here, cobalt ferrite (CF) nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (CF-VC) were created through a facile, scalable solvothermal method. The nano-sized CF particles were spherical with a narrow particle size distribution. The CF-VC catalyst showed good ORR activity, possessing a half-wave potential of 0.71 V. Although the intrinsic activity of the CF-VC catalyst was not as high as some other platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts in the literature, where this catalyst really shined was in operating AEMFCs. When used as the cathode in a single cell 5 cm(-2) AEMFC, the CF-VC containing electrode was able to achieve a peak power density of 1350 mW cm(-2) (iR-corrected: 1660 mW cm(-2)) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 4 A cm(-2) operating on H-2/O-2. Operating on H-2/Air (CO2-free), the same cathode was able to achieve a peak power density of 670 mW cm(-2) (iR-corrected: 730 mW cm(-2)) and a mass transport limited current density of more than 2 A cm(-2). These peak power and achievable current densities are among the highest reported values in the literature to date.

}, keywords = {AEMFC, cobalt, Ferrite, high-performing, non-PGM, vulcan}, issn = {2073-4344}, doi = {10.3390/catal9030264}, author = {Peng, Xiong and Kashyap, Varchaswal and Ng, Benjamin and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Wang, Lianqin and Varcoe, John R. and Mustain, William E.} } @article {46291, title = {In vitro and in silico studies on membrane interactions of diverse Capsicum annuum flower gamma-thionin peptides}, journal = {Proteins-Structure Function and Bioinformatics}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Thionins are small, cysteine-rich peptides that play an important role in plant defense, primarily through their interactions with membranes. Eight novel gamma-thionin peptides (CanThio1-8) were isolated from the flower of Capsicum annuum. Sequence analysis revealed that the peptides cluster into three groups. A representative peptide from each group (CanThio1, 2, and 3) was used for experimental characterization. Interestingly, peptides were found to possess some cytotoxic activity against normal human embryonic kidney cell line but higher cytotoxicity against cancer cell line MCF-7. CanThio3 peptide was chosen as a representative peptide to study the molecular mechanism of action on membranes. Microsecond timescale atomistic simulations of CanThio3 were performed in the presence of a POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) lipid bilayer. Simulations revealed that CanThio3 interacts with the bilayer and causes lipid thinning in the vicinity. Nonpolar amino acids specific to the alpha-core region of CanThio3 along with nonpolar residues in the gamma-core region are seen to interact with the lipid tails. The differences in the amino acid sequence of CanThio peptides in these regions explain the variability in cytotoxic activities. In summary, our results demonstrate the membrane-mediated activity of a novel series of gamma-thionin peptides from C. annuum.

}, keywords = {Capsicum annuum, Cytotoxicity, gamma-thionin, MD simulations, Membrane}, issn = {0887-3585}, doi = {10.1002/prot.25791}, author = {Nikte, Siddhanta and Gahankari, Apurva and Mulla, Javed and Sengupta, Durba and Joshi, Manali and Tamhane, Vaijayanti} } @article {46235, title = { Influence of crowding and surfaces on protein amyloidogenesis: A thermo-kinetic perspective }, journal = {Biochimica ET Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics}, volume = {1867}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {941-953}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The last few decades have irreversibly implicated protein self-assembly and aggregation leading to amyloid fibril formation in proteopathies that include several neurodegenerative diseases. Emerging studies recognize the importance of eliciting the pathways leading to protein aggregation in the context of the crowded intracellular environment rather than in conventional in vitro conditions. It is found that crowded environments can have acceleratory as well as inhibitory effects on protein aggregation, depending on the interplay of underlying factors on the crucial rate limiting steps. The aggregation mechanism and transient species formed along the pathway are further altered when they interface with natural and artificial surfaces in the cellular milieu. An increasing number of studies probe the autocatalytic nature of amyloid surfaces as well as membrane bilayer effects on amyloidogenesis. Moreover, exposure to modern nanosurfaces via nanomedicines and other sources potentially invokes beneficial or deleterious biological response that needs rigorous investigation. Mounting evidences indicate that nanoparticles can either promote or impede amyloid aggregation, spurring efforts to tune their interactions for developing effective anti-amyloid strategies. Mechanistic insights into nanoparticle mediated aggregation pathways are therefore crucial for engineering anti-amyloid nanoparticle strategies that are biocompatible and sustainable. This review is a compilation of studies that contribute to the current understanding of the altering effects of molecular crowding as well as natural and artificial surfaces on protein amyloidogenesis.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbapap.2019.03.009}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana} } @article {45500, title = {Integrative omics analysis in Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze reveals the role of Asparagine synthetase in salinity tolerance}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {Article Number: 932}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pandanus odorifer (Forssk) Kuntze grows naturally along the coastal regions and withstands salt-sprays as well as strong winds. A combination of omics approaches and enzyme activity studies was employed to comprehend the mechanistic basis of high salinity tolerance in P. odorifer. The young seedlings of P. odorifer were exposed to 1 M salt stress for up to three weeks and analyzed using RNAsequencing (RNAseq) and LC-MS. Integrative omics analysis revealed high expression of the Asparagine synthetase (AS) (EC 6.3.5.4) (8.95 fold) and remarkable levels of Asparagine (Asn) (28.5 fold). This indicated that salt stress promoted Asn accumulation in P. odorifer. To understand this further, the Asn biosynthesis pathway was traced out in P. odorifer. It was noticed that seven genes involved in Asn bisynthetic pathway namely glutamine synthetase (GS) (EC 6.3.1.2) glutamate synthase (GOGAT) (EC 1.4.1.14), aspartate kinase (EC 2.7.2.4), pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40), aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) (EC 2.6.1.1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) (EC 4.1.1.31) and AS were up-regulated under salt stress. AS transcripts were most abundant thereby showed its highest activity and thus were generating maximal Asn under salt stress. Also, an up-regulated Na+/H+ antiporter (NHX1) facilitated compartmentalization of Na+ into vacuoles, suggesting P. odorifer as salt accumulator species.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-018-37039-y}, author = {Rashmi, Deo and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Nadaf, Altafhusain and Mundhe, Swapnil and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @inbook {47474, title = {Introduction}, booktitle = {Fundamentals and Sensing Applications of 2D Materials}, number = {Woodhead Publishing Series in Electronic and Optical Materials}, year = {2019}, pages = {1-3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {The book provides comprehensive and updated research contribution about advances in synthesis/growth of 2D materials for various sensor applications, their working principles, and mechanism behind the sensor as well physics and chemistry of materials.}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-08-102577-2.00001-4}, author = {Morgan, Hywel and Rout, Chandra S. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {46214, title = {Ionic liquid-responsive phase transfer of gold nanoparticles: anionic metathesis}, journal = {Langmuir}, volume = {35}, year = {2019}, month = {JULY}, pages = {9213-9218}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, a fresh approach has been proposed for the efficient transfer of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from an aqueous to organic phase by the metathesis reaction or anion exchange reaction. Here, we synthesized ionic liquid 1-butyl 3-hexadecyl imidazolium bromide [C(4)C1(6I)m]-Br-stabilized AuNPs which exhibit excellent stability in solution. Transfer of Au@[C(4)C(16)Im]Br from an aqueous to organic phase was investigated by the metathesis reaction with different hydrophobic ionic liquid-forming salts such as LiNTf2, LiClO4, and KPF6. The anionic exchange process in ionic liquids at the AuNP surface to make hydrophilic to hydrophobic AuNPs is demonstrated. It was found that hydrophobic ionic liquids provide the most effective transfer of AuNPs from the aqueous to organic phase. Interestingly, we have noticed no change in color, size, and shape of AuNPs for more than a month, indicating more efficient transfer of AuNPs in organic solvents, which remained stable for over a month. The ionic liquids with anions NTf2-, ClO4-, and PF6- make the AuNP surface hydrophobic, indicating their good dispersibility in nonpolar solvents. Finally, these AuNPs exhibit excellent sensitivity toward the refractive index of organic solvents, which is correlated with the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) lambda(SPR) bands.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01223}, author = {Thawarkar, Sachin and Nirmale, Trupti C and More, Sahebrao and Ambekar, Jalindar D and Kale, Bharat B and Khupse, Nageshwar D} } @article {46192, title = {Ionic pyridinium-oxazole dyads: design, synthesis, and application in mitochondrial imaging}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1766-1777}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We recently developed an oxidative intramolecular 1,2-amino-oxygenation reaction, combining gold(I)/gold(III) catalysis, for accessing structurally unique ionic pyridinium-oxazole dyads (PODs) with tunable emission wavelengths. On further investigation, these fluorophores turned out to be potential biomarkers; in particular, the one containing -NMe2 functionality (NMe2-POD) was highly selective for mitochondrial imaging. Of note, because of mitochondria{\textquoteright}s involvement in early-stage apoptosis and degenerative conditions, tracking the dynamics of mitochondrial morphology with such imaging technology has attracted much interest. Along this line, we wanted to build a library of such PODs which are potential mitochondria trackers. However, Au/Selecfluor, our first-generation catalyst system, suffers from undesired fluorination of electronically rich PODs resulting in an inseparable mixture (1:1) of the PODs and their fluorinated derivatives. In our attempt to search for a better alternative to circumvent this issue, we developed a second-generation approach for the synthesis of PODs by employing Cu(II)/PhI(OAC)(2)-mediated oxidative 1,2-amino-oxygenation of alkynes. Thes newly synthesized PODs exhibit tunable emissions as well as excellent quantum efficiency up to 0.96. Further, this powerful process gives rapid access to a library of NMe2-PODs which are potential mitochondrial imaging agents. Out of the library, the randomly chosen POD-3g was studied for cell-imaging experiments which showed high mitochondrial specificity, superior photostability, and appreciable tolerance to microenvironment changes with respect to commercially available MitoTracker green.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02528}, author = {Shaikh, Aslam C. and Varma, Mokshada E. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Kulkarni, Prasad P. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {47162, title = {Isolation and molecular characterization of thermophilic coprophilous fungus malbranchea cinnamomea GSMBKU from goat dung}, journal = {Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {13}, year = {2019}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2227-2233}, abstract = {

Thermophilic fungi, found in the varied habitats are valuable sources for potential enzymes and other biochemical metabolites throwing challenges to the mycologists. A study of such fungi will not only enables the biochemists, microbiologists, and the biotechnologists to understand the basic molecular process but also search for novel genes, gene products and reactions. In this study, Malbranchea cinnamomea was isolated from goat dung and characterized based on its morphological and physiological characters, and later confirmed molecularly.

}, doi = {10.22207/JPAM.13.4.36 }, author = {Ajmera, Shanthipriya and Rao, V. Koteswara and Ranipadmini, V. and Merugu, Ramchander and Girisham, Sivadevuni} } @article {46316, title = {Kinetics of hydrogenation of aqueous levulinic acid over bimetallic Ru-Ni/MMT catalyst}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT }, pages = {19803-19817}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

gamma-Valerolactone is one of the value-added products obtained from levulinic acid hydrogenation, having tremendous applications in fuels and chemicals. In this work, several monometallic and bimetallic compositions of Ru and Ni were prepared and evaluated for levulinic acid hydrogenation in an aqueous medium. The optimum composition of 0.5 wt \% Ru and 5 wt \% Ni on MMT was found to achieve 91\% levulinic acid conversion with complete selectivity to gamma-valerolactone within 5 h at 220 degrees C and 250 psig H-2 pressure. XPS and H-2-TPR studies clearly showed that the electronic interactions between Ru-Ni leading to the synergism enhanced the catalytic efficiency of the Ru-Ni bimetallic catalyst. The average metal particle size by HRTEM was found to be in the range of 1.5-4.5 nm, having mixed cubic, oval, and spherical morphology, dispersed on the surface as well as within the layers of MMT. NH3-TPD showed a higher acidity due to both Lewis and Bronsted sites of the 0.5 wt \% Ru-5 wt \% Ni/MMT catalyst than individual MMT and monometallic catalysts. The presence of higher Lewis acidic sites preferred selective formation of GVL. Reaction kinetics was studied to propose the rate equation for this reaction based on which a plausible reaction pathway is proposed involving a first step dehydration of levulinic acid to an alpha-angelica lactone intermediate which then undergoes hydrogenation by dissociatively adsorbed H-2 to form gamma-valerolactone. The stability of our catalyst was proved by its recycle studies as well as by a hot filtration test.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.9b03748}, author = {Kasar, Gayatri B. and Medhekar, Rucha S. and Bhosale, P. N. and Rode, V, Chandrashekhar} } @article {46008, title = {Magnetic properties of sintered CoFe2O4-BaTiO3 particulate magnetoelectric composites}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {45}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {12307-12311}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The magnetic properties of sintered particulate magnetoelectric CoFe2O4 - BaTiO3 composites have been studied. The particulate composites are sintered in the temperature range 1000-1300 degrees C, for a short duration of 10 min. The magnetic transition temperature (T-c) of CoFe2O4 is found to decrease with increasing the sintering temperature and sintering time, as well as on increasing the BaTiO3 content in the composites. Similarly, a reduced saturation magnetization at room temperature, compared to that expected for the CoFe2O4 content, is also observed. Powder X-ray diffraction studies showed the presence of the impurity phase related to the hexagonal ferrite BaFe12O19 in all the composites. Ba2Fe2Ti4O13 is observed as a second impurity phase in the BaTiO3 - rich composites. The present studies suggest that the composition of the piezomagnetic (CoFe2O4) phase in the CoFe2O4 - BaTiO3 magnetoelectric composite is affected during the sintering process.

}, keywords = {composites, magnetic properties, Sintering}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.03.145}, author = {Mohan, S. and Joy, P. A.} } @article {46157, title = {Metal-free, radical 1,6-conjugated addition of cyclic ethers with para-quinone methides (p-QMs)}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3239-3248}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient method for metal-free C-C bond formation between p-quinone methides (p-QMs) and cyclic ethers via a radical pathway to afford substituted diarylmethanes and triarylmethanes or to effect the -alkylation of the cyclic ethers has been developed. Also, the synthesis of 3,3-disubstituted oxindoles with stereogenic quaternary carbon centers was successfully achieved under mild reaction conditions.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob00127a}, author = {More, Satish G. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {46194, title = {Metal-free regioselective cross dehydrogenative coupling of cyclic ethers and aryl carbonyls}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2039-2047}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A highly regioselective, efficient, and metal-free oxidative cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) of aryl carbonyls with cyclic ethers has been developed. This method offers easy access to substituted alpha-arylated cyclic ethers with a high functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields. The regioselectivity of this CDC reaction was confirmed by density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b03048}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Mukherjee, Anagh and Vanka, Kumar and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {46327, title = {Methodology of evaluating sustainability index of a biomass processing enterprise: a case study of native cow dung-urine biorefinery}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Agriculture and its allied sector contribute significantly to the gross domestic product of every country. Several small-scale enterprises engaged in waste biomass processing have been setup recently. Such industrial setups not only help in solving the waste management issues but also play an important role in offering employment at the grass root level generating a significant social impact along with economic advantage to the local entrepreneur. Hence, assessment of such biomass processing enterprise (BPE) based on economic, environment, and social parameters has become necessary. In this paper, a general framework for sustainability assessment is discussed using a case study of cow dung-urine biorefinery as a representative BPE. Real-time data of BPE has been collected for evaluation and a sustainability index (SI) is evaluated using multicriteria decision method. The SI is calculated as per the weightage assigned and value function of the indicator and criteria. The SI for the BPE was observed to be 0.69 for the chosen set of criteria and indicator and weightages. A sensitivity analysis has been performed to check the dependence of the results on the weightages assigned to various criteria and indicators. It was also observed that the results were more sensitive to the indicators having a low value function.

}, keywords = {Indicator analysis, MIVES, Multicriteria decision analysis, Performance evaluation, Sustainability assessment framework}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-019-06309-1}, author = {Joglekar, Saurabh N. and Darwai, Vivek and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {46120, title = {Microbacterium enclense sp. nov., isolated from sediment sample (vol 65, pg 2064, 2015)}, journal = {International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology}, volume = {69}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1528}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1466-5026}, doi = {10.1099/ijsem.0.003331}, author = {Mawlankar, Rahul R. and Mual, Poonam and Sonalkar, Vidya V. and Thorat, Meghana N. and Verma, Ashish and Srinivasan, Krishnamurthi and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {45610, title = {Microwave-assisted synthesis and antituberculosis screening of Some 4-((3-(trifluoromethyl)-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-7(8H)-l)methyl)benzenamine hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {56}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {434-442}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present investigation, a series of 4-((3-(trifluoromethyl)-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrazin-7(8H)-yl)methyl)benzenamine analogs 6a{\textendash}o were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR (1H and 13C), and mass spectra. All newly synthesized compounds 6a{\textendash}o were prepared under conventional and microwave irradiation methods. These compounds obtained in higher yields and in shorter reaction times in the microwave irradiation method when compared with the conventional method. Synthesized compounds 6a{\textendash}o were inspected for their in vitro antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra using an established XTT reduction menadione assay. Among the screened compounds, 6i (IC50: 1.82 μg/mL), 6j (IC50: 1.02 μg/mL), and 6k (IC50: 1.59 μg/mL) showed excellent activity. Furthermore, compound 6i showed MIC90 value of 16.02 μg/mL. In summary, the results indicate the identification of some novel, selective, and specific inhibitors against M. tuberculosis that can be explored further for the potential antitubercular drug.

}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.3416}, author = {Patil, Y. and Shingare, R. and Choudhari, A. and Sarkar, D. and Madje, B.} } @article {46313, title = {Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase C subunit III (cox3) gene as a sensitive and specific target for molecular detection of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs}, journal = {Experimental Parasitology}, volume = {206}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {107771}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A PCR targeting mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit III (cox3) for molecular detection of Babesia gibsoni infection in dogs has been developed in this study. Fifty blood samples from suspected clinical cases from dogs, brought to the veterinary college clinics, were examined for presence of B. gibsoni using conventional diagnosis by microscopic examination of Giemsa stained thin blood smears. In addition, species specific PCRs targeting ITS-1 region (BgITS-1 PCR) and nested PCR targeting 18S ribosomal RNA gene (Bg18SnPCR) were carried out. A 634 bp PCR fragment of B. gibsoni cox3 gene was amplified in positive samples from three geographical locations of Satara, Wai and Pune in Maharashtra state of India. From analysis of the sequence of the B. gibsoni cox3 gene, we found that the Indian isolate had 96-98\% similarity to the isolate from Japan and China. Post sequencing, de-novo diagnostic primer pair for species specific amplification of 164 bp fragment of B. gibsoni cox3 was designed and the PCR was standardized. The diagnostic results of de-novo Bgcox3 PCR were compared with BgITS-1 PCR and Bg18S nPCR. Thin blood smears detected 22\% (11/50) samples positive for small form of Babesia species. The BgITS-1 PCR detected 25\% samples (15/50) as positive and Bg18S nPCR detected 80\% (40/50) B. gibsoni positive samples. The de-novo Bgcox3 PCR detected 66\% (33/50) samples positive for B. gibsoni (at 95\% CI). The analytical sensitivity of cox3 PCR was evaluated as 0.000003\% parasitaemia or 09 parasites in 100 mu l of blood. The de-novo diagnostic cox3 PCR did not cross react with control positive DNA from other haemoprotozoa and rickettsia like B. vogeli, Hepatozoon canis, Trypanosoma evansi, Ehrlichia cants and Anaplasma platys. Statistically, cox3 PCR had better diagnostic efficiency than ITS-1 PCR in terms of sensitivity (p = 0.0006). No statistically significant difference between results of cox3 PCR and 18S nPCR was observed (p = 0.1760). Kappa values estimated for each test pair showed fair to moderate agreement between the observations. Specificity of Bgcox3 PCR was 100\% when compared with microscopy or BgITS-1 PCR. Sensitivity of Bgcox3 PCR was 100\% when compared with that of Bg18S nPCR.

}, keywords = {Babesia gibsoni, cox3, Diagnosis, Dog, mitochondria, molecular}, issn = {0014-4894}, doi = {10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107771}, author = {Betgiri, Aishwarya A. and Jadhav, Sameer N. and Pawde, Mrunalini and Shukla, Anurag and Mote, Chandrashekhar and Pawar, Prashant D. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kundu, Krishnendu} } @article {46250, title = { Molybdenum carbide catalyst for the reduction of CO2 to CO: surface science aspects by NAPPES and catalysis studies }, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {48}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {12199-12209}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, and needs to be converted into one of the useful feedstocks, such as carbon monoxide and methanol. We demonstrate the reduction of CO2 with H-2 as a reducing agent, via a reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction, by using a potential and low cost Mo2C catalyst. Mo2C was evaluated for CO2 hydrogenation at ambient pressure as a function of temperature, and CO2 : H-2 ratio at a gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 20 000 h(-1). It is demonstrated that the Mo2C catalyst with 1 : 3 ratio of CO2 : H-2 is highly active (58\% CO2 conversion) and selective (62\%) towards CO at 723 K at ambient pressure. Both properties (basicity and redox properties) and high catalytic activity observed with Mo2C around 700 K correlate well and indicate a strong synergy among them towards CO2 activation. X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis show that the Mo2C catalyst remains in the beta-Mo2C form before and after the reaction. The mechanistic aspects of the RWGS reaction were determined by near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAPXPS) with in situ generated Mo2C from carburization of Mo-metal foil. NAPXPS measurements were carried out at near ambient pressure (0.1 mbar) and various temperatures. Throughout the reaction, no significant changes in the Mo2+ oxidation state (of Mo2C) were observed indicating that the catalyst is highly stable; C and O 1s spectral results indicate the oxycarbide species as an active intermediate for RWGS. A good correlation is observed between catalytic activity from atmospheric pressure reactors and the electronic structure details derived from NAPXPS results, which establishes the structure-activity correlation.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9dt01774g}, author = {Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Dama, Srikanth and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Ghosalya, Manoj K. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Satyanarayana, Chilukuri V. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {45621, title = {Multimodal chromatography for purification of biotherapeutics - a review.}, journal = {Current Protein and Peptide Science}, volume = {20}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {4-13}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Process chromatography forms the core of purification of biotherapeutics. The unparalleled selectivity that it offers over other alternatives combined with the considerable robustness and scalability make it the unit operation of choice in downstream processing. It is typical to have three to five chromatography steps in a purification process for a biotherapeutic. Generally, these steps offer different modes of separation such as ion-exchange, reversed phase, size exclusion, and hydrophobic interaction. In the past decade, multimodal chromatography has emerged as an alternative to the traditional modes. It involves use of more than one mode of separation and typically combines ion-exchange and hydrophobic interactions to achieve selectivity and sensitivity. Over the last decade, numerous authors have demonstrated the significant potential that multimode chromatography offers as a protein purification tool. This review aims to present key recent developments that have occurred on this topic together with a perspective on future applications of multimodal chromatography.}, doi = {10.2174/1389203718666171020103559}, author = {Halan, V. and Maity, S. and Bhambure, R. and Rathore, A. S.} } @article {46038, title = {MWCNTs-ZnO-SiO2 mesoporous nano-hybrid materials for CO2 capture}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {800}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {279-285}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon nanostructures and metal nanoparticles based nanohybrid materials have been established as one of advantageous materials for various applications. Here, we present hydrothermal and sol-gel process at low temperature for the synthesis of (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES)-ZnO-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) mesoporous nanohybrid materials. TEM and XPS measurements show that uniform size and quasi-spherical ZnO nanoparticles were anchored to the surface of the MWCNTs. SEM observation exhibits that the aggregation of ZnO nanoparticles is greatly reduced due to the steric repulsion of grafted organic groups. The maximum CO2 adsorption capacity at 273 K was 1.32 mmol/g for MWCNTs-APTES-ZnO-B nanohybrid. An increase in the density of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of MWCNTs resulted in a higher affinity towards CO2 at low pressure. This work provides new research directions for making further advances toward practical utilization of MWCNTs-based CO2 adsorbents. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier B.V.

}, keywords = {CO2 capture, Mesoporous, MWCNTs, Nanohybrid, TEM, XPS}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.06.011}, author = {Jena, Kishore K. and Panda, Amulya Prasad and Verma, Savita and Mani, Ganesh Kumar and Swain, S. K. and Alhassan, Saeed M.} } @article {46173, title = {Negative axicon tip-based fiber optic interferometer cavity sensor for volatile gas sensing}, journal = {Optics Express}, volume = {27}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {7277-7290}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this research work we demonstrated negative axicon optical fiber tip filled with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a sensor platform for volatile organic gases detection at room temperature. The response of the sensor was measured with various Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) such as Chloroform, Hexane, Isopropanol, Acetone, Toluene and Methanol in the concentration ranging from 5 to 200 ppm. The corresponding sensitivity and limit of detection (LOD) of the developed sensor for the measured VOCs were observed between the order of around 23.7 to 3.2 pm/ppm and 0.84 to 6.10 ppm, respectively. The response and recovery time of sensor were found between the order of 30 to 57 seconds and 8 to 25 seconds respectively for the measured VOCs. Thermal stability of the developed sensor was also studied at 30-70 degrees C with intervals of 10 degrees C. The principle of sensing is based on change in the length of the Fabry-Perot Interferometric (FPI) cavity in the presence of varied concentrations of VOCs, which results in changes in the shift in wavelength of an interference pattern attributed to the change in PDMS filling the cavity length (swelling). The experimentally observed trends in the relative swelling of PDMS with VOCs are found in agreement with the theoretically calculated values obtained from the Hansen solubility parameter (HSP). The developed gas sensor has the potential to fulfill the demands of industrial applications.

}, issn = {1094-4087}, doi = {10.1364/OE.27.007277}, author = {Kanavvade, Rajesh and Kumar, Ajay and Pawar, Dnyandeo and Vairagi, Kaushal and Late, Dattatray and Sarkar, Sudipta and Sinha, Ravindra K. and Mondal, Samir} } @article {45585, title = {NetShift: a methodology for understanding {\textquoteleft}driver microbes{\textquoteright} from healthy and disease microbiome datasets}, journal = {ISME Journal}, volume = {13}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {442-454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The combined effect of mutual association within the co-inhabiting microbes in human body is known to play a major role in determining health status of individuals. The differential taxonomic abundance between healthy and disease are often used to identify microbial markers. However, in order to make a microbial community based inference, it is important not only to consider microbial abundances, but also to quantify the changes observed among inter microbial associations. In the present study, we introduce a method called {\textquoteleft}NetShift{\textquoteright} to quantify rewiring and community changes in microbial association networks between healthy and disease. Additionally, we devise a score to identify important microbial taxa which serve as {\textquoteleft}drivers{\textquoteright} from the healthy to disease. We demonstrate the validity of our score on a number of scenarios and apply our methodology on two real world metagenomic datasets. The {\textquoteleft}NetShift{\textquoteright} methodology is also implemented as a web-based application available at }, doi = {10.1038/s41396-018-0291-x}, author = {Kuntal, B. K. and Chandrakar, P. and Sadhu, S. and Mande, S. S.} } @article {46112, title = {Neutral imino-methyl benzenesulfonate-ligated Pd(II) complexes and implications in ethylene polymerization}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {9502-9511}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A reaction between sodium 2-formylbenzenesulfonate and aniline revealed the near-quantitative (91\%) formation of sodium-2-((phenylimino)methyl)benzenesulfonate L1. The identity of L1 was unambiguously ascertained using spectroscopic and analytical methods. The scope of this methodology was widened and various electron-donating amines were treated with sodium 2-formylbenzenesulfonate, and a small library of 6 imine ligands L2-L6 was generated. When L2 was treated with [(COD)PdMeCI], instead of the anticipated [L2PdMe(DMSO)] complex, the formation of [(DMSO)(2)Pd2Cl2Me2] Pd Dim was observed. Nevertheless, the desired imino-methyl benzenesulfonate-ligated palladium complex [L2PdMe(Lu)] C1 was obtained by in situ abstraction of chloride and addition of bulky 2,6-lutidine as the donor group. The observation of characteristic Pd-Me protons at 0.06 ppm and the corresponding carbon at -8.1 ppm indicated the formation of C1. These 1D NMR observations were corroborated by 2D C-H correlation spectra and mass analysis, and the existence of C1 was unambiguously ascertained. Along the same lines, L4 and L5 were treated with a palladium precursor to produce [L4/SPdMe(Lu)]-type complexes C2-C3 in 55-84\% yield, and their identity was established by using a combination of spectroscopic tools, analytical methods, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The synthetic utility of C1-C3 has been demonstrated by utilizing these complexes in the insertion polymerization of ethylene to polyethylene.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.9b00709}, author = {Deshmukh, Satej S. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Mote, Nilesh R. and Manod, M. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @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 {46059, title = {New cardo bisphenol monomer containing pendant azido group and the resulting aromatic polyesters}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL }, pages = {1516-1526}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Expanding on our strategy to synthesize aromatic step-growth polymers containing pendant clickable azido groups via functional monomer approach, we have now designed and synthesized a new cardo bisphenol, viz., 2-(2-azidoethyl)-3, 3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) isoindolin-1-one (PPH-N-3). PPH-N-3 was conveniently synthesized starting from commercially available phenolphthalein by a three-step route in an overall yield of 65\% using simple organic transformations. Aromatic (co)polyesters bearing pendant azido groups were synthesized by low-temperature solution polycondensation of PPH-N-3 or different molar ratios of PPH-N-3 and bisphenol-A (BPA) with aromatic diacid chlorides in dry dichloromethane in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) as a base. The formation of medium to reasonably high-molecular-weight (co)polyesters was evidenced from intrinsic viscosity and number-average molecular-weight measurements that were in the range 0.52-0.85 dL/g and 16,700-28,200, respectively. Tough, transparent, and flexible films could be cast from chloroform solutions of these (co)polyesters. (Co)polyesters were characterized using FTIR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR spectroscopy, XRD, and TGA. The thermal curing reaction of (co)polyesters involving decomposition of azido groups was studied by DSC analysis. The chemical modification of a representative copolyester containing pendant azido groups was carried out quantitatively using catalyst-free azide-maleimide cycloaddition reaction with two maleimides, namely, N-methylmaleimide and N-hexylmaleimide. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

}, keywords = {aromatic (co)polyester, azido group, cardo bisphenol, Chemical modification}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.29414}, author = {Maher, Deepak M. and Nagane, Samadhan S. and Jadhav, Uday A. and Salunkhe, Pravin H. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {46309, title = {New enantioselective synthesis of antiobesity drug lorcaserin}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {43}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV }, pages = {16876-16880}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient enantioselective synthesis of anti-obesity drug lorcaerin starting from easily accessible 3-chlorostyrene oxide has been described for the first time employing hydrolytic kinetic resolution as a source of chirality. The protocol might also be useful in the synthesis of structural variants of lorcaserin.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj04234b}, author = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and More, Devidas A. and Nalla, Viswanadh and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {46043, title = {New insights into surface functionalization and preparation methods of MWCNT based semiconductor photocatalysts}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {45}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG }, pages = {14490-14499}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The manuscript primarily describes the influence of various synthesis strategies on the photocatalytic properties of MWCNT/TiO2 binary nanohybrids. The multiwalled carbon nanotube modified titania hybrids synthesized via two-step reaction involving the covalent functionalization with green and mild oxidizing agent like H2O2, followed by simple surfactant/template free hydrothermal synthesis exhibited the maximum photocatalytic efficiency. The Total Organic Carbon (TOC) analysis showed complete mineralization of the persistent Rhodamine B dye in about 8 h. These synthesized nanohybrids in varying MWCNT content were tested for their photocatalytic efficiency in the degradation of explosive effluents like 4-nitrophenol and picric acid. The UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer Emmett Teller Surface area analysis (BET), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectra analysis evidently revealed the effective synergistic interaction between the MWCNT and titania at the interface that has contributed to the significant enhancement of photocatalytic performance.

}, keywords = {Functionalization, Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), Nitrophenol (4-NP), Photocatalysis, Picric acid (PA), Rhodamine B (RhB), Sol gel and hydrothermal method, synergistic effects, Titania (TiO2), Total organic carbon content (TOC)}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.04.058}, author = {Joseph, Honey Mary and Sugunan, S. and Gurrala, Lakshmiprasad and Mohan, Mothi Krishna and Gopi, Soumya} } @article {45616, title = {NHC-catalyzed generation of α,β-unsaturated acylazoliums for the enantioselective synthesis of heterocycles and carbocycles}, journal = {Accounts of Chemical Research}, volume = {52}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {425-436}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

It is reasonable to believe that the chemistry of α,β-unsaturated acylazoliums, catalytically generated through NHCs, will continue to flourish and will lead to amazing results. Future challenges in this area include the applications of this key intermediate in the synthesis of biologically active natural products and drugs.

}, doi = {10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00550 }, author = {Mondal, S. and Yetra, S. R. and Mukherjee, S. and Biju, A. T.} } @inbook {47494, title = {N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed stetter reaction and related chemistry}, booktitle = {N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Organocatalysis}, year = {2019}, publisher = {Wiley}, organization = {Wiley}, chapter = {Chapter 3}, abstract = {The reversal of normal mode of reactivity (umpolung) of aldehydes is the most important application of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) in organocatalytic transformations. The benzoin condensation and the Stetter reaction are the two historic reactions where NHC reacts with aldehyde to generate acyl anion equivalent, which is subsequently intercepted with another molecule of carbonyl compound or Michael acceptor leading to the formation of the benzoin/Stetter products. The objective of this chapter is to provide an overview on NHC-catalyzed Stetter reaction and related chemistry. The development of various chiral catalysts for enantioselective intra- or intermolecular Stetter reaction has been described. Additionally, recent progress on NHC-catalyzed addition of aldehyde to unactivated multiple bonds in the hydroacylation reaction has been demonstrated.}, issn = {Online ISBN: 9783527809042}, doi = {10.1002/9783527809042.ch3}, author = {Mondal, Santigopal and Yetra, Santhivardhana R. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {46021, title = {N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed umpolung of imines for the enantioselective synthesis of dihydroquinoxalines}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4065-4071}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalysis is widely employed for the umpolung of aldehydes and recently to the umpolung of Michael acceptors and aldimines. Described herein is the NHC-organocatalyzed umpolung of aldimines for the enantioselective synthesis of nitrogen heterocycles. The bisimines generated from the condensation of 1,2-phenylenediamines and salicylaldehydes undergo intramolecular cyclization in the presence of a chiral NHC catalyst, resulting in the formation of dihydroquinoxalines in moderate to good yields and er values. Detailed DFT studies shed light on the role of -OH groups in stabilizing the initially generated aza-Breslow intermediates via intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Preliminary photophysical studies on the synthesized dihydroquinoxalines revealed that these molecules can be used for the sensing of various acids and bases.

}, keywords = {dihydroquinoxalines, imines, N-heterocyclic carbenes, organocatalysis, umpolung}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.9b00737}, author = {Das, Tamal Kanti and Ghosh, Avik and Balanna, Kuruva and Behera, Pradipta and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Das, Abhijit Kumar and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {46270, title = {Novel synthetic approach for designing metal-free, redox-active quinoxaline-benzimidazole-based organic polymers with high energy storage capacity}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, pages = {14806-14817}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

New organic framework materials, namely, polyphenylquinoxaline (QOP) and polyphenylquinoxaline-benzimidazole (QOP-BOP) were designed using a high-temperature (\>100 degrees C) polymerization reaction with different monomers, i.e., 2,5-bis-[(4-benzoylcarbonyl)phenyl]-3-4 diphenyl thiophene (BbcPDT), aromatic tetraamines and biphenyl dicarboxylic acid. The QOP-BOP copolymer exhibited specific capacitance (SC) of 305 F g(-1) at the current density of 2 A g(-1) and 88\% retention of its initial specific capacitance after 1000 cycles, which resulted in good cyclic stability. This work establishes the first use of thiophene integrated with quinoxaline-benzimidazole units for energy storage applications and provides strategies for further developments in the performance of such conjugated materials. Cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance techniques were used to evaluate the electrochemical parameters, which demonstrated their potential in future energy storage devices.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj02877c}, author = {Salunkhe, Pravin S. and Patil, Yuvraj S. and Dhole, Indrajeet A. and Kalshetti, Basavraj S. and Patil, Vikas B. and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Ghanwat, Anil A.} } @article {46349, title = {Oxone promoted dehydrogenative Povarov cyclization of N-aryl glycine derivatives: an approach towards quinoline fused lactones and lactams}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {9}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP }, pages = {30277-30291}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Oxone promoted intramolecular dehydrogenative imino Diels-Alder reaction (Povarov cyclization) of alkyne tethered N-aryl glycine esters and amides has been explored, thus affording biologically significant quinoline fused lactones and lactams. The reaction is simple, scalable, and high yielding (up to 88\%). The method was further extended to prepare biologically important luotonin-A analogues and the quinoline core of uncialamycin.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra06212b}, author = {More, Devidas A. and Shinde, Ganesh H. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {45620, title = {Paintable room-temperature phosphorescent liquid formulations of alkylated bromonaphthalimide}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie - International Edition}, volume = {58}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2284-2288}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Organic phosphors have been widely explored with an understanding that crystalline molecular ordering is a requisite for enhanced intersystem crossing. In this context, we explored the room-temperature phosphorescence features of a solvent-free organic liquid phosphor in air. While alkyl chain substitution varied the physical states of the bromonaphthalimides, the phosphorescence remained unaltered for the solvent-free liquid in air. As the first report, a solvent-free liquid of a long swallow-tailed bromonaphthalimide exhibits room-temperature phosphorescence in air. Doping of the phosphor with carbonyl guests resulted in enhanced phosphorescence, and hence a large-area paintable phosphorescent liquid composite with improved lifetime and quantum yield was developed.}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201811834}, author = {Goudappagouda and Manthanath, A. and Wakchaure, V. C. and Ranjeesh, K. C. and Das, T. and Vanka, K. and Nakanishi, T. and Babu, S. S.} } @article {46171, title = {Partially bio-based aromatic poly(ether sulfone)s bearing pendant furyl groups: synthesis, characterization and thermo-reversible cross-linking with a bismaleimide}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {1089-1098}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A fully bio-based bisphenol bearing pendant furyl group, viz., 4,4{\textquoteright}-(furan-2-ylmethylene) bis(2-methoxyphenol) (BPF) was synthesized by base-catalyzed condensation of furfural with guaiacol. New partially bio-based (co) poly(ether sulfone) s bearing pendant furyl groups were synthesized via aromatic nucleophilic substitution polycondensation of BPF and various mixtures of BPF and bisphenol-A with bis(4-fluorophenyl) sulfone in N, N-dimethylacetamide as a solvent. (Co) poly(ether sulfone) s showed inherent viscosities in the range 0.92-1.47 dL g(-1) and number average molecular weights ((M-n) over bar), obtained from GPC, were in the range 91 300-131 000 g mol(-1). (Co) poly(ether sulfone) s could be cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from chloroform solutions. (Co)poly(ether sulfone)s showed 10\% weight loss in the temperature range 431-481 degrees C and DSC showed T-g in the range 179-190 degrees C. Tensile strength, Young{\textquoteright}s modulus and elongation at break, obtained from tensile testing of (co) poly(ether sulfone) s containing pendant furyl groups, were in the range 76.7-83.8 MPa, 1.02-1.18 GPa and 21.4-89.7\%, respectively. Most interestingly, pendant furyl groups in (co) poly(ether sulfone) s provide reactive sites for click modification and cross-linking via Diels-Alder reaction with maleimides and bismaleimides, respectively. Crosslinked (co) poly(ether sulfone) was prepared via Diels-Alder reaction of a representative (co) poly(ether sulfone) containing pendant furyl groups with 1,1{\textquoteright}-(methylenedi-1,4-phenylene) bismaleimide (BMI) at 60 degrees C. The formation of cross-linked poly(ether sulfone) was demonstrated by gelation tests, solubility tests and DSC. The cross-linked copoly(ether sulfone) prepared using BMI showed enhanced tensile strength and Young{\textquoteright}s modulus compared to parent copoly(ether sulfone) and was recycled two times with retention of mechanical properties.

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/c8py01477a}, author = {Nagane, Samadhan S. and Kuhire, Sachin S. and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {46438, title = {Pathways to defense metabolites and evading fruit bitterness in genus Solanum evolved through 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {5169}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The genus Solanum comprises three food crops (potato, tomato, and eggplant), which are consumed on daily basis worldwide and also producers of notorious anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs). Hydroxylated SGAs (i.e. leptinines) serve as precursors for leptines that act as defenses against Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say), an important pest of potato worldwide. However, SGA hydroxylating enzymes remain unknown. Here, we discover that 2-OXOGLUTARATE-DEPENDENT-DIOXYGENASE (2-ODD) enzymes catalyze SGA-hydroxylation across various Solanum species. In contrast to cultivated potato, Solanum chacoense, a widespread wild potato species, has evolved a 2-ODD enzyme leading to the formation of leptinines. Furthermore, we find a related 2-ODD in tomato that catalyzes the hydroxylation of the bitter a-tomatine to hydroxytomatine, the first committed step in the chemical shift towards downstream ripening-associated non-bitter SGAs (e.g. esculeoside A). This 2-ODD enzyme prevents bitterness in ripe tomato fruit consumed today which otherwise would remain unpleasant in taste and more toxic.

}, issn = {2041-1723}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-019-13211-4}, author = {Cardenas, Pablo D. and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Heinig, Uwe and Jozwiak, Adam and Panda, Sayantan and Abebie, Bekele and Kazachkova, Yana and Pliner, Margarita and Unger, Tamar and Wolf, Dalia and Ofner, Itai and Vilaprinyo, Ester and Meir, Sagit and Davydov, Olga and Gal-On, Amit and Burdman, Saul and Giri, Ashok and Zamir, Dani and Scherf, Tali and Szymanski, Jedrzej and Rogachev, Ilana and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {46251, title = { Phosphite-Catalyzed C-H allylation of azaarenes via an enantioselective [2,3]-Aza-wittig rearrangement }, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A phosphite-mediated [2,3]-aza-Wittig rearrangement has been developed for the regio- and enantioselective allylic alkylation of six-membered heteroaromatic compounds (azaarenes). The nucleophilic phosphite adducts of N-allyl salts undergo a stereoselective base-mediated aza-Wittig rearrangement and dissociation of the chiral phosphite for overall C-H functionalization of azaarenes. This method provides efficient access to tertiary and quaternary chiral centers in isoquinoline, quinoline, and pyridine systems, tolerating a broad variety of substituents on both the allyl part and azaarenes. Catalysis with chiral phosphites is also demonstrated with synthetically useful yields and enantioselectivities.

}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201906681}, author = {Motaleb, Abdul and Rani, Soniya and Das, Tamal and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Maity, Pradip} } @article {47165, title = {pH-responsive {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles based on homoarginine polypeptides}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {2}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {4162{\textendash}4172}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

pH-responsive {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphiles{\textquotedblright} based on double hydrophilic, positively charged block copolypeptides such as PEG-b-poly-l-lysine together with low molecular weight stimuli-sensitive partners that contain phosphate and carboxylate groups have been widely studied. In contrast, the other widely used cationic polypeptide poly-l-arginine whose cell-penetrating properties are well-known has been much less explored for the synthesis of supra-amphiphile-based nanomaterials. It is also known that the guanidine side chain of arginine binds to carboxylate anions with binding constants that are 2.5 times higher than the corresponding amines of poly-l-lysine. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of pH-sensitive supra-amphiphilic nanoparticles by simple mixing of PEG2k-b-poly(homoarginine) block copolymer and carboxylic acid containing functional low molecular weight organic compounds. A high yielding three-step methodology was developed for the synthesis of ε-N,N'-di-Boc-l-homoarginine-α-N-carboxyanhydride which was polymerized using amine-terminated PEG (2000 MW) to yield 100\% guanine-functionalized polypeptide (PEG2k-b-PHR30) with controlled molecular weights and low PDIs. Incubation of PEG2k-b-PHR30 with four different carboxylic acids (including dexamethasone a glucocorticoid receptor used in cancer therapy) in water leads to the formation of {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles (\<200 nm size) due to the charge neutralization resulting from the strong interaction between the guanidine group and the carboxylate group. All these nanoparticles were able to encapsulate the hydrophobic dye Nile red with varying efficiency. Although these assemblies were stable at neutral pH, upon lowering the pH of the solution between 4 and 5, the protonation of the carboxylic acids leads to disassembly of these nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity of all four {\textquotedblleft}supra-amphiphilic{\textquotedblright} nanoparticles varied depending on the carboxylic acid used for their fabrication. While the nanoparticle formed using dioctylbenzoic acid displayed 80\% cell viability at concentration of 60 μg/mL, those formed with the steroid deoxycholic acid or dexamethasone showed only 40\% cell viability at similar concentrations. Colocalization studies performed using epifluorescence microscopy demonstrate the successful uptake of intact dye-encapsulated nanoparticle inside the cell.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.9b00432}, author = {Praveen, Korra and Das, Soumen and Dhaware, Vinita and Pandey, Bhawana and Mondal, Basudeb and Sengupta, Sayam} } @article {45533, title = {Process development of silica extraction from RHA: a cradle to gate environmental impact approach}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {26}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {492-500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

India is one of the major rice-producing countries. Rice husk is a major agricultural by-product from rice production, which is used as a fuel in boilers. Its use as fuel produces huge amounts of silica-rich rice husk ash (RHA). This paper aims at providing an overall assessment of environmental impacts associated with the extraction of silica from RHAa process developed by our study group. The functional unit used in this study is production of 100kg of silica. The analysis included the extraction and transportation of other raw materials; RHA was assumed to be processed at the site. The study was conducted in accordance with the international ISO 14040 procedural framework. LCA is performed using GaBi Education software, and five midpoint indicators are chosen to assess the environmental impacts of silica extraction. The overall climate change (CC) of the extraction process is 7.26kg CO2 equivalent per kg of silica produced. A high contribution of calcination to CC is attributed to the use of electricity. The comprehensive environmental impacts of silica-rich RHA resulting from processing of RHA and improvement options to achieve sustainable production are presented. The negative impacts that can be avoided during silica extraction are also discussed. It is observed that calcination is a major contributor to the overall environmental indicators. The work also stresses on the use of renewable energy for electricity generation, which would help in decreasing the overall greenhouse gas emissions during extraction while ensuring waste utilization.

}, keywords = {Environmental impacts, Life cycle assessment, Rice husk ash, silica}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-018-3648-9}, author = {Joglekar, Saurabh N. and Kharkar, Rhushikesh A. and Mandavgane, Sachin A. and Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.} } @article {45618, title = {Process of fruit peel waste biorefinery: a case study of citrus waste biorefinery, its environmental impacts and recommendations}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1-10}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fruit peels are a rich source of cellulose, hemicellulose, phenolic compounds, and terpenic compounds. Thus, they have the potential to be a novel renewable, sustainable, and low-cost raw material (source) for the production of several value-added products based on framework and concepts such as waste hierarchy that includes biofertilizers, dietary fiber, animal feed, industrial enzymes, substrate for the bioactive compounds production, synthesis of nanomaterials, and clean energy (from residual biomass). With a view of evaluating the environmental burden of biorefinery, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed for a representative citrus waste (CW) biorefinery. The functional unit used for LCA was set as 2500 kg of CW processed. The overall GWP was observed to be 937.3 kg CO2 equivalent per 2500 kg of CW processed. On further analysis of the environmental impact, it was found that different steps contributed significantly, as shown by the various environmental indicator values. Alternative advanced process intensification technologies like microwave and ultrasound-assisted steps replacing the conventional steps when implemented show considerable reduction in environmental indicator values. The variations in the contribution to environmental indicators should be considered during the design and process selection of biorefineries.

}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-019-04196-0}, author = {Joglekar S.N., , , and Pathak, P. D. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {45625, title = {Protein α-amylase inhibitor from withania somnifera and its role in overall quality and nutritional value improvement of potato chips during processing}, journal = {Food and Bioprocess Technology }, volume = {12}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {636-644}, type = {Article}, chapter = {636-644}, abstract = {

Cold storage and processing increase the reducing sugar level in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) which is responsible for browning and acrylamide formation that adversely affect sensory and nutrient quality of chips. Effect of α-amylase inhibitor from Withania somnifera (WSAI) treatment on the overall quality improvement of potato chips during processing was studied. WSAI treatment to potato slices at 200 ppm for 30 min was found to reduce browning (60\%), residual amylase, and polyphenol oxidase activities (~ 40\%) and reduce sugar level by 25\%, respectively, over control. Color match analysis indicated an improvement in whiteness and brightness indices and a significant reduction in yellowness index of potato chips. The treatment proved to be superior over blanching and reduction in acrylamide generation during frying was which also observed in chips treated with it. Furthermore, our results were comparable to that of treatment with α-amylase inhibitor of Triticum aestivum and better than synthetic inhibitor, acarbose.

}, keywords = {Acrylamide, alpha-amylase inhibitor, Browning of potato, Reducing sugars, Sensory and nutrient quality}, issn = {1935-5130}, doi = {10.1007/s11947-019-2233-7 }, author = {Kasar, S. S. and Giri, A. P. and Pawar, P. K. and Maheshwari, V. L.} } @article {46007, title = {Quantification of niclosamide polymorphic forms - a comparative study by Raman, NIR and MIR using chemometric techniques}, journal = {Talanta}, volume = {199}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL }, pages = {679-688}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Niclosamide, an anthelmintic drug recently repurposed for its activity against cancer, crystallizes into three solvated forms, two monohydrates (NHa, NHb) and one anhydrous (NAn) form. NAn is sensitive to pseudopolymorphic transformations that affect its dissolution and consequently, its bioavailability. NAn exhibits a polymorphic conversion to metastable monohydrate (NHa) form during high-energy milling in presence of poorly soluble solvents like water. It is hence very important to quantify polymorphic conversion from NAn to NHa, as water is a commonly used solvent during various processing like ball milling and wet granulation. This main objective of the study was to examine the feasibility of Raman, NIR and MIR spectroscopic techniques for identification and quantification of polymorphic forms of niclosamide in binary mixtures and multicomponent mixtures. Calibration models were developed and validated by vibrational spectroscopic techniques in binary mixtures of NAn and NHa and in multicomponent mixtures by chemometric techniques. These techniques were further used to identify and quantify NHa during ball milling, granulation and in presence of other polymorphic forms of niclosamide. Identification and quantification of pseudopolymorphs in binary and multicomponent mixtures with an acceptable recovery of 100.13-102.99\% for Raman and 100.07-101.28\% for NIR with low \% RSD of 2.38-3.12 for both techniques were obtained. The \% NHa determined during ball milling and granulation was similar by NIR and Raman. Raman spectroscopy however showed a greater advantage over other techniques in determining the NHa in presence of NHb due to significant difference in the spectral region of hydrates, when compared to NIR and MIR.

}, keywords = {Ball milling, Granulation, MSC, PLS, Polymorphic conversion, spectroscopy}, issn = {0039-9140}, doi = {10.1016/j.talanta.2019.03.027}, author = {Bhavana, Valmala and Chavan, Rahul B. and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Nangia, Ashwini and Shastri, Nalini R.} } @article {46057, title = {Realization of efficient field emitter based on reduced graphene oxide-Bi2S3 heterostructures}, journal = {Physica Status Solidi A-Applications and Materials Science}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1900121}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Herein, Bi2S3 nanorods and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-Bi2S3 heterostructures are synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. The structural, morphological, chemical, and elemental analysis of as-synthesized materials is performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Field emission (FE) studies are carried out on both pristine Bi2S3 nanorods and rGO-Bi2S3 heterostructure samples at a base pressure of approximate to 1 x 10(-8) mbar. The results show that the rGO-Bi2S3 heterostructure emitter has superior FE performance compared to pristine Bi2S3 emitters in terms of the turn-on field (2.6 V mu m(-1) at 10 mu A cm(-2)) and threshold field (4.0 V mu m(-1) at 100 mu A cm(-2)) along with a high emission current density of approximate to 1464 mu A cm(-2) at an applied electric field of 7.0 V mu m(-1). The rGO-Bi2S3 heterostructure emitter exhibits very good emission current stability, tested for more than 3 h duration, characterized by standard deviation values approximate to 2.84 and 4.06, corresponding to preset values 12 and 100 mu A. This study implies that one-step hydrothermal route can be efficiently used to synthesize organic-inorganic heterostructures that possess unique morphology. Furthermore, the synthesized rGO-Bi2S3 heterostructure emitter shows potential as an electron source for practical application in vacuum microelectronic devices.

}, keywords = {Bi2S3, field emission, Heterostructures, Nanorods, Reduced graphene oxide}, issn = {1862-6300}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201900121}, author = {Gote, Gorkshnath H. and Bhopale, Somnath R. and More, Mahendra A. and Late, Dattatray J.} } @article {46358, title = {Recursive partitioning analysis and anti-tubercular screening of 3-aminopyrazine-2-carbohydrazide derivatives}, journal = {Letters in Drug Design \& Discovery}, volume = {16}, year = {2019}, month = {APR}, pages = {1264-1275}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Treating tuberculosis is a challenge due to the development of drug resistance. Hence, it is imperative to develop novel leads having high potency and efficacy to curb drug resistance. Methods: The present research work is focused on microwave-assisted synthesis of novel twenty-six 3-amino-N{\textquoteright}-benzylidenepyrazine-2-carbohydrazide derivatives (3a-z), where, lyophilization technique was used for isolation of the major intermediate, 3-aminopyrazin-2-carbohydrazide. All synthesized compounds were subjected for anti-tubercular screening against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra by using XTT Reduction Menadione Assay (XRMA) protocol. Results: Out of 26 synthesized compounds, four N{\textquoteright}-substitutedbenzaldehyde-3-amino-pyrazine-2-carbohydrazide derivatives viz. 3i, 3j 3v and 3z showed significant activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra. The compounds 3i, 3j, 3v and 3z showed 99, 98, 92 and 87 \% inhibition respectively as compared to 94\% inhibition shown by the standard drug rifampicin. The MIC and IC50 values were in the range of 24.3-110 and 5.9-20.8 mu g/ml respectively. Conclusion: A classification model called Recursive Partitioning (RP) based on binary Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) was derived for the establishment of structure-activity relationship (SAR). The predictions derived on the basis of RP model were found to be in agreement with anti-tubercular screening data.

}, keywords = {3-aminopyrazine, anti-tubercular activity, Carbohydrazide, lyophilization, QSAR, recursive partitioning}, issn = {1570-1808}, doi = {10.2174/1570180816666190329222636}, author = {Miniyar, Pankaj and Mahajan, Anand and Anuse, Dattatray and Kumar, Ashish and Barmade, Mahesh and Sarkar, Dhiman and Arkile, Manisha and Khedkar, Vijay} } @article {46332, title = {Regioselective one-pot synthesis of 3-fluoro-imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines from styrene}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

A one-pot synthesis of C-3 fluorinated imidazopyridines (F-IMPY) is reported under the additive-free conditions from commercially available styrene and 1-fluoropyridinium tetrafluoroborate as a fluorine source. The substrate styrene undergoes keto-bromination/condensation/fluorination transformation in three sequential steps to furnish F-IMPY. This one-pot synthesis method exhibits broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance with a good yield (up to 82\%).

}, keywords = {fluorination, imidazopyridines (F-IMPY), One-pot synthesis}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201900521}, author = {Said, Madhukar S. and Mishra, Ankita and Pandole, Satish and Nayak, Rashmi A. and Kumar, Pradeep and Gajbhiye, Jayant M.} } @inbook {47480, title = {Removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products from wastewater using advanced materials}, booktitle = {Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products: Waste Management and Treatment Technology}, number = {Emerging Contaminants and Micro Pollutants}, year = {2019}, pages = {173-212}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Recently, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have attracted much attention because of their requirement in everyday life and huge production/consumption worldwide. India{\textquoteright}s pharmaceutical industry has emerged as the world{\textquoteright}s third largest in terms of volume of production. As a leading science-based industry, the pharmaceutical industry contributes to the tune of 1\% of India{\textquoteright}s total GDP. Ever increasing international demand of these products drives continued rapid expansion of the pharmaceutical industry. India becomes a preferred manufacturing location for PPCPs, which is obvious from the export of PPCPs to over 65 countries. This is primarily because of the manufacturing cost advantage. Nevertheless, the major concern of these PPCPs is their nonpassive nature. They are not benign travelers in the environment but rather they are bioaccumulative and their retention becomes toxic to wildlife and human beings. It is reported that residual PPCPs may cause endocrine disruptions that can change hormonal actions, although the adverse impact of PPCPs on human health and the environment is still not fully understood. Therefore, there is an urgent need to protect our limited water resources and the available aquatic species from deterioration due to residual PPCPs. A variety of technologies, including physical, biological, and chemical processes, have been extensively investigated for the removal of PPCPs from wastewater. Recently, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and advanced materials have shown great promise as an efficient alternative for mineralization of such refractory species. Therefore, a critical review of the recent advances in PPCP removal is imperative to gauge their performance. In this chapter, we briefly summarize the advances made in the technologies for PPCPs removal, followed by an in-depth review of the removal of PPCPs by advanced materials and AOPs.}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-816189-0.00008-1}, author = {Morone, Amruta and Mulay, Prajakatta and Kamble, Sanjay P.} } @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 {46141, title = {Role of hydrogen bonding in cocrystals and coamorphous solids: indapamide as a case study}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {21}, year = {2019}, month = {APR }, pages = {2043-2048}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The stronger sulfonamide-pyridine (SO2NH2 center dot center dot center dot N-Py) and sulfonamide-carboxamide (SO2NH2 center dot center dot center dot O = C-NH) hydrogen bonds direct the formation of cocrystals, while the weaker sulfonamide-amine (SO2NH2 center dot center dot center dot N-H) hydrogen bond results in coamorphous products. IDP-PIP and IDP-ARG coamorphous solids exhibit remarkable stability under accelerated conditions.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/c8ce01075g}, author = {Allu, Suryanarayana and Suresh, Kuthuru and Bolla, Geetha and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Nangia, Ashwini} } @article {45628, title = {Role of Li+ and Fe3+ in modified ZnO: Structural, vibrational, opto-electronic, mechanical and magnetic properties}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {45}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {7232-7243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {When Fe is doped in ZnO, a situation of charge imbalance is created due to the higher charge of Fe3+. A charge balance may be obtained by co-doping Li+0.5Fe3+0.5 combinations. A solid solution of Zn1-x(Fe0.5Li0.5)xO (0 <= x <= 0.03125) is synthesized with this viewpoint. The crystallites belong to a wurtzite P63mc space group, with lattice parameters a, b and c increasing nominally for x = 0.0156 and thereafter remaining invariant. The size varies in the range ~ 60{\textendash}142 nm. Interstitials of Li and Zn ions are formed. Along with Fe3+ substitution these defects are reasons for O interstitials. These oxygen interstitials increase the red emission while reduction of oxygen vacancies reduces the green emission. These point defects create structural distortion and strain which can generate Zn vacancies. Bandgap reduces due to shallow defects. Mid-bandgap states due to oxygen interstitials and Fe 3d-O 2p hybridization result in NIR emission. On the other hand the crystal surface deforms due to Li addition which hardens the materials. A weak ferromagnetism appears at very low temperature which is enhanced by Li+ addition. Long range exchange mechanism between Fe3+ ions appears in the samples, mediated by magnetic polarons due to point defects.}, keywords = {hardness, NIR emission, Shallow and deep level defects, Weak ferromagnetism, ZnO}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.01.004}, author = {Bajpai, G. and Moirangthem, I. and Sarkar, S. and Barman, S. R. and Vinod, C. P. and Bajpai, S. and Riyajuddin, S. and Ghosh, K. and Basaula, D. R. and Khan, M. and Liu, S. -W. and Biring, S. and Sen, S.} } @article {46193, title = {Ru-catalyzed regioselective cascade annulation of acrylamides with 2-alkynoates for the synthesis of various 6-Oxo nicotinic acid esters}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1863-1870}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ru-catalyzed regioselective cascade annulation of acrylamides with 2-alkynoates via aza-Michael/C-H activation sequence for the synthesis of various 6-oxo nicotinic acid esters is described. The regioselectivity of the protocol has been confirmed by performing silver mediated protodecarboxylation of the corresponding 6-oxo nicotinic acid to furnish 2-pyridone. The developed protocol is copper or silver salt-free and uses inexpensive, safe, and environmentally benign peroxide-based {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}oxone{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} as the sole oxidant. A redox-neutral version of the protocol is also demonstrated.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02783}, author = {Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {46110, title = {Ru(II)-catalyzed C-H activation/alkylation of 3-formylbenzofurans with conjugated olefins: product divergence}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY }, pages = {5056-5066}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ru-catalyzed alkylation of 3-formylbenzofuran with acrylates and acrylamides has been described. Branched selectivity with unsubstituted or beta-substituted acrylates/ acrylamides and linear selectivity with alpha-substituted acrylates have been observed. However, in all of the cases, the intermediate alkylation products seem to undergo further reactions, either cycloannulation or deformylation, depending on the substrate employed. For example, with methyl acrylate, the intermediate branched alkylation product underwent cycloannulation with another molecule of methyl acrylate, resulting in a densely functionalized cyclohexene ring formation. On the other hand, in the case of N-monosubstituted acrylamides, the branched alkylation proceeded with intramolecular aldehyde-amide condensation, leading to pyridin-2-one ring annulation. However, with both methacrylate and crotonate, deformylation of the initially formed alkylation products was observed.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b03267}, author = {Srinivas, Kolluru and Siddiqui, Shaziyaparveen K. and Mudaliar, Jyothi K. and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {46163, title = {Scalable synthesis of cladosporin}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {60}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR }, pages = {831-833}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cladosporin, a secondary metabolite isolated from fungal sources like Cladosporium cladosporioides and Aspergillus flavus was found to exhibit selective nano-molar activity against malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum by inhibiting parasitic protein biosynthesis. In addition, this natural product has a broad range of bioactivities including, antiparasitic, antifungal, antibacterial as well as plant growth inhibition. However, it has limited availability from the natural sources for further development. Herein, we report a modified and improved synthetic route which led us to produce this potent natural product in a gram scale. Conversion of the undesired diastereomer to desired one via Mitsunobu inversion of secondary alcohol and carbon monoxide insertion reaction towards the construction of isocoumarin unit are the key features of the present synthesis. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anti-malarials, Cladosporin, Mitsunobu, Total synthesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2019.02.012}, author = {Das, Pronay and Mankad, Yash and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {46184, title = {Selective targeting of integrin alpha v beta 8 by a highly active cyclic peptide}, journal = {Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {62}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2024-2037}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Integrins play important roles in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Among the RGD-recognizing integrin subtypes, the alpha v beta 8 receptor is emerging as an attractive target because of its involvement in various illnesses, such as autoimmune diseases, viral infections, and cancer. However, its functions have, so far, not been investigated in living subjects mainly because of the lack of a selective alpha v beta 8 ligand. Here, we report the design and potential medical applications of a cyclic octapeptide as the first highly selective small-molecule ligand for alpha v beta 8. Remarkably, this compound displays low nanomolar alpha v beta 8 binding affinity and a strong discriminating power of at least 2 orders of magnitude versus other RGD-recognizing integrins. Peptide functionalization with fluorescent or radioactive labels enables the selective imaging of alpha v beta 8-positive cells and tissues. This new probe will pave the way for detailed characterization of the distinct (patho)physiological role of this relatively unexplored integrin, providing a basis to fully exploit the potential of alpha v beta 8 as a target for molecular diagnostics and personalized therapy regimens.

}, issn = {0022-2623}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01588}, author = {Reichart, Florian and Maltsev, Oleg V. and Kapp, Tobias G. and Raeder, Andreas F. B. and Weinmueller, Michael and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Notni, Johannes and Wurzer, Alexander and Beck, Roswitha and Wester, Hans Juergen and Steiger, Katja and Di Maro, Salvatore and Di Leva, Francesco Saverio and Marinelli, Luciana and Nieberler, Markus and Reuning, Ute and Schwaiger, Markus and Kessler, Horst} } @article {46089, title = {Size-controlled cobalt ferrite nanocrystals: magnetically separable reusable nanocatalysts for selective oxidation of styrene}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, pages = {6524-6531}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Superparamagnetic cobalt ferrite (CFO) nanocrystals (NCs) with sizes similar to 6 nm and similar to 4 nm were synthesized using a facile solvothermal method using fatty acids, lauric acid and stearic acid, as the capping agents. The synthesized nanocrystals were well characterized by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, SEM and TEM. The formation mechanism was explored and it was shown that the fatty acid was actually chemisorbed as a carboxylate onto the surface of CFO NCs. The experimental results specify that the size and size distribution of the CFO NCs were highly dependent on the length of fatty acid hydrophobic chain. Corresponding changes of the magnetic properties were investigated by measuring magnetization as a function of field and temperature, which suggest that the CFO NCs were superparamagnetic in nature. The catalytic properties for the oxidation of styrene in organic medium were examined by using the synthesized CFO NCs with sizes similar to 6 nm and similar to 4 nm. The synthesized CFO NCs, well dispersible in organic media, were demonstrated to be highly catalytically active, reached 100\% conversion of styrene in 12 h with similar to 77\% and similar to 82\% selectivity for styrene oxide respectively. The magnetic CFO nanocatalysts were easily separated and recovered from the reaction medium by an external magnet, and reused for several cycles without losing catalytic selectivity for styrene oxide.

}, keywords = {Cobalt ferrite, epoxidation, Fatty acids, magnetic properties, nanocrystals}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201900714}, author = {Jeyavani, Vijayakrishnan and Pawar, Sayali and Dadwal, Arun and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {46196, title = {Slow motion protein dance visualized using red-edge excitation shift of a buried fluorophore}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {123}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1256-1264}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

It has been extremely challenging to detect protein structures with a dynamic core, such as dry molten globules, that remain in equilibrium with the tightly packed native (N) state and that are important for a myriad of entropy-driven protein functions. Here, we detect the higher entropy conformations of a human serum protein, using red-edge excitation shift experiments. We covalently introduced a fluorophore inside the protein core and observed that in a subset of native population, the side chains of the polar and buried residues have different spatial arrangements than the mean population and that they solvate the fluorophore on a timescale much slower than the nanosecond timescale of fluorescence. Our results provide direct evidence for the dense fluidity of protein core and show that alternate side-chain packing arrangements exist in the core that might be important for multiple binding functions of this protein.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b11151}, author = {Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {46086, title = {Stabilization of bis(chlorogermyliumylidene)s within bifunctional PNNP ligand frameworks and their reactivity studies}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {48}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN }, pages = {7344-7351}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The diiminodiphosphine (L-im) and diaminodiphosphines (l-NH and l-NMe) with a bifunctional PNNP ligand framework have been employed to host two [GeCl](+) units leading to the formation of bis(chlorogermyliumylidene) 1-3, respectively. The synthetic route involves a 1:2 stoichiometric reaction between the PNNP ligand and GeCl(2)dioxane and the subsequent addition of two equivalents of chloride abstracting agent. Compound 1 is unstable towards coordinating solvents and Lewis bases, resulting in the displacement of the GeCl unit and the formation of rearranged products 4 and 5. However, the diaminodiphosphine coordinated Ge(ii) bis(monocation)s 2 and 3 proved to be stable and revealed their electrophilic behaviour towards the Lewis bases studied.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/c9dt00109c}, author = {Sahoo, Padmini and Raut, Ravindra K. and Maurya, Devesh and Kumar, Vikas and Rani, Pooja and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Majumdar, Moumita} } @article {46002, title = {Stealth emulsion based on natural rubber latex, core-shell ferrofluid/carbon black in the S and X bands}, journal = {Nanotechnology}, volume = {30}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG }, pages = {315703}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A lossy dielectric with an appropriate magnetic property is one of the requirements of a stealth material. The thickness of the absorber and the corresponding bandwidth of absorption are also other deciding factors that determine the choice of the material as microwave absorbers. A stable emulsion, which is lossy as well as magnetic, is promising, since it can be coated on surfaces with required thickness in the desired band. A magnetic nanofluidic emulsion serves the purpose. A microwave absorbing emulsion based on natural rubber latex with core-shell magnetic nanoparticles, based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs), was developed. The effect of additives like carbon black on the bandwidth of absorption was also studied as a function of weight percentage of carbon black. The complex dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability were evaluated using a vector network analyser in the S and X bands. Furthermore, these results were modelled using surface impedance equations. These investigations revealed that the incorporation of carbon black enhances the bandwidth of absorption and an emulsion with the required dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability can be tailored for stealth applications.

}, keywords = {carbon black, core-shell nanoparticles, ferrofluid, microwave absorbing paint, natural rubber latex}, issn = {0957-4484}, doi = {10.1088/1361-6528/ab1194}, author = {Vinayasree, S. and Nair, Ajalesh Balachandran and Mani, Manoj and Archana, V. N. and Joseph, Rani and Mohanan, P. and Joy, P. A. and Anantharaman, M. R.} } @article {46211, title = {Stereoselective construction of deoxy-cruciferane alkaloids by NHC-catalyzed intramolecular annulation of homoenolate with quinazolinone}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, pages = {7135-7139}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular [3 + 2] annulation of enals with an unactivated imine moiety of quinazolinone via formal homoenolate cycloaddition has been demonstrated. It is an excellent approach for stereoselective syntheses of deoxy-cruciferane alkaloids comprising a biologically important pyrroloindoline scaffold. Notably, this is the first report on the NHC-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular homoenolate annulation with cyclic N-acyl amidine.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ob01243e}, author = {Ahire, Milind M. and Pol, Mahesh D. and Kavale, Dattatry S and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {46071, title = {Study of rheology and plug assist thermoforming of linear and branched pp homopolymer and impact copolymer}, journal = {International Polymer Processing}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {339-355}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the fastest growing thermoplastic polymers in the world, second only to polyethylene. This is primarily due to its excellent balance of physical and chemical properties at a lower cost. PP however possesses low melt strength on account of its linear structure and hence is not easily amenable to processing techniques that involve free surface stretching deformations like thermoforming, blow molding and extrusion film casting. One way to enhance the melt strength of PP is to incorporate long chain branches in its molecular architecture. The present study focuses on the impact of rheology of linear and branched PP on their thermoforming characteristics. Two grades each of linear and long chain branched (LCB) PP homopolymer and impact copolymer (ICP) were used. It was observed that the LCB-PP homopolymer and LCB-ICP showed higher flow activation energy, reduced value of loss tangent and nearly equal frequency dependence of storage and loss moduli in shear rheology. Also, a strong strain hardening behavior was displayed in extensional rheology by the LCB grades. Plug assist thermoforming experiments were carried out to assess the effect of long chain branching on surface strain and thickness distribution for axisymmetric cups of two draw ratios. Biaxial surface strain maps of the formed cups were quantified using Grid Strain Analysis (GSA). Thermoformed cups made from LCB-PP homopolymer and LCB-impact copolymer showed lower surface strain and overall higher thickness as compared to cups made from their linear counterparts, which is in accordance with what might be expected from their rheology.

}, issn = {0930-777X}, doi = {10.3139/217.3704}, author = {Marathe, D. and Shelar, S. and Mahajan, S. and Ahmad, Z. and Gupta, S. and Kulkarni, S. and Juvekar, V and Lele, A.} } @article {46354, title = {Superfluous glutamine synthetase activity in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells selected under glutamine limitation is growth limiting in glutamine-replete conditions and can be inhibited by serine}, journal = {Biotechnology Progress}, volume = {35}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP-OCT}, pages = {UNSP e2856}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Passaging and expansion of animal cells in lean maintenance medium could result in periods of limitation of some nutrients. Over time, such stresses could possibly result in selection of cells with metabolic changes and contribute to heterogeneity. Here, we investigate whether selection of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells under glutamine limitation results in changes in growth under glutamine-replete conditions. In glutamine-limiting medium, compared to control cells passaged in glutamine-rich medium, the selected cells showed higher glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and attained a higher peak viable cell density (PVCD). Surprisingly, in glutamine-replete conditions, selected cells still showed a higher GS activity but a lower PVCD. We show that in glutamine-replete medium, PVCD of selected cells was restored on (a) inhibition of GS activity with methionine sulfoximine, (b) supplementation of aspartate-without affecting GS activity, and (c) supplementation of serine, which is reported to inhibit GS in vitro. Consistent with the reported effect of serine, inhibition of GS activity was observed upon serine supplementation along with reduced growth of cells under glutamine-limiting conditions. The latter observation is important for the design of glutamine-free culture medium and feed used for GS-CHO and GS-NS0. In summary, we show that CHO cells selected under glutamine limitation have superfluous GS activity in glutamine-replete medium, which negatively affects their PVCD. This may be due to its effect on availability of aspartate which was the limiting nutrient for the growth of selected cells in glutamine-replete conditions.

}, keywords = {C-13 tracer analysis, CHO cells, glutamine limitation, Glutamine synthetase, GS-CHO, GS-NS0, selection under nutrient limitation, serine}, issn = {8756-7938}, doi = {10.1002/btpr.2856}, author = {Maralingannavar, Vishwanathgouda and Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu and Gadgil, Mugdha} } @article {45606, title = {Synergetic combination of H2Zr1PW12O40 and Sn-Beta as potential solid acid catalyst for direct one-step transformation of glucose to ethyl levulinate, a biofuel additive}, journal = {Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Ethyl levulinate (EL) has found wide applications as chemicals and biofuel additives. Efficient catalytic conversion of abundantly available glucose to ELs over solid acid catalyst having optimum Br{\o}nsted (B) and Lewis (L) acidity is highly appreciated. Present work demonstrated, direct one-step synthesis of EL from glucose over synergized Br{\o}nsted (H2Zr1PW12O40) and Lewis (Sn-Beta) acid catalyst. H2Zr1PW12O40 is prepared by exchanging H+ of tungstophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40-heteropolyacid) with Zr, improves the heterogeneity in polar medium by 50\%. The combination of a physical mixture of H2Zr1PW12O40 + Sn-Beta with 80:20 weight ratio was found to be optimum for the maximum EL yield formation of 54\% from glucose at 180{\textdegree}C for 3 h, which is probably the highest than reported over the heterogeneous catalyst in ethanol medium. An optimal combination of B and L catalyst and its ratio is found to be crucial for the direct transformation of glucose to EL in one step. The present study also explored that this combined physical mixture of H2Zr1PW12O40 + Sn-Beta can tolerate glucose concentration up to 30 g/L, which is probably the higher than reported. {\textcopyright} 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2019}, doi = {10.1002/ep.13173}, author = {Mulik, N. and Niphadkar, P. and Bokade, V.} } @article {46012, title = {Synthesis and antimycobacterial evaluation of new 5-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-methyl-2-arylthiazole derivatives}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {28}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {805-819}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new series of 5-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-4-methyl-2-arylthiazole derivatives, 6a-w have been synthesized by click reaction of substituted benzylazide, 5a-d with 5-ethynyl-4-methyl-2-substituted phenylthiazole, 4a-f. The starting compounds 4-ethynyl-2-substituted phenylthiazole (4a-f) were synthesized from the corresponding thiazole aldehyde by using the Ohira-Bestmann reagent. The structure of the synthesized compounds was determined by spectral analysis. All the synthesized compounds were screened for their preliminary antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB, ATCC 25177). Most of the synthesized compounds reported good activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra strain with IC50 range of 0.58-8.23 mu g/mL. Compounds 6g and 6k reported good antitubercular activity with MIC90 values of 4.71 and 2.22 mu g/mL, respectively. Potential antimycobacterial activity suggested that these compounds could serve as good lead compounds for further optimization and development of a newer antitubercular candidate. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {1, 2, 3-Triazole, Antitubercular activity, Molecular docking, Ohira-Bestmann reagent, Thiazole}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-019-02310-y}, author = {Shinde, Vikas and Mahulikar, Pramod and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Chakraborty, Shakti and Choudhari, Amit and Phalle, Siddharth and Choudhari, Prafulla and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {46201, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,4,5-trisubstituted thiazoles as antituberculosis agents effective against drug-resistant tuberculosis}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {178}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, pages = {315-328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The dormant and resistant form of Mycobacterium tuberculosis presents a challenge in developing new anti-tubercular drugs. Herein, we report the synthesis and evaluation of trisubstituted thiazoles as antituberculosis agents. The SAR study has identified a requirement of hydrophobic substituent at C2, ester functionality at C4, and various groups with hydrogen bond acceptor character at C5 of thiazole scaffold. This has led to the identification of 13h and 13p as lead compounds. These compounds inhibited the dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra strain and M. tuberculosis H37Rv selectively. Importantly, 13h and 13p were non-toxic to CHO cells. The 13p showed activity against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis isolates. (C) 2019 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.05.082}, author = {Karale, Uttam B. and Krishna, Vagolu Siva and Krishna, E. Vamshi and Choudhari, Amit S. and Shukla, Manjulika and Gaikwad, Vikas R. and Mahizhaveni, B. and Chopra, Sidharth and Misra, Sunil and Sarkar, Dhiman and Sriram, Dharmarajan and Dusthackeer, V. N. Azger and Rode, Haridas B.} } @article {46290, title = {Synthesis and biological evaluation of new 4-(4-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)phenyl)-2-phenylthiazole derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, year = {2019}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

A novel series of 4-(4-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)phenyl)-2-substitutedthiazole derivatives (8a-l) have been synthesized by [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of 4-(4-ethynylphenyl)-2-substitutedthiazole with substituted benzyl azide in aqueous DMF. Starting compounds 4-(4-ethynylphenyl)-2-substitutedthiazole (6a-d) were synthesized by reaction of 4-(2-substitutedthiazol-4-yl)benzaldehyde with Ohira-Bestmann reagent in methanol. The structures of these novel triazole-thiazole clubbed derivatives were confirmed by the spectral analysis. The title compounds (8a-l) were tested for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra active and dormant (MTB, ATCC 25177) and antimicrobial activity against standard Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2602) and Bacillus subtilis (NCIM 2162), and Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli (NCIM 2576) and Pseudomonas flurescence (NCIM 2059). Compounds 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8h reported good activity against B subtilis, compounds 8a, 8b, and 8c showed good activity against S aureus, and compound 8b showed good activity against dormant M tuberculosis H37Rv strain. Compounds 8b and 8c found more potent against Gram positive and dormant M tuberculosis H37Rv strains. These novel triazole-thiazole clubbed analogues found to be a capable leads for further optimization and development.

}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.3708}, author = {Shinde, Vikas and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Singh, Aakriti and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mahulikar, Pramod} } @article {45575, title = {Synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanoparticles by using polyol chemistry for their antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity}, journal = {Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports }, volume = {17}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {71-80}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present investigation deals with facile polyol mediated synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles and their antimicrobial activities against pathogenic microorganisms. The synthesis process was carried out by refluxing zinc acetate precursor in diethylene glycol(DEG) and triethylene glycol(TEG) in the presence and in the absence of sodium acetate for 2 h and 3 h. All synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV visible spectroscopy (UV), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy(FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) technique. All nanoparticles showed different degree of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2654)and Gram-negative Proteus vulgaris (NCIM 2613). The antibacterial and antibiofilm activity was inversely proportional to the size of the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles. Among all prepared particles, ZnO nanoparticles with least size (~ 15 nm) prepared by refluxing zinc acetate dihydrate in diethylene glycol for 3 h exhibited remarkable antibacterial and antibiofilm activity which may serve as potential alternatives in biomedical application.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrep.2018.11.007}, author = {Mahamuni, P. P. and Patil, P. M. and Dhanavade, M. J. and Badiger, M. V. and Shadija, P. G. and Lokhande, A. C. and Bohara, R. A.} } @article {46223, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies of novel chromone/Aza-Chromone fused alpha-aminophosphonates as src kinase inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Scientific \& Industrial Research}, volume = {78}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of novel chromone/aza-chromone fused alpha-aminophosphonate derivatives were synthesized in good yields using silica chloride as the catalyst. All the synthesized compounds were tested for their c-Src kinase inhibitory activity. Aza-chromone compound showed Src kinase inhibition with an IC50 value of 15.8 mu M. The compounds were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics simulations to study the atomic level interactions with an unphosphorylated proto-oncogenic tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 1Y57) as well as phosphorylated tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 2H8H). Docking and molecular dynamic results revealed phosphorylated Src tyrosine kinase protein better results than unphosphorylated tyrosine Src kinase protein. Chemoinformatics study revealed the compounds had lead like properties. Machine learning (SVR) models were built to study the structure activity correlations. A CC of 0.835 was obtained when the SVR model was applied to the 17 synthesized compounds. It is envisaged that the work will provide guidelines for future drug design efforts for Src kinase inhibitors.

}, author = {Bapat, S. and Viswanadh, N. and Mujahid, M. and Shirazi, A. N. and Tiwari, R. K. and Parang, K. and Karthikeyan, M. and Muthukrishnan, M. and Vyas, Renu} } @article {47493, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modeling studies of novel chromone/Aza-chromone fused α-aminophosphonates as Src kinase inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research}, volume = {78}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {111-117}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A series of novel chromone/aza-chromone fused α-aminophosphonate derivatives were synthesized in good yields using silica chloride as the catalyst. All the synthesized compounds were tested for their c-Src kinase inhibitory activity. Aza-chromone compound showed Src kinase inhibition with an IC50 value of 15.8 {\textmu}M. The compounds were subjected to molecular docking and dynamics simulations to study the atomic level interactions with an unphosphorylated proto-oncogenic tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 1Y57) as well as phosphorylated tyrosine protein kinase Src (PDB code 2H8H). Docking and molecular dynamic results revealed phosphorylated Src tyrosine kinase protein better results than unphosphorylated tyrosine Src kinase protein. Chemoinformatics study revealed the compounds had lead like properties. Machine learning (SVR) models were built to study the structure activity correlations. A CC of 0.835 was obtained when the SVR model was applied to the 17 synthesized compounds. It is envisaged that the work will provide guidelines for future drug design efforts for Src kinase inhibitors.}, author = {Bapat, Sanket and Viswanadh, N. and Mujahid, M. and Shirazi, Amir Nasrolahi and Tiwari, Rakesh and Parang, Keykavous and Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy and Muthukrishnan, M. and Vyas, Renu} } @article {46009, title = {Synthesis, characterization, Hirshfeld surface, cytotoxicity, DNA damage and cell cycle arrest studies of N, N-diphenyl-N {\textquoteleft}-(biphenyl-4-carbonyl/4-chlorobenzoyl) thiocarbamides}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1186}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {333-344}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The condensation reaction of biphenyl-4-carbonyl isothiocyanate/4-chlorobenzoyl isothiocyanate with diphenylamine yielded two new compounds; N-diphenyl-N{\textquoteright}-(biphenyl-4-carbonyl) thiocarbamide (1) and N, N-diphenyl-N{\textquoteright}-(4-chlorobenzoyl) thiocarbamide (2). Structure of the compounds were determined by analytical, spectroscopic (UV-Visible, FT-IR, H-1, \& C-13 NMR), powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Hirshfeld surface analysis and their associated two dimensional fingerprint plots of compounds were used as theoretical approach to assess driving force for crystal structure formation via the intermolecular interactions in their crystal lattices. The compounds were screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity activity against a panel of five human cancer cell lines namely; cervical (2008 and C13*) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1). Both the compounds exhibited promising activity against cervical and IGROV-1 cancer cells whereas for the other two cell lines appreciable activities were observed. The cell cycle arrest at G(0)/G(1) phase is supported by the DNA damage and apoptosis studies of the compounds against 2008, C13* and IGROV-1 cell lines. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.03.057}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano and Kaur, Manpreet and Jasinski, Jerry P.} } @article {45480, title = {Synthesis, characterization, pharmacological and computational studies of 4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydro-1, 3-benzothiazole incorporated azo dyes}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1179}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {630-641}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work describes the synthesis of five novel heterocyclic azo dyes (4a-4e) through conventional diazo-coupling reaction of 4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydro-1, 3-benzothiazole with various coupling compounds at 0-5 degrees C. The chemical structures of the synthesized azo dyes were characterized by both theoretical and experimental techniques. All the synthesized molecules were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by two different techniques such as DPPH and FRAP. The results indicated that all the synthesized compounds proved to be potent antioxidants. The anti-mycobacterial activity of the azo dyes was tested against M. tuberculosis and the compounds 4a and 4e showed higher activity among the tested dyes. The DNA binding studies showed effective intercalation properties between the azo dyes and CT-DNA. Finally, the molecular docking studies indicated a possible interaction of the azo dyes with target receptor RpsA. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Azo dyes, Benzothiazole, CT-DNA, DFT, tuberculosis}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2018.11.041}, author = {Maliyappa, M. R. and Keshavayya, J. and Mallikarjuna, N. M. and Krishna, P. Murali and Shivakumara, N. and Sandeep, Telkar and Sailaja, Krishnamurty and Nazrulla, Mohammed Azeezulla} } @article {45507, title = {Synthesis of 2-Aryl naphthoquinones by the cross-dehydrogenative coupling involving an NHC-catalyzed endo-stetter reaction}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN }, pages = {1103-1110}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed intramolecular Stetter reaction proceeding via the endo-fashion was the key step for the transition-metal-free and mild cross-dehydrogenative coupling of 2-cinnamoyl benzal-dehydes allowing for the synthesis of 2-aryl naphthoquinones. In this transformation, the carbene generated from the triazolium salt using Na2CO3 catalyzes the intramolecular Stetter reaction, which was followed by air oxidation to reinstall the C-C double bond.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02931}, author = {Ghosh, Arghya and Patra, Atanu and Mukherjee, Subrata and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {46220, title = { Synthesis of biodiesel using the Mg/Al/Zn hydrotalcite/SBA-15 nanocomposite catalyst }, journal = {Acs Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3500-3507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biodiesel production is an enchanting and eccentric pathway for the reduction of use of fossil fuels and is procured from biologically available renewable sources such as oils and fats. A novel Mg/Al/Zn-based hydrotalcite/SBA-15 composite material having a high catalytic activity was developed and investigated for the transesterification of vegetable oil. The rationally developed composites were systematically characterized and assessed in the transesterification of soybean oil in the presence of methanol. The physicochemical evaluation of the nanocomposites demonstrated the influence of Zn in the textural characteristics, density of the basic sites, and successively the catalytic activity. The catalytic efficiency of the MAZ-x/SBA-15 composite could be linked with the basic site density determined by the temperature-programmed desorption of CO2. Among all the composites used, the MAZ-1/SBA-15 nanocomposite showed the highest activity for biodiesels, with a yield of around 90\% under economical reaction conditions. The catalytic studies conferred that the fatty acid methyl ester yield is significantly influenced by various experimental conditions such as the catalyst molar ratio, reaction temperature, pressure, and contact time. It was also found that the incorporation of hydrotalcite into SBA-15 pore channels can enhance the catalyst efficiency and stability of the nanocomposite. Moreover, under mild reaction conditions, a remarkably stable catalytic performance was achieved for more than 200 h of time on stream with no catalyst deactivation.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b02547}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Kandasamy, Prabu and Kalaivani, P. R. and Rajendiran, Nagappan and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {46203, title = {Synthesis of hexaphenylbenzene-based template assembled synthetic proteins}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {60}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Template-assembled synthetic proteins (TASPs) synthesized from rigid templates have attracted attention due to their interesting structural architectures and potential biomedical applications. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and characterizations of TASPs based on hexaphenylbenzene template (HPB) having twelve peptide attachable axial-arms in its structure. The peptides were attached to all the axial-arms of the template in a single step using simple solution phase peptide coupling strategy. The reaction conditions were standardized systematically using simple amines from smaller size to larger ones. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2019.07.011}, author = {Madhu, Suresh and Madica, Krishnaprasad and Gonnade, Rajesh and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J} } @article {46314, title = {Synthesis of new 1,3,4-oxadiazole and benzothiazolylthioether derivatives of 4-arylmethylidene-3-substituted-isoxazol-5(4H)-one as potential antimycobacterial agents}, journal = {Medicinal Chemistry Research}, volume = {28}, year = {2019}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1873-1884}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new series of 4-[(substituted benzylidene)-3-[(5-(pyridine-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-ylthio)-methyl]i soxazol-5(4H)-one (6a-g) and 4-(substituted benzylidene)-3-((benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylthio)methyl)isoxazol-5(4H)-one (8a-g) was synthesized. All the synthesized compounds were screened for antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (ATCC 35743) and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (NCIM 2576), Pseudomonas flurescence (NCIM 2059), Staphylococcus aureus (NCIM 2602), Bacillus subtilis (NCIM 2162). Amongst the synthesized 1,3,4-oxadiazole and benzothiazoyl thioether derivatives, compounds 6b and 8b showed excellent antimycobacterial activity and compounds 6b, 8a, 8b, and 8d showed excellent antibacterial activity against all tested antibacterial strains. The synthesized compounds were further evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against the HCT 116 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The 1,3,4-oxadiazole and benzothiazoyl thioether derivatives 6a-g and 8a-g did not show cytotoxicity.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, antibacterial activity, Antitubercular activity, Benzothiazol, Isoxazol-5(4H)-one, Thioeteher}, issn = {1054-2523}, doi = {10.1007/s00044-019-02420-7}, author = {Chavan, Abhijit P. and Deshpande, Rujuta R. and Borade, Nandkumar A. and Shinde, Abhijit and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Bobade, Vivek D.} } @article {46116, title = {Taxonomic insights into the phylogeny of Bacillus badius and proposal for its reclassification to the genus Pseudobacillus as Pseudobacillus badius comb. nov. and reclassification of Bacillus wudalianchiensis Liu et al.}, journal = {Systematic and Applied Microbiology}, volume = {42}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {360-372}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The species Bacillus badius is one of the oldest members of the genus Bacillus isolated from faeces of children and was classified based on its ability to form endospores [8]. In 16S rRNA gene sequence and phylogenetic analysis, Bacillus badius DSM 23(T) shared low similarity (93.0\%) and distant relationship with B. subtilis, the type species of the genus Bacillus indicating that it does not belong to this genus. Additional strains of the species, B. badius DSM 5610, DSM 30822 and B. encimensis SGD-V-25 (which has been recently reclassified as a member of this species) were included in the study to consider intraspecies diversity. Detailed molecular phylogenetic and comparative genome analysis clearly showed that the strains of B. badius were consistently retrieved outside the cluster of Bacillus sensu stricto and also distantly related to the genera Domibacillus and Quasibacillus. Further, the data from biochemical reactions (inability to ferment most carbohydrates), polar lipids profile (presence of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and an aminophosphoglycolipid) and fatty acids supported the molecular analysis. Thus the four B. badius strains; DSM 23(T), DSM 5610, DSM 30822 and SGD-V-25 displayed sufficient demarcating phenotypic characteristics that warrant their classification as members of a novel genus and single species, for which the name Pseudobacillus badius gen. nov. comb. nov. is proposed with Pseudobacillus badius DSM 23(T) (= ATCC 14574(T)) as the type strain. Additionally, based on our findings from phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic parameters, Bacillus wudalianchiensis DSM 100757(T) was reclassified as Pseudobacillus wudalianchiensis comb. nov. (C) 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {16S rRNA, Bacillus, Bacillus wudalianchiensis, Fatty acids, polar lipids, Pseudobacillus}, issn = {0723-2020}, doi = {10.1016/j.syapm.2019.03.003}, author = {Verma, Ashish and Pal, Yash and Ojha, Anup Kumar and Kumari, Munesh and Khatri, Indu and Rameshkumar, N. and Schumann, Peter and Dastager, Syed G. and Mayilraj, Shanmugam and Subramanian, Srikrishna and Krishnamurthi, Srinivasan} } @article {45482, title = {Thermally crosslinkable and chemically modifiable aromatic polyesters possessing pendant propargyloxy groups}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Science Part A-Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2019}, month = {MAR}, pages = {588-597}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

New aromatic (co)polyesters containing pendant propargyloxy groups were synthesized by phase transfer-catalyzed interfacial polycondensation of 5-(propargyloxy)isophthaloyl chloride (P-IPC) and various compositions of P-IPC and isophthaloyl chloride with bisphenol A. FTIR and NMR spectroscopic data, respectively, revealed successful incorporation of pendant propargyloxy groups into (co)polyesters and formation of (co)polyesters with desired compositions. (Co)polyesters exhibited good solubility in common organic solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, and tetrahydrofuran and could be cast into transparent, flexible, and tough films from chloroform solution. Inherent viscosities and number average molecular weights of (co)polyesters were in the range 0.77-1.33 dL/g and 43,600-118,000 g/mol, respectively, indicating the achievement of reasonably high-molecular weights. The 10\% weight loss temperatures of (co)polyesters were in the range 390-420 degrees C, demonstrating their good thermal stability. (Co)polyesters exhibited T-g in the range 146-170 degrees C and T-g values decreased with increase in mol \% incorporation of P-IPC. The study of non-isothermal curing by DSC indicated thermal crosslinking of (co)polyesters via propargyloxy groups. The utility of pendant propargyloxy group was demonstrated by post-modification of the selected copolyester with 1-(4-azidobutyl)pyrene, 9-(azidomethyl)anthracene, and azido-terminated poly(ethyleneglycol) monomethyl ether via copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction. FTIR and H-1 NMR spectra confirmed that click reaction was quantitative. (c) 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 588-597

}, keywords = {Click chemistry, crosslinking, modification, polyesters, propargyloxy, step-growth polymerization}, issn = {0887-624X}, doi = {10.1002/pola.29297}, author = {Verma, Savita and Maher, Deepak M. and Nagane, Samadhan S. and Tawade, Bhausaheb V. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {45580, title = {Thermodynamic Analysis of EMISE{\textendash} water as a working pair for absorption refrigeration system}, journal = {Applied Thermal Engineering}, volume = {148}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {787-795}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper, thermodynamic analysis of novel ionic liquid 1 Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulphate (EMISE) as absorbent and water as green refrigerant for absorption refrigeration system (ARS) is performed. Thermodynamics excess properties like excess Gibbs free energy (GE), excess enthalpy (hE) and equilibrium D{\"u}hring{\textquoteright}s plot (P-T-x1) of EMISE-H2O binary mixture are assessed using non-random two liquid (NRTL) activity coefficient model for composition x1 of 0.45{\textendash}1. The performance of single effect ARS with SHE are mathematically modeled and simulated by applying first and second laws (exergy analysis) of thermodynamics. Simulated results of ARS are compared with other widely used working fluids and revealed higher COP of 0.66 for EMISE-H2O in comparison to NH3-H2O but lower than LiBr-H2O. In addition, the deviation in the COP and ECOP with the generator temperatures are compared for the evaporation temperature of 5, 10, 15 {\textdegree}C. Result showed noticeable difference between the optimum generator temperature based on COP and ECOP. This indicates the exergy analysis is used for evaluation of ARS and selection of heat source supply temperature obtained from waste heat and renewable solar energy.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.11.092}, author = {Takalkar, G. D. and Bhosale, R. R. and Mali, N. A. and Bhagwat, S. S.} } @article {46016, title = {Thiazolyl-pyrazole derivatives as potential antimycobacterial agents}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {29}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1199-1202}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is an obligate aerobe that is capable of long-term persistence under conditions of low oxygen tension. A series of thiazolyl-pyrazole derivatives (6a-f, 7a-f, 8c, 8e) were screened for antimycobacterial activity against dormant M. tuberculosis H37Ra (D-MTB) and M. bovis BCG (D-BCG). Nine thiazolyl- pyrazole analogs, 6c, 6e, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7e, 7f, 8c and 8e exhibited promissing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values (0.20-28.25 mu g/mL) against D-MTB and D-BCG strains of Mtb. Importantly, six compounds (7a, 7b, 7e, 7f, 8c and 8e) exhibited excellent antimycobacterial activity and low cytotoxicity at the maximum evaluated concentration of \> 250 mu g/mL. Finally, the promising antimycobacterial activity and lower cytotoxicity profile suggested that, these compounds could be further subjected for optimization and development as a lead, which could have the potential to treat tuberculosis.

}, keywords = {antimycobacterial activity, Cytotoxicity, Pyrazole, thiazoles}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.03.020}, author = {Takate, Sushma J. and Shinde, Abhijit D. and Karale, Bhausaheb K. and Akolkar, Hemant and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {46053, title = {Thiol and halometallate, mutually passivated quantum dot ink for photovoltaic application}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {JUL}, pages = {26100-26108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tunable-band-gap colloidal QDs are a potential building block to harvest the wide-energy solar spectrum. The solution-phase surface passivation with lead halide-based halometallate ligands has remarkably simplified the processing of quantum dots (QDs) and enabled the proficient use of materials for the development of solar cells. It is, however, shown that the hallometalate ligand passivated QD ink allows the formation of thick crystalline shell layer, which limits the carrier transport of the QD solids. Organic thiols have long been used to develop QD solar cells using the solid-state ligand exchange approach. However, their use is limited in solution-phase passivation due to poor dispersity of thiol-treated QDs in common solvents. In this report, a joint passivation strategy using thiol and halometallate ligand is developed to prepare the QD ink. The mutually passivated QDs show a 50\% reduction in shell thickness, reduced trap density, and improved monodispersity in their solid films. These improvements lead to a 4 times increase in carrier mobility and doubling of the diffusion length, which enable the carrier extraction from a much thicker absorbing layer. The photovoltaic devices show a high efficiency of 10.3\% and reduced hysteresis effect. The improvement in surface passivation leads to reduced oxygen doping and improved ambient stability of the solar cells.

}, keywords = {ligand, mobility, quantum dot, solar cell, surface passivation}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.9b07605}, author = {Mandal, Debranjan and Goswami, Prasenjit N. and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {45599, title = {Total synthesis of marine natural products serinolamide A and columbamide D}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {4}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1322{\textendash}1328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this report, an expeditious synthesis of two new biologically active marine natural products serinolamide A and columbamide D is documented. This convergent approach involves the key steps such as hydrolytic kinetic resolution, cross metathesis, Grignard reaction, Johnson{\textendash}Claisen rearrangement, Mitsunobu, and so forth. Both of the target molecules were obtained from a common precursor (R)-7 with high enantioselectivity, less synthetic steps, and in good overall yields (serinolamide A 66\% and columbamide D 62\%).

}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.8b03417}, author = {Ghotekar, G. S. and Mujahid, M. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {46195, title = {Transition-metal-free benzannulation of tricarbonyl derivatives with arynes: access to 1,3-dinaphthol precursors for the synthesis of rhodamine dye analogues}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2269-2276}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a transition-metal-free annulation reaction of benzynes and 1,3-oxopentanedioate for the synthesis of highly functionalized naphthalene derivatives for the first time. Additionally, the representative naphthalene derivatives have been successfully transformed into the new series of rhodamine dye analogues.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02560}, author = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {45586, title = {Transition-metal-free regioselective one-pot synthesis of aryl sulfones from sodium sulfinates via quinone imine ketal}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {84}, year = {2019}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1372{\textendash}1378}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel, efficient, and regioselective transition-metal-free one-pot synthesis of aryl sulfones via the reactive quinone imine ketal intermediate is demonstrated using easily accessible bench-stable sulfinate salts. A broad range of functionality on p-anisidine substrates as well as sulfinate salts was tolerated under mild reaction conditions to provide the corresponding aryl sulfones in good to excellent yields.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.8b02835}, author = {Halder, P. and Humne, V. T. and Mhaske, S. B.} } @inbook {47482, title = {Ultrasound assisted extraction of the polysaccharide from Tuber aestivum and its in vitro anti-hyperglycemic activity}, booktitle = {Bioactive Carbohydrates and Dietary Fibre}, volume = {20}, year = {2019}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {Tuber aestivum is one of the most popular and delicious truffles in the world economic market and is reported to possess a wide range of biological activities. The total carbohydrate of this truffle constitutes about 5.65\% w/w dry weight basis (dwb). The present work compares the yield of the polysaccharide obtained by conventional hot water extraction followed by alcohol precipitation, and ultrasound assisted extraction using low power 150 W probe sonifier. The parameters of ultrasound assisted extraction (amplitude, extraction time, pH, and liquid-solid ratio) from the fruiting body of T. aestivum were optimized using Taguchi orthogonal array and central composite design. The optimal parameters of extraction were a liquid-solid ratio of 75:1 for 15 min at pH 6.5 at an amplitude of 25\%, which yielded 68.91 {\textpm} 1.54\% w/w dwb polysaccharide. The FTIR and SEM characteristics of the polysaccharides obtained by ultrasonic extraction and conventional hot water extraction were similar. Further, the polysaccharides extracted from T. aestivum demonstrated a significant in vitro anti-hyperglycemic activity.}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcdf.2019.100198}, author = {Mudliyar, Devshri S. and Wallenius, Janne H. and Bedade, Dattatray K. and Singhal, Rekha S. and Madi, Nuri and Shamekh, Salem S.} } @article {46102, title = {Visible light mediated, metal and oxidant free highly efficient cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction between quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones and ethers}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {43}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {7403-7408}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The efficient and metal free, white light mediated 3C alkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones via a cross dehydrogenative coupling reaction with cyclic ethers using eosin Y as a photocatalyst is described. This reaction has broad substrate scope and strong functional group tolerance with good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj00075e}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Kamble, Rohit B. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {46265, title = {Visual exploration of microbiome data}, journal = {Journal of Biosciences}, volume = {44}, year = {2019}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

A dramatic increase in large-scale cross-sectional and temporal-level metagenomic experiments has led to an improved understanding of the microbiome and its role in human well-being. Consequently, a plethora of analytical methods has been developed to decipher microbial biomarkers for various diseases, cluster different ecosystems based on microbial content, and infer functional potential of the microbiome as well as analyze its temporal behavior. Development of user-friendly visualization methods and frameworks is necessary to analyze this data and infer taxonomic and functional patterns corresponding to a phenotype. Thus, new methods as well as application of pre-existing ones has gained importance in recent times pertaining to the huge volume of the generated microbiome data. In this reveiw, we present a brief overview of some useful visualization techniques that have significantly enriched microbiome data analytics.

}, doi = {10.1007/s12038-019-9933-z}, author = {Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {44433, title = {VSe2-reduced graphene oxide as efficient cathode material for field emission}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids }, volume = {128}, year = {2019}, month = {MAY}, pages = {384-390}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Field emission properties of pristine VSe2 and its hybrid with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) have been investigated in detail. Promising field emission performance were noted with lower values of turn-on and threshold fields of \~{}1.3 V μm-1 and 2.12 V μm-1 respectively for the VSe2/RGO hybrid which is much more superior than that of pristine VSe2 emitter and other 2D materials. Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations have also been performed to qualitatively support our experimental observations through demonstration of Density of States and computation of work function for pristine VSe2 and hybrid VSe2/RGO. The lowering of work function and appearance of additional states near Fermi level from carbon p orbital of RGO is responsible for superior field emission characteristics in hybrid VSe2/RGO compared to pristine VSe2 which supports our experimental observations. Our experimental data and theoretical insight from electronic structure simulations strongly infer that the synthesized hybrid VSe2/RGO has the potential to be tailored as efficient and high performance cathode material in field emission based devices.

}, keywords = {cathode material, Chalcogenide, Density functional theory, field emission, Vanadium diselenide, Work function}, issn = {223697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2018.02.020}, author = {Ratha, S.}, editor = {Bankar, P.} } @article {44557, title = {Waste to wealth: a Case study of papaya peel}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1755-1766}, type = {Journal Article}, abstract = {

Papaya is a popular fruit consumed worldwide and well-known for its food and nutritional values. It is used in food industries for the production of jams, jellies, etc. As a result, these industries generate huge amounts of papaya peel (PP) and seeds as by-products, which are typically considered a waste, and thus discarded. However, our current investigation indicates that PP is a valuable source of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into many value-added products. In this article, we review the physicochemical composition and valorization of PP. PP can be utilized to obtain many value-added products by fermentation (e.g., biofuels, adsorbents, dietary fibers, biomedicine, biomaterials). The biorefinery approach for PP will definitely increase the value of this waste by producing an array of value-added products and achieving zero waste generation.

}, keywords = {Bioactive compounds, Biorefinery, Papaya peel, Valorization, Value-added products}, issn = {18772641}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-017-0181-x}, author = {Pathak, Pranav D.}, editor = {Mandavgane, Sachin A.} } @article {46231, title = {Weak intermolecular interactions in covalent organic framework-carbon nanofiber based crystalline yet flexible devices}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {11}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The redox-active and porous structural backbone of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can facilitate high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. However, the utilities of such 2D materials as supercapacitor electrodes in advanced self-charging power-pack systems have been obstructed due to the poor electrical conductivity and subsequent indigent performance. Herein, we report an effective strategy to enhance the electrical conductivity of COF thin sheets through the in situ solid-state inclusion of carbon nanofibers (CNF) into the COF precursor matrix. The obtained COF-CNF hybrids possess a significant intermolecular π{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}π interaction between COF and the graphene layers of the CNF. As a result, these COF-CNF hybrids (DqTp-CNF and DqDaTp-CNF) exhibit good electrical conductivity (0.25 {\texttimes} 10{\textendash}3\ S cm{\textendash}1), as well as high performance in electrochemical energy storage (DqTp-CNF: 464 mF cm{\textendash}2\ at 0.25 mA cm{\textendash}2). Also, the fabricated, mechanically strong quasi-solid-state supercapacitor (DqDaTp-CNF SC) delivered an ultrahigh device capacitance of 167 mF cm{\textendash}2\ at 0.5 mA cm{\textendash}2. Furthermore, we integrated a monolithic photovoltaic self-charging power pack by assembling DqDaTp-CNF SC with a perovskite solar cell. The fabricated self-charging power pack delivered excellent performance in the areal capacitance (42 mF cm{\textendash}2) at 0.25 mA cm{\textendash}2\ after photocharging for 300 s.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.9b08625}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Halder, Arjun and Ghosh, Meena and Addicoat, Matthew and Bansode, Umesh and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {46188, title = {Web-gLV: a web based platform for lotka-volterra based modeling and simulation of microbial populations}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, month = {FEB }, pages = {288}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The affordability of high throughput DNA sequencing has allowed us to explore the dynamics of microbial populations in various ecosystems. Mathematical modeling and simulation of such microbiome time series data can help in getting better understanding of bacterial communities. In this paper; we present Web-gLV- a GUI based interactive platform for generalized Lotka-Volterra (gLV) based modeling and simulation of microbial populations. The tool can be used to generate the mathematical models with automatic estimation of parameters and use them to predict future trajectories using numerical simulations. We also demonstrate the utility of our tool on few publicly available datasets. The case studies demonstrate the ease with which the current tool can be used by biologists to model bacterial populations and simulate their dynamics to get biological insights. We expect Web-gLV to be a valuable contribution in the field of ecological modeling and metagenomic systems biology.

}, keywords = {lotka-volterra, microbial population, Microbiome, Modeling, numerical-simulation, time-series, visualization, web-server}, issn = {1664-302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2019.00288}, author = {Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Gadgil, Chetan and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46325, title = {Whole proteome analysis of GA(3) response at panicle stage in Grape (Vitis vinifera) CV. Thompson seedless}, journal = {Journal of Plant Growth Regulation}, year = {2019}, month = {OCT}, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

Rachis elongation is a crucial process in producing good quality table grapes. In compact clustered grape variety like Thompson Seedless, treating the flower panicles with a mild dose of GA(3) results in loose clusters. We sprayed GA(3) on Thompson Seedless panicles immediately after emergence, and the samples were collected at 6 h and 24 h after application. Whole proteome analysis revealed significant differential expression of 530 proteins of the total 1288 expressed proteins at two time-points. GO term enrichment analysis revealed enrichment of GO terms related to translation, biosynthetic processes, and photosynthesis in GA(3)-treated samples. As the process of rachis elongation requires enhanced carbon metabolism and accumulation of sugars through the expansion of phloem area, we attribute this to the overexpression of several proteins involved in these processes. Significantly highly expressed proteins also belonged to biological processes like the generation of precursor metabolites, cellular protein metabolic processes, response to abiotic stimulus, and protein metabolic processes. This study might be the first of its kind in deciphering the contribution of a different group of proteins during rachis elongation as an early response to GA(3) application in seedless grapes. These results provide quality information on various physiological and biochemical changes occurring during early stages of rachis elongation.

}, keywords = {Bunch architecture, Gibberellic acid, Proteome, Rachis elongation, Vitis vinifera}, issn = {0721-7595}, doi = {10.1007/s00344-019-10041-y}, author = {Maske, Smita and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Jogaiha, Satisha and Patil, Sucheta S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Gupta, Vidya S.} } @article {46233, title = {Zinc ion interactions in a two-dimensional covalent organic framework based aqueous zinc ion battery}, journal = {Chemical Science}, year = {2019}, month = {AUG}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The two-dimensional structural features of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can promote the electrochemical storage of cations like H+, Li+, and Na+\ through both faradaic and non-faradaic processes. However, the electrochemical storage of cations like Zn2+\ ion is still unexplored although it bears a promising divalent charge. Herein, for the first time, we have utilized hydroquinone linked β-ketoenamine COF acting as a Zn2+\ anchor in an aqueous rechargeable zinc ion battery. The charge-storage mechanism comprises of an efficient reversible interlayer interaction of Zn2+\ ions with the functional moieties in the adjacent layers of COF (-182.0 kcal mol-1). Notably, due to the well-defined nanopores and structural organization, a constructed full cell, displays a discharge capacity as high as 276 mA h g-1\ at a current rate of 125 mA g-1.

}, doi = {10.1039/C9SC03052B}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Ghosh, Meena and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Halder, Arjun and Nurhuda, Maryam and Kumar, Sushil and Addicoat, Matthew and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {46865, title = {1,6-Conjugate addition initiated formal [4+2] annulation of p-quinone methides with sulfonyl allenols: a unique access to spiro[5.5]undeca-1,4-dien-3-one scaffolds}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {56}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {5022-5025}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An expedient one-pot synthesis of carbocyclic spiro[5.5]undeca-1,4-dien-3-ones via 1,6-conjugate addition initiated formal [4+2] annulation sequences by employing p-quinone methides and sulfonyl allenols is presented. Furthermore, this synthetic protocol tolerates a wide variety of p-quinone methides and sulfonyl allenols and affords the corresponding structurally unique spiro[5.5]undeca-1,4-dien-3-ones in good yield under mild reaction conditions.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d0cc01005g}, author = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Shirsath, Sachin R. and Shaikh, Aslam C. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {47142, title = {Adsorption of heavy metal on active carbon derived from coconut leaves agro-waste}, journal = {Chemistry \& Chemical Technology}, volume = {14}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {553-562}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this paper activated carbon is prepared from coconut leaves by chemical activation during slow pyrolysis at 673 K in an inert atmosphere. Activated carbon is prepared in the stiochiometric ratio of 1:1 (CL1), 2:1 (CL2) and 3:1 (CL3). Optimized 3:1 ratio is preferable for further study. BET surface area of CL3 activated carbon was found 1060.57 m2/g. It is greater than those of CL1 and CL2. The batch sorption study experiments were conducted with respect to solute concentration of 2.5{\textendash}122.8 mg/l and solution temperature of 313{\textendash}343 K. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin isotherm studies were conducted. The experimental data fitted very well for the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second-order. The results have established good potentiality for the CL3 activated carbon to be used as a sorbent for the removal of lead from wastewater.

}, doi = {10.23939/chcht14.04.553}, author = {Jadhav, Abhijit and Mohanraj, Govindaraj and Mayadevi, Suseeladevi and Gokarn, Ashok} } @inbook {47323, title = {Advances in single-atom catalysts for lignin conversion}, booktitle = {Advanced Heterogeneous Catalysts Volume 2: Applications at the Single-Atom Scale }, volume = {1360}, year = {2020}, pages = {93-125}, publisher = {ACS }, organization = {ACS }, abstract = {

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have drawn significant attention as promising surfaces for promoting observable reaction processes. As a guideline, SACs should have the proper nanoscale dimensionality to influence their effective and efficient performance, especially during lignin conversion to platform chemicals and other useful products. The development of SACs for functional applications still has many difficulties, such as harnessing and improving low-coordinated metal atoms to have controlled and observable activities per metal atom. Consequently, the need arises to ensure a decrease in the size of the metal particles and their uniform dispersion or coordination on a suitable support material. This has been an industrial target for a long time in the field of catalysis. Supported metal-based catalysts are not dimensionally uniform, thereby reducing their metal-atom efficiency and frequently leading to undesired side reactions that are sometimes difficult to observe. This makes the identification of the active sites responsible for the reaction of interest very difficult or even impossible. To ameliorate this challenge, the ultimate small-size limit for a metal particle is the SAC, which contains isolated metal atoms singly dispersed on any suitable support materials. It is expected that SACs should maximize the metal-atom efficiency with respect to the application, which is particularly significant for supported metal catalysts. Moreover, through uniform single-atom dispersion, SACs offer a great opportunity for achieving high activity and tuning selectivity to the desired product. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in using SACs for the conversion of lignin or lignin model compounds. The different support materials used for SACs, such as zeolites, metal oxides, and carbonaceous and siliceous materials, are discussed. This contribution also covers the catalytic reactions of lignin with an emphasis on cleaving its specific linkages, along with a systematic evaluation of SACs used in the relevant processes. The chapter also addressed key parameters essential for tailoring the particle size and acid{\textendash}base and redox properties of the SACs used in lignin conversion. Special attention is paid to understanding the role of synthesis conditions in tailoring the size of SACs. It is expected that this contribution will provide future directions for practical SAC development and implementation in lignin conversion.

}, doi = {10.1021/bk-2020-1360.ch005}, author = {Halilu, Ahmed and Umar, Ahmad Abulfathi and Balarabe, Yahaya Umar and Haniffa, Mhd. Abd. Cader Mhd. and Munawar, Khadija and Sunku, Kiran and Sudarsanam, Putla} } @article {46800, title = {Agro-waste extracted cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures as a green photocatalyst for improved photodegradation of RhB dye and industrial fertilizer effluents}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {2870-2884}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The efficiency and reusability of photocatalysts are the dominant factors for their pragmatic use. The visible light induced semiconductor silver phosphate is a superior photocatalyst effective under visible light but its stability is still an undiscussed issue. To overcome this stability issue in this present manuscript, eco-friendly agro-waste extracted cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures have been designed for the first time through a simple chemical process. At first, silver phosphate nanostructures were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. Then, different weights of cellulose were added to the silver nitrate solution to form cellulose supported silver phosphate nanostructures. The photodegradation efficiency for each weight ratio was examined in which the photocatalyst Ag-8 nanostructures showed a high rate (0.024 min(-1)) for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) using a low intensity tungsten bulb. Real sample analysis has also been carried out using this photocatalyst for the degradation of industrial fertilizer effluents. The degradation rate of all the nanostructures was found to be high in comparison to pristine silver phosphate as well as the extracted bare cellulose. The photocatalytic activity is enhanced because of the participation of cellulose as a support which makes an interface for silver phosphate and assists it in delaying the charge recombination period under visible light. To understand the photochemical reaction of electrons and holes, scavenger studies were also performed.

}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/dOna00181c}, author = {Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Nair, Aathira and Mehare, Rupali S. and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Joshi, Kavita and Shelke, V. Manjusha} } @article {46961, title = {Amine decorated polystyrene nanobeads incorporating pi-conjugated OPV chromophore for picric acid sensing in water}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {6497-6502}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A solution as well as solid state based sensor has been developed for selective detection of picric acid (PA) in water. Oligo (p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV) incorporated polystyrene nanobeads (PS-OPV-NH2) having an average size of 180 nm have been synthesized through miniemulsion polymerization. Amine (-NH2) functionalization was performed on the nanobead surface to enhance the efficiency of the sensor among a library of other nitro-organics and library of cations and anions.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra09852f}, author = {Makkad, Sarabjot Kaur} } @article {46629, title = {Amphiphilic mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptide-based bioactive and responsive self-assembled nanostructures for controlled and targeted lysosomal cargo delivery}, journal = {Biomaterials Science}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {6322-6336}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Receptors of carbohydrate mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) are overexpressed in specific cancer cells (such as breast cancer) and are also involved in the trafficking of mannose-6-phosphate labeled proteins exclusively onto lysosomes via cell surface M6P receptor (CI-MPR) mediated endocytosis. Herein, for the first time, mannose-6-phosphate glycopolypeptide ((M6P)GP)-based bioactive and stimuli-responsive nanocarriers are reported. They are selectively taken up via receptor-mediated endocytosis, and trafficked to lysosomes where they are subsequently degraded by pH or enzymes, leading to the release of the cargo inside the lysosomes. Two different amphiphilic M6P block copolymers (M6P)GP(15)-(PPO44)-P-A and (M6P)GP(15)-(PCL25)(2) were synthesized by click reaction of the alkyne end-functionalized (M6P)GP(15) with pH-responsive biocompatible azide end-functionalized acetal PPO and azide end-functionalized branched PCL, respectively. In water, the amphiphilic M6P-glycopolypeptide block copolymers self-assembled into micellar nanostructures, as was evidenced by DLS, TEM, AFM, and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. These micellar systems were competent to encapsulate the hydrophobic dye rhodamine-B-octadecyl ester, which was used as the model drug. They were stable at physiological pH but were found to disassemble at acidic pH (for (M6P)GP(15)-(PPO44)-P-A) or in the presence of esterase (for (M6P)GP(15)-(PCL25)(2)). These (M6P)GP based micellar nanoparticles can selectively target lysosomes in cancerous cells such as MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Finally, we demonstrate the clathrin-mediated endocytic pathway of the native FL-(M6P)GP polymer and RBOE loaded (M6P)GP micellar-nanocarriers, and selective trafficking of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lysosomes, demonstrating their potential applicability toward receptor-mediated lysosomal cargo delivery.

}, issn = {2047-4830}, doi = {10.1039/d0bm01469a}, author = {Mondal, Basudeb and Pandey, Bhawana and Parekh, Nimisha and Panda, Sidharth and Dutta, Tahiti and Padhy, Abinash and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {46796, title = {Anthrone-spirolactam and quinoline hybrid based sensor for selective fluorescent detection of Fe(3+)ions}, volume = {34}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e5867}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthesis of a novel, and highly selective Fe(3+)ion sensor based on anthrone-spirolactam and its quinoline hybrid ligand is reported. The designed ligand displayed selective detection of Fe(3+)ions with enhanced fluorescence emission. The complexation of Fe(3+)ion led to a red shift of 32 nm from 420 nm to 452 nm, and a several fold increase in intensity with fluorescent green emission. The complexation (detection) of Fe(3+)ions with ligand resulted in chelation enhanced fluorescence and intramolecular charge transfer through the inhibition of C=N isomerization. This hybrid sensor shows high sensitivity and selectivity, spontaneous response, and works on a wide pH range a minimum detection limit of 6.83 x 10(-8)M. Importantly, the sensor works through the fluorescence turn-on mechanism that overcomes the paramagnetic effect of Fe(3+)ions. The binding mechanism between the ligand and the Fe(3+)ions was established from the Job{\textquoteright}s plot method, optical studies, Fourier transfor infrared spectroscopy, NMR titration, fluorescence life-time studies, and density functional theory optimization. The sensor displayed excellent results in the quantification of Fe(3+)ions from real water samples. Furthermore, due to its biocompatibility nature, fluorescent spotting of Fe(3+)ions in live cells revealed its bioimaging applications.

}, keywords = {anthrone-spirolactam-quinoline, Cell imaging, fluorescence, intramolecular charge transfer, iron}, issn = {0268-2605}, doi = {10.1002/aoc.5867, Early Access Date = JUL 2020}, author = {Darole, Ratanamala S. and Christopher Leslee, Denzil Britto and Mukherjee, Anagh and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Karuppannan, Sekar and Senthilkumar, Beeran} } @article {46902, title = {Antimicrobial profiling of coral reef and sponge associated bacteria from southeast coast of India}, volume = {141}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {103972}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Culturable bacteria associated with marine sponges and coral mucus (collected from Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay) were screened for their prospective antimicrobial compounds against 9 bacterial pathogens (Bacillus megaterium, B. cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsillla pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii) and a fungal pathogen (Candida albicans). Of the 263 bacterial isolates obtained during this study, 52 isolates displayed antimicrobial activity against one or more pathogens. 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that these 52 strains affiliated to 14 genera from three phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Sponge associated bacterial strains F-04, 1-23, 1-33 and G-03 inhibited the growth of all the bacterial pathogens tested in this study and significantly the former 2 strains inhibited the growth of fungal pathogen also. Majority of the potential strains (88.4\% out of 52 strains) inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus. Interestingly, an actinomycete strain F-04 (isolated from sponge Orina sagittaria) inhibited the growth of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In total, 10 volatile organic compounds were determined from the ethyl acetate and hexane extract of the strain F-04 using GC-MS. Overall, marine bacteria isolated during this study demonstrate the potential for the development of broad spectrum antibiotics.

}, keywords = {Anti-MRSA, Antimicrobial activity, Bacterial diversity, Coral reef, Sponge}, issn = {0882-4010}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2020.103972}, author = {Rajasabapathy, Raju and Ghadi, Sanjeev C. and Manikandan, Balakrishnan and Mohandass, Chellandi and Surendran, Akhila and Dastager, Syed G. and Meena, Ram M. and James, Rathinam Arthur} } @article {46697, title = {Attempted synthesis of central furopyran core of diocollettines A via a gold-catalyzed cascade 1,6-diyne cycloisomerization process}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {61}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {152367}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we describe an Au-catalyzed cascade diyne cycloisomerization process that was projected to construct the central furopyran bicyclic core of Diocollettines A. Our intended strategy for the annulation of the third thf ring is based on epoxidation and subsequent intramolecular acetalization. However, the initial alkynol cyclization occurred in an undesired 5-exo-dig mode, ultimately leading to an undesired furopyran. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {1, 6-Hexadiyne, Alkynol cycloisomerization, Diocollettines A, Gold-catalysis, Total synthesis}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2020.152367}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Ramana, V, Chepuri} } @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 {46933, title = {Basic limonoid modulates chaperone-mediated proteostasis and dissolve Tau fibrils}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4023}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease pathology is associated with accumulation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular senile plaques. The formation of initial nucleus triggers conformational changes in Tau and leads to its deposition. Hence, there is a need to eliminate these toxic proteins for proper functioning of neuronal cells. In this aspect, we screened the effect of basic limonoids such as gedunin, epoxyazadiradione, azadirone and azadiradione on inhibiting Tau aggregation as well as disintegration of induced Tau aggregates. It was observed that these basic limonoids effectively prevented aggregates formation by Tau and also exhibited the property of destabilizing matured Tau aggregates. The molecular docking analysis suggests that the basic limonoids interact with hexapeptide regions of aggregated Tau. Although these limonoids caused the conformational changes in Tau to beta-sheet structure, the cytological studies indicate that basic limonoids rescued cell death. The dual role of limonoids in Tau aggregation inhibition and disintegration of matured aggregates suggests them to be potent molecules in overcoming Tau pathology. Further, their origin from a medicinally important plant neem, which known to possess remarkable biological activities was also found to play protective role in HEK293T cells. Basic limonoids were non-toxic to HEK293T cells and also aided in activation of HSF1 by inducing its accumulation in nucleus. Western blotting and immunofluorescence studies showed that HSF1 in downstream increased the transcription of Hsp70 thus, aggravating cytosolic Hsp70 levels that can channel clearance of aberrant Tau. All these results mark basic limonoids as potential therapeutic natural products.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-60773-1}, author = {Gorantla, Nalini Vijay and Das, Rashmi and Chidambaram, Hariharakrishnan and Dubey, Tushar and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {46947, title = {Biofilm formation to inhibition: role of zinc oxide-based nanoparticles}, journal = {Materials Science \& Engineering C-Materials for Biological Applications}, volume = {108}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {110319}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Zinc oxide nanoparticles have received much attention worldwide as they possess unique properties like varied morphology, large surface area to volume ratio, potent antibacterial activity, and biocompatibility. Biofilm contains homogenous or heterogeneous microorganisms that remain enclosed in a matrix of an extracellular polymeric substance on biotic or abiotic surfaces. Bacterial biofilm formed on medical devices such as central venous catheters, urinary catheters, prosthetic joints, cardiovascular implantable devices, dental implants, contact lenses, intrauterine contraceptive devices and breast implants cause persistent infections. Such biofilm-associated infections in medical implants cause serious problems for public health and affect the function of medical implants. So, there is an urgent need for the use of an antimicrobial agent that will inhibit biofilm, including such antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains as bacteria, to develop multiple drug-resistances resulting in failure of the antibiotic{\textquoteright}s action. The antimicrobial agent used should be ideal in terms of biocompatibility, antimicrobial activity, stability at different environmental conditions, with less sensitivity to the development of resistance towards micro-organisms, safe for in vivo and in vitro use, and remain non-hazardous to the environment, etc. The first objective of the review discusses the insights into the formation of biofilm on a medical device with the current strategies to inhibit. The second purpose is to review the recent progress in ZnO- based nanostructure including composites for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities. This will offer a new opportunity for the application of Zinc oxide-based material in the prevention of biofilm on the medical devices.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Antibiofilm agent, Biocompatibility, Biofilm, Nanocomposites, ZnO nanoparticles}, issn = {0928-4931}, doi = {10.1016/j.msec.2019.110319}, author = {Mahamuni-Badiger, Pranjali P. and Patil, Pooja M. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Thorat-Gadgil, Bhagyashi S. and Pandit, Abhay and Bohara, Raghvendra A.} } @article {46983, title = {Biomass ashes as potent adsorbent for pesticide: prediction of adsorption capacity by artificial neural network}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology}, volume = {17}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {3209-3216}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biomass ashes are used for adsorption of herbicides from aqueous solution. A relationship between physicochemical properties of biomass ashes such as carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen content (CHN analysis), silica content and BET surface area with their adsorption capacity was established and modeled using artificial neural network. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) a commonly used herbicide is chosen a representative for this study. The artificial neural network model was trained, validated and tested using 35 data sets and was equipped with nine neuron hidden layers having tansig (tangent sigmoid) transfer function and an output layer with purelin (purely linear) transfer function. This model can be used to predict 2,4-D removal efficacy of any biomass ash by knowing its physicochemical properties like C, H, N, Si and BET surface area.

}, keywords = {2, 4-D, Adsorption capacity, Artificial neural network, Biochar, biomass ash}, issn = {1735-1472}, doi = {10.1007/s13762-020-02645-9, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Gokhale, N. A. and Trivedi, N. S. and Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {47319, title = {Boron nitride and oxide supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica for catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of propane}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {16124-16135}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we were able to significantly increase the activity of boron nitride (BN) catalysts used for the oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of propane by designing and synthesizing BN supported on dendritic fibrous nanosilica (DFNS). DFNS/BN showed a markedly increased catalytic efficiency, accompanied by exceptional stability and selectivity. Textural characterization, together with solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses, indicates the presence of a combination of unique fibrous morphology of DFNS and various boron sites connected to silica to be the reason for this increase in the catalytic performance. Notably, DFNS/B2O3 also showed catalytic activity, although with more moderate selectivity compared to that of DFNS/BN. Solid-state NMR spectra indicate that the higher selectivity of DFNS/BN might stem from a larger amount of hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups attached to B atoms. This study indicates that both boron nitride and oxide are active catalysts and by using high surface area support (DFNS), conversion from propane to propene as well as productivity of olefins was significantly increased.

}, keywords = {Electron microscopy, heterogeneous catalysis, Nanostructures, NMR spectroscopy, propane dehydrogenation, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c04148}, author = {Belgamwar, Rajesh and Rankin, Andrew G. M. and Maity, Ayan and Mishra, Amit Kumar and Gomez, Jennifer S. and Trebosc, Julien and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Lafon, Olivier and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article {45546, title = {Carbon quantum dots functionalized agarose gel matrix for in solution detection of nonylphenol}, journal = {Environmental Technology}, volume = {41}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {322-328}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nonylphenol, an endocrine disrupter, is widely released to the aquatic environment, which is accumulative and extremely toxic to aquatic organisms. Here, we report a simple and cost-effective large-scale green synthesis of water-soluble highly fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs) from marine biowaste (offshore washed algae) which gets quenched strongly in the presence of nonylphenol. These CQDs were around 20-40 nm in size and exhibit fluorescence constantly at 360 nm. The XRD profile depicted the interlayer spacing in the particle as 0.284 nm with a humped peak around 14 degrees showing the amorphous nature of the CQDs. FTIR spectra showed the stretching vibration of the hydroxyl groups (OH), asymmetric and symmetric stretching vibrations of the carboxylate anions (COO-). The fluorescence quantum yield of the CQDs is up to 68\% and nonyl phenol detection limit is less than 0.1 {\textmu}M. Furthermore, the CQDs were found to be stable at a wide pH range which makes it a suitable nonylphenol sensor for a variety of environmental samples. We functionalized these CQDs on an agarose gel matrix to develop a convenient sensor for the rapid detection of nonylphenol.

}, keywords = {Carbon quantum dots, endocrine disrupter, marine algae, nonylphenol, pollutant}, issn = {0959-3330}, doi = {10.1080/09593330.2018.1498133}, author = {Singh, S. and Nigam, P. and Pednekar, A. and Mukherjee, S. and Mishra, A.} } @article {47148, title = {Carbon supported size-controlled ru catalysts for selective levulinic acid hydrogenation into γ-valerolactone}, journal = {Journal of Siberian Federal University-Chemistry}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {5-16}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Liquid phase levulinic acid hydrogenation into γ-valerolactone in 1,4-dioxane as a solvent (165{\textdegree}C, 20 bar) was studied over a range of Ru monometallic catalysts using mesoporous carbon material Sibunit as a support. In addition to the catalyst prepared by impregnation with RuCl3.nH2O (0.1 M) followed by reduction in H2, size-controlled Ru(NPs)/Sibunit catalysts were synthesized by immobilization of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized Ru nanoparticles (NPs) (dRu=2.4 nm). Сarbon supported colloidal Ru NPs were not studied earlier in levulinic acid hydrogenation. Activity of colloidal Ru(NPs)/Sibunit catalysts was found to be lower than that of impregnated Ru/Sibunit which could be attributed to hampering effect of PVP. However, colloidal Ru(NPs)/Sibunit purified by thermal treatment in air (180{\textdegree}C) followed by reduction in H2 (400{\textdegree}C) exhibited the same activity as impregnated one yielding 93\% γ-valerolactone at 100\% levulinic acid conversion. Applicability of supported PVP-assisted colloidal Ru NPs in hydrogenation of levulinic acid illustrates a potential to prepare more efficient catalysts for this reaction with a desired particle size. The catalysts were characterized by TEM, XRF, and N2 physisorption to compare their physical chemical properties.

}, doi = {10.17516/1998-2836-0166}, author = {Simakova, Irina L. and Demidova, Yuliya S. and Simonov, Mikhail N. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Bokade, Vijay V. and Devi, Nandini and Dhepe, Paresh L. and Murzin, Dmitry Yu} } @article {46682, title = {Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline (vol 8, pg 2954, 2018)}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {6740}, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

Correction for {\textquoteleft}Cascade dehydrative amination of glycerol to oxazoline{\textquoteright} by R. Pandyaet al.,Catal. Sci. Technol., 2018,8, 2954-2965, DOI: ;10.1039/C8CY00185E.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d0cy90089c}, author = {Pandya, R. and Mane, R. and Rode, C. V.} } @article {46952, title = {Catalyst-free regioselective [3+2] cycloadditions of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-arylnitrones with alkenes to access functionalized isoxazolidines: a DFT study}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {899-903}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The catalyst-free regioselective [3+2]-cycloaddition of alpha,beta-unsaturated N-arylnitrones with alkenes are developed. The series of synthetically important functionalized isoxazolidines are prepared in good to excellent yields by step economic pathway under ligand and transition-metal-free conditions. The regioselective cycloaddition pathway supported by control experiment and computational study.

}, keywords = {DFT study, isoxazolidines, metal and ligand free, nitrone cycloaddition, Regioselective}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901754, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Ghosh, Arnab and Mane, Manoj V. and Rode, Haridas B. and Patil, Siddappa A. and Sridhar, Balasubramanian and Dateer, Ramesh B.} } @article {46776, title = {Catalytic reductive deoxygenation of esters to ethers driven by hydrosilane activation through non-covalent interactions with a fluorinated borate salt}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4586-4592}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the catalytic and transition metal-free reductive deoxygenation of esters to ethers through the use of a hydrosilane and a fluorinated borate BArF salt as a catalyst. Experimental and theoretical studies support the role of noncovalent interactions between the fluorinated catalyst, the hydrosilane and the ester substrate in the reaction mechanism.

}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d0cy00775g}, author = {Rysak, Vincent and Dixit, Ruchi and Trivelli, Xavier and Merle, Nicolas and Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine and Vanka, Kumar and Michon, Christophe} } @inbook {47779, title = {Chapter 9 - CRISPR-Cas9 for therapy: the challenges and ways to overcome them}, booktitle = {Genome Engineering via CRISPR-Cas9 System}, year = {2020}, pages = {101-110}, publisher = {Academic Press}, organization = {Academic Press}, abstract = {Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated (CRISPR Cas) is a component of the prokaryotic adaptive immune system which has been repurposed for genome editing in recent years. The precision, simplicity and flexibility of this system have opened up a broad range of biological applications covering basic research to biotechnology and medicine. Additionally, the multiplexing capabilities of CRISPR offers a promising approach for modeling or correcting common polygenic disorders along with its monogenic and infectious counterparts. Although CRISPR is not completely precise and questions remain regarding its specificity and modes of delivery, the robustness and wide applicability of this genome editing tool has opened up numerous ways to address these issues. In this chapter, we will discuss about initial progress toward CRISPR therapeutics, existing delivery modalities, the challenges before CRISPR editing before it becomes a therapeutic possibility and the ongoing efforts toward developing a perfect CRISPR system for bench to bedside application.}, keywords = {CRISPR therapeutics, CRISPR-Cas9, iPSC}, isbn = {978-0-12-818140-9}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-818140-9.00009-X}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012818140900009X}, author = {Sundaram Acharya and Souvik Maiti and Debojyoti Chakraborty}, editor = {Vijai Singh and Pawan K. Dhar} } @article {46941, title = {Concise enantioselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-goniothalamin oxide, a trypanocidal active agent via L-prolinol catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of cinnamaldehyde}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {393-398}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A short and straight-forward enantioselective synthesis of (R)-(+)-goniothalamin oxide 2 has been achieved with an overall yield of 39\% and 99\% ee. The synthetic approach involves L-prolinol catalyzed asymmetric epoxidation of cinnamaldehyde followed by Lewis acid-mediated diastereoselective allylation of epoxy aldehyde as the key chiral-inducing steps.

}, keywords = {Allylation, asymmetric epoxidation, Esterification, Grubbs{\textquoteright} catalyst, L-prolinol catalyst, Ring closing metathesis}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Kumar, B. Senthil and Mandle, Ram D. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article {46867, title = {Connecting microscopic structures, mesoscale assemblies, and macroscopic architectures in 3D-printed hierarchical porous covalent organic framework foams}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {142}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {8252-8261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The induction of macro and mesopores into two-dimensional porous covalent organic frameworks (COFs) could enhance the exposure of the intrinsic micropores toward the pollutant environment, thereby, improving the performance. However, the challenge is to build a continuous hierarchically porous macro-architecture of crystalline organic materials in the bulk scale. In this regard, we have strategized a novel synthetic method to create hierarchically porous COF foams consisting of ordered micropores (2-2.2 nm) and disordered meso and macropores (50 nm to 200 mu m) as well as ordered macropores (1.5 mm to 2 cm). Herein, graphene oxide was used for creating disordered macro and mesopores in COF-GO foams. Considering the rheological features of the precursor hydrogel, we could integrate crystalline and porous COF-GO foams into self-supported three-dimensional (3D)-printed objects with the desired shapes and sizes. Therefore, we have engineered the 3D macro-architecture of COF-GO foams into complex geometries keeping their structural order and continuous porosity intact over a range of more than a million (10(-9) m to 10(-3) m). The interconnected 3D openings in these COF-GO foams further enhance the rapid and efficient uptake of organic and inorganic pollutants from water (\>95\% removal within 30 s). The abundant distribution of interconnected macroporous volume (55\%) throughout the COF-GO foam matrix enhances the flow of water (1.13 x 10(-3) m.s(-1)) which results in efficient mass transport and adsorption.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.0c00555}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Usgaonkar, Saurabh and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Karak, Suvendu and Halder, Arjun and Tharkar, Minakshi and Addicoat, Matthew and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {46921, title = {Construction of unique SCF3-containing building blocks via allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2085-2093}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lewis base-catalyzed allylic alkylation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts with alpha-SCF3 ketones has been demonstrated. The developed strategy provides efficient access to a series of highly functionalized scaffolds featuring trifluoromethanesufinyl motif on a stereogenic carbon.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d0ob00104j}, author = {Halder, Priyanka and Pol, Mahesh D. and Ahire, Milind M. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {46760, title = {Correlation between multifunctional properties of lead free Iron doped BCT perovskite ceramics}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG }, pages = {17495-17507}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Present study investigates the effect of Fe doping on structural, microstructural, dielectric, ferroelectric, piezoelectric and magnetic properties of Barium calcium titanate (BCT) ceramics synthesized by solid state reaction route. The polycrystalline tetragonal structure of prepared ceramics was confirmed from XRD study. Analysis done using Rietveld refinement reveals reduction in lattice parameters as well as unit cell volume on substitution of Fe3+ ions in BCT lattice. Occurrence of four distinct Raman bands viz. 297 cm(-1) -302 cm(-1), 473 cm(-1)-475 cm(-1), 516 cm(-1) -524 cm(-1) and 729 cm(-1) -733 cm(-1) in Raman spectroscopic studies confirms the tetragonal phase of prepared ceramic compositions which are in accordance with XRD study. The Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis revealed polyhedral shaped grains whose average grain size decreased with increase in Fe content (x) in BCT ceramics. A diffused frequency independent phase transition was observed in temperature dependent dielectric measurements. Dielectric properties improved significantly, with shifting of transition temperature, T c close to room temperature with Fe doping. These studiessuggest applications of these ceramics in the development of environment friendly dielectric materials meeting X7R MLCCs specifications. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of these ceramic compositions were found to decrease with increase in Fe concentration. Feeble room temperature ferromagnetism was observed for composition x = 0.020.

}, keywords = {BCT, dielectric response, Fe doping, ferroelectric properties, Lead free ceramics, Magnetic measurements}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.04.045}, author = {Redhu, Preeti and Punia, Rajesh and Hooda, Ashima and Malik, B. P. and Sharma, Geeta and Sharma, Preeti} } @article {46480, title = {Degradation of metaldehyde in aqueous solution by nano-sized photocatalysts and granular activated carbon}, journal = {Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology }, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {July }, pages = {4505-4508}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metaldehyde has been detected in drinking water system in relatively high concentration exceeding European water quality standard. In order to address this problem, the aim of this project was to treat metaldehyde aqueous solution by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and granular activated carbon (GAC) column. Ten novel materials were tested for degradation rates of metaldehyde under ultraviolet light irradiation (UVC). For treatment of 1 mg/L metaldehyde solution by AOPs, the highest degradation rate is 16.59\% under UVC light with the aid of nitrogen doped titanium dioxide coated graphene (NTiO2/Gr). Furthermore, 0.5 mg/L is the optimal concentration for degradation of metaldehyde with N-TiO2/Gr under UVC light. Apart from that, the lifetime of GAC column could be elongated on condition that metaldehyde has been treated by AOPs previously. Hence, combination of AOPs and GAC column is promising in treating water containing metaldehyde.

}, doi = {10.1166/jnn.2020.17595}, author = {Kim, Jong Kyu and Jiang, Tingting and Li, Zhoujun and Mayadevi, Suseeladevi and Bharat, Kale and Joo, Jin Chul and Campos, Luiza Cintra} } @article {46841, title = {Design, expression, and evaluation of novel multiepitope chimeric antigen of Wuchereria bancrofti for the diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis - A structure-based strategy}, journal = {International Immunopharmacology}, volume = {83}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {106431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Global Program for Elimination Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is in an advanced stage and requires tools for diagnosing infection, assessing transmission and certification. This study was aimed at developing an antibody-based assay using a chiemric antigen containing multi-B-cell epitopes from antigens highly expressed in different stages of Wuchereria bancrofti to detect LF infection and its transmission. The antigen was express cloned and two indirect ELISA based (IgG1 \& IgG4 based) antibody assays were developed using the recombinant antigen. The chimeric antigen displayed 1 and 3-fold reactivity with IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies, respectively in microfilaraial (mf) positive sera when compared to that in sera samples of Non-endemic normal sera (NEN) (O.D, 0.13 +/- 0.20 and 0.18 +/- 0.07), thus differentiating infected from uninfected individuals. In IgG1 and IgG4 antibody assays, the multiepitope antigen also showed reactivity (O.D, 0.27 +/- 0.18 and 0.16 +/- 0.03) in a small proportion (18 and 30, respectively out of 156) endemic normal individuals and in IgG1 antibody in a few (4) chronic patients (CP). The antigen did not react with IgG1 or IgG4 antibodies in the sera samples of malaria, scrub typhus, dengue, hookworm, and roundworm helminth cases (0.139 +/- 0.018, 0.144 +/- 0.007 0.17804 +/- 0.007 and 0.162 +/- 0.006), thus showing its high specificity. The sensitivity (\%) and specificity (\%) of the multi-epitope antigen-based IgG1 and IgG4 antibody assays are 100, 98.1 and 100, 99.52, respectively. Thus, the recombinant multiepitope antigen appears to have good potential in detecting active LF infection and in assessing its transmission in endemic communities.

}, keywords = {Filariasis, Multi-epitope antigen, Serodiagnosis, Transmission}, issn = {1567-5769}, doi = {10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106431}, author = {Yasin, Nazeer and Laxmanappa, Hoti Sugerappa and Muddapur, Uday M. and Cheruvathur, Jennifer and Prakash, S. M. Uday and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu Venkataramaiah} } @article {46620, title = {Destroying antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR) and difficult, opportunistic pathogen using cavitation and natural oils/plant extract}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {69}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {105272}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study reports, for the first time, a new and techno-economic strategy for effective removal of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR) and difficult, opportunistic pathogen using cavitation and natural oils/plant extract. A hybrid methodology using natural oils of known health benefits has been discussed in combination with conventional physico-chemical method of hydrodynamic cavitation that not only provides efficient and effective water disinfection, but also eliminates harmful effects of conventional methods such as formation of disinfection by-products apart from reducing cost of treatment. A proof-of concept is demonstrated by achieving exceptionally high rates for practically complete removal of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) and relatively less researched, gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram-positive methicillin resistant, Staphylococcus aureus using a natural oil-Peppermint oil and two different cavitating reactors employing vortex flow (vortex diode) and linear flow (orifice) for hydrodynamic cavitation. \> 99\% disinfection could be obtained, typically in less than 10 min, using vortex diode with operating pressure drop of 1 bar and low dose of 0.1\% peppermint oil as an additive, depicting very high rates of disinfection. The rate of disinfection can be further increased by using simple aeration which can result in significant lowering of oil dose. The conventional device, orifice requires relatively higher pressure drop of 2 bar and comparatively more time (similar to 20 min) for disinfection. The cost of the disinfection was also found to be significantly lower compared to most conventional processes indicating techno-economic feasibility in employing the developed hybrid method of disinfection for effectively eliminating bacteria including AMR bacteria from water. The developed approach not only highlights importance of going back to nature for not just conventional water disinfection, but also for eliminating hazardous AMR bacteria and may also find utility in many other applications for the removal of antimicrobial bacteria.

}, keywords = {AMR bacteria, Cavitation, Disinfection, Oil, Water treatment}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105272}, author = {Mane, Maya B. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Balapure, Kshama and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {46768, title = {EGCG impedes human Tau aggregation and interacts with Tau}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {12579}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tau aggregation and accumulation is a key event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease. Inhibition of Tau aggregation is therefore a potential therapeutic strategy to ameliorate the disease. Phytochemicals are being highlighted as potential aggregation inhibitors. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is an active phytochemical of green tea that has shown its potency against various diseases including aggregation inhibition of repeat Tau. The potency of EGCG in altering the PHF assembly of full-length human Tau has not been fully explored. By various biophysical and biochemical analyses like ThS fluorescence assay, MALDI-TOF analysis and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, we demonstrate dual effect of EGCG on aggregation inhibition and disassembly of full-length Tau and their binding affinity. The IC50 for Tau aggregation by EGCG was found to be 64.2 mu M.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-69429-6}, author = {Sonawane, Shweta Kishor and Chidambaram, Hariharakrishnan and Boral, Debjyoti and Gorantla, Nalini Vijay and Balmik, Abhishek Ankur and Dangi, Abha and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {46821, title = {Electrospun nanofibers of Tin phosphide (SnP0.94) nanoparticles encapsulated in a carbon matrix: a tunable conversion-cum-alloying lithium storage anode}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {34}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7648-7657}, type = {Article; Proceedings Paper}, abstract = {

Anodes with improved Li storage capability are required for next-generation lithium batteries. In this work we report a convenient synthesis strategy, based on electrospinning followed by reduction and phosphorization, to prepare a tin phosphide (SnP0.94) phase in a carbon nanofiber matrix. The layered structure offered by the SnP0.94 phase, along with its small size (5-20 nm) encapsulated in the conducting carbon matrix, leads to promising electrochemical Li storage characteristics. This composite has a capacity of 750 mAh g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) with good cycling and rate stability. Electrochemical studies revealed a faster diffusion coefficient (1.86 x 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1)) for Li in the composite compared to the bare SnP0.94 (8.57 x 10(-14) cm(2) s(-1)), confirming the promise of this class of materials for cation storage in battery anodes.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c01046}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Malik, Wahid and Dwivedi, Pravin Kumari and Jones, Lathe A. and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {46817, title = {Electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) microfibers reinforced with ZnO nanocrystals for antibacterial and antibiofilm wound dressing applications}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {9754-9766}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Biocompatible and biodegradable polymers are extensively used in designing wound dressing materials. The present investigation deals with the preparation of a unique blend of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles incorporated in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) microfibersviaan electrospinning technique for antibacterial, antibiofilm and wound dressing applications. This composite was prepared by incorporating previously synthesized ZnO NPs with better antibacterial and antibiofilm activity in PHBV-PEO (4 : 1) polymers in chloroform solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy confirmed that ZnO NPs were incorporated in the PHBV-PEO microfibers. The synthesized microfibers exhibited enhanced mechanical properties after the incorporation of ZnO NPs. The results of antibacterial and antibiofilm activity of the prepared microfibers revealed that the incorporated ZnO NPs in different concentrations (1\%, 3\%, and 5\%) showed different degrees of antibacterial activity against pathogenic Gram-positiveStaphylococcus aureus(NCIM 2654) and Gram-negativePseudomonas aeruginosa(NCIM 5032), which are the main bacteria found in wound infections. The PHBV-PEO-ZnO microfibers exhibited excellent hemocompatibility with improved swelling behavior after the incorporation of ZnO NPs.In vitrocytotoxicity assays revealed the non-toxic nature of the prepared PHBV-PEO-ZnO microfibers. The current work confirms that utilizing a unique blend of the biodegradable, biocompatible, thermoplastic and hydrophobic natural polymer PHBV with hydrophobic, biodegradable, non-toxic and synthetic polymer PEO with ZnO NPs holds great potential for use as an antibacterial and antibiofilm material for wound dressing applications.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj01384f}, author = {Mahamuni-Badiger, Pranjali P. and Patil, Pooja M. and Patel, Pratikshkumar R. and Dhanavade, Maruti J. and Badiger, V. Manohar and Marathe, Yogesh N. and Bohara, Raghvendra A.} } @article {46633, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of gamma-phenyl-gamma-amino vinyl phosphonates and sulfones and their application to the synthesis of novel highly potent antimalarials}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {29025-29037}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Racemic and enantioselective syntheses of gamma-phenyl-gamma-amino vinyl phosphonates and sulfones have been achieved using Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination of trityl protected alpha-phenyl-alpha-amino aldehydes with tetraethyl methylenediphosphonate and diethyl ((phenylsulfonyl)methyl)phosphonate, respectively, without any racemization. The present strategy has also been successfully applied to the synthesis of peptidyl vinyl phosphonate and peptidyl vinyl sulfone derivatives as potential cysteine protease inhibitors of Chagas disease, K11002, with 100\% de. The developed synthetic protocol was further utilized to synthesize hybrid molecules consisting of artemisinin as an inhibitor of major cysteine protease falcipain-2 present in the food vacuole of the malarial parasite. The synthesized artemisinin-dipeptidyl vinyl sulfone hybrid compounds showed effective in vitro inhibition of falcipain-2 and potent parasiticidal efficacies against Plasmodium falciparum in nanomolar ranges. Overall, the developed synthetic protocol could be effectively utilized to design cysteine protease inhibitors not only as novel antimalarial compounds but also to be involved in other life-threatening diseases.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c03470}, author = {Aratikatla, Eswar K. and Kalamuddin, Md and Malhotra, Pawan and Mohmmed, Asif and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {46782, title = {Enantioselective synthesis of tricyclic beta-lactones by NHC-catalyzed desymmetrization of cyclic 1,3-diketones}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5407-5411}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The NHC-catalyzed desymmetrization of cyclic-1,3-diketones allowing the enantioselective construction of tricyclic beta-lactones with five contiguous stereocenters, including two quaternary stereocenters, has been developed. The mild and operationally simple addition of a-bromoenals to cyclopentane-1,3-diketone derivatives proceeds via the initial formation of chiral alpha,beta-unsaturated acylazolium intermediates and culminates in a cascade reaction, following the Michael-aldol-Iactonization pathway to deliver the beta-lactone derivatives in moderate to good yields and excellent selectivity.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01756}, author = {Shee, Sayan and Mukherjee, Subrata and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {47019, title = {Energetic and exergetic performance of NH3-H2O-based absorption refrigeration cycle: effect of operating factor}, journal = {International Journal of Exergy}, volume = {31}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {352-369}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

One of the major objectives while designing the vapour absorption refrigeration system (VARS) is to acquire better performance within the accessible heat source and sink temperature limit. In this paper, attempts are made to identify the temperature limit for the optimisation of a single stage ammonia refrigeration system (AAR) by performing a thermodynamic analysis. To estimate the potential of utilisation of low-grade heat energy, operating factor (R) is considered towards optimising the energetic (COP) and exergetic COP (ECOP). The simulated COP and ECOP results are expended to predict the feasibility and optimum operating region for an AAR cycle in terms of theRand various operating temperatures such asT(gen),T-abs,T-cond,T-e. The operating factorRcovers a wide range of applications i.e., from deep-freezing (253.15 K) to air conditioning (283.15 K) and from water-cooling (303.15 K) to air cooling (318.15 K).

}, keywords = {AAR, ammonia absorption refrigeration, cold storage, exergy, operating factor, solar energy}, issn = {1742-8297}, doi = {10.1504/IJEX.2020.107192}, author = {Takalkar, Gorakshnath Dadabhau and Bhosale, Rahul R. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Bhagwat, Sunil S.} } @article {47307, title = {Enhanced anti-ageing and wound healing properties of Ficus religiosa L. bark, leaf and aerial root extract in human keratinocytes cell line (HaCaT)}, journal = {Vegetos}, volume = {33}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {158-165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Plants have played a vital role in curative and preventive healthcare.\ Ficus religiosa\ L., a medicinally important tree has been used as a traditional medicine to treat various ailments and skin diseases. However, its skin anti-ageing properties are not yet scientifically evaluated. Here we report the comparison of\ F. religiosa\ bark (FRAqB), leaf (FRAqL) and aerial-roots (FRAqAR) extracts for skin anti-ageing and wound healing properties. FRAqB, FRAqL and FRAqAR extracts preparation, cell culture, RNA isolation, real time PCR, astringent activity and wound healing assay were carried out using standard methods. Axio Observer FL-microscope and ImageJ software were used for wound healing assay analysis. The real time PCR study reveals that matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP) RNA was downregulated to 75\% and 95\% for FRAqB and FRAqAR, respectively. For procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer 1 (PCOLCE), FRAqB and FRAqL enhanced RNA levels by 500\% and 300\%, respectively. FRAqB and FRAqL increased wound healing area to about 60\% and FRAqAR by 50\%. All three extracts demonstrated astringent activity which is significant for skin tightening. The study proves that extracts of\ F. religiosa\ are prominent candidates for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications such as skin anti-ageing and wound healing.

}, doi = {10.1007/s42535-019-00094-5}, author = {Pandey, Prem and Seo, Hyo Hyun and Kim, Hye-In and Ryu, Seung Hwan and Dingre, Medini and Moh, Sang Hyun and Kulkarni, Atul and Parasharami, Varsha A.} } @article {46929, title = {Enhancing titers and productivity of rCHO clones with a combination of an optimized fed-batch process and ER-stress adaptation}, journal = {Journal of Biotechnology}, volume = {311}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {49-58}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To increase the productivity of rCHO cells, many cell engineering approaches have been demonstrated that over-express or knockout a specific gene to achieve increased titers. In this work, we present an alternate approach, based on the concept of evolutionary adaptation, to achieve cells with higher titers. rCHO cells, producing a monoclonal antibody, are adapted to ER-stress, by continuous culturing under increasing concentration of tunicamycin. A sustained higher productivity of at-least 2-fold was achieved in all the clones, in a concentration-dependent manner. Similarly, a 1.5-2 fold increase in final titers was also achieved in the batch culture. Based on metabolic analysis of the adapted cells, a fed-batch process was designed where significantly higher titersare achieved as compared to control. Metabolic flux analysis is employed in addition with gene expression analysis of key genes to understand the basis of increased performance of the adapted cells. Overall, this work illustrates how process modifications and cellular adaptation can be used in synergy to drive up product titers.

}, keywords = {Adaptive laboratory evolution, CHO cells, ER-stress, Fed-batch, Increased productivity and titers, Recombinant protein production, UPR pathway}, issn = {0168-1656}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbiotec.2020.02.008}, author = {Chandrawanshi, Vikas and Kulkarni, Rohan and Prabhu, Anuja and Mehra, Sarika} } @article {46981, title = {Epoxy functionalized polymer grafted magnetic nanoparticles by facile surface initiated polymerization for immobilization studies of Candida Antarctica lipase B}, journal = {Reactive \& Functional Polymers}, volume = {147}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {104454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Immobilization of Candida Antarctica lipase B (Cal-B) was done on the epoxy functionalized polymer (EFP) grafted magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) via covalent attachment with the active epoxy groups. The EFP brushes were grafted on iron-oxide based MNPs by a facile surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using activators generated by electron transfer (AGET) of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA). Each step of the surface modification, polymer grafting, and enzyme immobilization process on the polymer grafted MNPs was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) calculated the amount of engineered organic components, a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) visualized the core-shell formation of the MNPs, and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) validated their magnetic properties at various modification stages. The lipase immobilization efficiency was described as a function of immobilization time, as well as, enzyme amount. The activity was characterized within a range of pH, temperature, kinetic parameters, resusability and storage stability, for both the free and immoblized Cal-B enzyme. The results of this study suggested that poly(GMA) grafted MNPs can be successfully used for the immobilization of Cal-B with improved efficiencies compared to those obtained with free soluble lipase. The reported enzyme immobilization method appears to be reproducible and scalable for industrial production.

}, keywords = {Cal-B enzymes, enzymes, Immoblization, Magnetic nanoparticles}, issn = {1381-5148}, doi = {10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2019.104454}, author = {Afzal, Haq Asif and Ghorpade, Ravindra V. and Thorve, Asmita K. and Nagaraja, Sreeharsha and Al-Dhubiab, Bandar E. and Meravanige, Girish and Rasool, Sahibzada Tasleem and Roopashree, Teeka S.} } @article {47325, title = {Evaluation of uttroside B, a saponin from Solanum nigrum Linn, as a promising chemotherapeutic agent against hepatocellular carcinoma (vol 6, 36318, 2016)}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {20431}, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-77440-0}, author = {Nath, Lekshmi R. and Gorantla, Jaggaiah N. and Thulasidasan, Arun Kumar T. and Vijayakurup, Vinod and Shah, Shabna and Anwer, Shabna and Joseph, Sophia M. and Antony, Jayesh and Veena, Kollery Suresh and Sundaram, Sankar and Marelli, Udaya K. and Lankalapalli, Ravi S. and Anto, Ruby John} } @article {46654, title = {EviMass: a literature evidence-based miner for human microbial associations (vol 10, 849, 2019)}, journal = {Frontiers in Genetics}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {614051}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {Human Disease, literature mining, microbial association, Microbiome, Web server}, doi = {10.3389/fgene.2020.614051}, author = {Srivastava, Divyanshu and Baksi, Krishanu D. and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46657, title = {Experimental analysis of vapour-liquid phase equilibria for binary systems of diethyl carbonate with methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, n-butyl and isoamyl acetates at 95 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics}, volume = {150}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {106189}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Experimental analysis of vapour-liquid phase equilibrium (VLE) for five binary pairs of diethyl carbonate (DEC) with methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, isopropyl acetate, n-butyl acetate and isoamyl acetate was carried out in this study. VLE data were generated experimentally at local atmospheric pressure of 95 kPa in a glass dynamic recirculation still. Reliability of data was checked with the thermodynamic consistency tests by Van Ness, infinite dilution, pure component and mean absolute deviation test. Experimental data was found to be thermodynamically consistent with all tests and data was regressed with Wilson, NRTL and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models to determine binary interaction parameters. Binary pair of DEC with n-butyl acetate has shown azeotropic behaviour with minimum boiling azeotrope and a close boiling behaviour through-out the composition range. No azeotropic behaviour was observed for the rest of the binary pairs. (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd.

}, keywords = {Diethyl carbonate, ethyl acetate, Isobaric, Isopropyl acetate, methyl acetate, VLE}, issn = {0021-9614}, doi = {10.1016/j.jct.2020.106189}, author = {Bhoi, Bharat R. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {46801, title = {Experimental and theoretical investigations of the effect of heteroatom-doped carbon microsphere supports on the stability and storage capacity of nano-Co3O4 conversion anodes for application in lithium-ion batteries}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {2914-2924}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Conversion-type anode materials have been intensely studied for application in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their potentially higher capacities than current graphite-based anodes. This work reports the development of a high-capacity and stable anode from a nanocomposite of N and S co-doped carbon spheres (NSCSs) with Co3O4 (NSCS-Co3O4). A hydrothermal reaction of saccharose withl-cysteine was carried out, followed by its carbonization. CSs when used as supports for conversion-type materials provide efficient electron/ion transfer channels, enhancing the overall electrochemical performance of the electrodes. Additionally, the heteroatoms doped in a carbon matrix alter the electronic properties, often increasing the reactivity of the carbon surface, and they are reported to be effective for anchoring metal oxide nanoparticles. Consequently, the NSCS-Co3O4 nanocomposites developed in this work exhibit enhanced and stable reversible specific capacity over several cycles. Stable cycling behavior was observed at 1 A g(-1)with 1285 mA h g(-1) of specific capacity retained after 350 cycles along with more than 99\% of coulombic efficiency. This material shows excellent rate capability with a specific capacity of 745 mA h g(-1) retained even at a high current density of 5 A g(-1). Detailed DFT-based calculations revealed the role of doped supports in controlling the volume expansion upon lithiation.

}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/dOna00261e}, author = {Dwivedi, Pravin K. and Nair, Aathira and Mehare, Rupali S. and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Joshi, Kavita and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {46856, title = {Experimental vapor-liquid phase equilibrium analysis of the binary systems of aniline with xylene isomers at 93.13 kPa}, journal = {Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data}, volume = {65}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2619-2624}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, vapor-liquid phase equilibrium (VLE) analyses of binary systems of aniline with four isomers of xylene, comprising p-xylene, m-xylene, o-xylene, and ethylbenzene, are reported at 93.13 kPa. The experimental VLE data was generated in a dynamic circulating vapor-liquid, and the data was found thermodynamically consistent using the Van Ness point-to-point consistency test. The experimental VLE data was regressed with the Wilson, NRTL, and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models to obtain the binary interaction parameters. No azeotropic or close-boiling behavior was observed in any of the binary pair, and these pairs were found suitable for separation through a conventional distillation method.

}, issn = {0021-9568}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jced.0c00019}, author = {Yadav, Satyajeet S. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {46905, title = {Extractive distillation configuration for nitric acid dehydration using sulfuric acid as a solvent}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {APR }, pages = {6183-6193}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, an extractive distillation configuration for dehydration of nitric acid is proposed with sulfuric acid as a solvent. Thermodynamic modeling of the vapor-liquid equilibrium of binary and ternary systems of nitric acid/water/sulfuric acid is carried out using the electrolyte non-random two-liquid (eNRTL-RK) thermodynamic property method in the Aspen plus process simulator. The model performance is validated by comparing the experimental data with the estimated data by the eNRTL-RK model and is found to be in good agreement. The thermodynamic model is then used for developing a triple-column extractive distillation sequence, comprising a preconcentration column, an extractive distillation column, and a solvent recovery column. The configuration is designed, simulated, and optimized to concentrate dilute nitric acid using sulfuric acid as a solvent to break the nitric acid-water azeotrope. The operating and structural parameters of the distillation configuration are optimized simultaneously with an objective of minimizing the energy consumption and the total annual cost (TAC) of the overall configuration.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.0c00052}, author = {Ghuge, Pravin D. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {46684, title = {Fabrication of mesoporous carbon supported Ni-Mo catalysts for the enhanced conversion of glucose to ethylene glycol}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {15958-15965}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mesoporous carbon (MC)-supported Ni-Mo catalysts with varying amounts of Ni (x= 0, 3, 6 and 9 wt\%) and Mo (y= 0, 10, 15 and 20 wt\%) were prepared using the wet-impregnation method and characterized. Their catalytic activity in the selective conversion of aqueous glucose solution (15 wt\%) to ethylene glycol (EG) in a batch reaction was investigated. A catalyst, with 3\% Ni and 15\% Mo on MC showed the highest activity and selectivity. The complete conversion of glucose with 63.2\% yield of EG was obtained in a reaction conducted for 6 h at 200 degrees C and 40 bar hydrogen pressure. A synergistic enhancement in catalytic performance was found when both Ni and Mo were present in the catalyst composition. The dispersion of Mo enhanced in presence of Ni and a part of Mo was reduced from +6 to lower oxidation states (+5 and +4), which imparted the acidity of the catalyst. Ni facilitated the hydrogenation activity and acid sites on Mo led to the retro-aldol reaction forming higher amounts of EG. The catalyst was found to be reusable.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj03196h}, author = {Kirali, Arun Arunima and Sreekantan, Sreejith and Marimuthu, Banu} } @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 {46689, title = {Five concomitant polymorphs of a green fluorescent protein chromophore (GFPc) analogue: understanding variations in photoluminescence with pi-stacking interactions}, journal = {Acta Crystallographica Section B-Structural Science Crystal Engineering and Materials}, volume = {76}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {850-864}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthetically modified green fluorescent protein chromophore analogue 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene imidazolinone (1) yielded five polymorphs (I, II, III, IV, V) concomitantly irrespective of the solvent used for crystallization. The pentamorphic modification of 1 is solely due to the interplay of iso-energetic weak intermolecular interactions in molecular associations as well as the conformational flexibility offered by a C-C single bond, which connects the electron-deficient moiety imidazolinone with the electron-rich trimethoxybenzylidene group. A common structural feature observed in all the polymorphs is the formation of a {\textquoteleft}zero-dimensional{\textquoteright} centrosymmetric dimeric unit through a short and linear C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bond engaging phenyl C-H and imidazolinone carbonyl oxygen. However, the networking of these dimeric units showed a subtle difference in all the polymorphs. The 2D isostructurality was observed between polymorphs I, II and III, while the other two polymorphs IV and V revealed only {\textquoteleft}zero-dimensional{\textquoteright} isostructurality. The different fluorescence emissions of Form I (blue) and Forms II to V (yellow) were attributed to the differences in pi-stacking interactions. It shows that one can modulate the photophysical properties of these smart materials by slightly altering their crystal structure. Such an approach will aid in developing new multi-colour organic fluorescent materials of varying crystal structures for live-cell imaging and fluorescent sensing applications.

}, keywords = {green fluorescent protein, hydrogen bonds, isostructurality, photoluminescence, pi-stacking, Polymorphs}, doi = {10.1107/S2052520620010343}, author = {Mali, Bhupendra P. and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Nikam, Shrikant B. and Puthuvakkal, Anisha and Vanka, Kumar and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {46883, title = {Flexible energy storage device based on poly(N-phenylglycine), an incentive-energy pseudocapacitive conducting polymer, and electrochemically exfoliated graphite sheets}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {6433-6441}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Poly(N-phenylglycine) (PNPG), an original pseudocapacitive conjugative conducting polymer (CP), was synthesized by the electro-oxidative polymerization method. The synthesis process involves in situ polymerization and electro-deposition of N-phenylglycine onto the surface of highly conductive, few-layered, exfoliated flexible graphite sheets (EFGSs). At first, the promising features of the conjugative structure of the as-prepared protonated PNPG were thoroughly investigated by UV-vis absorption spectrophotometry, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The protonated nitrogen groups facilitate the rapid accessibility of counter ions from the electrolyte. Electrochemical studies revealed that the PNPG/E-FGS electrode exhibits an extraordinary areal specific capacitance of 367 mF cm(-2) at 10 mV s(-1). A flexible solid-state symmetrical supercapacitor was further fabricated using PNPG/E-FGS electrodes, exhibiting a specific capacitance as high as 199 mF cm(-2) at 1 mA cm(-2) with an operating voltage of 1.1 V. Furthermore, the device delivered an excellent specific energy of 8.36 mu W h cm(-2) at a power density of 1.65 mW cm(-2) in a working potential window of 1.1 V. More significantly, the energy density was nearly doubled to 16.1 mu W h cm(-2) upon extending the potential window from 1.1 to 1.5 V. The extremely redox-active CP electrode is highly suitable for applications in high-energy electrochemical capacitors with wide operating potential window.

}, keywords = {conducting polymer, electro-polymerization, exfoliated graphite, flexible supercapacitor, poly(N-phenylglycine)}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c00880}, author = {Muniraj, Vedi Kuyil Azhagan and Boukherroub, Rabah and Shelke, Manjusha Vilas} } @article {46663, title = {Flim-MAP: gene context based identification of functional modules in bacterial metabolic pathways (vol 9, 2183, 2018)}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {605419}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {annotation, Bacteria, functional potential, gene context, genome, metabolic pathway}, issn = {1664-302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2020.605419}, author = {Bhatt, Vineet and Mohapatra, Anwesha and Anand, Swadha and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46890, title = {FunGeCo: a web-based tool for estimation of functional potential of bacterial genomes and microbiomes using gene context information}, volume = {36}, year = {2020}, month = {APR }, pages = {2575-2577}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Motivation: Functional potential of genomes and metagenomes which are inferred using homology-based methods are often subjected to certain limitations, especially for proteins with homologs which function in multiple pathways. Augmenting the homology information with genomic location of the constituent genes can significantly improve the accuracy of estimated functions. This can help in distinguishing cognate homolog belonging to a candidate pathway from its other homologs functional in different pathways. Results: In this article, we present a web-based analysis platform {\textquoteleft}FunGeCo{\textquoteright} to enable gene-context-based functional inference for microbial genomes and metagenomes. It is expected to be a valuable resource and complement the existing tools for understanding the functional potential of microbes which reside in an environment.

}, issn = {1367-4803}, doi = {10.1093/bioinformatics/btz957}, author = {Anand, Swadha and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mohapatra, Anwesha and Bhatt, Vineet and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46778, title = {Gas-solid interactions with reactive and inert gas molecules by NAPUPS: can work function be a better descriptor of chemical reactivity?}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {15528-15540}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The gas-phase vibrational spectra of reactive (H(2)and O-2) and inert gases (N(2)and Ar) have been studied by near-ambient pressure (NAP) ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (NAPUPS) up to 0.3 mbar pressure. The results obtained are divided into two parts and discussed. In the first part, the photoelectron spectra of monoatomic Ar and some homonuclear diatomic molecules, such as H-2, O-2, and N-2, have been recorded by NAPUPS and the effect of pressure on their energy position has been studied. It has been demonstrated that NAPUPS could be an essential tool to determine the intermolecular or interatomic interactions. In the second part, we have evaluated the influence of different solid surfaces on the binding energy (BE) position, the pattern of the vibrational features of diatomic N(2)molecules, and the first atomic levels (3p(3/2)and 3p(1/2)) of monoatomic Ar. It has been observed that with a change in the (electronic/chemical) nature of the surface, the BE of the above features also changes and reflects the change in the work function (phi) of the material. It is to be noted that Ar is an inert/noble gas and N(2)is the most stable molecule, and the above changes observed underscore that they can be employed as probe atoms/molecules to explore even the minor changes that occur on a solid surface due to a variety of reasons. Further, if the solid surface undergoes any chemical/electronic changes due to gas-solid interaction, such as oxidation/reduction, the phi of the surface changes again; this highlights the precise identification of the changes that occur under the reaction/measurement conditions. Therefore, the change in the BE of the gas-phase features can be used to determine even the minor changes in the phi of solid surfaces during the reaction or due to the reaction. The present findings have implications in probing the surface changes that occur in any surface-dependent phenomena, such as heterogeneous catalysis, electrochemistry, and materials that are predominantly controlled by surface contribution, such as layered (2D) materials, nanomaterials.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d0cp02456b}, author = {Ghosalya, Manoj Kumar and Reddy, Kasala Prabhakar and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Ranjan, Ravi and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {46835, title = {Generation and evaluation of pharmacologically relevant drug-drug cocrystal for gout therapy}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {3577-3583}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study reports a novel drug-drug cocrystal of febuxostat and piroxicam for the treatment of gout. Single crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a monoclinic system with P2(1)/c space group. The prepared cocrystal enhanced the solubility of febuxostat and piroxicam and improved the dissolution rate of piroxicam in pH 6.8 as compared to the pure drug. Further, the compressibility assessment of cocrystal by Aulton and Wells method confirmed its plastic behavior and suitability for direct compression.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.0c00106}, author = {Modani, Sheela and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Yadav, Balvant and Nangia, Ashwini K. and Shastri, Nalini R.} } @article {46819, title = {Gold-catalyzed alkynylative meyer-schuster rearrangement}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {4792-4796}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

By applying the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}interplay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} mode, which consolidates two key reactivity modes of gold catalysis, namely pi-activation mode and cross-coupling mode, the first alkynylative Meyer-Schuster rearrangement is designed and successfully implemented. The current protocol gives straightforward access to enynones, a highly valuable building block, from easily available propargyl alcohol feedstocks. Control experiments suggest an Au(III) catalyst triggers the Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, whereas monitoring the reaction with ESI-HRMS provided strong evidence in favor of a key alkynylgold(III) intermediate which supports the proposed {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}interplay{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} scenario.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c01596}, author = {Banerjee, Somsuvra and Ambegave, Shivhar B. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {46605, title = {HDAC6 ZnF UBP as the modifier of tau structure and function}, journal = {Biochemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {4546-4562}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Histone deacetylase 6 is a class H histone deacetylase primarily present in the cytoplasm and involved in the regulation of various cellular functions. It consists of two catalytic deacetylase domains and a unique zinc finger ubiquitin binding protein domain, which sets it apart from other HDACs. HDAC6 is known to regulate cellular activities by modifying the function of microtubules, HSP90, and cortactin through deacetylation. Apart from the catalytic activity of HDAC6, it interacts with other proteins through either the SE14 domain or the ZnF UBP domain to modulate their functions. Here, we have studied the role of the HDAC6 ZnF UBP domain as a modifier of Tau aggregation by its direct interaction with the polyproline region/repeat region of Tau. Interaction of HDAC6 ZnF UBP with Tau was found to reduce the propensity of Tau to self-aggregate and to disaggregate preformed aggregates in a concentration-dependent manner and also bring about the conformational changes in Tau protein. The interaction of HDAC6 ZnF UBP with Tau results in its degradation, suggesting either proteolytic activity of HDAC6 ZnF UBP or its role in enhancing autoproteolysis of Tau.

}, issn = {0006-2960}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biochem.0c00585}, author = {Balmik, Abhishek Ankur and Chidambaram, Hariharakrishnan and Dangi, Abha and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {47150, title = {Highly active Br{\o}nsted acidic silicon phosphate catalyst for direct conversion of glucose to levulinic acid in MIBK{\textendash}water biphasic system}, journal = {SN Applied Sciences}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {Article number: 51}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Due to depletion of fossil fuel reserves and environmental concerns demand the utilization of other renewable feedstocks such as biomass which is available abundantly in different quantities throughout the world. Catalytic transformation of this biomass or biomass-derived products such as glucose to valuable platform biochemicals viz: levulinic acid (LA) is academically as well as industrially important reaction. In the present work, Silicon phosphates (SixPO4) catalysts viz: Si10PO4, Si20PO4, Si30PO4, and Si40PO4 having solely Br{\o}nsted acidic properties were prepared by wet impregnation of H3PO4 (10{\textendash}40\ wt\%) on fumed silica followed by calcination at 550\ {\textdegree}C for 10\ h. The prepared catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as XRD; NH3-TPD; FTIR etc. Formation of silicon phosphate structure was found to depend on \% of P loading and its interaction with silica. The acidic property of SixPO4 catalyst was characterized by NH3-TPD and Pyridine-IR, confirmed that catalyst has exclusively strong Br{\o}nsted acidity. A high LA yield of 81\ mol\% over Si30PO4 has achieved at an optimized reaction condition of 140\ {\textdegree}C; 10\ h in MIBK{\textendash}water (9:1) biphasic system.

}, doi = {10.1007/s42452-019-1827-z}, author = {Bokade, Vijay and Moondra, Hitakshi and Niphadkar, Prashant} } @article {46834, title = {Highly efficient chemoselective N-tert butoxycarbonylation of aliphatic/aromatic/heterocyclic amines using diphenylglycoluril as organocatalyst}, journal = {Tetrahedron}, volume = {76}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {131223}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient approach for the Chemoselective N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of a variety of amines using diphenylglycoluril as organocatalyst has been described. For the first time, a plausible mechanism for the N-tert-butoxycarbonylation has been proposed using density functional theory (DFT) calculations supported by NMR studies. The reusability of the organocatalyst and observation of the desired N-Boc protected amines being formed without the formation of side products like urea, oxazolidinone, isocyanate, and N, N-di-Boc derivatives makes the present protocol desirable. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DFT studies, Diphenylglycouril, N-tert butoxycarbonylation, organocatalyst, Proton shuttle mechanism}, issn = {0040-4020}, doi = {10.1016/j.tet.2020.131223}, author = {Awasthi, Amardeep and Mukherjee, Anagh and Singh, Mandeep and Rathee, Garima and Vanka, Kumar and Chandra, Ramesh} } @article {46676, title = {Highly efficient micro-meso acidic H-USY catalyst for one step conversion of wheat straw to ethyl levulinate (biofuel additive)}, journal = {Microporous and Mesoporous Materials}, volume = {306}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {110474}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ethyl Levulinate (EL), biofuel additive can blend up to 20\% with biodiesel to improve its fuel properties. Till the date, there are reports on homogeneous catalysts (H2SO4, ionic liquid) for synthesis of EL from raw biomass like wheat straw. To best of our knowledge, there is no single report on heterogeneous catalyst for one step synthesis of EL directly from wheat straw. This work is a successful attempt to use heterogeneous micro-meso acidic H-USY (post dealumination and desilication) for direct one step conversion of wheat straw to EL with higher EL yield 24.5 wt\%, which is probably the highest so far.

}, keywords = {Acidity, ethyl levulinate, H-USY, Micro-meso, Wheat straw}, issn = {1387-1811}, doi = {10.1016/j.micromeso.2020.110474}, author = {Heda, Jidnyasa and Niphadkar, Prashant and Mudliar, Sandeep and Bokade, Vijay} } @article {46995, title = {Highly enantioselective synthesis of sitagliptin}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {9}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {189-191}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A highly enantioselective synthesis of sitagliptin, a potent DPP-4 inhibitor, is reported. Explicitly identified chiral FerroLANE ligands in the presence of rhodium catalyze the asymmetric hydrogenation of an enamine to yield sitagliptin with excellent enantioselectivity (98\% ee). The process was scaled up to 5 g and the final product was isolated as a phosphate salt with \>99\% ee.

}, keywords = {asymmetric hydrogenation, catalysis, FerroLANE ligands, Rhodium, sitagliptin}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.201900709, Early Access Date = JAN 2020}, author = {Khopade, V. Kishor and Sen, Anirban and Birajdar, Rajkumar S. and Paulbudhe, Uday P. and Kavale, Dattatry S. and Shinde, Prashant S. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {46930, title = {Highly sensitive label-free bio-interfacial colorimetric sensor based on silk fibroin-gold nanocomposite for facile detection of chlorpyrifos pesticide}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {4198}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, the preparation of gold nanoparticles-silk fibroin (SF-AuNPs) dispersion and its label-free colorimetric detection of the organophosphate pesticide, namely chlorpyrifos, at ppb level are reported. The silk fibroin solution was extracted from B. mori silk after performing degumming, dissolving and dialysis steps. This fibroin solution was used for synthesis of gold nanoparticles in-situ without using any external reducing and capping agent. X-ray Diffractometry (XRD), Field Emission Transmission Electron Microscopy (FETEM) along with Surface Plasmon Resonance based optical evaluation confirmed generation of gold nanoparticles within SF matrix. The resultant SF-AuNPs dispersion exhibited rapid and excellent colorimetric pesticide sensing response even at 10 ppb concentration. Effect of additional parameters viz. pH, ionic concentration and interference from other pesticide samples was also studied. Notably, SF-AuNPs dispersion exhibited selective colorimetric pesticide sensing response which can be calibrated. Furthermore, this method was extended to various simulated real life samples such as tap water, soil and agricultural products including plant residues to successfully detect the presence of chlorpyrifos pesticide. The proposed colorimetric sensor system is facile yet effective and can be employed by novice rural population and expert researchers alike. It can be exploited as preliminary tool for label-free colorimetric chlorpyrifos pesticide sensing in water and agricultural products.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-61130-y}, author = {Mane, Pramod C. and Shinde, Manish D. and Varma, Sanjana and Chaudhari, Bhushan P. and Fatehmulla, Amanullah and Shahabuddin, M. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh P. and Aldhafiri, Abdullah M. and Chaudhari, Ravindra D.} } @article {47021, title = {High-throughput metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses vet the potential route of cerpegin biosynthesis in two varieties of Ceropegia bulbosa Roxb.}, journal = {Planta}, volume = {251}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {28}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ceropegia bulbosa is an important medicinal plant, used in the treatment of various ailments including diarrhea, dysentery, and syphilis. This is primarily attributed to the presence of pharmaceutically active secondary metabolites, especially cerpegin. As this plant belongs to an endemic threatened category, genomic resources are not available hampering exploration on the molecular basis of cerpegin accumulation till now. Therefore, we undertook high-throughput metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses using different tissues from two varieties namely, C. bulbosa var. bulbosa and C. bulbosa var. lushii. Metabolomic analysis revealed spatial and differential accumulation of various metabolites. We chemically synthesized and characterized the cerpegin and its derivatives by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Importantly, these comparisons suggested the presence of cerpegin and 5-allyl cerpegin in all C. bulbosa tissues. Further, de novo transcriptome analysis indicated the presence of significant transcripts for secondary metabolic pathways through the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes database. Tissue-specific profiling of transcripts and metabolites showed a significant correlation, suggesting the intricate mechanism of cerpegin biosynthesis. The expression of potential candidate genes from the proposed cerpegin biosynthetic pathway was further validated by qRT-PCR and NanoString nCounter. Overall, our findings propose a potential route of cerpegin biosynthesis. Identified transcripts and metabolites have built a foundation as new molecular resources that could facilitate future research on biosynthesis, regulation, and engineering of cerpegin or other important metabolites in such non-model plants.

}, keywords = {5-Allyl cerpegin, Ceropegia, Cerpegin, LC-MS, metabolite, Transcriptome}, issn = {0032-0935}, doi = {10.1007/s00425-019-03319-8}, author = {Gharat, Sachin A. and Shinde, Balkrishna A. and Mule, Ravindra D. and Punekar, Sachin A. and Dholakia, Bhushan B. and Jayaramaiah, Ramesha H. and Ramaswamy, Gopalakrishna and Giri, Ashok P.} } @article {46975, title = {Improving the dissolution rate of the anticancer drug dabrafenib}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1035-1046}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Dabrafenib (DBF) is an anticancer drug with selective B-Raf (BRAF) inhibition activity. In 2013, DBF was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) as a dabrafenib mesylate salt (DBF center dot MS). Because of insolubility in aqueous medium, specifically at the pH 4-8 biorelevant range, DBF is a Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) Class II drug (i.e., low solubility and high permeability). Therefore, screening of novel salts and cocrystals was carried out using Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) coformers. A total of 10 salts/cocrystals including the mesylate salt were found to be stable under the crystallization conditions. Among acidic coformers, methane sulfonic acid (MS) and saccharin (SACH) formed salts, while fumaric acid (FA), succinic acid (SA), and adipic acid (ADA) gave cocrystals. However, monoamines formed a monohydrate salt where the water molecule is hydrogen bonded with the aminopyrimidine moiety of DBF. The replacement of monoamines with ethylenediamine (EN) dislocated the water molecule near the free amine of EN in the crystal structure with a change in space group from triclinic (P (1) over bar) to monoclinic (P2(1)/n). Dissolution measurements at pH 1.2 (0.1 N HCl) showed that DBF center dot EN superset of H2O dissolved rapidly compared to the DBF.MS salt (the dissolution rate of DBF center dot EN superset of H2O and DBF center dot MS is 11 and 2 times faster than that of DBF). Structure-activity relationship analysis showed that bonding of the aminopyrimidine moiety with strong hydrogen bond synthons inhibited dissolution, whereas a loosely bound or free site at the aminopyrimidine moiety enhanced the dissolution rate. Finally, a cytotoxicity study was performed for DBF, DBF center dot MS, and DBF center dot EN superset of H2O, which showed that DBF center dot EN superset of H2O is safe for normal cells and yet equally potent against cancer cells. Crystal engineering of an improved formulation of dabrafenib center dot ethylenediamine hydrate is presented as a new anticancer drug.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.9b01365}, author = {Rai, Sunil K. and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {46725, title = {Influence of cobalt on performance of Cu-CeO2 catalysts for preferential oxidation of CO}, journal = {Journal of Rare Earths}, volume = {38}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {941-950}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Copper and cobalt oxides supported on CeO2 were investigated for preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO-PROX) in the presence of excess hydrogen and CO2. (CuO)(1-x)(Co3O4)(x/3)-(CeO2)(2.5) (x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.85 and 1) catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation method. These mixed oxide catalysts were characterized by several physicochemical techniques, such as BET surface area (SBET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), temperature programmed reduction (TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). XRD studies show the peaks related to CuO and Co3O4 phases in copper and cobalt containing CeO2 catalysts. The average particle size of the CeO2 crystallites is in the range of 8-10 nm as evaluated from HRTEM studies. XPS studies demonstrate that Cu, Co and Ce in (CuO)(1-x)(Co3O4)(x/3)-(CeO2)(2.5) catalysts are presented in +2 and +1, +3 and +2 and +4 and +3 oxidation states, respectively. The catalyst with x = 0.75 shows better activity and selectivity towards CO-PROX. Though the catalyst with only copper (CuO-CeO2

}, keywords = {CO-PROX, Cu-CeO2, H2O addition, Methanation, XPS, XRD}, issn = {1002-0721}, doi = {10.1016/j.jre.2019.08.001}, author = {Malwadkar, Sachin and Bera, Parthasarathi and Satyanarayana, C. V. V.} } @article {47002, title = {Integration of heterogeneous acid and base catalysis for clean synthesis of jet-fuel precursor from carbohydrates}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN }, pages = {392-400}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

C-12 branched alkane fuel precursor was produced from carbohydrates using an efficient integrated solid acid and base catalysis approach involving: i) isomerisation-dehydration of carbohydrates to 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF) over solid acid catalyst having both Lewis and Bronsted sites) in a biphasic MIBK (methylisobutylketone): water + DMSO solvent system and ii) Claisen-Schmidt condensation of crude HMF with MIBK over solid base catalyst. Initially, high yield of jet fuel precursor, (E)-1-(5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-yl)-5-methylhex-1-en-3-one from pure HMF and MIBK was achieved over basic CaMgAl(231) catalyst. The glucose dehydration to HMF was optimized in biphasic MIBK: H2O-NaCl: DMSO (8:1.5:0.5; v/v/v) system, with complete glucose conversion and 42\% HMF yield over Zr-Mont possessing both Lewis and Bronsted acid sites. In an integrated dehydration + Claisen-Schmidt condensation sequence, Zr-Mont catalyst was filtered off and the crude HMF with MIBK underwent Claisen-Schmidt condensation over CaMgAl(231) catalyst. The overall 32\% yield of Claisen-Schmidt condensation product was achieved from glucose. MIBK acting also as a product extractant, could be recovered upto 80\%.

}, keywords = {Claisen-Schmidt condensation, dehydration, integrated, jet-fuel precursor, renewable}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.201903735}, author = {Shinde, Suhas and Tarade, Komal and Mitra, Gaurav and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {46939, title = {Intensified reactive distillation configurations for production of dimethyl ether}, journal = {Chemical Engineering and Processing-Process Intensification}, volume = {149}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {107824}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The combustion properties of dimethyl ether (DME) are similar to the conventional fuels; hence it is being used as a promising green energy source. The conventional method of DME production by methanol dehydration is highly energy consuming due to the use of a series of distillation columns. In the present study, an energy efficient reactive distillation configuration is proposed for DME production which leads to higher methanol conversion with less energy requirement as compared to reported configurations. The reactive distillation (RD) and dual reaction zone reactive divided wall column (RDWC) were analyzed using steady state ASPEN simulations. Subsequently, all the design parameters were optimized by sensitivity analysis to minimize the Total Annual Cost (TAC) of the configuration. The results showed that the RD column is more energy efficient than RDWC as it requires 10.68 \% less TAC. The proposed RD and dual reaction zone RDWC configurations were found to have less specific energy requirements and less cost per kg of DME than any other configuration reported earlier.

}, keywords = {Energy efficient configuration, Reactive distillation, Reactive divided wall column, Total annual cost}, issn = {0255-2701}, doi = {10.1016/j.cep.2020.107824}, author = {Gor, Nikhil K. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {47140, title = {Isolation of potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitor from a novel marine bacterium Arthrobacter enclensis}, journal = {SN Applied Sciences}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {Article number: 474}, abstract = {

Alpha-glucosidases are involved in the hydrolyzation of glycosidic bond of di- or oligo-saccharides into mono-saccharides, thus help in the breakdown and absorption of sugars. Inhibition of alpha-glucosidases by inhibitors tend to slow break down and release of sugars into the bloodstream and can be used as therapeutic agents in the treatment of diabetes and obesity. In particular, some of the inhibitors are used in the treatment mainly acarbose, voglibose, and miglitol. In this study, we have reported the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory compound from a newly described marine bacterium Arthrobacter enclensis. The purified compound from A. enclensis was identified by HPLC, and further FTIR and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) methods. The purified compound was annotated and identified by a Web tool CFM-ID (Competitive Fragmentation Modeling for Metabolite Identification). From analysis it was found that the compound showed high similarity with acarbose which is a C7N aminocyclitol compound. Further, we analyze the draft genome of A. enclensis using anti-SMASH. We observed that it matches the homology with biosynthetic gene cluster of acarviostatin and acarbose with 11\% and 7\% respectively. We demonstrated that, the purified compound from A. enclensis shows the inhibitory activity against alpha-glucosidase with an IC50 value of 500 {\textpm} 0.142\ μg/ml as compared to standard acarbose, which showed an IC50 value of 200 {\textpm} 0.012\ μg/ml. This result suggests that A. enclensis has a tendency to produce a C7N aminocyclitol like molecule which matched to acarbose and it uses different biosynthetic gene cluster for the synthesis of C7N aminocyclitol like molecule, which can be further used for the production and treatment purpose.

}, doi = {10.1007/s42452-020-2285-3}, author = {Mawlankar, Rahul B. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {47141, title = {Isothermal cold crystallization kinetics of borassus powder/poly(lactic acid) biocomposites}, journal = {Polymer Crystallization}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an important bioplastic which is semicrystalline with very slow crystallization rate. Therefore, the processed PLA products are usually amorphous and transparent with low mechanical properties. Currently, research efforts are focused on enhancing the crystallization rate of PLA. In this work, natural borassus fibers are incorporated into PLA and the isothermal cold crystallization kinetics is investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and Avrami equation. The isothermal cold crystallization studies revealed that, the relative crystallinity increases with the increasing content of borassus. The Avrami exponent {\textquotedblleft}n{\textquotedblright} was determined ~2.0 indicated the one-dimensional crystal growth with rod-like geometry. The overall crystallization rate increased due to the borassus content and was expressed by crystallization halftime (t1/2). This study clearly showed that borassus fibers act as nucleating agent.

}, doi = {10.1002/pcr2.10097}, author = {Marathe, Yogesh Nana and Chellaswamy, Ramesh and Badiger, Manohar Virupax} } @article {47026, title = {Kinetic and biocompatibility investigation on the catalytic ring opening polymerization of L-lactide in bulk using cyclic Bu2Sn initiators derived from ethylene glycol, pentaerythritol and cloisite 30B}, journal = {Polyhedron}, volume = {175}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN }, pages = {114202}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present work, considering a green approach, PLLA was synthesized by the ring-opening polymerization of L-LA using various cyclic initiators (2,2-dibutyl-2-stanna-1,3-dioxacyclo ethane (1), spirocyclic tin (3) and cloisite modified tin (5)). PLLA was characterized by size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, H-1 and C-13 NMR, XRD and MALDI-TOF. The molecular weight distribution was narrow (\<1.5) for both low and high molecular weights (\>85,000 g/mol). An X-ray study showed the crystalline nature of PLLA, irrespective of the different types of initiators and polymerization conditions. A kinetic investigation showed that all polymerizations were first order with respect to the monomer and no termination reactions occurred during the polymerization. MALDI-TOF spectra of PLLA chains doped with Na+ and K+ cations show that the PLLA prepared using initiators 1 and 3 have hydroxyl and carboxyl end groups without incorporation of tin. The MALDI-TOF spectrum of PLLA prepared using initiator 5 also enabled the simultaneous detection of the linear and cyclic structure of PLLA without tin. Biocompatible and biodegradable PLLA was obtained, which could be used for biomedical applications. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Cloisite modified tin, Cyclic tin initiator, MALDI-TOF, Poly (L-Lactide), Spirocyclic}, issn = {0277-5387}, doi = {10.1016/j.poly.2019.114202}, author = {Mohite, Kavita K. and Garnaik, Baijayantimala} } @article {46991, title = {Ligand structure directed dimensionality reduction (2D -> 1D) in lead bromide perovskite}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1888-1897}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Low dimensional (2D, 1D) lead halide perovskites are currently attracting huge research interest due to their enabling properties. Demonstrating synthetic control on the dimensionality/ structure of these perovskites is highly challenging. Dimensionality in these perovskites is largely dictated by the nature/structure and composition of the incorporating ligands and the utilized synthetic conditions. Here, we demonstrate chemical composition based control on reduction of dimensionality (2D -\> 1D) for lead bromide perovskite utilizing 2-(2-aminoethyl)isothiourea dihydrobromide as a common precursor ligand (Isothio Bromide). Controlling the hydrothermal reaction parameters (temperature, time) at a fixed precursor ratio affords corner-shared, contorted 2D sheet perovskite and corner-shared, contorted, chiral 1D chain perovskite. Such dimensionality reduction leads to contrasting photophysical properties: 1D chain perovskite shows long-lived and self-trapped broad band emission, whereas 2D perovskite shows short-lived, band edge emission with a long tail. Mechanistic studies and single crystal structure analysis reveal the incorporation of the utilized precursor ligand (Isothio Bromide) in 2D perovskite. Surprisingly, the 1D perovskite is found to be chiral (P2(1) space group) incorporating 2-(2-aminoethyldisulfanyl)ethanamine and ammonium ions as the achiral ligands generated in situ due to hydrothermal cleavage of the precursor (Isothio Bromide) ligand. Such structural and compositional change of the ligands, which manifests a different hydrogen bonding network in the resultant perovskite structure, plays a decisive role in dictating the final molecular formula and dimensionality/structure of the perovskite which largely controls their photophysical properties.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b11033}, author = {Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Haris, Muhammed P. U. and Shaikh, Samir R. and Lohar, Amruta and Mohanty, Ashutosh and Moghe, Dhanashree and Sharma, Shivani and Biswas, Chinmoy and Raavi, Sai Santhosh Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {46945, title = {Melatonin interacts with repeat domain of Tau to mediate disaggregation of paired helical filaments}, journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-General Subjects}, volume = {1864}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {129467}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tau is the major neuronal protein involved in the stabilization of microtubule assembly. In Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Tau self-assembles to form intracellular protein aggregates which are toxic to cells. Various methods have been tried and tested to restrain the aggregation of Tau. Most of the agents tested for this purpose have limitations in their effectiveness and availability to neuronal cells. We have tested melatonin, a neurohormone secreted by pineal gland and a well-known anti-oxidant, for its ability to interact with the repeat domain of Tau using ITC and NMR. In aggregation inhibition and disaggregation studies of repeat Tau, melatonin was found to modulate the aggregation propensity of repeat Tau at a concentration of 5000 mu M and was more effective in dissolving preformed aggregates rather than acting as an aggregation inhibitor. However, there were no major conformational changes in Tau in presence of melatonin as observed by CD spectroscopy. On the basis of our findings, we are proposing a mechanism by which melatonin can interact with the repeat domain of Tau and exhibit its disaggregation effect.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, Disaggregation, melatonin, Paired helical filaments, tau protein, Tauopathies}, issn = {0304-4165}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.129467}, author = {Balmik, Abhishek Ankur and Das, Rashmi and Dangi, Abha and Gorantla, Nalini Vijay and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {47315, title = {Metagenome sequencing to unveil microbial community composition and prevalence of antibiotic and metal resistance genes in hypersaline and hyperalkaline Lonar Lake, India}, journal = {Ecological Indicators}, volume = {110}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {105827}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lonar Lake (India) is a hyperalkaline and hypersaline soda lake encompassing unique microbial composition and functions. This ecosystem has not been explored for taxonomic diversity and functional aspects (with emphasis on antibiotic and metal resistance genes) using whole metagenome sequencing for multiple years. Bacterial diversity analysis during year 2013, 2016, and 2018 depicted differences in the dominance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. For archaeal diversity, a similar pattern persisted with higher abundance of Euryarchaeota. Functional metagenome analyses, indicated presence of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) and metal resistance gene (MRG) profiles in the lake. A wider continuum of resistance genes with dominant ARG types as multidrug resistance efflux pumps and beta-lactams were also observed. The lake resistome demonstrated fluoroquinolone and acriflavine resistance genes indicating sewage water contamination in the lake. The MRGs linked with resistance to toxic metals (arsenic, cobalt, cadmium, copper, and zinc) and cation efflux protein CusA and cobalt-zinc-cadmium resistance protein revealed metal contamination. This study could be a baseline for understanding prevalence of antibiotic and metal resistance mechanisms resulting from various anthropogenic activities nearby lake, and find integrated approaches for conservation of the precious Lonar Lake ecosystem.

}, keywords = {Archaeal diversity, ARGs, Bacterial diversity, Illumina sequencing, Lonar lake, MRGs}, issn = {1470-160X}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105827}, author = {Chakraborty, Jaya and Sapkale, Vibhavari and Shah, Manan and Rajput, Vinay and Mehetre, Gajanan and Agawane, Sachin and Kamble, Sanjay and Dharne, Mahesh} } @article {46595, title = {Mixed metal oxide: a new class of catalyst for methanol activation}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {534}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {147449}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we propose a mixed metal oxide as a catalyst and demonstrate it{\textquoteright}s ability to not only activate the MeOH molecule upon adsorption but also dissociate O-H and one of it{\textquoteright}s C-H bonds. MeOH activation is compared on two prominent facets of ZnAl(2)O(4 )viz. (2 2 0) and (31 1). While spontaneous O-H bond dissociation is observed on both facets, C-H bond dissociates only on the (3 1 1) surface. Multiple factors like atomic arrangement and steps on the surface, coordination of surface atoms, and their effective charges have a combined effect on MeOH activation. The (3 1 1) surface offers higher catalytic activity in comparison with (2 2 0) surface. Having a stepped surface, availability of multiple sites, and variation in the charge distribution are some of the reasons for better catalytic performance of (3 1 1) facet. Effect of orientation of MeOH with respect to the surface adds both, information and complexity to the problem. Observations pertinent to understanding this effect are also reported. A detailed analysis of atomic arrangement on the two surfaces provides a rationale as to why MeOH gets dissociated spontaneously on the mixed metal oxide. The promising results reported here opens up a new class of catalyst for research.

}, keywords = {DFT, MeOH, Spontaneous dissociation, ZnAl2O4}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147449}, author = {Mehta, Shweta and Agarwal, Sheena and Kenge, Nivedita and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Patil, Vipul and Raja, T. and Joshi, Kavita} } @inbook {47149, title = {Molecular determinants of GPCR oligomerization}, booktitle = {Molecular determinants of GPCR oligomerization}, number = {GPCRs}, year = {2020}, pages = {97-108}, doi = {10.1016/B978-0-12-816228-6.00006-4}, author = {Mohole, Madhura and Kumar, G. Aditya and Sengupta, Durba and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {46922, title = {Molecular networking and whole-genome analysis aid discovery of an angucycline that inactivates mTORC1/C2 and induces programmed cell death}, journal = {ACS Chemical Biology}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {780-788}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rediscovery of known compounds and time consumed in identification, especially high molecular weight compounds with complex structure, have let down interest in drug discovery. In this study, whole-genome analysis of microbe and Global Natural Products Social (GNPS) molecular networking helped in initial understanding of possible compounds produced by the microbe. Genome data revealed 10 biosythethic gene clusters that encode for secondary metabolites with anticancer potential. NMR analysis of the pure compound revealed the presence of a four-ringed benz[a]anthracene, thus confirming angucycline; molecular networking further confirmed production of this class of compounds. The type II polyketide synthase gene identified in the microbial genome was matched with the urdamycin duster by BLAST analysis. This information led to ease in identification of urdamycin E and a novel natural derivative, urdamycin V, purified from Streptomyces sp. OA293. Urdamycin E (Urd E) induced apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cell lines. Urd E exerted anticancer action through inactivation of the mTOR complex by preventing phosphorylation at Ser 2448 and Ser 2481 of mTORC1 and mTORC2, respectively. Significant reduction in phosphorylation of the major downstream regulators of both mTORC1 (p70s6k and 4e-bp1) and mTORC2 (Akt) were observed, thus further confirming complete inhibition of the mTOR pathway. Urd E presents itself as a novel mTOR inhibitor that employs a novel mechanism in mTOR pathway inhibition.

}, issn = {1554-8929}, doi = {10.1021/acschembio.0c00026}, author = {Dan, Vipin Mohan and Vinodh, J. S. and Sandesh, C. J. and Sanawar, Rahul and Lekshmi, Asha and Kumar, R. Ajay and Kumar, T. R. Santhosh and Marelli, Uday Kiran and Dastager, Syed G. and Pillai, M. Radhakrishna} } @article {46868, title = {Naftopidil molecular salts with improved dissolution and permeation}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {3064-3076}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Naftopidil (NFPD) is a alpha 1 adrenoceptor antagonist drug. Low solubility and low permeability are the major drawbacks of this drug. The synthesis of multicomponent crystalline forms of this amine functional group drug with carboxylic acid coformers, both achiral and chiral acids, provides a solution to improve its solubility as well as permeability. Nine molecular salts were crystallized by liquid-assisted grinding followed by isothermal crystallization. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the molecular salts showed that the structures are stabilized by strong N-H center dot center dot center dot O and O-H center dot center dot center dot O and weak C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds in the solid state. The bulk phase purity of new solid forms was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and the crystalline products were further characterized by IR spectroscopy and thermal analytical techniques (differential scanning calorimetry). The molecular salts exhibit superior dissolution rates compared to pure NFPD. However, during dissolution, NFPD showed decrease in concentration after 60 min for all salts due to precipitation. The supersaturation occurred due to salt disproportionation, which generates insoluble NFPD, as confirmed by PXRD of the residue. The salts reach high saturation concentration before 60 min, which is indicative of immediate release formulation to achieve fast onset of therapeutic activity. Moreover, the salts exhibit high saturation in phosphate buffer saline media and improved permeability compared to the pure drug. Finally, the D,L-malic acid racemate of NFPD shows enhanced dissolution and permeability compared to all other salts and pure NFPD.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.9b01689}, author = {Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Dandela, Rambabu and Tothadi, Srinu and Solomon, K. Anand and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {46802, title = {Nanocrystalline Ag3PO4 for sunlight- and ambient air-driven oxidation of amines: high photocatalytic efficiency and a facile catalyst regeneration strategy}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {29324-29334}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Selective oxidation of amines to imines using sunlight as clean and renewable energy source is an important but challenging chemical transformation because of high reactivity of the generated imines and lack of visible light-responsive materials with high conversion rates. In addition, oxygen gas has to be purged in the reaction mixture in order to increase the reaction efficiency which, in itself, is an energy-consuming process. Herein, we report, for the first time, the use of Ag3PO4 as an excellent photocatalyst for the oxidative coupling of benzyl amines induced by ambient air in the absence of any external source of molecular oxygen at room temperature. The conversion efficiency for the selective oxidation of benzyl amine was found to be greater than 95\% with a selectivity of \>99\% after 40 min of light irradiation indicating an exceptionally high conversion efficiency with a rate constant of 0.002 min(-1), a turnover frequency of 57 h(-1), and a quantum yield of 19\%, considering all of the absorbed photons. Ag3PO4, however, is known for its poor photostability owing to a positive conduction band position and a favorable reduction potential to metallic silver. Therefore, we further employed a simple catalyst regeneration strategy and showed that the catalyst can be recycled with negligible loss of activity and selectivity.

}, keywords = {amine oxidation, energy harvesting, nanocrystalline Ag3PO4, Photocatalysis, regeneration strategy}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.0c05961}, author = {Garg, Reeya and Mondal, Sanjit and Sahoo, Lipipuspa and Vinod, C. P. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @article {47318, title = {Nanoporous covalent organic framework embedded with Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticles as air-stable low-density nanomagnets}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {9088-9096}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) made of light atoms such as H, C, N, and O with a significant void-to-framework ratio are excellent low-density supports for nanoparticles (nPs). Their framework can be precoded with heteroatoms to ensure binding with metallic nanoclusters. With these advantages, if controlled amounts of magnetic nPs are anchored to them, they can yield low-density organic-inorganic nanomagnets. Their organic nature facilitates fusion with bulk materials such as paper/textile to enable bulk composites with well-dispersed low-density magnets, which have potential for defense and next-generation aviation applications. Herein, we have grown small Fe/Fe3O4 nPs (5-18 wt \%) inside a COF. Interestingly, 300 mg of this organic-inorganic framework material (containing 50 mg of nPs) can lift a vial of similar to 15,000 mg (300 times heavier). Also, the hydrophobic COF wraps around the Fe/Fe3O4 nanocluster retaining its room-temperature magnetic character even after 1 year, while the naked nPs lose it within a few days because of air oxidation. Bulk composites with paper and polymers have been made using this low-density Fe-COF to demonstrate their processability.

}, keywords = {air-stable nanomagnets, Covalent organic framework, Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticles, low-density nanomagnets, magnetic rayon, nanoporous COF}, issn = {2574-0970}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.0c01762}, author = {Kushwaha, Rinku and Kaleeswaran, Dhananjayan and Haldar, Sattwick and Chakraborty, Debanjan and Mullangi, Dinesh and Borah, Aditya and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Murugavel, Ramaswamy and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan} } @article {46784, title = {Nanoscale interplay of membrane composition and amyloid self-assembly}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5837-5846}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cell membranes are complex assemblies of lipids and proteins exhibiting lipid compositional heterogeneity between the inner and outer leaflets of the bilayer. Aberrant protein aggregation, implicated in a number of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s, is known to result in both extracellular and intracellular deposits with divergent pathophysiological effects. Mounting evidence substantiates membrane-mediated amyloid effects and indicates membrane composition, particularly gangliosides, as a plausible factor influencing the fibrillation process. By employing exhaustive molecular dynamics simulations using a coarse-grained model, we probed the assembly behavior of amyloidogenic A beta(12-28) peptides on the chemically heterogeneous extracellular (outer) and cytosolic (inner) leaflets of a mammalian plasma membrane. Our results indicate that the compositional nature of the membrane has a crucial impact on the peptide self-assembly. Peptide oligomerization is hindered on the outer leaflet relative to the inner leaflet due to a competition between interpeptide and peptide-membrane interactions, resulting in higher population of smaller oligomers. The weaker associations among peptides on the outer membrane can be attributed to the favorable interactions of the peptides with gangliosides (GM) that characterize the extracellular membrane. At a higher peptide:GM ratio, we observe enhanced nanoclustering of GM lipids mediated by preferential GM-A beta binding. Interaction between peptide and GM further impacts local membrane curvature; there is a concomitant loss in membrane concavity due to looser GM packing. Our simulations provide molecular insights into the role of membrane composition on A beta aggregation and lend credence to earlier reports of ganglioside-mediated A beta aggregation in the outer membrane. We also demonstrate the effects of local peptide assemblies on the membrane structure and dynamics.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c03796}, author = {Menon, Sneha and Sengupta, Neelanjana and Das, Payel} } @article {46852, title = {NetConfer: a web application for comparative analysis of multiple biological networks}, journal = {BMC Biology}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {53}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background Most biological experiments are inherently designed to compare changes or transitions of state between conditions of interest. The advancements in data intensive research have in particular elevated the need for resources and tools enabling comparative analysis of biological data. The complexity of biological systems and the interactions of their various components, such as genes, proteins, taxa, and metabolites, have been inferred, represented, and visualized via graph theory-based networks. Comparisons of multiple networks can help in identifying variations across different biological systems, thereby providing additional insights. However, while a number of online and stand-alone tools exist for generating, analyzing, and visualizing individual biological networks, the utility to batch process and comprehensively compare multiple networks is limited. Results Here, we present a graphical user interface (GUI)-based web application which implements multiple network comparison methodologies and presents them in the form of organized analysis workflows. Dedicated comparative visualization modules are provided to the end-users for obtaining easy to comprehend, insightful, and meaningful comparisons of various biological networks. We demonstrate the utility and power of our tool using publicly available microbial and gene expression data. Conclusion NetConfer tool is developed keeping in mind the requirements of researchers working in the field of biological data analysis with limited programming expertise. It is also expected to be useful for advanced users from biological as well as other domains (working with association networks), benefiting from provided ready-made workflows, as they allow to focus directly on the results without worrying about the implementation. While the web version allows using this application without installation and dependency requirements, a stand-alone version has also been supplemented to accommodate the offline requirement of processing large networks.

}, keywords = {Bioinformatics, biological networks, Interaction networks, Network comparison, visualization}, doi = {10.1186/s12915-020-00781-9}, author = {Nagpal, Sunil and Baksi, Krishanu Das and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46668, title = {NetConfer: a web application for comparative analysis of multiple biological networks (vol 18, 53, 2020)}, journal = {BMC Biology}, volume = {18}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {147}, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

}, doi = {10.1186/s12915-020-00898-x}, author = {Nagpal, Sunil and Das Baksi, Krishanu and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46899, title = {N-heterocyclic carbene catalysis exploiting oxidative imine umpolung for the generation of imidoyl azoliums}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {APR }, pages = {5114-5121}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Although NHC-catalyzed umpolung of imines are known, the related reactions under oxidative conditions are limited. Described herein is the two-step process involving the initial formation of aldimines from the corresponding aldehydes and 2-amino benzyl alcohols followed by NHC-catalyzed cyclization proceeding via the imidoyl azoliums under oxidative conditions. The reaction allowed the synthesis of trifluoromethylated 3,1-benzoxazines in good yields and broad scope. The role of NHC in the intramolecular cyclization and preliminary mechanistic experiments are also provided.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.0c00360}, author = {Das, Tamal Kanti and Madica, Krishnaprasad and Krishnan, Jagadeesh and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {46903, title = {NiFe layered double hydroxide-decorated N-doped entangled-graphene framework: a robust water oxidation electrocatalyst}, journal = {Nanoscale Advances}, volume = {2}, year = {2020}, month = {APR }, pages = {1709-1717}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Three dimensional (3D) porous carbon materials are highly desirable for electrochemical applications owing to their high surface area and porosity. Uniformly distributed porosity in the 3D architecture of carbon support materials allows reactant molecules to access more electrochemically active centres and simultaneously facilitate removal of the product formed during electrochemical reactions. Herein, we have prepared a nitrogen-doped entangled graphene framework (NEGF), decorated with NiFe-LDH nanostructures by an in situ solvothermal method followed by freeze-drying at high vacuum pressure and low temperature. The freeze-drying method helped to prevent the restacking of the graphene sheets and the formation of a high surface area nitrogen-doped entangled graphene framework (NEGF) supported NiFe-LDHs. The incorporation of the NEGF has significantly reduced the overpotential for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1 M KOH solution. This corresponds to an overpotential reduction from 340 mV for NiFe-LDHs to 290 mV for NiFe-LDH/NEGF to reach the benchmark current density of 10 mA cm(-2). The preparation of the catalyst is conceived through a low-temperature scalable process.

}, issn = {2516-0230}, doi = {10.1039/c9na00808j}, author = {Manna, Narugopal and Ayasha, Nadeema and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {46894, title = {Novel cilengitide-based cyclic RGD peptides as alpha nu beta(3) integrin inhibitors}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {30}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {127039}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this letter, we report a series of five new RGD-containing cyclic peptides as potent inhibitors to alpha nu beta(3) integrin protein. We have incorporated various unnatural lipophilic amino acids into the cyclic RGD framework of cilengitide, which is selective for alpha nu beta(3) integrin. All the newly synthesized cyclic peptides were evaluated in vitro solid phase binding assay and investigated for their binding behaviour towards integrin subtypes. All the cyclic peptides were synthesized in excellent yield following solution-phase coupling strategy. The cyclic RGD peptides 1a-e exhibited IC50 of 9.9, 5.5, 72, 11 and 3.3 nM, respectively, towards a alpha nu beta(3) integrin protein. This finding offers further opportunities for the introduction unusual amino acids into the cyclic peptide framework of cilengitide.

}, keywords = {Anticancer drugs, Cilengitide, Integrins, RGD cyclicpeptides}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127039}, author = {Meena, Chhuttan L. and Singh, Dharmendra and Weinmueller, Michael and Reichart, Florian and Dangi, Abha and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Zahler, Stefan and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {46948, title = {Novel hybrid cavitation process for enhancing and altering rate of disinfection by use of natural oils derived from plants}, journal = {Ultrasonics Sonochemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {104820}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study is an attempt to improvise the hydrodynamic cavitation methodology for effective disinfection of water and also to suggest prototype development for practical application. The enhancement in the disinfection efficiency was evaluated specifically for the effect of pressure, temperature, pH, microbial inoculum size and also on effect of different additives for the two model microbial strains, gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus). The efficacy of the hydrodynamic cavitation is evaluated for the two types of flows/cavitation devices - linear flow in the case of orifice and vortex flow for vortex diode. The vortex diode requires significantly lower pressures, 50\% lower as compared to orifice for the similar extent of disinfection. While the bacterial disinfection at high temperature is known, the usefulness of hydrodynamic cavitation is especially evident at ambient conditions and the process is effective even at very high concentrations of bacteria, not reported so far. The reactor geometry also has significant effect on the disinfection. The present study, for the first time, reports possible use of different natural oils such as castor oil, cinnamon oil, eucalyptus oil and clove oil in conjunction with hydrodynamic cavitation. The nature of oil modifies the cavitation behavior and an order of magnitude enhancement in the cavitation rate was observed for the two oils, eucalyptus and clove oil for a very small concentration of 0.1\%. The increased rates of disinfection, of the order of 2-4 folds, using oil can drastically reduce the time of operation and consequently reduce cost of disinfection. A possible mechanism is proposed for the effect of oil and hydrodynamic cavitation in cell destruction through the rupture of cell wall, oxidative damage and possible DNA denaturation. A cavitation model using per pass disinfection was used to correlate the data. The increased efficiency using oils and possible benefits of the developed process, where natural oils can be perceived as biocatalysts, can have significant advantages in practical applications.

}, keywords = {Antimicrobial, Cavitation, Disinfection, Oil, Wastewater treatment}, issn = {1350-4177}, doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2019.104820}, author = {Mane, Maya B. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Balapure, Kshama and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {46888, title = {Overturning the peribysin family natural products isolated from periconia byssoides OUPS-N133: synthesis and stereochemical revision of peribysins A, B, C, F, and G}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {22}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {3104-3109}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we report the stereochemical revision of peribysins A, B, C, F, and G, guided by enantiospecific total synthesis starting from (+)-nootkatone. Furthermore, we reconfirmed the absolute stereochemistry of peribysin Q The highlights of the synthesis are enone transposition and kinetic iodination resulting in separation of diastereomers. Our findings coupled with synthetic and biological data previously reported by Danishefsky{\textquoteright}s group suggest that the original stereochemistries of peribysins A, B, C, F, and G were misassigned.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c00857}, author = {Athawale, Paresh R. and Kalmode, Hanuman P. and Motiwala, Zenia and Kulkarni, Kiran A. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {46610, title = {P2O5-mediated Friedel-Crafts acylation of activated arenes with carboxylic acid as acylating agent}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1861-1867}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

P2O5 has been found to be a highly efficient and environmental friendly catalyst for the liquid-phase acylation of activated aromatic substrates giving aromatic ketones (45-93\%) in a regioselective manner. Both aromatic and aliphatic carboxylic acids can be employed as acylating source. The process is particularly demonstrated at 100 g scale in the case of anisole and acetic acid to produce 4-methoxyacetophenone.

}, keywords = {4-methoxyacetophenone, Carboxylic acid, Friedel-Crafts acylations, phosphorus pentoxide}, issn = {0376-4699}, author = {Kalshetti, Rupali G. and Mandle, Ram D. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Sudalai, Arumugam} } @article {46838, title = {Palladium-catalyzed insertion of ethylene and 1,1-disubstituted difunctional olefins: an experimental and computational study}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1200-1209}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Insertion or coordination copolymerization of ethylene with di-substituted olefins is challenging and the choice of di-substituted mono-functional olefin versus di-substituted di-functional olefin (DDO) appears to be decisive. Here we show that DDO-inserted species are amenable to ethylene insertion and polymerization. DDOs such as 2-acetamidoacrylic acid (AAA), methyl 2-acetamidoacrylate (MAAA), and ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate (ECA) were treated with palladium complex [{P perpendicular to O}PdMe(L)] (P perpendicular to O=kappa(2)-P,O-Ar2PC6H4SO2O with Ar=2-MeOC6H4; L=C2H6OS) and the existence of respective insertion intermediates in moderate yield (up to 37 \%) was established. These intermediates were exposed to ethylene and corresponding ethylene-inserted products were isolated and characterized. A careful comparison with three model compounds confirmed ethylene insertion and polymerization. Thus, the combined experimental and computational investigations show that DDO-inserted species can undergo ethylene insertion and polymerization.

}, keywords = {Homogeneous catalysis, insertion copolymerization, Olefins, Palladium, Polyethylene}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202000309}, author = {Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Patel, Ketan and Deshmukh, Satej S. and Mote, Nilesh R. and Birajdar, Rajkumar S. and Pandole, Satish P. and Chugh, Jeetender and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {46966, title = {Para-selective copper-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H amidation/dimerization of anilides via a radical pathway}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {56}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {1565-1568}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Copper-catalyzed amidation/dimerization of anilides via regioselective C(sp(2))-H functionalization is achieved. The para-selective amidation is accomplished on the anilide aromatic ring via a radical pathway leading to C-N bond formation in the presence of ammonium persulfate as a radical source/oxidant for the copper catalyst. The developed protocol tolerates a wide range of anilide substrates. The regioselectivity is confirmed by single-crystal X-ray studies.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/c9cc09824k}, author = {Viveki, Amol B. and Garad, Dnyaneshwar N. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {46706, title = {Phase- and morphology-controlled synthesis of tunable plasmonic MoO3-x nanomaterials for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy detection}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP }, pages = {21082-21093}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The enhancement of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) property of the plasmonic metal oxide semiconductor nanostructures by controlling their phase, shape, size, and oxygen vacancy to detect trace amounts of organics is of significant interest. In this study, a simple surfactant-free hydrothermal strategy was proposed to fabricate crystalline h-MoO3-x and alpha-MoO3-x nanomaterials with tunable plasmonic properties. Herein, the crystal phase, morphology, and oxygen vacancy of MoO3-x nanostructures were precisely controlled under suitable synthetic conditions. The plasmonic properties of the as-synthesized h-MoO3-x and alpha-MoO3-x micro-/nanostructures were controlled by adjusting the residual volume in the autoclaving chamber. In addition, the plasmonic MoO3-x exhibited SERS activity with a detection limit as low as 1.0 x 10(-9) M and the maximum enhancement factor (EF) up to 6.99 x 10(5) for h-MoO3-x, while for alpha-MoO3-x, the detection limit was 1.0 x 10(-7) M with the corresponding EF up to 8.51 x 10(3), comparable with plasmonic noble metal nanomaterials without a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}hot spot{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06004}, author = {Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Gaikwad, Supriya Hanmant and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {46794, title = {Phosphorous-doped graphitic material as a solid acid catalyst for microwave-assisted synthesis of beta-ketoenamines and baeyer-villiger oxidation}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {15962-15972}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of phosphorous-doped graphitic materials (P-Gc) using phytic acid as a precursor was done in a microwave oven in a cost- and time-effective green way. The material was used as a solid acid catalyst for microwave (MW)-assisted synthesis of beta-ketoenamines and Baeyer-Villiger (By) oxidation. In the case of BV oxidation, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used as a green oxidant. For beta-ketoenamines, in most cases, 100\% conversion with an similar to 95\% yield was achieved in ethyl acetate medium. In solvent-free conditions, the yield of beta-ketoenamines was similar to 75\%. A kinetic study suggested that the resonance stabilization of the positive reaction center happens in the transition state for beta-ketoenamine synthesis. In BV oxidation, cyclic ketones were converted to their corresponding cyclic esters in good to high yields (similar to 80\% yield) in a shorter reaction time (6-20 min). As per our knowledge, this is the first report of BV oxidation catalyzed by a heteroatom-doped graphitic material. For BV oxidation, the phosphoric acid functional groups present in P-Gc might increase the electrophilicity of the carbonyl group of the ketones to compensate for the weakness of H2O2 as a nucleophile and a spiro-bisperoxide intermediate has been identified in high-resolution mass spectrometry.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c01231}, author = {Maity, Sayantan and Ram, Farsa and Dhar, Basab Bijayi} } @article {46986, title = {Phytochemicals in cancer treatment: from preclinical studies to clinical practice}, journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1614}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Cancer is a severe health problem that continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide. Increasing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer progression has led to the development of a vast number of anticancer drugs. However, the use of chemically synthesized drugs has not significantly improved the overall survival rate over the past few decades. As a result, new strategies and novel chemoprevention agents are needed to complement current cancer therapies to improve efficiency. Naturally occurring compounds from plants known as phytochemicals, serve as vital resources for novel drugs and are also sources for cancer therapy. Some typical examples include taxol analogs, vinca alkaloids such as vincristine, vinblastine, and podophyllotoxin analogs. These phytochemicals often act via regulating molecular pathways which are implicated in growth and progression of cancer. The specific mechanisms include increasing antioxidant status, carcinogen inactivation, inhibiting proliferation, induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis; and regulation of the immune system. The primary objective of this review is to describe what we know to date of the active compounds in the natural products, along with their pharmacologic action and molecular or specific targets. Recent trends and gaps in phytochemical based anticancer drug discovery are also explored. The authors wish to expand the phytochemical research area not only for their scientific soundness but also for their potential druggability. Hence, the emphasis is given to information about anticancer phytochemicals which are evaluated at preclinical and clinical level.

}, keywords = {Anticancer, clinical, medicinal plants, phytochemicals, preclinical}, issn = {1663-9812}, doi = {10.3389/fphar.2019.01614}, author = {Choudhari, Amit S. and Mandave, Pallavi C. and Deshpande, Manasi and Ranjekar, Prabhakar and Prakash, Om} } @article {46949, title = {Phytochemicals in cancer treatment: from preclinical studies to clinical practice (vol 10, 1614, 2020)}, journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {175}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {Anticancer, clinical, medicinal plants, phytochemicals, preclinical}, issn = {1663-9812}, doi = {10.3389/fphar.2020.00175}, author = {Choudhari, Amit S. and Mandave, Pallavi C. and Deshpande, Manasi and Ranjekar, Prabhakar and Prakash, Om} } @article {46839, title = {Plant probiotic bacterial endophyte, alcaligenes faecalis, modulates plant growth and forskolin biosynthesis incoleus forskohlii}, journal = {Probiotics and Antimicrobial Proteins}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {481-493}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Coleus forskohliiis an herb, well-known for its medicinal compound forskolin present in its roots, with wide range of pharmaceutical applications. Here, we report, for the first time, the role of plant-probiotic bacterial endophytes ofC. forskohlii, CFLB1 and CFRB1, isolated from leaf and root, which regulate plant growth andin plantforskolin content. Native bacterial endophyte, CFRB1 (Alcaligenes faecalis), significantly modulates primary plant productivity and forskolin content under pot and field conditions. Under field conditions, CFRB1 endophyte application significantly enhanced photosynthetic pigments and reduced the severity of root-knot and root rot diseases. Expression analyses of functional genes involved in the forskolin biosynthesis inC. forskohliiplants treated with CFRB1 endophyte under field conditions revealed differential upregulation of fourC. forskohliiditerpene synthases (CfTPSs),CfTPS1,CfTPS2,CfTPS3andCfTPS4, along with cytochrome P450 (CfCYP76AH15) and acyltransferase (CfACT1-8) genes. CFRB1 treatment reduced the severity of nematode infection and root rot inC. forskohliiplants by 81 and 78\%, respectively. Overall, we demonstrate that cross-talk of plant-endophyte interaction inC. forskohliiis beneficial, leading to enhanced forskolin content through modulation of forskolin biosynthetic pathway genes along with increased plant yield and reduced disease incidence. Thus, endophytic isolate,A. faecalis(CFRB1), could be deployed as a novel bio-stimulant for enhancingin plantaforskolin content during cultivation ofC. forskohlii.

}, keywords = {Alcaligenes faecalis, CfACT1-8, CfCYP76AH15, CfTPSs, Coleus forskohlii, Forskolin, Plant-probiotic bacterial endophyte}, issn = {1867-1306}, doi = {10.1007/s12602-019-09582-1}, author = {Mastan, Anthati and Rane, Digeshwar and Dastager, Syed G. and Vivek Babu, Chikkarasanahalli Shivegowda} } @article {46727, title = {Plant-pathogen interactions: microRNA-mediated trans-kingdom gene regulation in fungi and their host plants}, journal = {Genomics}, volume = {112}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3021-3035}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been prevalently studied in plants, animals, and viruses. However, recent studies show evidences of miRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) in fungi as well. It is known that after successful infection, pathogens hijack the host machinery and use it for their own growth and multiplication. Alternatively, resistant plants can overcome the pathogen attack by a variety of mechanisms. Based on this prior knowledge, we computationally predicted milRNAs from 13 fungi, and identified their targets in transcriptomes of the respective fungi as well as their host plants. The expressions of the milRNAs and targets were confirmed using qRT-PCR. We found that plant miRNAs targeted fungal virulence genes, while fungal milRNAs targeted plant resistance genes; corroborating miRNA-mediated trans-kingdom gene regulation and the roles of miRNAs in plantpathogen interactions. Transgenic plants with miRNAs targeting fungal virulence genes, or anti-sense of fungal milRNAs, would be expected to be highly resistant to the fungal pathogens.

}, keywords = {Disease resistance, Fungal miRNAs, qRT-PCR, Resistance genes, Target prediction, Virulence genes}, issn = {0888-7543}, doi = {10.1016/j.ygeno.2020.05.021}, author = {Mathur, Monika and Nair, Aswathy and Kadoo, Narendra} } @article {46955, title = {Plausible diagnostic value of urinary isomeric dimethylarginine ratio for diabetic nephropathy}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2970}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Altered circulatory asymmetric and symmetric dimethylarginines have been independently reported in patients with end-stage renal failure suggesting their potential role as mediators and early biomarkers of nephropathy. These alterations can also be reflected in urine. Herein, we aimed to evaluate urinary asymmetric to symmetric dimethylarginine ratio (ASR) for early prediction of diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this cross-sectional study, individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), newly diagnosed diabetes (NDD), diabetic microalbuminuria (MIC), macroalbuminuria (MAC), and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were recruited from Dr. Mohans{\textquoteright} Diabetes Specialties centre, India. Urinary ASR was measured using a validated high-throughput MALDI-MS/MS method. Significantly lower ASR was observed in MIC (0.909) and MAC (0.741) in comparison to the NGT and NDD groups. On regression models, ASR was associated with MIC [OR: 0.256; 95\% CI: 0.158-0.491] and MAC [OR 0.146; 95\% CI: 0.071-0.292] controlled for all the available confounding factors. ROC analysis revealed ASR cut-point of 0.95 had C-statistic of 0.691 (95\% CI: 0.627-0.755) to discriminate MIC from NDD with 72\% sensitivity. Whereas, an ASR cut-point of 0.82 had C-statistic of 0.846 (95\% CI: 0.800 - 0.893) had 91\% sensitivity for identifying MAC. Our results suggest ASR as a potential early diagnostic biomarker for DN among the Asian Indians.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-59897-1}, author = {Parmar, Dharmeshkumar and Bhattacharya, Nivedita and Kannan, Shanthini and Vadivel, Sangeetha and Pandey, Gautam Kumar and Ghanate, Avinash and Ragi, Nagarjuna Chary and Prabu, Paramasivam and Pramodkumar, Thyparambil Aravindakshan and Manickam, Nagaraj and Mohan, Viswanathan and Sripadi, Prabhakar and Kuppan, Gokulakrishnan and Panchagnula, Venkateswarlu} } @article {46666, title = {Polymer nanorings with uranium specific clefts for selective recovery of uranium from acidic effluents via reductive adsorption}, journal = {ACS Sensors}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {3254-3263}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanostructured polymeric materials, functionalized with an appropriate receptor, have opened up newer possibilities for designing a reagent that shows analyte-specific recognition and efficient scavenging of an analyte that has either a detrimental influence on human physiology and environment or on its recovery for further value addition. Higher active surface area, morphological diversity, synthetic tunability for desired surface functionalization, and the ease of regeneration of a nanostructured material for further use have provided such materials with a distinct edge over conventional reagents. The use of a biodegradable polymeric backbone has an added significance owing to the recent concern over the impact of polymers on the environment. Functionalization of biodegradable sodium alginate with AENA (6.85\% grafting) as the receptor functionality led to a unique open framework nanoring (NNRG) morphology with a favorable spatial orientation for specific recognition and efficient binding to uranyl ions (U) in an aqueous medium over a varied pH range. Nanoring morphology was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images. The nanoscale design maximizes the surface area for the molecular scavenger. A combination of all these features along with the reversible binding phenomenon has made NNRG a superior reagent for specific, efficient uptake of UO22+ species from an acidic (pH 3-4) solution and compares better than all existing UO22+-scavengers reported till date. This could be utilized for the recovery of uranyl species from a synthetic acidic effluent of the nuclear power. The results of the U uptake experiments reveal a maximum adsorption capacity of 268 mg of U per g of NNRG in a synthetic nuclear effluent. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies revealed a reductive complexation process and stabilization of U(IV)-species in adsorbed uranium species (U@NNRG).

}, keywords = {biodegradable polymeric backbone, molecular recognition, nanostructured material, sodium alginate, uranium, uranyl-specific receptor}, issn = {2379-3694}, doi = {10.1021/acssensors.0c01684}, author = {Kushwaha, Shilpi and Mane, Manoj and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Das, Amitava} } @article {46762, title = {Proteomic analysis detects deregulated reverse cholesterol transport in human subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (vol 222, 103796, 2020)}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {224}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {103828}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103828}, author = {Das, Apabrita Ayan and Choudhury, Kamalika Roy and Jagadeeshaprasad, M. G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mondal, Prakash Chandra and Bandyopadhyay, Arun} } @article {46810, title = {Proteomic analysis detects deregulated reverse cholesterol transport in human subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction}, journal = {Journal of Proteomics}, volume = {222}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {103796}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) plays a critical role in removing cholesterol from the arterial wall. However, very few reports directly relate chronic inflammation and RCT with atherosclerosis. The present study was undertaken to investigate clinical implications of significantly altered circulating proteins in subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the manifestation of atherosclerotic events. Using a casecontrol design, more than 2500 proteins in both STEMI and healthy control subjects were identified by Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Quantitative proteomics study revealed downregulation of 26 proteins while expression of 38 proteins increased significantly in STEMI subjects compared to healthy controls. Pathway enrichment analyses indicated that most of the identified proteins were related to chronic inflammation, atherosclerosis, and RCT. Altered proteins such as AZGP1, ABCA5, Calicin, PGLYRP2, HAVCR2 and C17ORF57 were further validated by Western blotting analysis of human plasma. Pathophysiological significance was studied using macrophage derived foam cell for their critical role in RCT which indicated the imbalance of RCT via the interaction of AZGP1 with CD36. In summary, this study revealed a unique relationship of some novel proteins apparently responsible for impaired RCT and chronic inflammation leading to atherothrombosis and myocardial infarction. Significance: In the present study we identified \>= 2500 unique circulating proteins in healthy control and clinically diagnosed STEMI subjects among which 423 proteins were found to be common in both the groups. We further show 64 proteins significantly different between healthy control and STEMI subjects. Proteomic analyses reveal a panel of proteins associated with atherosclerosis and STEMI. One of the proteins, AZGP1, an adipokine, is likely to act as the missing link between chronic inflammation and cholesterol transport. Deregulation of reverse cholesterol transport might be orchestrated by AZGP1, CD36, ABCA5, and PPARy in STEMI subjects. The present study employs shotgun and quantitative proteomics followed by in vitro validations demonstrating a biochemical basis for reverse cholesterol transport in the local milieu of the luminal wall of the artery which are critical for plaque build-up and atherosclerosis.

}, keywords = {Atherosclerosis, AZGP1, CD36, Plasma proteomics, Reverse cholesterol transport, STEMI}, issn = {1874-3919}, doi = {10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103796}, author = {Das, Apabrita Ayan and Choudhury, Kamalika Roy and Jagadeeshaprasad, M. G. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Mondal, Prakash Chandra and Bandyopadhyay, Arun} } @article {46703, title = {Reduction of trap and polydispersity in mutually passivated quantum dot solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {8903-8911}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Control over surface passivation is a key to manage the optoelectronic properties in low-dimensional nanomaterials because of their high surface-to-volume ratios. Tunable band gap quantum dots (QDs) are a potential building block for the development of optoelectronic devices like solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. Long and insulating surface ligands of colloidally synthesized QDs are exchanged by short ligands to attain compact arrangement in thin films to facilitate the charge transport process. However, the ligand exchange process often resulted in reduced surface passivation, inhomogeneous QD fusion, and deterioration of energy band gap, which adversely impact their performance in solar cells. Here, we introduce a surface passivation strategy where the QDs are mutually passivated by the organic ligand 3-methyl mercapto propionate and inorganic halometallate ligands to develop a conducting QD ink. The mutually passivated QDs (MPQDs) show significant improvement in optoelectronic properties in maintaining the trap-free energy band gap and size monodispersity. The photovoltaic performance of MPQDs shows a 33\% average increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) over the conventional halometallate passivation to attain 9.6\% PCE in MPQD solar cells. The improvements in photovoltaic parameters are corroborated by the reduction in density of the intermediate trap states and an increase in depletion width and diffusion length in MPQD-based solar cells.

}, keywords = {polydispersity, quantum dot, solar cells, surface passivation, trap states}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.0c01378}, author = {Sharma, Ashish and Mahajan, Chandan and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {47453, title = {Reply to {\textquotedblleft}comment on {\textquoteleft}arresting an unusual amide tautomer using divalent cations{\textquoteright}{\textquotedblright}}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {125}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {479{\textendash}483}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In our publication, we assigned the blue-shifted shoulder of\ N-methylacetamide (NMA) in the infrared (IR) spectrum (\~{}1645 cm{\textendash}1) to an iminolate tautomer stabilized in the presence of divalent metal cations (e.g., 5 M Ca2+).(1)\ Cremer and co-workers comment that this shoulder arises from the dehydration of the amide oxygen upon interaction with the metal cations.(2,3)\ Their assignment is based on three interesting experimental observations: (1) the IR spectrum of\ 15N-isotope-labeled NMA does not show any considerable red-shift compared to that of NMA; (2) a new peak appears for NMA at 1680 cm{\textendash}1\ in the presence of 1 M DCl, which shows a 17 cm{\textendash}1\ red-shift for\ 15N-labeled NMA; and (3) the IR spectrum of acetone C=O stretch also demonstrates a blue-shifted shoulder in the presence of a high concentration of CaCl2.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c06005}, author = {Kashid, Somnath M. and Singh, Reman K. and Kwon, Hyejin and Seol, Jin Gyu and Kim, Yung Sam and Mukherjee, Arnab and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {46773, title = {Residue-based propensity of aggregation in the Tau amyloidogenic hexapeptides AcPHF6*and AcPHF6}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {27331-27335}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease and related tauopathies, the aggregation of microtubule-associated protein, Tau, into fibrils occursviathe interaction of two hexapeptide motifs PHF*(275)VQIINK(280)and PHF(306)VQIVYK(311)as beta-sheets. To understand the role of the constituent amino acids of PHF and PHF* in the aggregation, a set of 12 alanine mutant peptides was synthesized by replacing each amino acid in PHF and PHF* with alanine and they were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ThS/ANS fluorescence assay. Our studies show that while the aggregation was suppressed in most of the alanine mutant peptides, replacement of glutamine by alanine in both PHF and PHF* enhanced the fibrillization.

}, doi = {10.1039/d0ra03809a}, author = {Dangi, Abha and Balmik, Abhishek Ankur and Ghorpade, Archana Kisan and Gorantla, Nalini Vijay and Sonawane, Shweta Kishor and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose and Marelli, Udaya Kiran} } @article {46943, title = {Role of cholesterol-mediated effects in GPCR heterodimers}, journal = {Chemistry and Physics of Lipids}, volume = {227}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {104852}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane receptors that mediate a large number of cellular responses. The organization of GPCRs into dimers and higher-order oligomers is known to allow a larger repertoire of downstream signaling events. In this context, a crosstalk between the adenosine and dopamine receptors has been reported, indicating the presence of heterodimers that are functionally relevant. In this paper, we explored the effect of membrane cholesterol on the adenosine(2A) (A(2A)) and dopamine D-3 (D-3) receptors using coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. We analyzed cholesterol interaction sites on the A(2A) receptor and were able to reproduce the sites indicated by crystallography and previous atomistic simulations. We predict novel cholesterol interaction sites on the D-3 receptor that could be important in the reported cholesterol sensitivity in receptor function. Further, we analyzed the formation of heterodimers between the two receptors. Our results suggest that membrane cholesterol modulates the relative population of several co-existing heterodimer conformations. Both direct receptor-cholesterol interaction and indirect membrane effects contribute toward the modulation of heterodimer conformations. These results constitute one of the first examples of modulation of GPCR hetero-dimerization by membrane cholesterol, and could prove to be useful in designing better therapeutic strategies.

}, keywords = {Adenosine(2A) receptor, Cholesterol, Dopamine D-3 receptor, G protein-coupled receptors, Heterodimer, MARTINI coarse-grain simulation}, issn = {0009-3084}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2019.104852}, author = {Prasanna, Xavier and Mohole, Madhura and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {46881, title = {Room temperature processed in-situ carbon-coated vanadium carbide (VC@C) as a high capacity robust Li/Na battery anode material}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {161}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {108-116}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

3D carbide systems with their robust physical and mechanical properties have always attracted multiple application interests. In this report, we have synthesized a three-dimensional in-situ carbon coated cubic carbide, Vanadium Carbide (VC@C), by a very simple, scalable and cost-effective room temperature mechano-chemical ball-milling procedure and researched its promise as effective anode material for Li and Na ion batteries. We have demonstrated that VC@C shows an impressive initial discharge/lithiation capacity of 1165 mAh g(-1) with a high reversible capacity of 640 mAh g(-1) after 100 charge-discharge cycles at an applied current density of 0.1 A g(-1). We have also found that this material renders a very promising rate performance with significantly low capacity drop after exposing it to variable current densities ranging from 0.05 A g(-1) to 2 A g(-1) with an excellent stability up to 1000 cycles owing to its structural robustness, as verified by post-cycling characterizations. A Li-ion full cell study using LiCoO2 as cathode also showed excellent promise in terms of practical application demonstrating a reversible capacity of 95 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles. Even for Na insertion/de-insertion VC@C shows a clear promise in terms of capacity, cyclic stability and rate performance. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {3D carbide, In-situ synthesis, Li-ion battery, Post cycling characterization, Room temperature ball milling, Williamson-Hall analysis}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2020.01.057}, author = {Mahajan, Mani and Roy, Kingshuk and Parmar, Swati and Singla, Gourav and Pandey, O. P. and Singh, K. and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {46812, title = {Selective monoalkylation of hydroquinone in the presence of SO3H-functionalized ionic liquids as catalysts}, journal = {Chemical Papers}, volume = {74}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4461-4471}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A process aiming atO-alkylation of hydroquinone (HQ), where ionic liquids (ILs) act as catalyst is objectively described. Five SO3H-functionalized ILs having different cations were prepared and characterized by NMR and FTIR techniques. The acidity and thermal stability of ILs were determined by Hammett function and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The catalytic activity of these ILs were tested forO-alkylation of HQ with methanol in 4-methoxyphenol (4MP) in the presence of small amount of benzoquinone (BQ). The effect of reaction parameters such as temperature, time, catalyst loading and substrate concentration on the conversion of HQ and product distribution was examined and optimized to maximize the yield of 4MP using 1,3-disulfonic acid imidazolium hydrogen sulfate (IL2) catalyst. Maximum yield of desired product 4MP 93.79\% was obtained at 338 K temperature, 5.45 x 10(-2) mol HQ, 8.33 x 10(-3) mol BQ, and 10.37 mol\% catalyst loading in 120 min reaction time. Single-product formation was observed up to 338 K temperature but higher temperature (above 338 K) and longer reaction time resulted in the formation of 2,4-dimethoxyphenol (24DMP) as a by-product. Catalyst recyclability was also established up to the fifth run which showed no declination in its activity.

}, keywords = {4-Methoxyphenol, Benzoquinone, Hydroquinone, ionic liquids, O-alkylation}, issn = {2585-7290}, doi = {10.1007/s11696-020-01230-1, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Bhongale, Priyanka V. and Joshi, Sunil S. and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @article {46608, title = {Silver-catalyzed cascade cyclization/1,6-conjugate addition of homopropargyl sulfonamides to p-quinone methides: an approach to diverse 3-diarylmethine substituted dihydropyrroles}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC }, pages = {15038-15050}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A silver-catalyzed cycloisomerization/1,6-conjugate addition of homopropargyl sulfonamides to p-quinone methides to access diverse diarylmethine substituted dihydropyrroles has been disclosed. The reaction pathway involves an intramolecular cascade cyclization of homopropargyl sulfonamides to generate a highly reactive dihydropyrrole intermediate in situ followed by conjugate addition with p-quinone methides. This method provides an efficient and scalable route for the synthesis of 3-diarylmethine substituted dihydropyrroles, in one pot.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.0c01922}, author = {Shirsath, Sachin R. and Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Bahadur, Vir and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {46652, title = {Solution-phase hybrid passivation for efficient infrared-band gap quantum dot solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {12}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {49840-49848}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The broad tunability of the energy band gap through size control makes colloidal quantum dots (QDs) promising for the development of photovoltaic devices. Large-size lead sulfide (PbS) QDs, exhibiting a narrow energy band gap, are particularly interesting as they can be used to augment perovskite and c-Si solar cells due to their complementary NIR absorption. However, their complex surface chemistry makes them difficult to process for the development of solar cells. The shape of the QDs transformed from octahedron to cuboctahedron as their size increases, a phenomenon guided by surface energy minimization. As a result, the surface properties change drastically for large-size QDs, which exhibit nonpolar (200) facets and polar (111) facets, as opposed to only (111) facets in small-size QDs. Recent advancements in solution-phase surface passivation strategies, used for the development of high-performance solar cells using the small size and wide band gap QDs, failed to translate a similar enhancement in the case of large-size and narrow band gap QDs. Here, we report a hybrid passivation strategy for large-size and narrow band gap QDs to passivate both (111) and (200) facets, respectively, using inorganic lead triiodide (PbI3-) and organic 3-chloro-1-propanethiol (CPT). By employing charge balance calculation, we identified the desired narrow band gap for QDs to complement the perovskite and c-Si absorption. The distinct choice of the organic ligand CPT enhances the colloidal stability of QDs in the solution phase and improves surface passivation to stop QD fusion in solid films. Photophysical properties show narrower excitonic and emission peaks and a reduction in the Stokes shift. Hybrid passivation leads to a 94\% increase in the power conversion efficiency of solar cells and a 74\% increase in the external quantum efficiency at the excitonic peak.

}, keywords = {infrared band gap, polydispersity, quantum dot, solar cells, surface passivation, trap states}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.0c15703}, author = {Mahajan, Chandan and Sharma, Ashish and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {46712, title = {Structural and electrical characterization studies for ternary composite of polypyrrole}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {31}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {18400-18411}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, temperature dependence of alternate current (AC) and direct current (DC) conductivities of optimized polypyrrole/silver-tantalum oxide (PPy/Ag-Ta2O5), a ternary conducting polymer composite is comparatively studied with those of PPy and PPy/Ag. For the purpose, silver (Ag) nanoparticles were encapsulated with polypyrrole (PPy) by in situ oxidative polymerization to form core-shell structured PPy/Ag composite for which Ag nanoparticles were extracted from green tea. The PPy/Ag composite was then mechanically mixed with tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) to form PPy/Ag-Ta(2)O(5)ternary composite. Increase in depth of delocalization band of PPy in ternary composite as compared to those of PPy/Ag composite and PPy, indicating its increased AC conductivity confirmed from the comparative FTIR analyses. Interaction between PPy/Ag composite and Ta(2)O(5)in the ternary composite was confirmed from XRD studies. The formation of core-shell structured PPy/Ag composite and Ta(2)O(5)particles embedded in such PPy/Ag composite to form PPy/Ag-Ta(2)O(5)ternary composite confirmed from TEM and Raman studies. The frequency- and temperature-dependent electrical conductivity studies revealed increase in AC conductivity of the ternary composite as compared to those of PPy/Ag composite and pure PPy attributed mainly to interfacial effects. The charge transport in these samples predicted to be due to correlated barrier hopping of charges was confirmed by calculating their respective AC and DC activation energies.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-020-04386-4, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Megha, R. and Ravikiran, Y. T. and Kumari, S. C. Vijaya and Prakash, H. G. Raj and Revanasiddappa, M. and Manjunatha, S. and Dastager, Syed G. and Thomas, S.} } @article {47330, title = {Structural, Hirshfeld surface and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of five new N-aryl-N{\textquoteright}-alkoxycarbonyl thiocarbamide derivatives}, journal = {Phosphorus Sulfur and Silicon and the Related Elements}, volume = {195}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {812-820}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Five new compounds, N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(methoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (1), N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (2), N-(2, 4-dichlorophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(2, 2, 2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (3), N-(2,4-dichlrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(pentoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (4) and N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(pentoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (5), have been synthesized by the reaction of various alkoxy chloroformates with 2, 4-dichloroaniline/4-nitroaniline.The molecular structures of the compounds were elucidated by using spectroscopic methods (FT-IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR) and single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of compounds 2 and 5. Antiperiplanar orientation of C = O and C = S group across C-N bonds of thiocarbamide core may be due to the presence of intramolecular (N-H center dot center dot center dot O-C) hydrogen bond in the crystal structure of both the compounds. The presence of intermolecular interactions (C-H center dot center dot center dot S, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot S) in the molecular structure of the compounds has been studied in detail using Hirshfeld surfaces and their associated twodimensional fingerprint plots. In vitro cytotoxicity screening of the synthesized compounds evaluated on a panel of seven human cancer cell lines (cervical carcinoma (2008, C13*), colorectal (HT29 and HCT116) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1)) demonstrated significant inhibitory properties.

}, keywords = {Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure determination}, issn = {1042-6507}, doi = {10.1080/10426507.2020.1756809, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano} } @article {46879, title = {Structural, molecular, functional and immunological characterization of Wuchereria bancrofti-galectin}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {150}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {206-217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Galectins regulate growth and differentiation of immune cells and inflammation through their carbohydrate-binding function in humans, while also play a role in parasite survival. This study focused on the galectin of lymphatic filarial parasite Wuchereria bancrofti (Wb-Gal). The multiple sequence alignment with other galectins showed that the Wb-Gal belonged to galactoside binding lectin family, particularly tandem repeat type galectin-9. A homology model of Wb-Gal was developed in the I-TASser server using high similarity 3D structures with a quality score of 89.5. Molecular docking and dynamics studies revealed that the CCRD and NCRD of Wb-Gal bind with galactose and lactose. Further, Wb-Gal was cloned into the pET28 vector, expressed in E. coli Rosetta strain and purified by affinity chromatography. In the hemagglutination assays, the rWb-Gal bound to lactose, galactose, and glucose. Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) using different clinical filarial sera showed that the IgG and IgM response was against Wb-Gal x very high in all filarial clinical groups, whereas the IgA and IgG2 response was minimum to negligible. There was an enhanced response of IgG1 and IgG4 antibodies in Microfilaremics (MF) cases compared to Chronic Pathology (CP) and Endemic Normal (EN) individuals. Interestingly, the IgE response was comparatively higher in EN than MF and CP. These studies show that Wb-Gal is a member of the lectin family of proteins binding to different carbohydrates and may have an important role in the pathophysiology of filarial infection which needs to be investigated in greater detail. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Filariasis, Hemagglutination assay, Immunomodulation, Wuchereria bancrofti galectin}, issn = {0141-8130}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.02.024}, author = {Yasin, Nazeer and Laxmanappa, Hoti Sugerappa and Muddapur, Uday M. and Cheruvathur, Jennifer and Prakash, S. M. Udaya and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu Venkataramaiah} } @article {46914, title = {Structural studies on 10-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase: a novel linear substrate-specific dehydrogenase from Catharanthus roseus}, journal = {Proteins-Structure Function and Bioinformatics}, volume = {88}, year = {2020}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1197-1206}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Conversion of 10-hydroxygeraniol to 10-oxogeranial is a crucial step in iridoid biosynthesis. This reaction is catalyzed by a zinc-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, 10-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase, belonging to the family of medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR). Here, we report the crystal structures of a novel 10-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase from Catharanthus roseus in its apo and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP(+)) bound forms. Structural analysis and docking studies reveal how subtle conformational differences of loops L1, L2, L3, and helix alpha 9{\textquoteright} at the orifice of the catalytic site confer differential activity of the enzyme toward various substrates, by modulating the binding pocket shape and volume. The present study, first of its kind, provides insights into the structural basis of substrate specificity of MDRs specific to linear substrates. Furthermore, comparison of apo and NADP(+) bound structures suggests that the enzyme adopts open and closed states to facilitate cofactor binding.

}, keywords = {10-hydroxygeraniol dehydrogenase, iridoid biosynthesis, medium-chain dehydrogenase, monoterpene indole alkaloids, reductase, X-ray crystallography}, issn = {0887-3585}, doi = {10.1002/prot.25891, Early Access Date = MAR 2020}, author = {Sandholu, Anand S. and Mujawar, Sharmila P. and Ramakrishnan, Krithika and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Kulkarni, Kiran} } @article {46656, title = {Structure and regulation of SWEET transporters in plants: an update}, journal = {Plant Physiology and Biochemistry}, volume = {156}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1-6}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Sugar will eventually be exported transporters (SWEETs), a novel family of sugar transporters found in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes, facilitate sugar flux across the cell membrane. Although these transporters were first discovered in plants, their homologs have been reported in different organisms. SWEETs have critical roles in various developmental processes, including phloem loading, nectar secretion, and pathogen nutrition. The structure of bacterial homologs, called SemiSWEETs, has been well studied thus far. Here, we provide an overview of SWEET protein structure and dynamic function by analyzing the solved crystal structures and predicted models that are available for a few SWEETs in a monocot plant (rice) and dicot plant (Arabidopsis thaliana). Despite the advancement in structure-related studies, the regulation of SWEETs remains unknown. In light of reported regulatory mechanisms of a few other sugar transporters, we propose the regulation of SWEETs at the post-translational level. We then enumerate the potential post-translational modification sites in SWEETs using computational tools. Overall, in this review, we critically analyze SWEET protein structure in plants to predict the post-translational regulation of SWEETs. Such findings have a direct bearing on plant nutrition and defense and targeting the regulation at these levels will be important in crop improvement.

}, keywords = {oligomerization, Phosphorylation, Post-translational modification, Sugar transporters, Sugar will eventually be exported transporters}, issn = {0981-9428}, doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2020.08.043}, author = {Anjali, Anjali and Fatima, Urooj and Manu, M. S. and Ramasamy, Sureshkumar and Senthil-Kumar, Muthappa} } @article {46938, title = {Study of interfacial adhesion between nickel-titanium shape memory alloy and a polymer matrix by laser surface pattern}, journal = {Applied Sciences-Basel}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2172}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The aim of this article is to investigate the interfacial adhesion of Ni-Ti shape memory alloy with a polymer matrix of Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The surface pattern on Ni-Ti plates was channeled by a solid state laser machine. The laser machine allows for creating channels on the Ni-Ti surface for infiltration of the PMMA matrix, which could be attached as an intra-surface locking pattern to the Ni-Ti surface. The influence of the PMMA matrix on the surface of the NiTi plate was evaluated by thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The surface characterization was carried out by an optical microscope on the PMMA/NiTi composite after mechanical testing. During mechanical testing, the polymer displays the multiple cracks in the longitudinal direction that result in slipping and fracture. TMA and DMA analyses were performed on the Ni-Ti- and PMMA-coated Ni-Ti ribbon to observe elasticity and the storage modulus for both samples. Better adhesion than 80 \% was observed in the Ni-Ti surface, in the laser surface pattern, in comparison to the free plain surface. However, the polymer acts as mechanical backing that caused a reduction in the shape-memory properties of the composite material.

}, keywords = {adhesion, mechanical properties, NiTi composites, NiTi plate, PMMA, Polymer, surface features}, doi = {10.3390/app10062172}, author = {Samal, Sneha and Tyc, Ondrej and Heller, Ludek and Sittner, Petr and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj and Catauro, Michelina and Blanco, Ignazio} } @article {46735, title = {Synthesis and antimycobacterial screening of new 4-(4-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)quinoline derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {57}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3918-3929}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new series of 4-(4-(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)quinoline (6a-t) have been synthesized by a click reaction of 4-(4-ethynyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)quinoline (4a-d) with a substituted benzyl azide (5a-e). The starting alkyne derivatives4a-dare obtained from Bestmann-Ohira reaction of 1-phenyl-3-(quinolin-4-yl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde and dimethyl(1-diazo-2-oxopropyl)phosphonate. The newly synthesized compounds are screened againstM. tuberculosisH37Ra dormant and active,Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas fluorescence,Staphylococcus aureusandBacillus subtilisstrains at 30 mu g/mL concentration. Most of the screened compounds showed good to moderate antibacterial activity againstS. aureus,B. subtilis, andMycobacterium tuberculosisH37Ra strains. The synthesized derivatives of quinolinyl-pyrazole-4-carbaldehyde and quinolinyl-pyrazole-4-ethyne reportd good to moderate activity against both strains ofM. tuberculosisH37Ra. Ten derivatives of quinolinyl-pyrazole presented good activity againstB. subtilis. These results suggested that further optimization and development of quinolinyl-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole moeity could serve as lead compounds for antimycobacterial activity.

}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.4101, Early Access Date = AUG 2020}, author = {Thakare, Prashant P. and Walunj, Yogesh and Chavan, Abhijit and Bobade, Vivek D. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @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 {46928, title = {Synthesis and characterization of supported heteropoly acid: efficient solid acid catalyst for glycerol esterification to produce biofuel additives}, journal = {Inorganic and Nano-Metal Chemistry}, volume = {50}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV }, pages = {1157-1165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Esterification of glycerol with acetic acid has been studied with different solid acid catalysts, prepared by impregnating phospotungustic, silicotungstic, and phosphomolybdic acids on polymeric material polyvinylpyrrolidone. These results were compared with commercially available montmorillonite KSFO catalyst showed that PVP-DTP gave higher selectivity to di- and triacetins. This study was mainly focused on increasing the selectivity toward triacetin which is an excellent alternative to fossil fuel based fuel additives. The detail characterization was done for the PVP-DTP catalyst which gave complete conversion of glycerol and maximum selectivity of 34\% toward triacetin. Complete conversion of glycerol was achieved at 110 degrees C within 6 h of reaction time. The characterization of the catalyst was performed by SEM/EDX, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetic techniques, and FT-IR analysis.TPD-NH3 characterization showed that DTP supported on PVP increases the catalyst acidity of PVP. The highest acidity of PVP-DTP is also confirmed using NH3-TPD analysis.

}, keywords = {Glycerol, phospostugustic acid, povidone, solid acid catalyst, triacetin}, issn = {2470-1556}, doi = {10.1080/24701556.2020.1737817, Early Access Date = MAR 2020}, author = {Magar, Subhash and Mohanraj, Govindraj T. and Jana, Sumit Kumar and Rode, V, Chandrashekhar} } @article {46960, title = {Synthesis, characterisation, Hirshfeld surface and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of new N-aryl-N {\textquoteleft}-Alkoxycarbonyl thiocarbamide derivatives}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1202}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {127269}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Four new compounds N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(isobutoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (1), N-(2, 4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(isobutoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (2), N-(4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (3) and N-(2-Chloro- 4-nitrophenyl)-N{\textquoteright}-(ethoxycarbonyl) thiocarbamide (4) were prepared and their structures confirmed by using various spectroscopic (FT-IR, UV-Visible, H-1 and C-13 NMR) and single crystal X-ray studies of 1 and 3. The presence of intramolecular (N-H center dot center dot center dot O=C) hydrogen bond in the crystal structure of both the compounds causes planarity of carbonyl thiocarbamide unit and trans orientation of C=O and C=S group. The intermolecular contacts (C-H center dot center dot center dot S, C-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot S) present in crystal structures have been examined by Hirshfeld surface analysis and their associated 2D fingerprint plots. All the compounds were assessed for their in vitro cytotoxic properties against a panel of seven human cancer cells such as cervical carcinoma (2008, C13*), colorectal (HT29 and HCT116) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780, A2780/CP and IGROV-1). Among them, compounds 2 and 4 exhibited better activity than 1 and 3 against all the cell lines tested. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Hirshfeld surface analysis, In vitro cytotoxicity, Thiocarbamide, X-ray crystal structure}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.127269}, author = {Pandey, Sunil K. and Pratap, Seema and Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano and Kaur, Manpreet and Jasinski, Jerry P.} } @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 {46849, title = {Synthesis of 2-azabicyclo[m.n.0]-alkanes and their application towards the synthesis of strychnos and stemona classes of alkaloids}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2020}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL }, pages = {3883-3888}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2-Azabicyclo[m.n.0]alkane ring systems, the conceptual precursors towards the synthesis of Strychnos and Stemona classes of alkaloids, were synthesized from tert-butyl 2-(phenylsulfonyl)-7-aza-bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-7-carboxylate by alkyl Grignard reaction and intramolecular cyclisation of the in situ generated ring opening product 2. The synthesized cis-hexahydroindole 3 and cis-octahydro-benzo[b]azepine 5 scaffolds were utilized to construct the advanced intermediates 25 and 35, respectively, towards the synthesis of the corresponding Strychnos and Stemona classes of alkaloids.

}, keywords = {alkaloids, amines, Grignard reaction, Michael addition, Natural products}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202000507, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Majumder, Binoy and Pandey, Ganesh} } @article {46967, title = {Synthesis of ethyl furfuryl ether (potential biofuel) by etherification of furfuryl alcohol with ethanol over heterogenized reusable H1Cs2PW12O40 catalyst}, journal = {Research on Chemical Intermediates}, volume = {46}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {2309-2325}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{Ethyl furfuryl ether (EFE) considered as potential biofuel can replace petroleum diesel up to 100\%. EFE also has efficient blending properties with biodiesel to improve its cold flow properties. Herein we demonstrate efficient synthesis of EFE by etherification of renewable furfuryl alcohol (FAlc) with ethanol over heterogenized heteropoly acids. Cs-exchanged heterogenized heteropoly acid (H3-xCsxPW12O40

}, keywords = {B, etherification, Ethyl furfuryl ether, Furfuryl alcohol, H3-xCsxPW12O40, Heterogenized heteropoly acid, L ration}, issn = {0922-6168}, doi = {10.1007/s11164-020-04093-z, Early Access Date = FEB 2020}, author = {Mulik, Nagesh L. and Niphadkar, Prashant S. and Bokade, Vijay V.} } @article {46826, title = {Synthesis of novel of 2, 5-disubstituted 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives and their in vitro anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant evaluation, and molecular docking study}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {30}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN}, pages = {127136}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A series of novel 2, 5-disubstituted 1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole derivatives as a potential anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant agent were synthesized via cyclisation. Hydrazide molecule treated with substituted acids in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride (POCl3) as an efficient reagent as well as solvent by conventional method with shorter reaction time and excellent yield. The newly synthesized 1, 3, 4-oxadiazole derivatives exhibited excellent to good anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities compaired to the standard drugs. Molecular docking study on the crucial anti-inflammatory target-cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) revealed the ability of the scaffold to correctly recognize the active site and achieve significant bonded and non-bonded interactions with key residues therein. This study could identify potential compounds which can be pertinent starting points for structure-based drug design to obtain newer anti-inflammatory agents.

}, keywords = {1, 3, 4-Oxadiazole, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-Oxidant, Biological activity, computational chemistry}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127136}, author = {Kashid, Bharat B. and Salunkhe, Pravin H. and Dongare, Balasaheb B. and More, Kishor R. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Ghanwat, Anil A.} } @article {46873, title = {Synthesis of phospho-polypeptides via phosphate-containing N-carboxyanhydride: application in enzyme-induced self-assembly, and calcium carbonate mineralization}, journal = {ChemPlusChem}, volume = {85}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1053-1064}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An easy synthetic strategy was developed to synthesize the phosphate-functionalized amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA), using simple primary amine initiators to obtain homo and block phospho-polypeptides with controlled molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. The methodology was extended to the synthesis of the end-functionalized homo polypeptides (15 to 50 repeat unit) and block co-polypeptides with PEG (0.7 K, 2 K, and 5 K) and glycopolypeptide (15-unit mannose glycopolypeptide) as one of the blocks. The deprotected fully water-soluble anionic phosphate-based polypeptides showed pH-dependent helical conformation with a helical content of 20 \%, which further changed to beta-sheets upon addition of the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) due to dephosphorylation. The block co-polypeptide containing PEG as one of the blocks led to its self-assembly into colloidal structures, such as vesicles with a hydrodynamic diameter of similar to 250 nm, due to the formation of amphiphilic block co-polymer upon dephosphorylation. The nature of the colloidal structures formed can be temporally controlled by the extent of dephosphorylation. Finally, the phospho-polypeptides serve as a template for the mineralization of calcium carbonate with varying polymorphs and morphologies.

}, keywords = {Biomineralization, enzymes, phosphopolypeptides, Proteins, Self-assembly}, issn = {2192-6506}, doi = {10.1002/cplu.202000322}, author = {Mondal, Basudeb and Das, Soumen and Panda, Sidharth and Dutta, Tahiti and Sen Gupta, Sayam} } @article {46946, title = {Synthesis of silver nanoparticles colloids in imidazolium halide ionic liquids and their antibacterial activities for gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria}, journal = {Chemosphere}, volume = {243}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {125302}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Four 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium halide ionic liquids were synthesized via metathesis and anion exchange reactions. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) colloids were synthesized in four ionic liquids in the pressurized reactor by reduction of silver nitrate with hydrogen gas, without adding solvents or stabilizing agents. Antibacterial activities of base ionic liquids and AgNPs colloids in ionic liquids were reviewed by well-diffusion method for gram-positive Bacillus cereus (NCIM-2155) and gram-negative Escherichia coli (NCIM-2931) bacteria. Antibacterial activities of ionic liquids and AgNPs colloids in ionic liquids were observed to be controlled by ionic liquids anions and AgNPs particle size. The 1 -butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ionic liquid exhibited higher antibacterial activities among the studied ionic liquids. Further, the presence of AgNPs in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, ionic liquid enhanced its antibacterial activity for Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli bacteria. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Anion effect, antibacterial activity, Imidazolium halides, ionic liquids, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {0045-6535}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125302}, author = {Patil, Virendra and Mahajan, Swapnil and Kulkarni, Mohan and Patil, Kashinath and Rode, Chandrashekhar and Coronas, Alberto and Yi, Gi-Ra} } @article {47004, title = {TDR Targets 6: driving drug discovery for human pathogens through intensive chemogenomic data integration}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {48}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN }, pages = {D992-D1005}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The volume of biological, chemical and functional data deposited in the public domain is growing rapidly, thanks to next generation sequencing and highly-automated screening technologies. These datasets represent invaluable resources for drug discovery, particularly for less studied neglected disease pathogens. To leverage these datasets, smart and intensive data integration is required to guide computational inferences across diverse organisms. The TDR Targets chemogenomics resource integrates genomic data from human pathogens and model organisms along with information on bioactive compounds and their annotated activities. This report highlights the latest updates on the available data and functionality in TDR Targets 6. Based on chemogenomic network models providing links between inhibitors and targets, the database now incorporates network-driven target prioritizations, and novel visualizations of network subgraphs displaying chemical- and target-similarity neighborhoods along with associated target-compound bioactivity links. Available data can be browsed and queried through a new user interface, that allow users to perform prioritizations of protein targets and chemical inhibitors. As such, TDR Targets now facilitates the investigation of drug repurposing against pathogen targets, which can potentially help in identifying candidate targets for bioactive compounds with previously unknown targets. TDR Targets is available at https://tdrtargets.org.

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkz999}, author = {Landaburu, Lionel Uran and Berenstein, Ariel J. and Videla, Santiago and Maru, Parag and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Chernomoretz, Ariel and Aguero, Fernan} } @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 {46741, title = {Terminal uridylyl transferase mediated site-directed access to clickable chromatin employing CRISPR-dCas9}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {142}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {13954-13965}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Locus-specific interrogation of target genes employing functional probes such as proteins and small molecules is paramount in decoding the molecular basis of gene function and designing tools to modulate its downstream effects. In this context, CRISPR-based gene editing and targeting technologies have proved tremendously useful, as they can be programmed to target any gene of interest by simply changing the sequence of the single guide RNA (sgRNA). Although these technologies are widely utilized in recruiting genetically encoded functional proteins, display of small molecules using CRISPR system is not well developed due to the lack of adequate techniques. Here, we have devised an innovative technology called sgRNA-Click (sgR-CLK) that harnesses the power of bioorthogonal click chemistry for remodeling guide RNA to display synthetic molecules on target genes. sgR-CLK employs a novel posttranscriptional chemoenzymatic labeling platform wherein a terminal uridylyl transferase (TUTase) was repurposed to generate clickable sgRNA of choice by site-specific tailoring of multiple azide-modified nucleotide analogues at the 3{\textquoteright} end. The presence of a minimally invasive azide handle assured that the sgRNAs are indeed functional. Notably, an azide-tailed sgRNA targeting the telomeric repeat served as a Trojan horse on the CRISPR-dCas9 system to guide synthetic tags (biotin) site-specifically on chromatin employing copper-catalyzed or strain-promoted click reactions. Taken together, sgR-CLK presents a significant advancement on the utility of bioorthogonal chemistry, TUTase, and the CRISPR toolbox, which could offer a simplified solution for site-directed display of small molecule probes and diagnostic tools on target genes.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.0c06541}, author = {George, Jerrin Thomas and Azhar, Mohd and Aich, Meghali and Sinha, Dipanjali and Ambi, Uddhav B. and Maiti, Souvik and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Srivatsan, Seergazhi G.} } @article {46858, title = {Thermodynamic analysis and experimental validation of multi-composition ammonia liquor absorption engine cycle for power generation}, journal = {International Journal of Energy Research}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {12430-12443}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Energy conservation, utilization, and effective integration are of utmost importance for future sustenance. Accordingly, this work focuses on the generation of power from the low-grade temperature below 150 degrees C. A proposed novel multi-composition ammonia liquor absorption engine (MALAE) power cycle can be used toward the above purpose by supplying renewable energy obtained from low concentration type solar collectors. Proposed MALAE power cycle minimizes heal loss due to heat recovery and uses high purity NH3 vapors to expand through the isentropic turbine. MALAE power system is modeled and simulated using NH3-H2O as a working fluid for a reboiler temperature of 115 degrees C. The purpose of this work is to simulate the proposed MALAE power cycle with the distillation column and two solution heat exchanger (SHE). MALAE modeling and simulation is accomplished in SCILAB software. The simulation outcome is validated with the pilot-scale 5 kW experimental setup and validation showed +/- 5\% deviation. A comparison of MALAE cycle with published cycles signifies higher efficiency of MALAE cycle toward the utilization of low-grade energy from a temperature range of 100 degrees C to 150 degrees C. Finally, detailed parametric analysis of MALAE cycle efficiency is presented in terms of number of plates, distillation pressure and vapor flowrate, absorber temperature, pressure partial condenser temperature, and heat loads.

}, keywords = {absorption power cycle, ammonia water, low-temperature heat source, solar energy, Thermal Efficiency}, issn = {0363-907X}, doi = {10.1002/er.5463, Early Access Date = MAY 2020}, author = {Satpute, Satchidanand R. and Takalkar, Gorakshnath and Mali, Nilesh and Bhagwat, Sunil} } @article {46793, title = {TIAs pathway genes and associated miRNA identification in Vinca minor: supporting aspidosperma and eburnamine alkaloids linkage via transcriptomic analysis}, journal = {Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants}, volume = {26}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1695-1711}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

V. minorcontains monomeric eburnamine-type of indole alkaloids having utilization as a neuro-medicinal plant. The biosynthetic pathway studies using miRNAs has been the focal point for plant genomic research in recent years and this technique is utilized to get an insight into a possible pathway level study inV. minoras understanding of genes in this prized medicinal plant is meagrely understood. The de novo transcriptomic analysis using Illumina Next gen sequencing has been performed in glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots to elucidate the possible non confirmed steps of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) pathway inV. minor. A putative TIA pathway is elucidated in the study including twelve possible TIAs biosynthetic genes. The specific miRNA associated with TIAs pathway were identified and their roles were discussed for the first time inV. minor. The comparative analysis of transcriptomic data of glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots showed that the raw reads of transformed roots were higher (83,740,316) compared to glasshouse shifted plant (67,733,538). The EST-SSR prediction showed the maximum common repeats among glasshouse shifted plant and transformed roots, although small variation was found in trinucleotide repeats restricted to glasshouse shifted plant. The study reveals overall 37 miRNAs which were observed to be true and can have a role in pathway as they can regulate the growth and alkaloid production. The identification of putative pathway genes plays an important role in establishing linkage between Aspidosperma and Eburnamine alkaloids.

}, keywords = {de novo transcriptomic analysis, EST-SSR, miRNA, Terpenoid indole alkaloids, Vinca minor}, issn = {0971-5894}, doi = {10.1007/s12298-020-00842-x, Early Access Date = JUL 2020}, author = {Verma, Priyanka and Singh, Noopur and Khan, Shamshad Ahmad and Mathur, Ajay Kumar and Sharma, Ashok and Jamal, Farrukh} } @article {47336, title = {Time: a web application for obtaining insights into microbial ecology using longitudinal microbiome data (vol 9, 36, 2018)}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {NOV}, pages = {605295}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {clustering, community state, Granger causality algorithm, Microbiome, time series, visualization, Web server}, issn = {1664-302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2020.605295}, author = {Baksi, Krishanu D. and Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {47008, title = {Ti-superoxide catalyzed oxidative amidation of aldehydes with saccharin as nitrogen source: synthesis of primary amides}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {10}, year = {2020}, month = {JAN}, pages = {724-728}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new heterogeneous catalytic system (Ti-superoxide/saccharin/TBHP) has been developed that efficiently catalyzes oxidative amidation of aldehydes to produce various primary amides. The protocol employs saccharin as amine source and was found to tolerate a wide range of substrates with different functional groups. Moderate to excellent yields, catalyst reusability and operational simplicity are the main highlights. A possible mechanism and the role of the catalyst in oxidative amidation have also been discussed.

}, doi = {10.1039/c9ra10413e}, author = {Kamble, Rohit B. and Mane, Kishor D. and Rupanawar, Bapurao D. and Korekar, Pranjal and Sudalai, A. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {46687, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol, (-)-iso-petromyroxol, and possible diastereomers}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {25334-25348}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol (1) and its seven diastereomers including the ()-tso-petromyroxol (2) is described. The employed strategy involves the use of easily available CS-epimeric epoxides 5 and 5{\textquoteright} and nonselective anomeric C1-allylation, proceeding with or without inversion at C2 thereby giving the possibility of synthesizing all possible diastereomers. Extensive two-dimensional (2D) NMR analyses of all eight diastereomers have been carried out to assign the chemical shifts of the central carbons land the corresponding attached hydrogens and to learn how the C/H-chemical shifts of the tetrahydrofuran ring were influenced by the adjacent centers.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.0c03674}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Ahmad, Iram and Senapati, Sibadatta and Ramana, V, Chepuri} } @article {46962, title = {Total synthesis of (+)-petromyroxol (vol 56, pg 3933, 2015)}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {61}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB }, pages = {151420}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2019.151420}, author = {Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Ramana, Chepuri V.} } @article {46860, title = {Transient alpha-helix in the N-terminal RNA recognition motif of polypyrimidine tract binding protein senses RNA secondary structure}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {48}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY}, pages = {4521-4537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The polypyrimidine tract binding protein (PTB) is a multi-domain protein involved in alternative splicing, mRNA localization, stabilization, polyadenylation and translation initiation from internal ribosome entry sites (IRES). In this latter process, PTB promotes viral translation by interacting extensively with complex structured regions in the 5{\textquoteright}-untranslated regions of viral RNAs at pyrimidine-rich targets located in single strand and hairpin regions. To better understand how PTB recognizes structured elements in RNA targets, we solved the solution structure of the N-terminal RNA recognition motif (RRM) in complex with an RNA hairpin embedding the loop sequence UCUUU, which is frequently found in IRESs of the picornovirus family. Surprisingly, a new three-turn alpha 3 helix C-terminal to the RRM, folds upon binding the RNA hairpin. Although alpha 3 does not mediate any contacts to the RNA, it acts as a sensor of RNA secondary structure, suggesting a role for RRM1 in detecting pyrimidine tracts in the context of structured RNA. Moreover, the degree of helix formation depends on the RNA loop sequence. Finally, we show that the alpha 3 helix region, which is highly conserved in vertebrates, is crucial for PTB function in enhancing Encephalomyocarditis virus IRES activity.

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkaa155}, author = {Maris, Christophe and Jayne, Sandrine and Damberger, Fred F. and Beusch, Irene and Dorn, Georg and Ravindranathan, Sapna and Allain, Frederic H-T} } @article {46862, title = {Trending methods employed for polymerization induced self-assembly}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {6690-6698}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Mother Nature produces a perfectly defined architecture that inspires researchers to make polymeric macromolecules for an array of functions. Preparation of a pre-defined polymer architecture is a key challenge to a researcher. The present article describes the recent development in Polymerization Induced Self-Assembly (PISA) to synthesize polymeric nanoparticles with pre-defined morphology and precise control over size and shape. This methodology has become a potential strategy for the synthesis of various block copolymer nano-objects. The PISA strategy produces core-shell polymeric nanoparticles with a wide scope of morphologies including spheres, worms, rods, and vesicles. A few parameters including the degree of polymerization, core-forming monomers, macro-CTA and solid content of the final product are precisely employed for the PISA procedure to accomplish the ideal size and shape. PISA opens a new avenue for the production of polymeric nano-objects.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/c9nj05638f}, author = {Mane, Shivshankar R.} } @article {46886, title = {Triazine-based organic polymer-catalysed conversion of epoxide to cyclic carbonate under ambient CO2 pressure}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {15}, year = {2020}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1683-1687}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work we have achieved epoxide to cyclic carbonate conversion using a metal-free polymeric catalyst under ambient CO2 pressure (1.02 atm) using a balloon setup. The triazine containing polymer (CYA-ANIS) was prepared from cyanuric chloride (CYA-Cl) and o-dianisidine (ANIS) in anhydrous DMF as solvent by refluxing under the N-2 gas environment. The presence of triazine and amine functional groups in the polymer results in the adsorption of CO2 up to 7 cc/g at 273 K. This inspired us to utilize the polymer for the conversion of a series of functionalised epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates in the presence of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide (TBAI) as co-catalyst. The product has wide range of applications like solvent in lithium ion battery, precursor for polycarbonate, etc. The catalyst was efficient for the conversion of different mono and di-epoxides into their corresponding cyclic carbonates under atmospheric pressure in the presence of TBAI as co-catalyst. The study indicates that epoxide attached with electron withdrawing groups (like, CH2Cl, glycidyl ether, etc.) displayed better conversion compared to simple alkane chain attached epoxides. This is mainly due to the stabilization of electron rich intermediates produced during the reaction (e. g. epoxide ring opening or CO2 incorporation into the halo-alkoxide anion). This catalyst mixture was capable to maintain its reactivity up to five cycles without losing its activity. Post catalytic characterization clearly supports the heterogeneous and recyclable nature of the catalyst.

}, keywords = {CO2 fixation, cyclic carbonates, epoxides, Heterogeneouscatalyst, metal free catalyst, Triazinepolymer}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.201901277, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Biswas, Tanmoy and Halder, Arjun and Paliwal, Khusboo S. and Mitra, Antarip and Tudu, Gouri and Banerjee, Rahul and Mahalingam, Venkataramanan} } @article {46811, title = {Triethyl phosphite/benzoyl peroxide mediated reductive dealkylation of O-benzoylhydroxylamines: a cascade synthesis of secondary amides}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2020}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4235-4238}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new triethyl phosphite/benzoyl peroxide (BPO) mediated system has been developed for the synthesis of secondary amides with good to excellent yields in a single step. This unprecedented cascade process involves sequential reduction of N-O bond and benzoylation followed by dealkylation of N-C bond ofO-benzoylhydroxylamines (O-BHA). The methodology is versatile as it tolerates a variety of aromatic and aliphaticO-BHA as substrates to access secondary amides.

}, keywords = {Amides, Cascade reactions, O-Benzoylhydroxylamines, Redox reactions, synthetic methods}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202000611, Early Access Date = JUN 2020}, author = {Aegurla, Balakrishna and Mandle, Ram D. and Shinde, Prasad G. and Parit, Ratan S. and Kamble, Sanjay P. and Sudalai, Arumugam and Senthilkumar, Beeran} } @article {46708, title = {Triton X-114 fractionated subcellular proteome ofleptospira interrogansshows selective enrichment of pathogenic and outer membrane proteins in the detergent fraction}, journal = {Proteomics}, volume = {20}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2000170}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Triton X-114-based solubilization and temperature-dependent phase separation of proteins is used for subcellular fractionation where, aqueous, detergent, and pellet fractions represents cytoplasmic, outer membrane (OM), and inner membrane proteins, respectively. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis of Triton X-114 fractions of proteomic analysis ofLeptospira interrogansidentified 2957 unique proteins distributed across the fractions. The results are compared with bioinformatics predictions on their subcellular localization and pathogenic nature. Analysis of the distribution of proteins across the Triton X-114 fractions with the predicted characteristics is performed based on {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}number{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} of unique type of proteins, and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}quantity{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} which represents the amount of unique protein. The highest number of predicted outer membrane proteins (OMPs) and pathogenic proteins are found in aqueous and pellet fractions, whereas detergent fraction representing the OM has the highest quantity of OMPs and pathogenic proteins though lower in number than the aqueous and pellet fractions. This leaves the possibility of an upsurge in pathogenic proteins and OMPs on the OM under pathogenic conditions suggesting their potential use to combat leptospirosis. Further, the Triton X-114 subcellular fractions are more correlated to enrichment of pathogenic proteins predicted by MP3 software than predicted localization.

}, keywords = {intensity-based absolute quantification, Leptospira, outer membrane protein, subcellular localization, Triton X-114}, issn = {1615-9853}, doi = {10.1002/pmic.202000170, Early Access Date = SEP 2020}, author = {Thoduvayil, Sikha and Dhandapani, Gunasekaran and Brahma, Rahul and Devasahayam Arokia Balaya, Rex and Mangalaparthi, Kiran K. and Patel, Krishna and Kumar, Manish and Tennyson, Jebasingh and Satheeshkumar, P. K. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Pinto, Sneha M. and Prasad, T. S. Keshava and Madanan, Madathiparambil G.} } @article {46771, title = {Tweaking palladium electronic structure to attain oxygen reduction activity superior to platinum/C}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {3}, year = {2020}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6127-6132}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Enhancing oxygen reduction (ORR) activity through alloying is crucial to improve the performance of a fuel-cell catalysts. In this work, we have studied the alloying effects of 4f rare-earth (RE) metals with palladium. The modified catalyst exhibits better activity (E-onset = 1 V and E-1/2 = 0.88 V) and higher selectivity toward H2O (similar to 97\%) compared to the state-of-the-art catalysts due to complete dissociation of O-2. Hirshfeld charge analysis and 2D-electron localization function reveal improved adsorbate-adsorbent interaction on the catalyst surface. This work paves a strategy to design highly selective non-Pt-based catalysts for the ORR by controlling electronic structures and surface oxide formation.

}, keywords = {d-band center, DFT calculation, durability, EuPd, oxygen reduction reaction, YbPd}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.0c01241}, author = {Sarma, Saurav Ch. and Kaja, Sai Manoj and Mishra, Vidyanshu and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {46648, title = {Ultrahigh sensitive carbon-based conducting rubbers for flexible and wearable human-machine intelligence sensing}, journal = {Advanced Materials Technologies}, volume = {5}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2000690}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The wearable strain sensors with multifunctional applications can fuel the rapid development of human-machine intelligence for various sectors like healthcare, soft robotics, and Internet of Things applications. However, achieving the low-cost and mass production of wearable sensors with ultra-high performance remains challenging. Herein, a simple, cost-effective, and scalable methodology to fabricate the flexible and highly sensitive strain sensors using carbon black and latex rubbers (LR) is presented. The LR-based strain sensor demonstrates excellent flexibility, fast response (approximate to 600 ms), ultra-high sensitivity (maximum gauge factor of 1.2 x 10(4) at 250\% strain), and long-term stability over 1000 cycles. The LR-based strain sensors are sensitive to monitor subtle human motions such as heart pulse rate and voice recognition along with high-strain human joint operations. Additionally, the sensing mechanism of LR bands is investigated by surface topographies and electromechanical response under various strained/unstrained conditions. Further, a smart glove-based sensor module made of LR strain bands with an Arduino reader for the human-machine intelligence device for non-verbal communication in military applications is demonstrated.

}, keywords = {conducting rubbers, gauge factor, human\&\#8211, machine interfacing, voice recognition, wearable strain sensors}, issn = {2365-709X}, doi = {10.1002/admt.202000690, Early Access Date = NOV 2020}, author = {Ajeev, Arya and Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H. and Ali, Ashik and Modak, Mrudul and Patil, Shreya and Khatua, Saumyakanta and Ramadoss, Marimuthu and Kothavade, Premkumar Anil and Arulraj, Arul Kashmir} } @article {46920, title = {Understanding alloy structure and composition in sinter-resistant AgPd@SiO2 encapsulated catalysts and their effect on catalytic properties (vol 41, pg 14652, 2017)}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4664}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj90031a}, author = {Mondal, Sourik and Rajesh, Thattarathody and Dhar, Basab B. and Snellman, Markus and Li, Junjie and Deepak, Francis Leonard and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {46848, title = {Understanding the ML black box with simple descriptors to predict cluster-adsorbate interaction energy}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {44}, year = {2020}, month = {MAY }, pages = {8545-8553}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Density functional theory (DFT) is currently one of the most accurate and yet practical theories used to gain insight into the properties of materials. Although successful, the computational cost required is still the main hurdle even today. In recent years, there has been a trend of combining DFT with Machine Learning (ML) to reduce the computational cost without compromising accuracy. Finding the right set of descriptors that are simple to understand in terms of giving insights about the problem at hand, lies at the heart of any ML problem. In this work, we demonstrate the use of nearest neighbor (NN) distances as descriptors to predict the interaction energy between the cluster and an adsorbate. The model is trained over a size range of 5 to 75 atom clusters. When the training and testing is carried out on mutually exclusive cluster sizes, the mean absolute error (MAE) in predicting the interaction energy is similar to 0.24 eV. MAE reduces to 0.1 eV when testing and training sets include information from the complete range. Furthermore, when the same set of descriptors are tested over individual sizes, the MAE further reduces to similar to 0.05 eV. We bring out the correlation between dispersion in the nearest neighbor distances and variation in MAE for individual sizes. Our detailed and extensive DFT calculations provide a rationale as to why nearest neighbor distances work so well. Finally, we also demonstrate the transferability of the ML model by applying the same recipe of descriptors to systems of different elements like (Na-10), bimetallic systems (Al6Ga6, Li4Sn6, and Au40Cu40) and also different adsorbates (N-2, O-2, and CO).

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj00633e}, author = {Agarwal, Sheena and Mehta, Shweta and Joshi, Kavita} } @article {46601, title = {Understanding unfolding and refolding of the antibody fragment (Fab). I. In-vitro study}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {164}, year = {2020}, month = {DEC}, pages = {107764}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In-vitro protein refolding is a major rate-limiting step in the large scale production of antibody fragments expressed using a microbial source like E. coli. This investigation is focused on understanding the in-vitro unfolding and refolding of the multi-domain protein involving inter-domain disulfide linkage, like antibody fragment (Fab). Solubilization behavior of the inclusion bodies and unfolding events of Fab fragment (Biosimilar rHu Ranibizumab) were studied using nano-differential scanning fluorimetry (nano-DSF). Fab unfolding behavior was studied by fitting experimental data with the two-state and three-state thermodynamic model. Based on the Fab unfolding understanding, a two-stage design of experiment (DoE) strategy was used for the optimization of the in-vitro refolding condition of a Fab fragment. Refolding yield of 56.03 +/- 1.15 \% was achieved using the optimized oxidative refolding conditions maintained by appropriate dilution factor and redox reagent ratio. Refolding kinetics of the rHu Ranibizumab was analyzed using a three-parameter kinetic model showing rate constant k(1) :7.05e(-6) l/mg.min, k(2) :0.57 l/mg.min, and k(3) :310.19 l/mg.min. Based on observed refolding kinetics, it was concluded that the Fab refolding follows a three-state mechanism with the refolding intermediate/(s) formation from light and heavy chain of the Fab fragment as an overall rate-limiting step. The method described here is a useful tool to identify high-yield scalable refolding conditions for multi-domain proteins involving inter-domain disulfide bonds.

}, keywords = {Antibody fragment, In-vitro refolding, Refolding kinetics, rHu Ranibizumab, Two-state and Three-state models}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2020.107764}, author = {Gani, Kayanat and Bhambure, Rahul and Deulgaonkar, Prashant and Mehta, Deepa and Kamble, Manoj} } @article {46691, title = {Unraveling the hidden role of the counteranion in {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}cation in a cage{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} systems}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry A}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {8040-8049}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The current work showcases general principles at play in systems consisting of cations present inside molecular cages. Such systems, relevant to chemistry and biology, have been carefully investigated by computational methods. The important Ge(II)-encapsulating cage systems have been studied first. The very fact that such compounds exist appears highly unlikely, given the highly reactive nature of the Ge(II) dication. Our studies reveal what really occurs in solution when such complexes are formed: the Ge(II) dications are actually present as [Ge-X](+) (where X is the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}non-coordinating{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} counterion employed in such systems) during entry and subsequent existence at the center of the cage. Hence, what is actually present is a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}pseudomonocation{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. Interestingly, such pseudomonocation-encapsulated cages are seen to be equally relevant in systems of biological importance, such as for dicationic s block-based ionophores. In explaining such cases, the concept of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}isoionicity{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} is introduced, demonstrating that the counterion-coordinated dications are isoionic with a monocation, such as Li(I), isolated in the same ionophore.

}, issn = {1089-5639}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpca.0c06995}, author = {Mukherjee, Anagh and Ghule, Siddharth and Tiwari, Mrityunjay K. and Vanka, Kumar} } @article {46892, title = {Unravelling the distinct surface interactions of modified graphene nanostructures with methylene blue dye through experimental and computational approaches}, journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials}, volume = {388}, year = {2020}, month = {APR}, pages = {121755}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nanoscopic modifications leading to multi-dimensional graphene structures are known to significantly influence their candidature for several applications including catalysis, energy storage, molecular sensing and most significantly adsorption and remediation of harmful materials such as dyes. The present work attempts to identify the key trajectories that connect the structural qualification with a chosen application, viz., the interactive forces in dye remediation. Various physico-chemically Modified Graphene Nanostructures (MGNs) such as 2 dimensional Graphite, Graphene Oxide (GO), reduced GO (rGO), holey rGO, and 3 dimensional GO hydrogel and Holey GO hydrogel are chosen and synthesised herein. These represent varieties of physicochemical features with respect to their dimensionality, surface features such as oxygen functionality, nanoscopic holes etc., that contribute to their characteristic overall surface interactions. Methylene Blue (MB), a popular industrial effluent posing major environmental concern is chosen to be a probe adsorbate in this case study. An exclusive real time in-situ UV visible spectral experiment provides the revealing reasons behind the outstanding performance of 2D GO sheets with an adsorption capacity of greater than 92 \% even at high MB concentrations (\>2000 ppm). A complex dependency of various factors such as surface oxygen, morphology, nanoporosity etc. on the unique overall interaction with an adsorbent such as MB by all these adsorbates is demonstrated using experimental and DFT based computational studies. Electrostatics and hydrogen bonding are understood to be the two dominant forces driving the MB adsorption on the best performing GO here.

}, keywords = {Density functional theory, In-situ UV-vis spectroscopy, Interactions, Methylene blue, Modified Graphene Nanostructures}, issn = {0304-3894}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121755}, author = {Manappadan, Zinoy and Kumar, Shubham and Joshi, Krati and Govindaraja, Thillai and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {46731, title = {Unsymmetrical squaraine dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells: position of the anchoring group controls the orientation and self-assembly of sensitizers on the TiO2 surface and modulates its flat band potential}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {124}, year = {2020}, month = {AUG}, pages = {18436-18451}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The position of the anchoring group is systematically changed with a series of alkyl group wrapped donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) based squaraine dyes, 4-SQ to 7-SQ, for the use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By this approach, the orientation as well as the self-assembly of the sensitizers can be controlled on the semiconducting TiO2 surface. All of the dyes functionalized with hydrophobic alkyl groups at sp(3)-C and N atoms of the indoline units that is far away from the TiO2 surface to control the self-assembly of dyes and passivate the surface. Controlling both the orientation as well as the self-assembly of the sensitizers synergistically enhances the V-oc of the DSSC device by imparting the dipole moment on the TiO2 surface and minimizing the interfacial charge recombination process of electrons from TiO2 to the oxidized electrolyte, respectively. Further, the presence of a meta-carboxyl group with respect to the N atom of the indoline donor unit for the dyes 4-SQ and 6-SQ makes them nonconductive for the charge injection process, which sheds light on the importance of through-space electron transfer for the device performance. Emission from the relaxed twisted state was found to be a deactivation pathway for 4-SQ on TiO2 and ZrO2, which revealed the importance of structural factors that promote spatial interaction between the sensitizer and metal oxide surface. Computational studies showed the systematic changes in the dipole moment for the sensitizers 4-SQ, 5-SQ, and 6-SQ upon anchoring to the TiO2 surface. The DSSC device performance varied with the position of anchoring groups in the sensitizers. The DSSC device performance of 5-SQ indicates a J(sc) value of 11.35 mA cm(-2), V-oc of 0.698 V, and ff of 77\% corresponding to a power conversion efficiency of 6.08\% in the presence of 3 equiv of coadsorbent CDCA, which is nearly 1.5 times higher than 6-SQ (V-oc 0.7 V, J(sc) 7.76 mA cm(-2), ff 76\%, and eta 4.14\%) and 2.6 times higher than 4-SQ (V-oc 0.658 V, J(sc) 4.42 mA cm(-2), ff 78\%, and eta 2.28\%). IPCE studies revealed the importance of orientation for the charge injection and self-assembly of dyes, as devices with 5-SQ and 6-SQ as a sensitizer showed 94 and 77\% response at 578 nm, respectively, which correspond to the aggregated structure of the dye. Mott-Schottky and IPCE experiments showed that the orientation of sensitizers could modulate the V-oc due to the shift in the flat band potential of TiO2.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c05176}, author = {Singh, Ambarish Kumar and Maibam, Ashakiran and Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H. and Bisht, Rajesh and Kudlu, Ashwath and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {45504, title = {Valorization of cow urine and dung: A model biorefinery (2018)}, journal = {Waste and Biomass Valorization}, volume = {11}, year = {2020}, month = {MAR}, pages = {1-14}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cow is one of the most common livestock of Indian farmers. Small farm households are strongly dependent on livestock for income as it contributes nearly 16\% of their total earnings. As much as two-thirds of rural community depends on livestock for their livelihood. Farmers in India maintain a hybrid farming system, that is, a combination of crop cultivation and livestock, which are complementary to each other. Traditionally, the output of one enterprise is the input of another enterprise. Recent research suggests that in addition to milk, urine and dung obtained from cow are valuable resources of bioactive compounds, which can be converted into value-added products. In this review, we provide an outline for the physicochemical composition and valorization of cow urine and dung. They are utilized in agriculture as a pesticide, manure, and acts as a soil rejuvenator. Cow dung is used for bio energy production by fermentation and gasification. Medicinal and cosmetic products are prepared following ayurvedic formulations described in {\textquoteleft}Panchagavya{\textquoteright}. Cow dung ash is used as adsorbent, construction material, mosquito repellent and electrolyte. A case study of manufacturing unit producing arrays of products from cow urine and dung is also presented.

}, keywords = {Bio gas, Cow dung, Cow urine, Waste utilization}, doi = {10.1007/s12649-018-0406-7}, author = {Mandavgane, S. A. and Kulkarni, B. D.} } @article {46978, title = {Variations in activity of Ru/TiO(2 )and Ru/Al2O3 catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation: an investigation by in-situ infrared spectroscopy studies}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {482}, year = {2020}, month = {FEB}, pages = {110700}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

CO2 hydrogenation to methane, an important reaction strategically and also for value adding to CO2, is investigated on two different catalysts, Ru supported on alumina as well as titania to understand better low temperature activity of Ru/TiO2 catalyst. In-situ infrared studies are carried out in three different steps, viz., (i) CO2 adsorption on fully reduced catalyst (ii) reaction of these adsorbed species with gaseous H-2 and (iii) under co-feed of CO2 and H-2, at different temperatures. On Ru/Al2O3 catalyst, CO2 reacts with hydroxyls on the support surface to form carbonate and adsorbs reductively on metal as CO. Further reduction to formate and methyl species occurs on reaction with H. Small concentration of the reactive intermediate formyl forms only at high temperatures. Whereas, bare TiO2 itself seems capable of reductive adsorption of CO2 as formate indicating enhanced reducibility of titania based catalyst. Formyl groups are observed at low temperatures in Ru/TiO2 in step (ii), which further forms methyl and gaseous methane at much lower temperatures when compared to alumina catalyst. Highly reactive CO species loosely bound to metal-support interface observed at high temperatures, which is not present on Ru/Al2O3 catalyst also makes this catalyst superior. In comparison, linearly bound CO seen in alumina catalyst is not as reactive.

}, keywords = {CO2 hydrogenation, In-situ infra red spectroscopy, Ru/Al2O3, Ru/TiO2}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2019.110700}, author = {Dongapure, Pavan and Bagchi, Sayan and Mayadevi, S. and Devi, R. Nandini} } @article {46674, title = {Visual exploration of microbiome data (vol 44, 119, 2019)}, journal = {Journal of Biosciences}, volume = {45}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT}, pages = {134}, type = {Correction}, abstract = {

In the October 2019 Special Issue of theJournal of Bioscienceson Current Trends in Microbiome Research, in the Review article titled {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}Visual exploration of microbiome data{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by Bhusan K. Kuntal and Sharmila S. Mande (DOI: 10.1007/s12038-019-9933-z; Vol. 44, Article No. 119), affiliation 3 for Bhusan K. Kuntal was incorrectly mentioned as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Campus, Pune 411008, India{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The correct affiliation should read as {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteright}Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201 002, India{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}.

}, issn = {0250-5991}, doi = {10.1007/s12038-020-00103-9}, author = {Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {46670, title = {Wavelength dependent luminescence decay kinetics in {\textquoteleft}quantum-confined{\textquoteright} g-C(3)N(4)nanosheets exhibiting high photocatalytic efficiency upon plasmonic coupling}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, month = {OCT }, pages = {20581-20592}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Serendipitous observations offer newer insights into materials properties. Here we describe g-C(3)N(4)nanosheets exhibiting remarkably blue-shifted photoluminescence within the 390-580 nm range centred at 425 nm which matches more closely with its {\textquoteleft}quantum-dots{\textquoteright}, and yet is excitation-wavelength independent. Moreover, surprisingly, the luminescence decay becomes increasingly slow at higher emission wavelengths, by up to 10 times. The nanosheets absorb only a fraction of visible-light. To improve this, when we designed a nanocomposite of g-C(3)N(4)and Au nanoparticles (NPs), it retained the PL characteristics and also exhibited excellent light-harvesting and photocatalytic efficiency for benzylamine (BA) oxidation. The surface plasmon resonance of the Au NPs is responsible for the high visible-light response and assisting the reaction by the {\textquoteleft}hot-electron{\textquoteright} injection mechanism, while an uncharacteristic, pronounced co-catalytic effect by them further improves the efficiency. The conversion is 98\% with \>99\% selectivity over 1.5 h of natural sunlight and open-air, probably the highest efficiency for BA photo-oxidation reactions. Even though such a dual role by plasmonic NPs has remained unscrutinized, we argue that the charge-transfer processes for the {\textquoteleft}hot-carrier{\textquoteright} injection and co-catalytic events are well-separated in time due to a much slower photon incident frequency on a catalyst particle, enabling both to occur simultaneously in the same particle.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d0ta08001b}, author = {Mondal, Sanjit and Sahoo, Lipipuspa and Vaishnav, Yuvraj and Mishra, Samita and Roy, Raj Sekhar and Vinod, C. P. and De, Arijit K. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @article {47079, title = {[1,3]-Claisen rearrangement via removable functional group mediated radical stabilization}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {890-895}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A thermal O-to-C [1,3]-rearrangement of alpha-hydroxy acid derived enol ethers was achieved under mild conditions. The 2-aminothiophenol protection of carboxylic acids facilitates formation of the [1,3] precursor and its thermal rearrangement via stabilization of a radical intermediate. Experimental and theoretical evidence for dissociative radical pair formation, its captodative stability via aminothiophenol, and a unique solvent effect are presented. The aminothiophenol was deprotected from rearrangement products as well as after derivatization to useful synthons.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.0c04109}, author = {Alam, Md Nirshad and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Mukherjee, Anirban and Pandole, Satish and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Vanka, Kumar and Maity, Pradip} } @article {47786, title = {2D MoO2/N-Doped-carbon nanosheets as SERS tweezers: a non-noble metal reusable substrate for selective organic dye detection}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {11611 - 11624}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The design and synthesis of a highly sensitive and exceptionally selective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate with an excellent reusable property are of significant interest because of its vast prospective application in actual and complicated detection environments. Here, a simple synthesis strategy was presented to fabricate crystalline two-dimensional (2D) MoO2/N-doped-carbon nanosheets with the plasmonic property. The morphology, crystal phase, and surface property of MoO2 nanomaterials (NMs) were specifically controlled under suitable reaction conditions. In addition, the plasmonic MoO2/N-doped-carbon NM exhibited a SERS maximum enhancement factor up to 1.38 {\texttimes} 104 with a detection limit as low as 1.0 {\texttimes} 10{\textendash}6 M. More importantly, the as-synthesized nanocomposite shows high selectivity as a {\textquotedblleft}SERS Tweezer{\textquotedblright} toward methylene blue (MB) in binary and ternary mixed interfering analyte solutions, preserving detection sensitivity toward MB for three cycles via an {\textquotedblleft}elect-and-eliminate{\textquotedblright} approach. This strategy will be helpful to design other plasmonic semiconductor NMs for successful tangible applications of selective SERS sensing for trace impurity detections in real and complex environments.}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.1c02151}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acsanm.1c02151}, author = {Gaikwad, Supriya Hanmant and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {47711, title = {Accurate identification of bioactive meliaceae limonoids by UHPLC-MS/ms based structure-fragment relationships (SFRs)}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {6}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {26454-26476}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Y Limonoids are bioactive plant specialized metabolites found in the Meliaceae family. The basic limonoids, i.e., azadiradione, epoxyazadiradione, and gedunin have been exploited for various bioactivities and therefore are the potential drug leads for tomorrow. However, their low abundance, structural similarity, and lack of adequate mass fragmentation data have hampered their accurate identification and quantification from various sources. In the present study, basic limonoids such as azadirone, azadiradione, epoxyazadiradione, and gedunin isolated from Neem were utilized for the synthesis of their derivatives and isotopologs. A total of 30 one compounds were used in this study among which five were isolated, two were biotransformed, and 24 were synthesized. Among the synthesized compounds nine are novel compounds including six deuterated analogs/isotopologs which are (1,3-H-2)-1,2dihydro-3 beta-hydroxyazadiradione (9), (1,3,16-H-2)-1,2-dihydro-3 beta-16 beta-dihydroxyazadiradione (10), 3 beta-hydroxyazadiradione (11), 3 beta-16 beta-dihydroxyazadiradione (12), (3-H-2)-3 beta-hydroxyazadiradione (13), (3,16-H-2)-3 beta-16 beta-dihydroxyazadiradione (14), (1,3,7-H-2)-1,2-dihydro-3 beta-hydroxy-7-deacetylazadiradione (15), 1,2,20,21,22,23-hexahydroazadiradione (17), and (1,3-H-2)-1,2-dihydro-3 beta-hydroxygedunin (29). These limonoids along with their semisynthesized derivatives were subjected to ultra high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and the fragmentation pathway was established based on structure-fragment relationships (SFRs), utilizing high resolution MS/MS data. We have developed a most reliable and easily reproducible protocol describing in depth analysis of SFRs based on the structural modifications and synthesis of isotopologs. Also, the MS/MS fragment library of these basic limonoids generated in this study acts as a fingerprint for accurate identification and quantification of limonoids by MS/MS analysis in various plant tissue extracts, phytopharmaceutical formulations and biological samples.}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.1c03697}, author = {Mulani, Fayaj A. and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Haldar, Saikat and Thulasiram, V, Hirekodathakallu} } @article {47651, title = {Annulation of enals with carbamoylpropiolates via NHC-catalyzed enolate pathway: access to functionalized maleimides/iso-maleimides and synthesis of aspergillus FH-X-213}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {9466-9477}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Herein we report the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed [3 + 2] annulation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes with carbamoylpropiolates via an unusual enolate pathway leading to the construction of highly functionalized maleimides or isomaleimides. The electronic effect imposed by the alkyl/aryl group present on the amide nitrogen of carbamoylpropiolates plays a crucial role in the selective formation of these important five-membered heterocyclic building blocks. The developed protocol is mild and tolerates a wide range of substituents on both substrates. The application of this protocol in the synthesis of the antibacterial natural product Aspergillus FH-X-213 has also been demonstrated.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00782}, author = {Viveki, Amol B. and Pol, Mahesh D. and Halder, Priyanka and Sonavane, Sameer R. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {47790, title = {Antitumor effects of Ir(III)-2H-indazole complexes for triple negative breast cancer}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {17593-17607}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, we have synthesized a series of novel C,N-cyclometalated 2H-indazole-ruthenium(II) and -iridium(III) complexes with varying substituents (H, CH3, isopropyl, and CF3) in the R4 position of the phenyl ring of the 2H-indazole chelating ligand. All of the complexes were characterized by 1H, 13C, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The methyl-substituted 2H-indazole-Ir(III) complex was further characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The cytotoxic activity of new ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) compounds has been evaluated in a panel of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) and colon cancer cell line HCT-116 to investigate their structure{\textendash}activity relationships. Most of these new complexes have shown appreciable activity, comparable to or significantly better than that of cisplatin in TNBC cell lines. R4 substitution of the phenyl ring of the 2H-indazole ligand with methyl and isopropyl substituents showed increased potency in ruthenium(II) and iridium(III) complexes compared to that of their parent compounds in all cell lines. These novel transition metal-based complexes exhibited high specificity toward cancer cells by inducing alterations in the metabolism and proliferation of cancer cells. In general, iridium complexes are more active than the corresponding ruthenium complexes. The new Ir(III)-2H-indazole complex with an isopropyl substituent induced mitochondrial damage by generating large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which triggered mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis in TNBC cell line MDA-MB-468. Moreover, this complex also induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and inhibited cellular migration of TNBC cells. Our findings reveal the key roles of the novel C{\textendash}N-cyclometalated 2H-indazole-Ir(III) complex to specifically induce toxicity in cancer cell lines through contributing effects of ROS-induced mitochondrial disruption along with chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA target inhibition.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02193}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c02193}, author = {Panchangam, Rajeeva Lochana and Rao, Ramdas Nishanth and Balamurali, Musuvathi Motilal and Hingamire, Tejashri B. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Manickam, Venkatraman and Chanda, Kaushik} } @article {47600, title = {Aqueous methanol to formaldehyde and hydrogen on Pd/TiO2 by photocatalysis in direct sunlight: structure dependent activity of nano-Pd and atomic Pt-coated counterparts}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {13347-13360}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present investigation, facet-controlled Pd nanoparticles with nanocube (Pd-NC) and truncated octahedron (Pd-TO) morphologies, and their counterparts with half-a-monolayer of atomic Pt coated (0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-NC and 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO) surfaces were prepared. All of them were characterized and evaluated as cocatalyst after supporting them on commercial titania (P25) (Pd-NC/P25, Pd-TO/P25, 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-NC/P25, and 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/P25) under direct sunlight and/or one sun conditions for the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde along with solar hydrogen production. Pd-NC/P25 shows higher activity for hydrogen generation compared to Pd-TO/P25; however, activity reversal occurs with the above cocatalysts, but, after Pt-coating with further enhanced activity. The highest conversion of methanol (0.2 mu mol/h.mg) to 100\% selective formaldehyde was observed with 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/P25, while other catalysts show significantly lower methanol conversion in the following order: 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/P25 > 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-NC/P25 > Pd-NC/P25 > Pd-TO/P25. Pt-coated on (111) facets of Pd-TO simulates the activity associated as that of Pt(111) facets and demonstrating the highest and facet dependent activity. The present study is truly in resonance with exploiting the surface properties for heterogeneous catalysis, and highlights that less than a monolayer of Pt is sufficient to simulate the activity as that of bulk Pt. It is worth exploring this concept to other metals and substrates too.}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Nanomaterials, Oxidation, Photocatalysis, surface modification}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.1c03080}, author = {Nalajala, Naresh and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Chauhan, Inderjeet and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {47438, title = {Autophagy and unique aerial oxygen harvesting properties exhibited by highly photocatalytic carbon quantum dots}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {181}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {16-27}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Plastic pollution is a serious threat to the environment as they are not bio-degradable. Herein using waste-polyethylene, we report two inter-related important findings. First that they can be converted economically and completely into highly photocatalytic carbon quantum-dots (CQDs) using H2O2\ as a residue-free oxidant in an acid medium, and they have the ability to enrich a reaction medium with an extraordinary amount of molecular oxygen harvested from the air so that no separate oxygen source is needed while carrying out facile photocatalytic\ oxidation reactions. Second, when they are not performing any photocatalytic reaction, they exhibit self-sensitized photo-oxidation to convert themselves completely to CO2\ in the presence of sunlight, a phenomenon that we term as {\textquoteleft}CQD-autophagy{\textquoteright} by drawing parallels to the death of useless-cells in the body. Such extinction from the reaction media is unique as no other material is known to do so and advantageous because the removal of carbon-dots from a solution is rather inefficient from an industry-viewpoint due to their high solubility. Instead, the inexpensive CQDs can be discarded casually with the notion that they will gradually get eliminated from the environment.

}, keywords = {Carbon dots, Oxygen-enrichment, Photocatalytic oxidation, Self-sensitized photo-oxidation}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2021.04.054}, author = {Mondal, Sanjit and Vinod, C. P. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @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 {46671, title = {Biological process of lysine-tRNA charging is therapeutically targetable in liver cancer}, journal = {Liver International}, volume = {41}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {206-219}, type = {Article }, abstract = {

Background \& Aims Mature transfer RNAs (tRNA) charged with amino acids decode mRNA to synthesize proteins. Dysregulation of translational machineries has a fundamental impact on cancer biology. This study aims to map the tRNAome landscape in liver cancer patients and to explore potential therapeutic targets at the interface of charging amino acid with tRNA. Methods Resected tumour and paired tumour-free (TFL) tissues from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (n = 69), and healthy liver tissues from organ transplant donors (n = 21), HCC cell lines, and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) patient-derived tumour organoids were used. Results The expression levels of different mature tRNAs were highly correlated and closely clustered within individual tissues, suggesting that different members of the tRNAome function cooperatively in protein translation. Interestingly, high expression of tRNA-Lys-CUU in HCC tumours was associated with more tumour recurrence (HR 1.1;P = .022) and worse patient survival (HR 1.1;P = .0037). The expression of Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase (KARS), the enzyme catalysing the charge of lysine to tRNA-Lys-CUU, was significantly upregulated in HCC tumour tissues compared to tumour-free liver tissues. In HCC cell lines, lysine deprivation, KARS knockdown or treatment with the KARS inhibitor cladosporin effectively inhibited overall cell growth, single cell-based colony formation and cell migration. This was mechanistically mediated by cell cycling arrest and induction of apoptosis. Finally, these inhibitory effects were confirmed in 3D cultured patient-derived CC organoids. Conclusions The biological process of charging tRNA-Lys-CUU with lysine sustains liver cancer cell growth and migration, and is clinically relevant in HCC patients. This process can be therapeutically targeted and represents an unexplored territory for developing novel treatment strategies against liver cancer.

}, keywords = {Cladosporin, liver cancer, lysine, Lysyl-tRNA Synthetase, tRNA-Lys-CUU, tRNAome}, issn = {1478-3223}, doi = {10.1111/liv.14692}, author = {Zhang, Ruyi and Noordam, Lisanne and Ou, Xumin and Ma, Buyun and Li, Yunlong and Das, Pronay and Shi, Shaojun and Liu, Jiaye and Wang, Ling and Li, Pengfei and Verstegen, Monique M. A. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and van Der Laan, Luc J. W. and Peppelenbosch, Maikel P. and Kwekkeboom, Jaap and Smits, Ron and Pan, Qiuwei} } @article {47434, title = {Biomass-derived activated carbon material from native European deciduous trees as an inexpensive and sustainable energy material for supercapacitor application}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {34}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {102178}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Activated carbons are one of the possible electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs), which are widely used in commercial applications. Herein, we reported the synthesis of a novel activated carbon derived through a cavitation process from the mixture of native European deciduous trees, Birch, Fagaceae, and Carpinus betulus (commonly known as European hornbeam), which was employed as the electrode material in SC. From the morphological and structural characterization, we observed that the prepared sample is a desirable carbon with good porosity and high specific surface area of about 614 m(2) g(-1). The electrochemical properties of the synthesized material were evaluated with a three-electrode configuration in 1.0 M H2SO4 electrolyte. It was found that in device mode, the carbon material delivers a specific capacitance of 24 F g(-1) at 0.25 A g(-1) with excellent cycling stability of over 10000 consecutive charge/discharge cycles. Thus, our studies demonstrate the facile synthesis of biomass-derived carbon and its application as a versatile electrode material for SC applications.

}, keywords = {Biomass, Carbon material, Deciduous trees, Electrode material, supercapacitor}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2020.102178}, author = {Jain, Amrita and Ghosh, Meena and Krajewski, Marcin and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Michalska, Monika} } @article {47045, title = {Chemistry, anti-diabetic activity and structural analysis of substituted dihydropyrimidine analogues}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1227}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {129412}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In an effort to identify an anti-diabetic agent, a series of methyl/ethyl 4-(hydroxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-oxo/thioxo-1,2,3,4 tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylate analogues (4a-h) have been synthesized, purified, and characterized by using Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and NMR (H-1 and C-13). The synthesized compounds were screened for anti-hyperglycemic activity using Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rat model. The anti-hyperglycemic activity of dihydropyrimidine (DHPM) compound is mainly analyzed with the variation of substituents present on the phenyl ring and urea/thiourea group on pharmacophoric features. Further, the crystal structure and supramolecular characteristics of two compounds 4c and 4f were analyzed through a single-crystal X-ray method and the Hirshfeld Surface Analysis, which shows hydrogen bonding through N-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot S interactions with the formation of ring motif in the crystal structure. It is interesting to note that among the title compounds, the 4a, 4e, 4f, and 4g significantly displayed a better hypoglycemic effect in vivo rat model study. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Dihydropyrimidine (DHPM), Hypoglycemia, Streptozotocin (STZ), Type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2020.129412}, author = {Bairagi, Keshab M. and Younis, Nancy Safwat and Emeka, Promise Madu and Venugopala, Katharigatta N. and Alwassil, I, Osama and Khalil, Hany Ezzat and Sangtani, Ekta and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Mohanlall, Viresh and Nayak, Susanta K.} } @article {47590, title = {Cloning and expression of antibody fragment (Fab) I: effect of expression construct and induction strategies on light and heavy chain gene expression}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {176}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {108189}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Dual promoter expression constructs offer time and cost-effective alternatives to produce multi-domain proteins like antibody fragments. This investigation is focused on understanding the effect of expression construct (dual promoter vs. co-transformation strategy), codon optimization, and induction strategies on yield and expression stoichiometry of LC and HC genes of antibody fragment at shake-flask and bioreactor scale. rHu biosimilar Ranibizumab was selected as a model protein for the study. Expression stoichiometry of HC and LC gene at mRNA level was studied using RTqPCR, whereas protein expression level was studied quantitatively using RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE analysis. In the case of dual promoter expression construct, it was observed that LC gene cloned in the MCS1 of the duet vectors has > 2-fold expression than the HC gene, cloned in the MCS2. Transcript abundance profile of the HC and LC genes determined at different time intervals post-induction shows a difference in the gene expression at the transcriptional level. Comparative analysis of dual promoter and co-transformation strategy shows better stoichiometry in co-transformation (1:1.3), whereas higher protein yield in a dual expression system (>2.4 fold). The use of lactose and galactose as inducers show higher Fab yield of 2.30 +/- 0.03 g/L and 2.81 +/- 0.06 g/L with expression stoichiometry of 1:1.9 and 1:2 (HC: LC) respectively than IPTG-based induction with a protein yield of 1.40 +/- 0.02 g/L.}, keywords = {Dual promoter vector, Expression stoichiometry, High cell density fermentation, rHu biosimilar Ranibizumab, Transcript abundance}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2021.108189}, author = {Mehta, Deepa and Chirmade, Tejas and Tungekar, Aatir A. and Gani, Kayanat and Bhambure, Rahul} } @article {47081, title = {Cold active lipases: biocatalytic tools for greener technology}, journal = {Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology}, volume = {193}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2245-2266}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Lipases are enzymes that catalyze the ester bond hydrolysis in triglycerides with the release of fatty acids, mono- and diglycerides, and glycerol. The microbial lipases account for \$400 million market size in 2017 and it is expected to reach \$590 million by 2023. Many biotechnological processes are expedited at high temperatures and hence much research is dealt with thermostable enzymes. Cold active lipases are now gaining importance in the detergent, synthesis of chiral intermediates and frail/fragile compounds, and food and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, they consume less energy since they are active at low temperatures. These cold active lipases have not been commercially exploited so far compared to mesophilic and thermophilc lipases. Cold active lipases are distributed in microbes found at low temperatures. Only a few microbes were studied for the production of these enzymes. These cold-adapted enzymes show increased flexibility of their structures in response to freezing effect of the cold habitats. This review presents an update on cold-active lipases from microbial sources along with some structural features justifying high enzyme activity at low temperature. In addition, recent achievements on their use in various industries will also be discussed.

}, keywords = {Cold active lipases, Frail compounds, Psychrophilic microbes, Synthesis of chiral molecules}, issn = {0273-2289}, doi = {10.1007/s12010-021-03516-w, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Mhetras, Nutan and Mapare, Vidhyashri and Gokhale, Digambar} } @article {47387, title = {Colloidal assembly by directional ice templating}, journal = {Soft Matter }, volume = {17}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {4098-4108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We investigate directional ice templating of dilute aqueous colloidal particle dispersions and examine the nature of the assemblies that result. We coat micron-size polystyrene colloids with cross-linkable polymer (polyethyleneimine, PEI), add cross-linker, and subject this dispersion to unidirectional freezing. We work at sufficiently low colloid concentrations, such that the particles do not percolate on freezing. When the aqueous dispersion freezes, ice crystals force polymer-coated particles and cross-linker into close proximity. This results in the formation of cross-linked clusters of particles at ice crystal boundaries. We vary the particle volume fraction from phi similar to 2.5 x 10(-3) to phi similar to 5.0 x 10(-2) and observe that there is a transition from isolated single particles to increasingly large sized clusters. Most of the clusters formed under these conditions are either linear, two-particle wide chains, or sheet-like aggregates. The probability (P-n) of clusters containing n particles (n \> 2) obeys a power law P-n similar to n(-eta), where eta strongly depends on the particle concentration in the dispersion, varying from 2.10 (for phi similar to 5.0 x 10(-2)) to 3.03 (for phi similar to 2.5 x 10(-3)). This change in eta is qualitatively different from the case of isotropic freezing, where eta is particle concentration-independent and depends only on the ice nucleation density. To understand the differences between isotropic and directional ice templating, we performed lattice simulations of a highly simplified model, where ice crystals grow at a constant rate to force clustering. We ignore hydrodynamic interactions and ice growth instabilities. Despite ignoring these experimental details, the simulations capture the experimental results, nearly quantitatively. As the ice crystals grow and the space available to the colloids {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}closes up{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} so that the particles cluster to form aggregates, crystallization protocol-induced differences in the geometry of these {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}closed up{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} spaces determine the scaling behaviour of P-n.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/d0sm02057e}, author = {Biswas, Bipul and Misra, Mayank and Bisht, Anil Singh and Kumar, Sanat K. and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {47444, title = {Combating multi-drug resistant malaria parasite by inhibiting falcipain-2 and heme-polymerization: Artemisinin-peptidyl vinyl phosphonate hybrid molecules as new antimalarials}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {220}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {113454}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been able to reduce the clinical and pathological malaria cases in endemic areas around the globe. However, recent reports have shown a progressive decline in malaria parasite clearance in South-east Asia after ACT treatment, thus envisaging a need for new artemisinin (ART) derivatives and combinations. To address the emergence of drug resistance to current antimalarials, here we report the synthesis of artemisinin-peptidyl vinyl phosphonate hybrid molecules that show superior efficacy than artemisinin alone against chloroquine-resistant as well as multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains with EC50\ in pico-molar ranges. Further, the compounds effectively inhibited the survival of ring-stage parasite for laboratory-adapted artemisinin-resistant parasite lines as compared to artemisinin. These hybrid molecules showed complete parasite clearance in vivo using P. berghei mouse malaria model in comparison to artemisinin alone. Studies on the mode of action of hybrid molecules suggested that these artemisinin-peptidyl vinyl phosphonate hybrid molecules possessed dual activities: inhibited falcipain-2 (FP-2) activity, a P. falciparum cysteine protease involved in hemoglobin degradation, and also blocked the hemozoin formation in the food-vacuole, a step earlier shown to be blocked by artemisinin. Since these hybrid molecules blocked multiple steps of a pathway and showed synergistic efficacies, we believe that these lead compounds can be developed as effective antimalarials to prevent the spread of resistance to current antimalarials.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113454}, author = {Aratikatla, Eswar K. and Kalamuddin, Md and Rana, Kalpeshkumar C. and Datta, Gaurav and Asad, Mohd and Sundararaman, Srividhya and Malhotra, Pawan and Mohmmed, Asif and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {47350, title = {Comparative studies of the influence of particle size on various pretreatments of rice husk by assessment of chemical and structural components and wastewater characteristics of liquid fraction}, journal = {Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, type = {Article; Early Access}, abstract = {

The dilute acid (DA), steam explosion (SE), and a 2-step: steam explosion followed by alkali (SEA) were evaluated for pretreatment of rice husk. The maximum hemicellulose and lignin removal via degradation and dissolution was observed for SEA pretreatment, enabling higher cellulose enrichment (up to 44\% w/w) and recovery (up to 78\%). The hemicellulose solubilization was \>90\% for all the pretreatments, while maximum lignin removal (up to 62\%) was observed for SEA pretreatment. The particle size in the range of 0.3-0.6 mm enabled higher pretreatment efficiencies in terms of cellulose enrichment. The liquid fraction obtained after DA pretreatment indicated higher COD values (20800-24440 mg/L) as compared to SEA (7800-11400 mg/L) due to lower cellulose recoveries in DAP (54-68\%). SEM analysis of the biomass indicated disrupted regions with multiple pores. FTIR analysis revealed cleavage of lignin side chains, and XRD analysis confirmed the increase in cellulose crystallinity post-pretreatment.

}, keywords = {Lignocellulosic crop residues, Liquid-waste characterization, Particle size, Rice husk biomass, Steam explosion pretreatment}, issn = {2190-6815}, doi = {10.1007/s13399-021-01565-z, Early Access Date = JUN 2021}, author = {Shahabazuddin, Mohmmad and Banuvalli, Bhavana Karibasappa and Mulik, Nagesh and Pande, Ashwini and Bokade, Vijay and Mudliar, Sandeep Narayan} } @article {47596, title = {Comprehensive review on catalytic O-alkylation of phenol and hydroquinone}, journal = {Catalysis Reviews-Science and Engineering}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, type = {Review; Early Access}, abstract = {The alkylation process involves two competitive paths of O- and C-alkylation and achieving better selectivity for desired products is a very challenging problem. The development of new process for synthesis of O-methylated products of phenol and dihydric phenols is a subject of high industrial and academic interest. Alkyl phenyl ethers, especially anisole and 4-methoxyphenol, have captivated significant interest due to their increasing applications in pharmaceutical industries. The main emphasis of the present review is to explore the recent development in two catalytic O-alkylation processes. The first process is O-methylation of phenol into anisole and another is selective mono O-methylation of hydroquinone into 4-methoxyphenol. The present article covers O-alkylation methods with methanol and dimethyl carbonate as alkylating agent over various acidic and basic catalytic systems. The catalyst systems analyzed involves Bronsted and Lewis acidic and basic ionic liquids, conventional acids, metal oxides, solid acid and basic catalysts, hydrotalcites, various zeolites and heteropolyacids. The mechanistic behavior of alkylation reactions in presence of different catalytic system is reviewed critically which is important to design new and/or modified catalyst in order to maximize the yield of desired product. Additionally, an influence of reaction parameters, role of catalyst and their active sites on product distribution is described. The review paper gives useful insight for researchers in the field of catalysis and reaction engineering of alkylation reactions. Understandings of the reaction pathways will help in developing reliable kinetic models necessary for process scale-up to industrial scale reactor system.}, keywords = {Dimethyl carbonate, Hydroquinone, Methanol, O-alkylation, phenol}, issn = {0161-4940}, doi = {10.1080/01614940.2021.1930490}, author = {Bhongale, Priyanka and Joshi, Sunil and Mali, Nilesh} } @article {47772, title = {Comprehensive tutorial on the pulsed laser deposition technique and developments in the fabrication of low dimensional systems and nanostructures}, journal = {Emergent Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {737{\textendash}754}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a simple and extremely versatile technique to grow thin films and nanomaterials of a wide variety of materials. PLD allows the deposition of profoundly different materials, including high-temperature superconductors, oxides, nitrides, carbides, semiconductors, metals, and even polymers or fullerenes with high deposition rates. Growing thin films using PLD is now being used around the world for prototyping thin films of many inorganic materials and even in device fabrication protocols. This article covers the detailed development, versatility, and reliability of the ultraviolet (UV) excimer laser. It is envisioned that this review article is of interest for both the materials and chemical scientists engaged in more fundamental aspects of pulsed laser ablation and deposition. The present article highlights the historical developments of PLD technique, complete mechanism of thin film fabrication, optimization of the quality of thin films and the fabrication of thin films of the materials like ZnO, Graphene, MoS2, and WS2 which are being explored for various potential applications.}, doi = {10.1007/s42247-020-00155-5}, author = {Masood, Khalid Bin and Kumar, Pushpendra and Malik, Mushtaq Ahmad and Singh, Jai} } @article {47608, title = {Computational insights into the role of external and local electric fields in macrocyclic chemical and biological systems}, journal = {ChemPhysChem}, volume = {22}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {2484-2492}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The investigation of the role of the electric field in systems of widespread interest employing computational techniques is an emerging area of research. The outcome of applying an oriented external electric field (OEEF) on the geometric and electronic properties of the chemically unique pi-conjugated cyclic carbon ring compounds has been explored with density functional theory (DFT). Distinct changes in the structural and electronic features of such ring compounds are observed upon the application of OEEFs. Importantly, the calculations indicate that a mixed aliphatic-aromatic conjugated ring converts from a singlet to a triplet after the application of an OEEF, suggesting potential applications in optoelectronics for such molecules, without the need for photochemically induced change in the spin state. Furthermore, the influence of built-in local electric fields (LEFs) present in naturally occurring macrocyclic systems such as valinomycin has also been explored. Static and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations indicate that LEFs are the primary driving factor in determining the energetically favoured position of counter anions such as chloride (Cl-) in the potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+) coordinated valinomycin macrocycle structures: they exist inside the cage in the case of K+ sequestration by valinomycin and outside for Na+. This divergence has been proposed to be the determining factor for the selectivity of the valinomycin macrocycle for binding a K+ cation over Na+.}, keywords = {counter anions, Density functional calculations, electric field, ion selectivity, macrocyclic systems}, issn = {1439-4235}, doi = {10.1002/cphc.202100581}, author = {Mukherjee, Anagh and Ghule, Siddharth and Vanka, Kumar} } @article {47572, title = {Construction of beta-cyclodextrin linked glycidyl methacrylate polymers for stereoselective separation of chiral drug}, journal = {Journal of Polymer Research}, volume = {28}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {287}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this present study, a series of cross-linked porous polymers based on Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) were synthesized by suspension polymerization using cyclohexanol and hexanol as pore generating solvents. beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) was covalently bonded to the polymers by using Hexamethylene Diisocyanate (HMDI) and Sebacoyl Chloride (SC) as spacer arms. The effects of matrix properties such as pore volume, type of crosslinker, and spacer on the loading of beta-cyclodextrin were investigated. The stereoselective binding of enantiomers of the anti-depressant drug citalopram was studied using beta-cyclodextrin loaded polymers under batch adsorption mode. The capacity factor and selectivity of isomers were investigated also. This study reveals that these beta-cyclodextrin bonded Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) polymers are potentially suitable for chromatographic separation of citalopram.}, keywords = {beta-cyclodextrin, Citalopram, Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) beads, HPLC etc, Stereoslelctivity}, issn = {1022-9760}, doi = {10.1007/s10965-021-02634-7}, author = {Wale, Apparav and Mulani, Khudbudin and Deshpande, Supriya and Rajan, C. R. and Ponrathnam, Surendra} } @article {47739, title = {Continuous citrate-capped gold nanoparticle synthesis in a two-phase flow reactor}, journal = {Journal of Flow Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {553-567}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A continuous manufacturing platform was developed for the synthesis of aqueous colloidal 10-20 nm gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) in a flow reactor using chloroauric acid, sodium citrate and citric acid at 95 degrees C and 2.3 bar(a) pressure. The use of a twophase flow system - using heptane as the continuous phase - prevented fouling on the reactor walls, while improving the residence time distribution. Continuous syntheses for up to 2 h demonstrated its potential application for continuous manufacturing, while live quality control was established using online UV-Vis photospectrometry that monitored the particle size and process yield. The synthesis was stable and reproducible over time for gold precursor concentration above 0.23 mM (after mixing), resulting in average particle size between 12 and 15 nm. A hydrophobic membrane separator provided successful separation of the aqueous and organic phases and collection of colloidal Au NPs in flow. Process yield increased at higher inlet flow rates (from 70\% to almost 100 \%), due to lower residence time of the colloidal solution in the separator resulting in less fouling in the PTFE membrane. This study addresses the challenges for the translation of the synthesis from batch to flow and provides tools for the development of a continuous manufacturing platform for gold nanoparticles.}, keywords = {Continuous manufacturing, Nanomaterials, Online analysis, phase separation, segmented flow}, issn = {2062-249X}, doi = {10.1007/s41981-021-00172-3}, author = {Damilos, Spyridon and Alissandratos, Ioannis and Panariello, Luca and Radhakrishnan, Anand N. P. and Cao, Enhong and Wu, Gaowei and Besenhard, Maximilian O. and Kulkarni, Amol A. and Makatsoris, Charalampos and Gavriilidis, Asterios} } @article {47039, title = {Controlled di-lithiation enabled synthesis of phosphine-sulfonamide ligands and implications in ethylene oligomerization}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {50}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {3717-3723}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Catalyst design for ethylene oligomerization has attracted significant interest. Herein, we report the synthesis of phosphine-sulfonamide-derived palladium complexes and examine their performance in ethylene oligomerization. Arresting a dilithiation intermediate of N-(2-bromophenyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide (1) at -84 degrees C selectively produced N-(2-(bis(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)phenyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide (L1A). However, the same reaction at -41 degrees C delivered a different ligand; 2-(bis(2-methoxyphenyl)phosphanyl)-4-methyl-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide (L2A). The generality of our strategy has been demonstrated by preparing N-(2-(diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl)-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide (L1B) and 2-(diphenylphosphanyl)-4-methyl-N-phenylbenzenesulfonamide (L2B). Subsequently, L1A and L1B were treated with a palladium precursor to yield 5-membered complexes C1 and C2, respectively. In contrast, L2A upon treatment with palladium produced a 6-membered metal complex C3. Thus, a small library of 7 palladium complexes (C1-C7) were synthesized by varying the donor moiety (pyridine, DMSO, and acetonitrile). The identity of palladium complexes was unambiguously ascertained using a combination of spectroscopic and analytical methods, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The performance of the complexes C1-C7 was investigated in ethylene oligomerization and almost all of them were found to be active. The resultant ethylene oligomers were characterized using H-1 and C-13 NMR, MALDI-ToF-MS, and GPC. Detailed screening of reaction parameters revealed 100 degrees C and 40 bars ethylene to be optimal conditions. Complex C5 outperformed other complexes and produced ethylene oligomers with a molecular weight of 1000-1900 g mol(-1).

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d1dt00093d}, author = {Mote, Nilesh R. and Gaikwad, Shahaji R. and Khopade, V, Kishor and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {47787, title = {Convenient and mild protocol for preparation of α {\textendash}trimethylsilyloxyphosphonates using sulfamic acid and their oxidation to α {\textendash} ketophosphonates in the presence of N-bromosuccinimide}, journal = {Arkivoc}, volume = {2021}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A convenient and mild protocol was developed for the trimethylsilylation of α-hydroxyphosphonates using hexamethyldisilazane as the silylating agent in the presence of sulfamic acid (SA) as a heterogeneous solid acid catalyst in dichloromethane as the reaction medium. The utility of SA as the catalyst for deprotection of α-trimethylsilyloxyphosphonates to parent α-hydroxyphosphonates by making a switch to a protic solvent such as methanol was also demonstrated. Furthermore, the oxidation of α{\textendash}trimethylsilyloxyphosphonates to corresponding α{\textendash}ketophosphonates was achieved in excellent yields employing N-bromosuccinimide in the presence of catalytic quantity of AIBN.}, doi = {10.24820/ark.5550190.p011.603}, author = {Mitragotri, Satish and Kulkarni, Makarand and Desai, Uday and Wadagaonkar, Prakash} } @article {47734, title = {Copolymers of bipyridinium and metal (Zn \& Ni) porphyrin derivatives; theoretical insights and electrochemical activity towards CO2}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {19844-19855}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This study reports the electropolymerization of novel keto functionalized octaethyl metal porphyrins (Zn2+ and Ni2+) in the presence of 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine (4,4 {\textquoteleft}-bpy) as a bridging nucleophile. The polymer films were characterized by electrochemical, spectroscopic (UV-Vis, XPS, FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy) and imaging (AFM and SEM) techniques. The absorption and electronic spectra confirm the presence of both porphyrin and 4,4 {\textquoteleft}-bipyridine units in the film. The surface morphology reveals homogeneous film deposition with average roughness values of approx. 8 nm. The theoretical studies performed offered insights into the interplay of different metal centres (Zn2+ and Ni2+) and the keto functionality of the porphyrin unit in the formation of copolymer films. The electrochemical interaction of polymer films with CO2 suggests a reversible trap and release of CO2 with low energy barriers for both the polymers.}, doi = {10.1039/d1ra01945g}, author = {Kochrekar, Sachin and Kalekar, Ajit and Mehta, Shweta and Damlin, Pia and Salomaki, Mikko and Granroth, Sari and Meltola, Niko and Joshi, Kavita and Kvarnstrom, Carita} } @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 {47035, title = {CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6 perovskite@COF nanocomposites for visible-light-driven photocatalytic applications in water}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6819-6826}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

For the first time, we have synthesized all-inorganic CsPbBr3/Cs4PbBr6 perovskite@COF nanocomposites under atmospheric conditions and tuned the crystal structures of the perovskite as well. The nanocomposite is reasonably stable and maintains its crystalline properties even when dipped into water for 60 minutes. The perovskite@COF nanocomposite shows efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance to degrade Methyl orange (10 mL; 20-100 ppm). The rate of photodegradation was about 0.245 min(-1) with high catalytic activity and recyclability for three to six cycles.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d1ta00201e}, author = {Kour, Prachi and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {47421, title = {Curious case of aqueous warfarin: structural isomers or distinct excited states?}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {2871-2878}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Warfarin is a potent anti-coagulant drug and is on the World Health Organization{\textquoteright}s List of Essential Medicines. Additionally, it displays fluorescence enhancement upon binding to human serum albumin, making warfarin a prototype fluorescent probe in biology. Despite its biological significance, the current structural assignment of warfarin in aqueous solution is based on indirect evidence in organic solvents. Warfarin is known to exist in different isomeric forms-open-chain, hemiketal, and anionic forms-based on the solvent and pH. Moreover, warfarin displays a dual absorption feature in several solvents, which has been employed to study the ring-chain isomerism between its open-chain and hemiketal isomers. In this study, our pH-dependent experiments on warfarin and structurally constrained warfarin derivatives in aqueous solution demonstrate that the structural assignment of warfarin solely on the basis of its absorption spectrum is erroneous. Using a combination of steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic experiments, along with quantum chemical calculations, we assign the observed dual absorption to two distinct pi -\>pi* transitions in the 4-hydroxycoumarin moiety of warfarin. Furthermore, we unambiguously identify the isomeric form of warfarin that binds to human serum albumin in aqueous buffer.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c10824}, author = {Sakpal, Sushil S. and Ghosh, Deborin and Manae, Meghna A. and Hazra, Anirban and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {47701, title = {DART: deep learning enabled topological interaction model for energy prediction of metal clusters and its application in identifying unique low energy isomers}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {21995-22003}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Recently, machine learning (ML) has proven to yield fast and accurate predictions of chemical properties to accelerate the discovery of novel molecules and materials. The majority of the work is on organic molecules, and much more work needs to be done for inorganic molecules, especially clusters. In the present work, we introduce a simple topological atomic descriptor called TAD, which encodes chemical environment information of each atom in the cluster. TAD is a simple and interpretable descriptor where each value represents the atom count in three shells. We also introduce the DART deep learning enabled topological interaction model, which uses TAD as a feature vector to predict energies of metal clusters, in our case gallium clusters with sizes ranging from 31 to 70 atoms. The DART model is designed based on the principle that the energy is a function of atomic interactions and allows us to model these complex atomic interactions to predict the energy. We further introduce a new dataset called GNC_31-70, which comprises structures and DFT optimized energies of gallium clusters with sizes ranging from 31 to 70 atoms. We show how DART can be used to accelerate the process of identification of low energy structures without geometry optimization. Albeit using a topological descriptor, DART achieves a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.59 kcal mol(-1) (0.15 eV) on the test set. We also show that our model can distinguish core and surface atoms in the Ga-70 cluster, which the model has never encountered earlier. Finally, we demonstrate the transferability of the DART model by predicting energies for about 6k unseen configurations picked up from molecular dynamics (MD) data for three cluster sizes (46, 57, and 60) within seconds. The DART model was able to reduce the load on DFT optimizations while identifying unique low energy structures from MD data.}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d1cp02956h}, author = {Modee, Rohit and Agarwal, Sheena and Verma, Ashwini and Joshi, Kavita and Priyakumar, U. Deva} } @article {47741, title = {Density functional theory-based study of the magnetic and optical properties of PbMO3 (M = Cr, Fe) using the modified BeckeJohnson mBJ functional (vol 128, pg 275, 2019)}, journal = {Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids}, volume = {158}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {110225}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0022-3697}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpcs.2021.110225}, author = {Mahmood, Q. and Hassan, M. and Bhamu, K. C. and Yaseen, M. and Ramay, S. M. and Mahmood, A.} } @article {47457, title = {Design, synthesis, and structural analysis of cladosporin-based inhibitors of malaria parasites}, journal = {ACS Infectious Diseases}, volume = {7}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1777{\textendash}1794}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Here we have described a systematic structure activity relationship (SAR) of a set of compounds inspired from cladosporin, a tool compound that targets parasite (Plasmodium falciparum) lysyl tRNA synthetase (KRS). Four sets of analogues, synthesized based on point changes in the chemical scaffold of cladosporin and other logical modifications and hybridizations, were assessed using high throughput enzymatic and parasitic assays along with\ in vitro\ pharmacokinetics. Co-crystallization of the most potent compound in our series (CL-2) with\ PfKRS revealed its structural basis of enzymatic binding and potency. Further, we report that\ CL-2\ has performed better than cladosporin in terms of metabolic stability. It thus represents a new lead for further optimization toward the development of antimalarial drugs. Collectively, along with a lead compound, the series offers insights on how even the slightest chemical modification might play an important role in enhancing or decreasing the potency of a chemical scaffold.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00092}, author = {Babbar, Palak and Das, Pronay and Manickam, Yogavel and Mankad, Yash and Yadav, Swati and Parvez, Suhel and Sharma, Amit and Reddy, Srinivasa} } @article {47707, title = {Development of aerial and belowground tubers in potato is governed by photoperiod and epigenetic mechanism}, journal = {Plant Physiology}, volume = {187}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1071-1086}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Plants exhibit diverse developmental plasticity and modulate growth responses under various environmental conditions. Potato (Solanum tuberosum), a modified stem and an important food crop, serves as a substantial portion of the world{\textquoteright}s subsistence food supply. In the past two decades, crucial molecular signals have been identified that govern the tuberization (potato development) mechanism. Interestingly, microRNA156 overexpression in potato provided the first evidence for induction of profuse aerial stolons and tubers from axillary meristems under short-day (SD) photoperiod. A similar phenotype was noticed for overexpression of epigenetic modifiers-MUTICOPY SUPRESSOR OF IRA1 (StMSI1) or ENAHNCER OF ZESTE 2 (StE[z]2), and knockdown of B-CELL-SPECIFIC MOLONEY MURINE LEUKEMIA VIRUS INTEGRATION SITE 1 (StBMI1). This striking phenotype represents a classic example of modulation of plant architecture and developmental plasticity. Differentiation of a stolon to a tuber or a shoot under in vitro or in vivo conditions symbolizes another example of organ-level plasticity and dual fate acquisition in potato. Stolon-to-tuber transition is governed by SD photoperiod, mobile RNAs/proteins, phytohormones, a plethora of small RNAs and their targets. Recent studies show that polycomb group proteins control microRNA156, phytohormone metabolism/transport/signaling and key tuberization genes through histone modifications to govern tuber development. Our comparative analysis of differentially expressed genes between the overexpression lines of StMSI1, StBEL5 (BEL1-LIKE transcription factor [TF]), and POTATO HOMEOBOX 15 TF revealed more than 1,000 common genes, indicative of a mutual gene regulatory network potentially involved in the formation of aerial and belowground tubers. In this review, in addition to key tuberization factors, we highlight the role of photoperiod and epigenetic mechanism that regulates the development of aerial and belowground tubers in potato.}, issn = {0032-0889}, doi = {10.1093/plphys/kiab409}, author = {Kondhare, Kirtikumar R. and Kumar, Amit and Patil, Nikita S. and Malankar, Nilam N. and Saha, Kishan and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @article {47379, title = {Diverse reactivity of NOBF4 towards silylene, disilene, germylene and stannylene}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {5008-5011}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{The reactivity of NOBF4 towards silylene, disilene, germylene, stannylenes has been described. Smooth syntheses of compounds of composition [PhC(NtBu)(2)E(= O -\> BF3)N(SiMe3)(2)

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc01034d, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Parvin, Nasrina and Sen, Nilanjana and Muhasina, Puthan Veetil and Tothadi, Srinu and Parameswaran, Pattiyil and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47066, title = {Durable metalloporphyrin 2D-polymer for photocatalytic hydrogen and oxygen evolution from river and sea waters}, journal = {ChemCatChem}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {1717-1721}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

It is highly imaginary that the outcome of a combination of two complementary resources leads to answer an alarming global issue. One such possible example is the solar seawater splitting for {\textquoteleft}clean fuel{\textquoteright} H-2 generation. Since the catalytic activity and stability of the photocatalysts are substantially challenged in seawater, the design of an efficient and stable photocatalyst is highly desirable. Herein, we demonstrate the solar seawater splitting by a two-dimensional polymer catalyst derived from metalloporphyrin bearing multi-hydroxyl groups. A bimetallic (Co and Ni) porphyrin 2D-polymer exhibits excellent long-term durability of 15 cycles of H-2 and O-2 generation in 200 days from pure water without a considerable decrease in efficiency. Detailed studies using river and seawaters also show the reliable performance of the catalyst over repeated cycles. Here the deactivation modes of catalytic activity have been nullified by the layered metalloporphyrin polymer structure through stable pi-pi stacking, signifying the molecular design of 2D-polymer photocatalyst.

}, keywords = {2D-polymer, Photocatalyst, porphyrin, Self-assembly, water splitting}, issn = {1867-3880}, doi = {10.1002/cctc.202002039, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Ranjeesh, Kayaramkodath Chandran and George, Leena and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh} } @article {47352, title = {Effect of CaCl2 and ZnCl2 salts on isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium in separation of the azeotropic mixture of ethanol plus water}, journal = {Fluid Phase Equilibria}, volume = {537}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {113000}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Present work analyzes potential of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and zinc chloride (ZaCl(2)) salts as entrainer for breaking the minimum boiling azeotrope of ethanol and water. Isobaric vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data for the binary systems of water + ethanol and ternary system of water + ethanol + calcium chloride, and water + ethanol + zinc chloride were measured at a constant pressure of 94.5 kPa. The effect of salts on the relative volatility of ethanol to water as well as on the vapor phase mole fractions of ethanol were also studied experimentally. From the experimental results, it is observed that with addition of salts, the azeotropic point of the ethanol and water system can be eliminated. Salting out effects in case of calcium chloride was more than that zinc chloride salt. The results obtained in this work showed that calcium chloride could be a better choice for separation of the water + ethanol azeotrope. Electrolyte nonrandom two-liquid (eNRTL) model was used to correlate the experimental VLE data. The model prediction with the regressed parameters was found in well agreement with the experimental data. The experimental data obtained in this work was found thermodynamically consistent using van Ness test. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Azeotrope, eNRTL, Ethanol, salts, Vapor-liquid equilibrium, Water}, issn = {0378-3812}, doi = {10.1016/j.fluid.2021.113000}, author = {Ghuge, Pravin D. and Mali, Nilesh A. and Joshi, Sunil S.} } @article {47089, title = {Effect of object shape on the flow past microstructures in small channel}, journal = {Fluid Dynamics Research}, volume = {53}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {015505}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Flow past objects in microfluidics and microscale devices are used to perturb the flow and thereby achieve effective mixing and heat transfer. This paper presents the observations on the flow past bluff (elliptical, rectangular and triangular) cylindrical micropillars (objects) having different cross-sectional area in a micro-channel through 2D simulations. The pertinent range of Re based on object dimension (0.1 Re 150) was chosen to understand the wake dynamics that would remain relevant for comparison with literature data. Drag coefficient, recirculation region, critical Reynolds number for flow oscillations and vortex strength in a channel were studied. The drag coefficient was found to increase with aspect ratio of the object. The critical Re for flow oscillations was found to increase with the cross-sectional area of the object. The vortex strength in a channel was seen highest for triangular cylinder compared to elliptical and rectangular cylinder.

}, keywords = {2D simulations, flow past objects, micro and mini-channels, micropillars, wake dynamics}, issn = {0169-5983}, doi = {10.1088/1873-7005/abcd8b}, author = {Mule, Gunwant M. and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {46895, title = {Eichhornia crassipes mediated bioinspired synthesis of crystalline nano silver as an integrated medicinal material: a waste to value approach}, journal = {Journal of Cluster Science}, volume = {32}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {391-404}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study deals with the synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Eichhornia crassipes. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed for nanoparticle characterization. The aqueous plant extract of Eichhornia crassipes was phytochemically analyzed for phenol, flavonoid, reducing sugar content, alkaloids, saponins and carotenoids. The synthesized particles after optimization of important parameters have an average diameter of 12.48 +/- 3.43 nm with a spherical morphology and zeta potential of - 31.53 mV. At 100 mu g/ml of nanoparticle concentration, the antioxidant activity of 93.6\% was observed. MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) values exhibiting the antimicrobial attributes reported an estimated value of 7.8 mu g/ml for gram-negative and higher values of 31.25 and 250 mu g/ml for gram-positive bacteria. The antibiofilm assay showed 86.89\% and 74.7\% of the reduction in violacein synthesis and biofilm inhibition respectively at 15 mu g/ml nanoparticle concentration. The anticancer assay reported the IC50 (Inhibitory concentration) values of 13.32, 14.71 and 19.91 mu g/ml for HeLa, HCT 116 and L6 cell lines respectively. Thus the study establishes a significant integrative treatment to combat secondary infections in cancer patients. Graphic

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Antibiofilm activity, Anticancer activity, Antioxidant activity, Eichhornia crassipes, silver nanoparticles}, issn = {1040-7278}, doi = {10.1007/s10876-020-01797-5, Early Access Date = APR 2020}, author = {Moudgil, Aliesha and Deval, Animesh S. and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Sarkar, Dhiman M. and Choudhari, Amit S. and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {47774, title = {Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction directed through the p-band center of boron on BSAC@Mo2C}, journal = {Materials Advances}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Greener modes of ammonia synthesis via the electrocatalytic route have been investigated on pristine and defective Mo2C based monolayers anchored with metal-free boron atom catalysts. Boron single atom catalysts (SACs) on the defective Mo2C monolayer has been found to activate N2 strongly with an adsorption energy of -1.92 eV and reduce it to NH3 efficiently with a significantly low overpotential of 0.41 eV. The exothermic adsorption of N2 and low overpotential for the nitrogen reduction reduction (NRR) appertain to the p-band center of the boron atom catalyst and charge transfer between the adsorbed N2 and the catalyst, respectively. This work brings forth the correlation between electron occupancy on the boron center and NRR catalytic efficiency on a metal-free SACs@Mo2C monolayer couple, thereby serving as a lead in designing metal free electrocatalysts for the NRR.}, doi = {10.1039/D1MA00953B}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Dar, Manzoor Ahmad} } @article {47420, title = {Electronic and optical properties of vacancy ordered double perovskites A(2)BX(6) (A=Rb, Cs; B=Sn, Pd, Pt; and X=Cl, Br, I): a first principles study}, journal = {Scientific Reports }, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {6965}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The highly successful PBE functional and the modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential were used to calculate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of the vacancy-ordered double perovskites A(2)BX(6) (A=Rb, Cs; B=Sn, Pd, Pt; X=Cl, Br, and I) using the density functional theory, a first principles approach. The convex hull approach was used to check the thermodynamic stability of the compounds. The calculated parameters (lattice constants, band gap, and bond lengths) are in tune with the available experimental and theoretical results. The compounds, Rb2PdBr6 and Cs2PtI6, exhibit band gaps within the optimal range of 0.9-1.6 eV, required for the single-junction photovoltaic applications. The photovoltaic efficiency of the studied materials was assessed using the spectroscopic-limited-maximum-efficiency (SLME) metric as well as the optical properties. The ideal band gap, high dielectric constants, and optimum light absorption of these perovskites make them suitable for high performance single and multi-junction perovskite solar cells.

}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-86145-x}, author = {Faizan, Muhammad and Bhamu, K. C. and Murtaza, Ghulam and He, Xin and Kulhari, Neeraj and AL-Anazy, Murefah Mana and Khan, Shah Haidar} } @article {47589, title = {Electronically integrated mesoporous Ag-TiO2 nanocomposite thin films for efficient solar hydrogen production in direct sunlight}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2100356}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 by a solution-based assembly process and Ag/TiO2 nanocomposites is provided. The efficacy of Ag/TiO2 nanocomposite as photocatalyst in thin-film form is demonstrated for solar hydrogen generation in sunlight. Integration of Ag with TiO2 dramatically enhanced the H-2 production: with 1 wt\% Ag on TiO2 (TiAg-1), the H-2 yield was observed to be 4.59 mmol h(-1) g(-1), which is 2.3 (30) times larger than 0.5 wt\% Ag on TiO2. TiAg-1 shows 4.3 times higher activity in film form compared with its powder counterpart. High photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag, electronic integration of Ag with TiO2, and subsequent valence band broadening, large distribution of Ag nanoparticles and abundant Ag-TiO2 Schottky junctions, and the later minimizes electron-hole recombination. Interparticle mesoporous network increases necking and the high surface area offers easy accessibility of the reactants to a large number of active sites.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, heterojunctions, plasmon effect, Silver, solar energy conversion, Solar hydrogen}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.202100356}, author = {Mani, Sunesh S. and Rajendran, Sivaraj and Nalajala, Naresh and Mathew, Thomas and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {47135, title = {Energy and life cycle impact assessment for xylitol production from corncob}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, volume = {278}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {123217}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The conversion of biobased feedstocks into energy and value-added chemicals is one main approach to address the current global challenge for waste mitigation through the biorefinery mode. Corncob biomass which is one of the most abundant agricultural residue in India with a high hemicellulose content, can serve as a potential low-cost raw material for food-grade xylitol production. The present study demonstrates a process for xylitol production from corncob biomass with detailed energy and life cycle analysis for viability assessment. The major highlight of the process is the use of microbial fermentation, where biomass-derived D-xylose is converted to xylitol with high selectivity. Overall, 0.502 kg of xylitol crystals could be produced from 3.5 kg of corncob biomass. Simulation analysis revealed that the evaporators are the primary consumers of energy, and the process of heat integration can significantly reduce the energy requirements of the overall process. Environmental impacts of the system evaluated showed emission results of 8.68 kg CO2 equivalent and revealed that marine aquatic and freshwater eco-toxicity are the only possible contributors to the environment. The results suggest that the process would have favourable energy balances, which can be used in pilot plant and heat exchanger network design and operation for xylitol production scale up to 500 L. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {biomass valorization, Life cycle impact assessment, simulation, xylitol}, issn = {0959-6526}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123217}, author = {Dasgupta, Diptarka and Sidana, Arushdeep and Ghosh, Prasenjit and Sharma, Tripti and Singh, Jasvinder and Prabhune, Asmita and More, Snehal and Bhaskar, Thallada and Ghosh, Debashish} } @article {47029, title = {Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of PtRu/nitrogen and sulphur co-doped crumbled graphene in acid and alkaline media}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {590}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {154-163}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The low mass activity and high price of pure platinum (Pt)-based catalysts predominantly limit their large-scale utilization in electrocatalysis. Therefore, the reduction of Pt amount while preserving the electrocatalytic efficiency represents a viable alternative. In this work, we prepared new PtRu2 nanoparticles supported on sulphur and nitrogen co-doped crumbled graphene with trace amounts of iron (PtRu2/PF) electrocatalysts. The PtRu2/PF catalysts exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic performance and stability for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at pH = 0. Moreover, the prepared PtRu2/PF electrocatalyst displayed higher HER activity than commercial 20\% Pt/C. The PtRu2/PF catalyst achieved a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential value of only 22 mV for HER, performing better activity than many other Pt-based electrocatalysts. Besides, the PtRu2/PF revealed a good performance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. The PtRu2/PF catalyst recorded a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of only 270 mV for OER in KOH (1.0 M) solution and an onset potential of 0.96 V vs. RHE (at 1 mA cm(-2)) for ORR in KOH (0.1 M) solution. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {HER, OER, ORR, PtRu2, Sulphur and nitrogen co-doped crumbled graphene}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2021.01.049}, author = {Pang, Liuqing and Miao, Yuanyuan and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Barras, Alexandre and Addad, Ahmed and Roussel, Pascal and Amin, Mohammed A. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Szunerits, Sabine and Boukherroub, Rabah} } @article {47628, title = {Enhanced one-pot selective conversion of cellulose to ethylene glycol over NaZSM-5 supported metal catalysts}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {19244-19254}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The mesopores interconnected with microporous NaZSM-5 was synthesised by sol-gel method. Reactions involving cellulose using different bimetallic and trimetallic combinations of nickel, aluminium, and tungsten metals supported on NaZSM-5 have been carried out. Different weight percentages (wt\%) of Al, Ni, and W were loaded onto the NaZSM-5 support via a wet impregnation method. The prepared catalysts were characterized using PXRD, FE-SEM, HR-TEM, BET, and XPS studies to investigate the presence of mesopores, the textural properties, the metal loading, and the active oxidation states. The catalytic activities of the xAl-yNi-zW/NaZSM-5 (where x, y, and z are the wt\% values of Al, Ni, and W, respectively) supported catalysts were studied during the one-pot conversion of cellulose into ethylene glycol at 220 degrees C and with a pressure of 70 bar H-2 (at the reaction temperature) in water (as a solvent). The 5\%Al-8\%Ni-25\%W/NaZSM-5 catalyst exhibited the highest cellulose conversion of 100\%, with an ethylene glycol yield as high as 89\% (C mol\%) under moderate reaction conditions being reported for the first time. Al3+ in the catalyst hydrolyzed cellulose, and W5+ species acted as acid centres that facilitated the retro-aldol condensation reaction and eventually led to an increased EG yield in the presence of Ni. The catalyst was moderately stable after four consecutive runs for 6 h at 220 degrees C and at a H-2 reaction pressure of 70 bar, though a 12 h reaction resulted in the highest EG yield. The high yields under moderate reaction conditions promise an energy-efficient and economically feasible process.}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d1nj03257g}, author = {Sreekantan, Sreejith and Kirali, Arun Arunima and Marimuthu, Banu} } @article {47389, title = {Enhanced photocatalytic properties of a chemically modified blue phosphorene}, journal = {RSC Advances }, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {13348-13358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

It is high time to placate the peak demand for an efficient, economic and green fuel in the form of H-2 through photocatalytic water splitting. Several low dimensional materials have been explored for their photocatalytic properties on account of their surface to volume ratio. The present study illustrates the excellent photocatalytic potential of a two-dimensional material, viz. a chemically tempered blue-phosphorene sheet, with single atom thickness and high carrier mobility. Metal-free element, sulphur, is explored as a dopant in a 32-atom blue-phosphorene sheet. The dopant is inserted at three locations viz. central, edge and central edge positions with varying concentrations from 3.125\% to 18.75\% (corresponding to n = 1 to 6 sulphur atoms within a 32-atom blue-phosphorene sheet, P32-nSn). The cohesive energy studies predict the higher stability of even number S doped sheets as compared to their odd counterparts. Photocatalytic activity is studied in terms of band gap and band alignment for different concentrations of the former. Studies reveal that edge doping demonstrates better water molecule activation independent of S atom concentration. The edge doped systems not only provide the chemical activity to activate water, but also show feasible HER overpotentials of 1.24-1.29 eV at neutral medium. Finally, this work opens up a driving lead of non-corrosive catalysts for water molecule splitting.

}, doi = {10.1039/d0ra10829d}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Das, Sawan Kumar and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {47115, title = {Enhanced solubility, permeability, and tabletability of nicorandil by salt and cocrystal formation}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {227-237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cocrystallization is a rational selection crystal engineering approach for the development of novel solid forms with enhanced physicochemical and mechanical properties. Nicorandil (NCR) is a niacinamide vitamin derivative used to treat angina pectoris. A binary solid form screen of NCR with homologous dicarboxylic acids afforded NCR-oxalic acid (NCR-OA, 1:1), NCR-fumaric acid (NCR-FA, 1:1), NCR-succinic acid (NCR-SA, 1:1), and NCR-suberic acid (NCR-SBA, 1:0.5). The binary solids were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and DSC. NCR-FA and NCR-SBA were crystallized by slow evaporation from chloroform and toluene solvents, respectively. Single crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed that NCR-FA is a molecular salt, while NCR-SBA is a neutral cocrystal. NCR and the FA anion are connected via the robust carbovlate-pyridinium synthon, whereas in the NCR-SBA cocrystal, the components associate via the carboxylic acid- -pyridine synthon. The phase stability, solubility, dissolution rate, diffusion rate and tabletability studies have demonstrated that the binary solids exhibit improved physical and mechanical properties compared to the NCR drug. Specifically, the NCR-FA salt and NCR-SBA cocrystal have higher solubility, dissolution rate, and hardness at lower pressures, making the formulation suitable for tablet compression.

}, issn = {1466-8033}, doi = {10.1039/d0ce01316a}, author = {Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Lodagekar, Anurag and Shastri, Nalini R. and Nangia, Ashwini K. and Solomon, K. Anand} } @article {47684, title = {Entacapone polymorphs: crystal structures, dissolution, permeability, and stability}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {21}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {5573-5585}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Entacapone (ETP) is a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) drug used to treat Parkinson{\textquoteright}s disease. ETP is available in the marketplace under the brand name Comtan since 2010, and ETP form-I was first reported in a patent published in 2001. However, analysis of its Xray crystal structures and stability relationship of ETP polymorphs and their dissolution and permeability profile have not yet been reported. We crystallized two new conformational polymorphs of ETP from a water and acetone mixture and studied the structural origin of polymorphism and their phase transformations, stability, equilibrium solubility, dissolution, and permeability properties. The ETP molecule adopts different conformations in the polymorphic structures with slight changes in carbonyl and nitrile group orientations. Thermal analysis suggests that form-III and form-IV are enantiotropically related to form-I, which is the thermodynamically stable form at ambient conditions. In contrast, form-II is monotropically related to form-I. Equilibrium solubility, dissolution, and permeability studies show that form-II persists in the slurry medium and dissolves faster with a high flux rate compared to the stable form-I in phosphate buffer solution at 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C.}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.1c00381}, author = {Bommaka, Manish Kumar and Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Rai, Sunil K. and Suresh, Kuthuru and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {47059, title = {Exploring edge functionalised blue phosphorene nanoribbons as novel photocatalysts for water splitting}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {3570-3580}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrogen gas, a highly combustible and eco-friendly fuel is stealing the limelight and its production is one of the major areas of research. An efficient and green method for producing clean hydrogen gas with no harmful by-product is water splitting. With the introduction of low dimensional materials, water splitting has become an easier and cost-effective process. The present work demonstrates the application of one such low dimensional material viz., edge functionalised Blue Phosphorene Nano-Ribbons (BPNRs) as potential photocatalysts. With a carrier mobility of 10(3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) and a band gap of 1.5-3.0 eV, BPNRs are an attractive candidate for photocatalysis. BPNRs with different edge oreintations, viz. zigzag and armchair are functionalised with CH3O, COOCH3, CHO, COOH, OH, NH2, CONH2, SH, C6H5, and NO2 groups. Their performance towards activating water molecules at different sites on the nanoribbon is studied. The functionalised edges of the BPNRs are the active sites showing similar to 1.2\% to 3.2\% efficiency in activating the O-H bond of the water molecule. Among the different groups explored, CONH2 functionalised zigzag BPNR clearly exhibits a higher potential towards the adsorption of water molecules (-0.98 eV) and activation of O-H bonds with an elongation of 3.2\% and a red shift of 500.6 cm(-1). This is attributed to the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom contributing to the electron donating nature of the CONH2 functional group.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj03950k}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Chakraborty, Debalina and Joshi, Krati and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @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 {47384, title = {Facile access to functional polyacrylates with dual stimuli response and tunable surface hydrophobicity}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {3042-3051}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Magnetically separable and reusable Ni-Co alloy nanoparticles were employed to achieve ambient temperature reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) of methyl acrylate (MA), for the first time, yielding well-defined PMA (at least up to 124 500 g mol(-1)) with a low dispersity (D \<= 1.20). The controlled polymerization character of RDRP of MA was confirmed from the linear semilogarithmic plot exhibiting pseudo first order kinetics, a linear increase of the molecular weight of the polymer with monomer conversion maintaining low D and the synthesis of PMAs of varying molecular weights from 2200 to 124 500 g mol(-1) with low D. In addition, linear PMA-Br was used as a macroinitiator for the synthesis of several well-defined PMA-b-poly(M) block copolymers (where {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}M{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} stands for (2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA), tert-butyl methylacrylate (TBMA) and 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentyl acrylate (OFPA)), with acceptable Ds (\<= 1.24), demonstrating the high chain-end fidelity of the macroinitiator. The synthesized PMA-b-PDMAEMA demonstrated dual pH- and thermo-responsive properties. Upon hydrolysis, the synthesized PMA-b-PTBMA leads to the formation of unprecedented carboxylic acid-functionalized PMA derivatives. PMA-b-POFPA copolymers with varying OFPA mol\% in the copolymer led to polymers with tunable surface hydrophobicity, as revealed by the water contact angle measurements.

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/d1py00378j, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Mohammad, Sk Arif and Dolui, Subrata and Kumar, Devendra and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Banerjee, Sanjib} } @article {47052, title = {Facile synthesis of CNT interconnected PVP-ZIF-8 derived hierarchically porous Zn/N co-doped carbon frameworks for oxygen reduction dagger}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {6248-6258}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, a strategy has been adopted to construct an architecture through the coordination of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and a monodisperse zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8), which was entwined by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) firstly, followed by a pyrolysis process to obtain the hybrid catalyst. The meticulous design of the hybrid material using CNTs to interconnect the PVP assisted ZIF-8 derived porous carbon frameworks together produces a hierarchical pore structure and dual-heteroatom (Zn/N) doping (Zn-N/PC@CNT). Without further acid treatment, the hybrid material prepared after pyrolysis at 900 degrees C (PVP-ZIF-8@CNT-900) has been demonstrated as an efficient non-precious metal catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with its superior stability compared to the commercial 20 wt\% Pt/C catalyst in alkaline media. The catalyst shows better performance towards the ORR, with its more positive onset and half-wave potentials (E-onset = 0.960 V vs. RHE and E-1/2 = 0.795 V vs. RHE) than the counterpart system which is free of both CNT and PVP. The high performance of the hybrid catalyst can be ascribed to the co-existence of dual-active sites with hierarchical pore structures originating from the synergistic effects between Zn/N co-doped porous carbon and CNTs. We further demonstrated the single-cell performance by using the homemade system as the cathode catalyst for the Alkaline Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (AEMFC) system, which showed a maximum power density of 45 mW cm(-2) compared to 60 mW cm(-2) obtained from the 40 wt\% Pt/C catalyst.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d0nr09156a, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Singla, Gourav and Bhange, Siddheshwar N. and Mahajan, Mani and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {47028, title = {Facile transfer of excited electrons in Au/SnS2 nanosheets for efficient solar-driven selective organic transformations}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B-Environmental}, volume = {286}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {119927}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Solar driven aerial oxidation processes have gained importance in organic transformations leading to the development of many nanocrystalline photocatalysts. Although such nanomaterials have many potential advantages, they often underperform due to poor visible light absorption and rapid recombination of excitons. Incorporation of plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) on the catalyst surfaces can extend their response to visible light and improve photocatalytic efficiency by the {\textquoteleft}hot-electron{\textquoteright} injection mechanism. Nanostructures of SnS2 too absorb a part of the visible light to induce many photocatalytic reactions, though their ability to perform the selective and controlled organic transformations has not yet been observed. Herein, we demonstrate the first example of such transformation with the oxidative coupling of various benzylamine (BA) derivatives to imines under ambient conditions using SnS2 nanosheets (NSs). The reaction rate improves manifold and shows similar to 98 \% conversion (\>99 \% selectivity) in 2 h under direct sunlight and open-air when the NSs were decorated with 1.5 wt\% Au NPs on (Au/SnS2), making it one of the best catalysts for this reaction. We found that the large enhancement in activity upon Au loading is accompanied by a noticeable change in photo-induced charge accumulation behaviour in Au/SnS2 from the usual {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}spike and overshoot{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} one and contributed by facile transfer of excited electrons across the Au-SnS2 heterojunction in which Au NPs act as both sources and sinks for the photo-excited electrons. Finally, a detailed mechanism of the oxidation reaction has been proposed.

}, keywords = {Benzylamine oxidation, Hot-electron injection, Plasmonic nanoparticle, SnS2 nanosheet, Solar energy harvesting}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.119927}, author = {Mondal, Sanjit and Sahoo, Lipipuspa and Vinod, C. P. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @article {47414, title = {Finite temperature behavior of carbon atom-doped silicon clusters: depressed thermal stabilities, coexisting isomers, reversible dynamical pathways and fragmentation channels}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8217-8227}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Silicon carbide clusters are significant due to their predominant occurrence in meteoric star dust, particularly in carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars. Of late, they have also been recognized as nanoclusters with potential applications in technology. Them both being elements of the same group, there is excellent potential for precise control over the physico-chemical properties of such molecular length-scale materials through atomic engineering and this has been explored recently by various experimentalists. This report simulates one of the significant physical properties, viz. conformational stability, of various carbon-doped silicon clusters as a function of temperature using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics methodology. Single carbon atom-doped silicon clusters with 4-9 atoms (i.e., Si3C-Si8C) are chosen for this study as the gas phase geometries of these clusters have been characterized using a combination of experimental and theoretical methods in the recent past. The simulations ratify that various conformations do not interconvert among themselves at 300 K. The interconversion occurs at 500 K or above, thereby ratifying the possibility of the coexistence of multiple conformations of a given cluster, which are generally synthesized under subroom temperature conditions. Furthermore, the above single carbon atom-doped silicon clusters: (a) have depressed thermal stabilities as compared to their pristine counterparts with the exception of a Si5C conformation; (b) undergo multifarious evolution of the cluster, through the reversible dynamical and fragmentation pathways as a function of temperature and (c) single carbon atom-doped silicon clusters with 7 atoms (starting from Si6C) and above undergo a fragmentation at nearly 2000 K. The underlying electronic and structural properties of various clusters are discussed to explain the above observations with a note on critical fragmentation energy barriers required for the segmentation of clusters with seven or more atoms.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj04515b, Early Access Date = MAR 2021}, author = {Joshi, Krati and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {47694, title = {FnCas9-based CRISPR diagnostic for rapid and accurate detection of major SARS-CoV-2 variants on a paper strip}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {e67130}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic originating in the Wuhan province of China in late 2019 has impacted global health, causing increased mortality among elderly patients and individuals with comorbid conditions. During the passage of the virus through affected populations, it has undergone mutations, some of which have recently been linked with increased viral load and prognostic complexities. Several of these variants are point mutations that are difficult to diagnose using the gold standard quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method and necessitates widespread sequencing which is expensive, has long turn-around times, and requires high viral load for calling mutations accurately. Here, we repurpose the high specificity of Francisella novicida Cas9 (FnCas9) to identify mismatches in the target for developing a lateral flow assay that can be successfully adapted for the simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as for detecting point mutations in the sequence of the virus obtained from patient samples. We report the detection of the S gene mutation N501Y (present across multiple variant lineages of SARS-CoV-2) within an hour using lateral flow paper strip chemistry. The results were corroborated using deep sequencing on multiple wild-type (n = 37) and mutant (n = 22) virus infected patient samples with a sensitivity of 87\% and specificity of 97\%. The design principle can be rapidly adapted for other mutations (as shown also for E484K and T716I) highlighting the advantages of quick optimization and roll-out of CRISPR diagnostics (CRISPRDx) for disease surveillance even beyond COVID-19. This study was funded by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, India.}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.67130}, author = {Kumar, Manoj and Gulati, Sneha and Ansari, Asgar H. and Phutela, Rhythm and Acharya, Sundaram and Azhar, Mohd and Murthy, Jayaram and Kathpalia, Poorti and Kanakan, Akshay and Maurya, Ranjeet and Vasudevan, Janani Srinivasa and Aparna, S. and Pandey, Rajesh and Maiti, Souvik and Chakraborty, Debojyoti} } @article {46917, title = {Gibberellic acid induces unique molecular responses in {\textquoteleft}thompson seedless{\textquoteright} grapes as revealed by non-targeted metabolomics}, journal = {Journal of Plant Growth Regulation}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {293-304}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Compact clusters and small berry size are the major problems associated with the commercialization of table grapes. The application of gibberellic acid 3 (GA(3)) has been a long-followed practice to overcome these issues. To analyze the molecular response of {\textquoteleft}Thompson Seedless{\textquoteright} grapes to GA(3) treatment, we investigated the metabolomes of its rachises, clusters, and berries, 6 h and 24 h after the treatment. Metabolite profiling using non-targeted metabolomics approach revealed several metabolites, including arginine, proline, tyrosine, kaempferol, resveratrol, catechin, and so on as possible biomarkers of GA(3) treatment in grapes. GA(3) treatment greatly impacted the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism pathways, and the GA(3)-mediated alterations in the levels of certain plant growth regulators and primary metabolites were in accordance with important growth and developmental processes in grapes. This study highlights the effect of GA(3) on the profiles of certain polyphenols impacting the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways and hence the nutritional aspect of grapes. The results of this study would be useful to develop self-elongating varieties simplifying the grape cultivation.

}, keywords = {Biosynthetic pathways, GA(3) response, GA(3) signaling, Sultana grapes, Untargeted metabolomics}, issn = {0721-7595}, doi = {10.1007/s00344-020-10102-7, Early Access Date = MAR 2020}, author = {Jadhav, Uma and Mundhe, Swapnil and Kumar, Yashwant and Jogaiah, Satisha and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article {47802, title = {Gibberellic acid induces unique molecular responses in {\textquoteleft}thompson seedless{\textquoteright} grapes as revealed by non-targeted metabolomics}, journal = {Journal of Plant Growth Regulation}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {293 - 304}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Compact clusters and small berry size are the major problems associated with the commercialization of table grapes. The application of gibberellic acid 3 (GA3) has been a long-followed practice to overcome these issues. To analyze the molecular response of {\textquoteleft}Thompson Seedless{\textquoteright} grapes to GA3 treatment, we investigated the metabolomes of its rachises, clusters, and berries, 6~h and 24~h after the treatment. Metabolite profiling using non-targeted metabolomics approach revealed several metabolites, including arginine, proline, tyrosine, kaempferol, resveratrol, catechin, and so on as possible biomarkers of GA3 treatment in grapes. GA3 treatment greatly impacted the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism pathways, and the GA3-mediated alterations in the levels of certain plant growth regulators and primary metabolites were in accordance with important growth and developmental processes in grapes. This study highlights the effect of GA3 on the profiles of certain polyphenols impacting the flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways and hence the nutritional aspect of grapes. The results of this study would be useful to develop self-elongating varieties simplifying the grape cultivation.}, isbn = {1435-8107}, doi = {10.1007/s00344-020-10102-7}, author = {Jadhav, Uma and Mundhe, Swapnil and Kumar, Yashwant and Jogaiah, Satisha and Upadhyay, Anuradha and Gupta, Vidya S. and Kadoo, Narendra Y.} } @article {47093, title = {Herbicidal bio-assay of isocladosporin enantiomers and determination of its plausible absolute configuration}, journal = {Journal of Antibiotics}, volume = {74}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {280-284}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A fungal metabolite, isocladosporin was isolated from natural fungus, Cladosporium cladosporioides in the mid of 90s. Due to the lack of optical rotation of isolated natural product sample, the absolute configuration of the natural product remained undetermined for more than two decades. Herein, we demonstrated an SAR study of enantiomers of isocladosporin in herbicidal bio-assay against wheat coleoptile. Using this study as a comparative tool we further proposed the plausible absolute configuration of natural isocladosporin for the first time. The assigned configuration was also supported through biogenetic precursors.

}, issn = {0021-8820}, doi = {10.1038/s41429-020-00391-1, Early Access Date = FEB 2021}, author = {Mankad, Yash and Das, Pronay and Pathan, Ejaj and Deshpande, V. M. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {47630, title = {Heterogeneous C-H functionalization in water via porous covalent organic framework nanofilms: a case of catalytic sphere transmutation}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {143}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {8426-8436}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Heterogeneous catalysis in water has not been explored beyond certain advantages such as recyclability and recovery of the catalysts from the reaction medium. Moreover, poor yield, extremely low selectivity, and active catalytic site deactivation further underrate the heterogeneous catalysis in water. Considering these facts, we have designed and synthesized solution-dispersible porous covalent organic framework (COF) nanospheres. We have used their distinctive morphology and dispersibility to functionalize unactivated C-H bonds of alkanes heterogeneously with high catalytic yield (42-99\%) and enhanced regioand stereoselectivity (3 degrees:2 degrees = 105:1 for adamantane). Further, the fabrication of catalyst-immobilized COF nanofilms via covalent self-assembly of catalytic COF nanospheres for the first time has become the key toward converting the catalytically inactive homogeneous catalysts into active and effective heterogeneous catalysts operating in water. This unique covalent self-assembly occurs through the protrusion of the fibers at the interface of two nanospheres, transmuting the catalytic spheres into films without any leaching of catalyst molecules. The catalyst-immobilized porous COF nanofilms{\textquoteright} chemical functionality and hydrophobic environment stabilize the high-valent transient active oxoiron(V) intermediate in water and restricts the active catalytic site{\textquoteright}s deactivation. These COF nanofilms functionalize the unactivated C-H bonds in water with a high catalytic yield (45-99\%) and with a high degree of selectivity (cis:trans = 155:1; 3 degrees:2 degrees = 257:1, for cis-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane). To establish this approach{\textquoteright}s {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}practical implementation{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}, we conducted the catalysis inflow (TON = 424 +/- 5) using catalyst-immobilized COF nanofilms fabricated on a macroporous polymeric support.}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.1c02425}, author = {Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar and Bag, Saikat and Chandra, Bittu and Majumder, Poulami and Kuiry, Himangshu and Karak, Suvendu and Sen Gupta, Sayam and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {47335, title = {Highly efficient and extremely simple protocol for the oxidation α-hydroxyphosphonates to α-ketophosphonates using Dess-Martin periodinane}, journal = {ARKIVOC}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, doi = {10.24820/ark.5550190.p011.213}, author = {Kupwade, Ravindra and Mitragotri, Satish D. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Desai, Uday V. and Wadagaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {47689, title = {Hydrogenolysis of benzofuran using aqueous ethanol solution over graphite-supported platinum catalyst}, journal = {Journal of the Indian Chemical Society}, volume = {98}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {100021}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Graphite-supported platinum catalysts (Pt/G) were highly active for the hydrogenolysis of benzofuran to o-ethylphenol in aqueous ethanol solution at 523 K without using any external hydrogen gas. The hydrogenolysis activities and selectivity to o-ethylphenol in ethanol solution over Pt/G were higher than those with a conventional method using externally supplied hydrogen gas. Both water and ethanol were indispensable for the hydrogenolysis in aqueous ethanol solution at 523 K.}, keywords = {Biomass conversion, Graphite support, Hydrogenolysis, platinum catalysts}, issn = {0019-4522}, doi = {10.1016/j.jics.2021.100021}, author = {Hiraishi, Yushi and Minakawa, Naohiro and Taniguchi, Kenkichi and Nagasawa, Yoshiyuki and Nanao, Hidetaka and Rode, V, Chandrashekhar and Sato, Osamu and Yamaguchi, Aritomo and Shirai, Masayuki} } @article {47455, title = {Hydrophilic 3D interconnected network of bacterial nanocellulose/black titania photothermal foams as an efficient interfacial solar evaporator}, journal = {ACS Applied Bio Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {4373{\textendash}4383}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The design and development of scalable, efficient photothermal evaporator systems that reduce microplastic pollution are highly desirable. Herein, a sustainable bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)-based self-floating bilayer photothermal foam (PTFb) is designed that eases the effective confinement of solar light for efficient freshwater production via interfacial heating. The sandwich nanoarchitectured porous bilayer solar evaporator consists of a top solar-harvesting blackbody layer composed of broad-spectrum active black titania (BT) nanoparticles embedded in the BNC matrix and a thick bottom layer of pristine BNC for agile thermal management, the efficient wicking of bulk water, and staying afloat. A decisive advantage of the BNC network is that it enables the fabrication of a lightweight photothermal foam with reduced thermal conductivity and high wet strength. Additionally, the hydrophilic three-dimensional (3D) interconnected porous network of BNC contributes to the fast evaporation of water under ambient solar conditions with reduced vaporization enthalpy by virtue of intermediated water generated via a BNC{\textendash}water interaction. The fabricated PTFb\ is found to yield a water evaporation efficiency of 84.3\% (under 1054 W m{\textendash}2) with 4 wt \% BT loading. Furthermore, scalable PTFb\ realized a water production rate of 1.26 L m{\textendash}2\ h{\textendash}1\ under real-time conditions. The developed eco-friendly BNC-supported BT foams could be used in applications such as solar desalination, contaminated water purification, extraction of water from moisture, etc., and thus could address one of the major present-day global concerns of drinking water scarcity.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsabm.1c00143}, author = {Nabeela, Kallayi and Thorat, Meghana and Sumina, N. B. and Ramachandran, Animesh M. and Thomas, Reny Thankam and Preethikumar, Gopika and Mohamed, A. Peer and Asok, Adersh and Dastager, Syed Gulam and Pillai, Saju} } @article {47397, title = {Hypervalent iodine(iii) induced oxidative olefination of benzylamines using Wittig reagents}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {8806-8813}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have developed hypervalent iodine(iii) induced oxidative olefination of primary and secondary benzylamines using 2C-Wittig reagents, which provides easy access to alpha,beta-unsaturated esters. Mild reaction conditions, good to excellent yields with high (E) selectivity, and a broad substrate scope are the key features of this reaction. We have successfully carried out the gram-scale synthesis of alpha,beta-unsaturated esters.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d1nj01170g, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Ramavath, Vijayalakshmi and Rupanawar, Bapurao D. and More, Satish G. and Bansode, Ajay H. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {47103, title = {Impingement dynamics of jets in a confined impinging jet reactor}, journal = {Industrial \& Engineering Chemistry Research}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {969-979}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The interaction of two impinging liquid jets in a confined impinging jet reactor (CUR) is explored. Multiphase flow simulations were performed using the volume of fluids (VOF) approach to investigate the impingement dynamics of liquid impinging jets, and single-phase CFD simulations have been performed to understand the turbulence and the mixing performance in the system. At identical inlet velocities, the liquid sheet formed on the impingement axis was found to move toward the liquid jet inlet of the lesser density fluid until reaching equilibrium. The formation and transient movement of liquid sheets are characterized for different jet velocities. An improved reactor geometry is proposed that reduces the wall effect on sheet formation and wall deposition on discharge points of jets. Upon breaking away from the impinging film, the two liquid phases are found to be intertwined in the form of ligaments and droplets after fragmentation of the sheet, providing a higher interfacial confirmed by performing high-throughput continuous antisolvent precipitation.

}, issn = {0888-5885}, doi = {10.1021/acs.iecr.0c04717}, author = {Pal, Sayan and Madane, Ketan and Mane, Mayur and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {47571, title = {Implication of adsorption preferences of ions and surfactants on the shape control of gold nanoparticles: a microscopic, atomistic perspective}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {19549-19560}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Shape modulation of nanoparticles is crucial for their tailored applications; however, it depends on surfactants, ions, reactants, and other additives present in the growth solution. Here we dissect the role of surfactants, their counterions (halide ions), silver ions, and gold reactant in gold nanoparticle anisotropic growth using polarizable surfaces and nanoseed molecular dynamics simulation models. Our planar surface models predict a 14\%-16\% increment in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) coverage on Au(111) and Au(100) due to the surface polarization effect. The CTAB micelle adsorbs compactly similar to that observed on non-polarizable surfaces. The cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) micelle remains in solution leaving the polarizable gold surfaces unprotected, similar to that observed with the non-polarizable surfaces, which favors isotropic growth. The cetyltrimethylammonium iodide (CTAI) micelle adsorbs with higher surface densities than CTAB on all the surfaces. The surface polarizable penta-twinned nanoseed model predicts the total surface coverage of the cetyltrimethylammonium cation (CTA(+)), Br- and Ag+ to be around two times higher on the side as compared to the tip of the nanoseed, leading to a 2.6 times higher initial rate of adsorption of AuCl2- on the tip than on the side. Predicted CTA(+) surface densities on the tip and the side of the nanoseed are consistent with experimental results. Our simulations explain the growth mechanism of anisotropic nanoparticles and the microscopic origin of their controlled shapes.}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d1nr05244f}, author = {Meena, Santosh Kumar and Meena, Chandrakala} } @article {47390, title = {Insights from a pan India Sero-epidemiological survey (Phenome-India Cohort) for SARS-CoV2}, journal = {eLife}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {e66537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To understand the spread of SARS-CoV2, in August and September 2020, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) conducted a serosurvey across its constituent laboratories and centers across India. Of 10,427 volunteers, 1058 (10.14\%) tested positive for SARS-CoV2 anti-nucleocapsid (anti-NC) antibodies, 95\% of which had surrogate neutralization activity. Three-fourth of these recalled no symptoms. Repeat serology tests at 3 (n = 607) and 6 (n = 175) months showed stable anti-NC antibodies but declining neutralization activity. Local seropositivity was higher in densely populated cities and was inversely correlated with a 30-day change in regional test positivity rates (TPRs). Regional seropositivity above 10\% was associated with declining TPR. Personal factors associated with higher odds of seropositivity were high-exposure work (odds ratio, 95\% confidence interval, p value: 2.23, 1.92-2.59, \<0.0001), use of public transport (1.79, 1.43-2.24, \<0.0001), not smoking (1.52, 1.16-1.99, 0.0257), non-vegetarian diet (1.67, 1.41-1.99, \<0.0001), and B blood group (1.36, 1.15-1.61, 0.001).

}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.66537}, author = {Naushin, Salwa and Sardana, Viren and Ujjainiya, Rajat and Bhatheja, Nitin and Kutum, Rintu and Bhaskar, Akash Kumar and Pradhan, Shalini and Prakash, Satyartha and Khan, Raju and Rawat, Birendra Singh and Tallapaka, Karthik Bharadwaj and Anumalla, Mahesh and Chandak, Giriraj Ratan and Lahiri, Amit and Kar, Susanta and Mulay, Shrikant Ramesh and Mugale, Madhav Nilakanth and Srivastava, Mrigank and Khan, Shaziya and Srivastava, Anjali and Tomar, Bhawana and Veerapandian, Murugan and Venkatachalam, Ganesh and Vijayakumar, Selvamani Raja and Agarwal, Ajay and Gupta, Dinesh and Halami, Prakash M. and Peddha, Muthukumar Serva and Sundaram, Gopinath M. and Veeranna, Ravindra P. and Pal, Anirban and Agarwal, Vinay Kumar and Maurya, Anil Ku and Singh, Ranvijay Kumar and Raman, Ashok Kumar and Anandasadagopan, Suresh Kumar and Karuppanan, Parimala and Venkatesan, Subramanian and Sardana, Harish Kumar and Kothari, Anamika and Jain, Rishabh and Thakur, Anupama and Parihar, Devendra Singh and Saifi, Anas and Kaur, Jasleen and Kumar, Virendra and Mishra, Avinash and Gogeri, Iranna and Rayasam, Geethavani and Singh, Praveen and Chakraborty, Rahul and Chaturvedi, Gaura and Karunakar, Pinreddy and Yadav, Rohit and Singhmar, Sunanda and Singh, Dayanidhi and Sarkar, Sharmistha and Bhattacharya, Purbasha and Acharya, Sundaram and Singh, Vandana and Verma, Shweta and Soni, Drishti and Seth, Surabhi and Vashisht, Sakshi and Thakran, Sarita and Fatima, Firdaus and Singh, Akash Pratap and Sharma, Akanksha and Sharma, Babita and Subramanian, Manikandan and Padwad, Yogendra S. and Hallan, Vipin and Patial, Vikram and Singh, Damanpreet and Tripude, Narendra Vijay and Chakrabarti, Partha and Maity, Sujay Krishna and Ganguly, Dipyaman and Sarkar, Jit and Ramakrishna, Sistla and Kumar, Balthu Narender and Kumar, Kiran A. and Gandhi, Sumit G. and Jamwal, Piyush Singh and Chouhan, Rekha and Jamwal, Vijay Lakshmi and Kapoor, Nitika and Ghosh, Debashish and Thakkar, Ghanshyam and Subudhi, Umakanta and Sen, Pradip and Chaudhury, Saumya Ray and Kumar, Rashmi and Gupta, Pawan and Tuli, Amit and Sharma, Deepak and Ringe, Rajesh P. and Amarnarayan, D. and Kulkarni, Mahesh and Shanmugam, Dhansekaran and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Dastager, Sayed G. and Joshi, Rakesh and Patil, Amita P. and Mahajan, Sachin N. and Khan, Abujunaid Habib and Wagh, Vasudev and Yadav, Rakesh Kumar and Khilari, Ajinkya and Bhadange, Mayuri and Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H. and Kulsange, Shabda E. and Khairnar, Krishna and Paranjape, Shilpa and Kalita, Jatin and Sastry, Narahari G. and Phukan, Tridip and Manna, Prasenjit and Romi, Wahengbam and Bharali, Pankaj and Ozah, Dibyajyoti and Sahu, Ravi Kumar and Babu, Elapavalooru Vssk and Sukumaran, Rajeev and Nair, Aiswarya R. and Valappil, Prajeesh Kooloth and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Velayudhanpillai, Adarsh and Chodankar, Kalpana and Damare, Samir and Madhavi, Yennapu and Aggarwal, Ved Varun and Dahiya, Sumit and Agrawal, Anurag and Dash, Debasis and Sengupta, Shantanu} } @article {47120, title = {Interconnected polyaniline nanostructures: enhanced interface for better supercapacitance retention}, journal = {Polymer}, volume = {212}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {123169}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polyaniline and its nanocomposites have emerged as desirable electrode materials for supercapacitors. However, achieving specific capacitance with long-term cyclic stability is still a challenge. The present study reports on novel hierarchically porous and cross-linked polyaniline synthesized by a method employing aniline (monomer) and phytic acid (dopant acid) in the presence of octyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (OTAB) surfactant. The electrochemical performance of the phytic acid doped sample has been compared with HCl doped samples, the former being superior, i.e., a specific capacitance of 523 and 325 F g(-1) at current densities of 0.25 and 10 A g(-1), respectively. Additionally, the same possess excellent cycling stability with retention of similar to 88\% of its initial capacitance over 10,000 charge-discharge cycles. Further, the phytic acid doped sample exhibited a lower equivalent series resistance (0.98 Omega cm(2)) than the HCl doped sample (1.26 Omega cm(2)). These results reveal the capability of the phytic acid doped hierarchical polyaniline sample as a promising active material for electrochemical applications.

}, keywords = {Cyclic stability, Hierarchical polyaniline, Supercapacitance retention}, issn = {0032-3861}, doi = {10.1016/j.polymer.2020.123169}, author = {Mooss, Vandana A. and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Athawale, Anjali A.} } @article {47587, title = {Intramolecularly double-donor-stabilized stannylene and its coordination towards Ag(I) and Au(I) centers}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {16}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {2118-2125}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The intramolecularly double-donor-stabilized stannylene 1 has been synthesized from the salt-metathesis reaction between two equivalents of lithium pyridine ene-amide L1 and SnCl2. Compound 1 exhibits dipolar behavior when reacted with B(C6F5)(3) leading to the zwitterionic compound 2. The reaction of 1 with one equivalent and 0.5 equivalent of AgOTf (OTf=trifluoromethane sulfonate) result in the formation of a stannylene-AgOTf complex 3 and a homoleptic distannylene-silver ionic complex 4, respectively. Analogous to complex 4, the gold(I) complex 5 has been synthesized from the reaction between two equivalents of 1 and 0.5 equivalent of AuCl.SMe2/Me3SiOTf. Complex 5 is the first example of homoleptic stannylene-Au(I) ionic complex among the very scarce reports on stannylene-gold(I) coordination complexes. All compounds have been structurally characterized using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Solution-state characterization have been performed using multinuclear NMR techniques. Detailed DFT calculations on the optimized geometries 1 o, 3 o-5 o reveal the change in sp- hybridization on the pyramidal Sn(II) center upon metal coordination and their bonding overlaps.}, keywords = {coordination, gold cation, hybridization, intramolecular donor, stannylene}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202100523}, author = {Chibde, Purva and Raut, Ravindra K. and Kumar, Vikas and Deb, Rahul and Gonnade, Rajesh and Majumdar, Moumita} } @article {47652, title = {Iron catalyzed tandem ring opening/1,6-conjugate addition of cyclopropanols with p-quinone methides: new access to gamma,gamma-diaryl ketones}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {57}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {13582-13585}, type = {Article}, abstract = {An iron(iii) catalyzed tandem ring opening/1,6-conjugate addition of cyclopropanols to p-quinone methides leading to gamma,gamma-diaryl ketones has been described. This catalytic protocol provides a novel and efficient method to access gamma,gamma-diaryl ketone derivatives in good to excellent yields with high functional group tolerance. Importantly, gamma,gamma-diaryl ketone can be further functionalized to give a versatile set of useful products.}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc05997a}, author = {Shirsath, Sachin R. and Chandgude, Sagar M. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {47775, title = {Laser cladding of PAC 718, tribaloy T-700 and METCO 41 C hard facing powders on AISI SS 304L substrate}, journal = { Materials Science}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present investigation aims to deposit the three different hard facing powder (Triboloy T-700 and PAC 718, and TETCO 41 C) on SS 304L using laser cladding technique. The single and overlapped clad track was deposited using 2 kW laser power system. The optimized laser process parameters and 50\% overlap clad track was used to deposit a large surface area. The optimum laser process parameters were finalised using single clad structure study. The cross-sections of the clad layers were used to obtain the microstructure and micro-hardness from different regions namely, clad layer, diffusion layer, and substrate. Throughout the study, the laser power was kept constant i.e. 1.2 kW. For single clad deposition, the scanning speed and powder feed rate varied from 0.3 to 0.5 m/min and 4 to 9 g/min, respectively. T-700 and PAC 718 shows uniform developing micro-structure while METCO 41 C shows the development of mixed dendritic and cellular type microstructure. The Triboloy shows the maximum surface hardness of 534 Hv, 321 Hv for PAC 718, and 294 Hv for METCO 41 C.}, doi = {10.5829/IJE.2021.34.02B.20}, author = {More, S. R. and Bhatt, D. V. and Menghani, J. and Paul, C. P. and Desale, G. R.} } @article {47418, title = {Lead-free zero dimensional tellurium(iv) chloride-organic hybrid with strong room temperature emission as a luminescent material}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4351-4358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Despite the current progress in {\textquoteleft}Pb-free{\textquoteright} low dimensional main group metal halide based luminescent materials, it is challenging to synthesize Te(iv) halide hybrids with strong ambient emission with excitation features in the visible range as efficient and stable phosphors for potential lighting applications. Reported here is a (benzyltriethylammonium)(2)TeCl6 zero dimensional hybrid material with excitation features in the visible range and strong room temperature, broadband, intrinsic luminescence (PLQY similar to 15\%) arising due to self-trapped excitons (STEs). Furthermore, a proof-of-concept LED architecture demonstrates successful optical down-conversion with a visible light excitation source. Here, exclusive adoption of a {\textquoteleft}regular{\textquoteright} octahedral Te(iv)-halide unit structure with minimal static distortion provides a unique opportunity to unmask the role played by 5s(2) lone pair electrons in shaping the emissive properties. This effort may open up new avenues towards unravelling the role of lone pair stereoactivity in controlling the PLQY in low dimensional hybrids that has proven to be challenging for the reported (Sb, Sn) based low dimensional 5s(2) metal halide hybrid materials.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/d0tc05752e}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Bahadur, Vir and Biswas, Chinmoy and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {47685, title = {L-Histidine-derived smart antifouling biohybrid with multistimuli responsivity}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, volume = {22}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {3941-3949}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A novel dual pH/thermoresponsive amphiphilic poly(histidine methacrylamide)-block-hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-block-poly(histidine methacrylamide) (PHisMAM-b-PB-b-PHisMAM) triblock copolymer biohybrid, composed of hydrophobic PB and ampholytic PHisMAM segments, is developed via direct switching from living anionic polymerization to recyclable nanoparticle catalyst-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP). The transformation involved in situ postpolymerization modification of living polybutadiene-based carbanionic species, end-capped with ethylene oxide, into dihydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene and a subsequent reaction with 2-bromo-2-methylpropionyl bromide resulting in a telechelic ATRP macroinitiator (Br-PB-Br). Br-PB-Br was used to mediate RDRP of an L-histidine-derived monomer, HisMAM, yielding a series of PHisMAM-b-PB-b-PHisMAM triblock copolymers. The copolymer{\textquoteright}s stimuli response was assessed against pH and temperature changes. The copolymer is capable of switching among its zwitterionic, anionic, and cationic forms and exhibited unique antifouling properties in its zwitterionic form. These novel triblock copolymers are expected to be show promising potential in biomedical applications.}, issn = {1525-7797}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00748}, author = {Mohammad, Sk Arif and Dolui, Subrata and Kumar, Devendra and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Banerjee, Sanjib} } @article {47343, title = {Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis (vol 184, 112669, 2021)}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {187}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {112751}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112751}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Chaya, Patil S. and Kumar, Ashish and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Bhagyashree, Date D. and Shilpashree, H. B. and Jennifer, Cheruvathur and Ponnusamy, Sudha and Nagegowda, Dinesh and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.} } @article {47033, title = {Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {184}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {112669}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) is well known for its medicinal, agricultural, and pesticidal applications since ages. The secondary metabolites, limonoids, confer these biological properties, wherein over 150 different limonoids have been reported from neem. To understand limonoid biosynthesis, we analyzed tissue-specific (kernel, pericarp, leaves, and flower) transcriptome that resulted in the identification of one farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS), one squalene synthase (AiSQS), three squalene epoxidases (AiSQE1, AiSQE2, and AiSQE3), two triterpene synthases (AiTTS1 and AiTTS2), cycloartenol synthase (AiCAS), two cytochrome P450 reductases, and ten cytochrome P450 systems. Comparative tissue-expression analysis indicated that AiFDS, AiSQS, AiSQE3, and AiTTS1 are expressed higher in the kernel than in the other tissues. Heterologously expressed recombinant AiTTS1 produced tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol as the sole product. Expression profile data, phylogeny with triterpene synthases from Meliaceae and Rutaceae families, real-time PCR of different tissues, and transient transformation revealed the involvement of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol synthase (AiTTS1) in limonoid biosynthesis. Further, mutagenesis studies of AiTTS1 indicated that Y125 and F260 are probably involved in stabilization of dammarenyl cation. A 2.6-fold increase in production of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol was observed when AiSQE1 was coexpressed with mutant AiTTS1 in a yeast system. Furthermore, we functionally characterized the highly expressed cytochrome P450 reductases and cycloartenol synthase. This study helps in further analysis and identification of genes involved in limonoid biosynthesis in Meliaceae/Rutaceae and their production in a metabolically tractable heterologous system.

}, keywords = {24-dien-3 beta-ol, Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Cytochrome P450 system, Limonoids, Meliaceae, Tirucalla-7, Transcriptome}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112669}, author = {Pandreka, Avinash and Chaya, Patil S. and Kumar, Ashish and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Bhagyashree, Date D. and Shilpashree, H. B. and Jennifer, Cheruvathur and Ponnusamy, Sudha and Nagegowda, Dinesh and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu} } @article {47406, title = {Lithium silicate nanosheets with excellent capture capacity and kinetics with unprecedented stability for high-temperature CO2 capture}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {4825-4835}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An excessive amount of CO2 is the leading cause of climate change, and hence, its reduction in the Earth{\textquoteright}s atmosphere is critical to stop further degradation of the environment. Although a large body of work has been carried out for post-combustion low-temperature CO2 capture, there are very few high temperature pre-combustion CO2 capture processes. Lithium silicate (Li4SiO4), one of the best known high-temperature CO2 capture sorbents, has two main challenges, moderate capture kinetics and poor sorbent stability. In this work, we have designed and synthesized lithium silicate nanosheets (LSNs), which showed high CO2 capture capacity (35.3 wt\% CO2 capture using 60\% CO2 feed gas, close to the theoretical value) with ultra-fast kinetics and enhanced stability at 650 degrees C. Due to the nanosheet morphology of the LSNs, they provided a good external surface for CO2 adsorption at every Li-site, yielding excellent CO2 capture capacity. The nanosheet morphology of the LSNs allowed efficient CO2 diffusion to ensure reaction with the entire sheet as well as providing extremely fast CO2 capture kinetics (0.22 g g(-1) min(-1)). Conventional lithium silicates are known to rapidly lose their capture capacity and kinetics within the first few cycles due to thick carbonate shell formation and also due to the sintering of sorbent particles; however, the LSNs were stable for at least 200 cycles without any loss in their capture capacity or kinetics. The LSNs neither formed a carbonate shell nor underwent sintering, allowing efficient adsorption-desorption cycling. We also proposed a new mechanism, a mixed-phase model, to explain the unique CO2 capture behavior of the LSNs, using detailed (i) kinetics experiments for both adsorption and desorption steps, (ii) in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy measurements, (iii) depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of the sorbent after CO2 capture and (iv) theoretical investigation through systematic electronic structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT) formalism.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d0sc06843h}, author = {Belgamwar, Rajesh and Maity, Ayan and Das, Tisita and Chakraborty, Sudip and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Polshettiwar, Vivek} } @article {47392, title = {Machine learning classifiers aid virtual screening for efficient design of mini-protein therapeutics}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {38}, year = {2021}, month = {APR }, pages = {127852}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

De novo design of mini-proteins (4-12 kDa) has recently been shown to produce new candidates for protein therapeutics. They are temperature stable molecules that bind to the drug target with high affinity for inhibiting its interactions. The development of mini-protein binders requires laboratory screening of tens of thousands of molecules for effective target binding. In this study we trained machine learning classifiers which can distinguish, with 90\% accuracy and 80\% precision, mini-protein binders from non-binding molecules designed for a particular target; this significantly reduces the number of mini protein candidates for experimental screening. Further, on the basis of our results we propose a multi-stage protocol where a small dataset (few hundred experimentally verified target-specific mini-proteins) can be used to train classifiers for improving the efficiency of mini-protein design for any specific target.

}, keywords = {Drug design, machine learning, Mini-proteins, Protein therapeutics, virtual screening}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127852}, author = {Gaur, Neeraj K. and Goyal, Venuka Durani and Kulkarni, Kiran and Makde, Ravindra D.} } @article {47575, title = {Mechanical and microstructural studies in a polysaccharide-acrylate double network hydrogel}, journal = {Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials}, volume = {124}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {104839}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Polymeric hydrogels continue to find a wide range of applications. However, a major drawback of hydrogels is the lack of mechanical strength. In this regard, {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}Double Network Hydrogels{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (DN) have shown great promise recently. The toughness in DN hydrogels originates from the synergistic effect of two polymeric networks. In this work, we have synthesized a DN hydrogel consisting of a tightly cross linked carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as the first network and loosely cross linked poly(hydroxyethylacrylate) (PHEA) as a second network (CMC-PHEADN). The required flexibility in the second network (PHEA) was induced by the presence of a small amount of stearyl methacrylate (SM) as a co-monomer in hydroxyl ethyl acrylate (HEA). The compressive strength of the CMC-PEHA-DN hydrogel was found to be 280 times more than that of CMC-SN hydrogel, and the presence of SM in DN hydrogels showed better recovery after deformation. Cell viability studies showed the biocompatibility of DN hydrogels. The micro-structural analysis of DN xerogels by 3D X-ray Microtomography indicated the presence of oriented pores in size range of 30-40 mu m. To the best of our knowledge, Microtomography was used for the first time to study the DN gels. These hydrogels can be used to develop implants that can withstand prolonged stress and expand the life span of implants.}, keywords = {Carboxymethyl cellulose, Double network hydrogels, Poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate), Poly(hydroxyethyl-co-stearyl methacrylate)}, issn = {1751-6161}, doi = {10.1016/j.jmbbm.2021.104839}, author = {Torris, Arun and Nair, Sanoop and Mol, K. P. Raji and Sengupta, Poulomi and Badiger, Manohar} } @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 {47448, title = {Metagenomic analysis reveals genetic insights on biogeochemical cycling, xenobiotic degradation, and stress resistance in mudflat microbiome}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Management}, volume = {292}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG}, pages = {112738}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mudflats are highly productive coastal ecosystems that are dominated by halophytic vegetation. In this study, the mudflat sediment microbiome was investigated from Nalabana Island, located in a brackish water coastal wetland of India; Chilika, based on the MinION shotgun metagenomic analysis. Bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities were mostly composed of Proteobacteria (38.3\%), Actinobacteria (20.7\%), Euryarchaeota (76.1\%), Candidatus Bathyarchaeota (6.8\%), Ascomycota (47.2\%), and Basidiomycota (22.0\%). Bacterial and archaeal community composition differed significantly between vegetated mudflat and un-vegetated bulk sediments. Carbon, nitrogen, sulfur metabolisms, oxidative phosphorylation, and xenobiotic biodegradation were the most common microbial functionalities in the mudflat metagenomes. Furthermore, genes involved in oxidative stresses, osmotolerance, secondary metabolite synthesis, and extracellular polymeric substance synthesis revealed adaptive mechanisms of the microbiome in mudflat habitat. Mudflat metagenome also revealed genes involved in the plant growth and development, suggesting that microbial communities could aid halophytic vegetation by providing tolerance to the abiotic stresses in a harsh mudflat environment. Canonical correspondence analysis and co-occurrence network revealed that both biotic (vegetation and microbial interactions) and abiotic factors played important role in shaping the mudflat microbiome composition. Among abiotic factors, pH accounted for the highest variance (20.10\%) followed by available phosphorus (19.73\%), total organic carbon (9.94\%), salinity (8.28\%), sediment texture (sand) (6.37\%) and available nitrogen (5.53\%) in the mudflat microbial communities. Overall, this first metagenomic study provided a comprehensive insight on the community structure, potential ecological interactions, and genetic potential of the mudflat microbiome in context to the cycling of organic matter, xenobiotic biodegradation, stress resistance, and in providing the ecological fitness to halophytes. These ecosystem services of the mudflat microbiome must be considered in the conservation and management plan of coastal wetlands. This study also advanced our understanding of fungal diversity which is understudied from the coastal lagoon ecosystems.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112738 }, author = {Mohapatra, Madhusmita and Yadav, Rakeshkumar and Rajput, Vinay and Dharne, Mahesh S. and Rastogi, Gurdeep} } @article {47119, title = {Metal halide structure and the extent of distortion control the photo-physical properties of luminescent zero dimensional organic-antimony(iii) halide hybrids}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {9}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {348-358}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antimony(iii) halide based zero dimensional hybrids have gained attention as broadband emitters. Until now, quadrangular pyramidal SbX5 based and octahedral SbX6 based 0D hybrids have been reported utilizing different organic ligands demonstrating some structural tunability affecting their emissive properties. Utilizing a common organic ligand, here we demonstrate the structural tunability (quadrangular pyramidal, octahedral, or a combination thereof) of the metal halide unit in Sb(iii)Cl 0D hybrids with contrasting photo-physical properties (broadband, Stokes shift, strong/weak colored emission). The structure-property-mechanism correlation of the synthesized compounds [1 (C12H52Cl18N8O4Sb3; tris Sb green); 2 (C12H50Cl14N8O3Sb2; tris Sb red); 3 (C24H88Cl25N16O4Sb3; tris Sb yellow)] identifies crucial factors that control their emissive properties. The X-ray analysis reveals the structure (1-octahedral; 2-quadrangular pyramidal; 3-combination thereof) and the order of the extent of structural distortion as 1-3 MUCH LESS-THAN 2. The metal halide coordination environment asymmetry and its structure are observed to dictate PL emission energy (1-green; 2-red; 3-yellow) as supported by a qualitative Molecular Orbital scheme. The extent of structural distortion guides the observed Stokes shifts (1-165 nm; 2-290 nm; 3-200 nm; 1-3 \< 2). Interestingly, the extent of distortion is found to be well correlated with the observed PLQY (1-45\%; 2-6\%; 3-43\%; 1-3 \>\> 2). This report clearly demonstrates the structural tunability and the effect of the metal halide unit structure/distortion in shaping the emissive properties of 0D organic Sb(iii) halide hybrids.

}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/d0tc03440a}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Bahadur, Vir and Biswas, Chinmoy and Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {47640, title = {Metal-free, acid-catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of NH-sulfoximines to para-quinone methides: accessing to diarylmethine imino sulfanone}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {10129-10139}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We have reported an efficient and metal-free method for the construction of alpha-diarylmethine imino sulfanone using acid-catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of sulfoximines on para-quinine methides (p-QMs). This method showed broad functional group tolerance and a wide range of substrate scope with good to excellent yield. The excellent protocol exhibits mild reaction conditions with high atom economy. The practicability of the present method was supported by a Gram-scale reaction.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00869}, author = {More, Satish G. and Rupanawar, Bapurao D. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {47032, title = {Molecular insights of fungal endophyte co-inoculation with Trichoderma viride for the augmentation of forskolin biosynthesis in Coleus forskohlii}, journal = {Phytochemistry}, volume = {184}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {112654}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To understand the compatibility of three native endophytic fungi Phialemoniopsis cornearis (SF1), Macrophomina pseudophaseolina (SF2) and Fusarium redolens (RF1) with Trichoderma viride (TV1) on Coleus forskohlii in enhancing plant growth and forskolin content, field experiments were conducted. Co-inoculation of RF1+TV1 showed significant improvement in plant growth (52\%), root biomass (67\%), and in planter forskolin content (94\%), followed by treatment with SF2+TV1 and SF1+TV1. qRT-PCR was carried out to quantify expression of five key forskolin biosynthetic pathway genes (CfTPS2, CfTPS3, CfTPS4, CfCYP76AH15, and CfACT1-8) in RF1+TV1 treated C. forskohlii plants. Elevated expression of CfTPS2, CfTPS4, CfCYP76AH15 and CfACT1-8 genes was observed with RF1+TV1 combination as compared to uninoculated C. forskohlii plants. Besides, RF1+TV1 treatment considerably reduced the severity of nematode infection of C. forskohlii plants under field conditions. Thus, congruent properties of F. redolens (RF1) were witnessed with co-inoculation of T. viride (TV1) under field conditions which resulted in enhanced forskolin content, root biomass, and reduced nematode infections in C. forskohlii. Overall, this approach could be an economical and sustainable step towards cultivation of commercially important medicinal plants.

}, keywords = {Co-inoculation, Coleus forskohlii, endophytes, Forskolin, Lamiaceae, Trichoderma viride}, issn = {0031-9422}, doi = {10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112654}, author = {Mastan, Anthati and Rane, Digeshwar and Dastager, Syed G. and Babu, C. S. Vivek} } @article {47095, title = {Molecular investigation of glycated insulin-induced insulin resistance via insulin signaling and AGE-RAGE axis}, journal = {Biochimica ET Biophysica Acta-Molecular Basis of Disease}, volume = {1867}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {166029}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hyperglycemic condition in diabetes promotes glycation of various plasma proteins including insulin. Glycation of insulin has been reported to reduce its biological activity. Reduced biological activity of glycated insulin could be either due to reduced affinity for the insulin receptor and impaired insulin signaling, or it can act as a ligand for the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and activates oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory pathways leading to insulin resistance. This study investigates the effect of glycated insulin on both insulin and RAGE signaling. Glycated insulin treatment to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-IR-GLUT4) cells stably expressing insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter fused with a green fluorescent protein (GLUT4-GFP) resulted in the impairment of insulin signaling, as the phosphorylation of IR and AKT significantly reduced, which affected GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake. Moreover, it also activated RAGE signaling as observed by increased expression of NADPH oxidase accompanied by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Immunofluorescence study indicated the translocation of NF-kappa B to the nucleus upon treatment of glycated insulin. This was associated with increased RAGE expression, Caspase 3, and cell death. Downregulation of RAGE with the losartan treatment restored the impaired insulin signaling and glucose uptake. Additionally, in silico study demonstrated that glycated insulin has reduced binding affinity to insulin receptor and increased binding affinity to RAGE. Overall, this study demonstrates the role of glycated insulin in exacerbating insulin resistance by impairing insulin signaling as well as stimulating AGE-RAGE signaling.

}, keywords = {AGE, Diabetes, Glycation, Hyperglycemia, insulin, RAGE}, issn = {0925-4439}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.166029}, author = {Walke, Prachi B. and Bansode, Sneha B. and More, Nikita P. and Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {47776, title = {Neem derivatives inhibits tau aggregation}, journal = {Journal of Alzheimer s Disease Reports}, volume = {3}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {169-178}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Tau is a phosphoprotein with natively unfolded conformation that functions to stabilize microtubules in axons. Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease pathology triggers several modifications in tau, which causes it to lose its affinity towards microtubule, thus, leading to microtubule disassembly and loss of axonal integrity. This elicit accumulation of tau as paired helical filaments is followed by stable neurofibrillary tangles formation. A large number of small molecules have been isolated from Azadirachta indica with varied medicinal applications. The intermediate and final limonoids, nimbin and salannin respectively, isolated from Azadirachta indica, were screened against tau aggregation. ThS and ANS fluorescence assay showed the role of intermediate and final limonoids in preventing heparin induced cross-β sheet formation and also decreased hydrophobicity, which are characteristic nature of tau aggregation. Transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that limonoids restricted the aggregation of tau to fibrils; in turn, limonoids led to the formation of short and fragile aggregates. Both the limonoids were non-toxic to HEK293T cells thus, substantiating limonoids as a potential lead in overcoming Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease.}, doi = {10.3233/ADR-190118}, author = {Nalini, Gorantla Vijay and Das, Rashmi and Mulani, Fayaj Alam and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Chinnathambi, Subashchandrabose} } @article {47386, title = {NHC-catalyzed desymmetrization of N-aryl maleimides leading to the atroposelective synthesis of N-Aryl succinimides}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {12264-12268}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Although the construction of axially chiral C-C bonds leading to the atroposelective synthesis of biaryls and allied compounds are well-known, the related synthesis of compounds bearing axially chiral C-N bonds are relatively rare. Described herein is the N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of N-aryl succinimides having an axially chiral C-N bond via the desymmetrization of N-aryl maleimides. The NHC involved intermolecular Stetter-aldol cascade of dialdehydes with prochiral N-aryl maleimides followed by oxidation afforded N-aryl succinimides in good yields and ee values. Preliminary studies on rotation barrier for the C-N bond, the temperature dependence, and detailed DFT studies on mechanism are also provided.

}, keywords = {asymmetric catalysis, axial chirality, desymmetrization, N-heterocyclic carbenes, organocatalysis}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202016938, Early Access Date = APR 2021}, author = {Barik, Soumen and Shee, Sayan and Das, Soumik and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Jindal, Garima and Mukherjee, Subrata and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {47676, title = {Ni-catalyzed highly enantioselective synthesis of sulfur protected P-stereogenic supramolecular phosphine}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {As phosphines readily invert, the synthesis of P-chiral phosphines is a challenging task and has been rarely investigated. We report the synthesis of a nickel complex [Ni-((S,S)Me-FerroLANE)(phenyl)(I)] (Ni-Cat.1) and its performance in a P-C coupling reaction to generate P-chiral phosphine. The Ni-Cat.1 was synthesized by mixing ligand (S,S) Me-FerroLANE with the metal precursor [(diphenylphosphanyl)nickel(phenyl)(I)] in good yield. Ni-Cat.1 was characterized using different spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Treatment of racemic methyl(phenyl)phosphine (1) with 1-(3-iodophenyl)urea (2) produced the corresponding P-chiral supramolecular phosphine (3). Optimization of reaction parameters produced sulfur protected phosphine N-(3-(methyl(phenyl)phosphorothioyl)phenyl)formamide (3{\textquoteright}) with excellent enantiomeric excess (99\% ee) and moderate conversion (51\%).}, keywords = {Asymmetric synthesis, Nickel catalyst, P-C coupling, P-Stereogenic phosphine, supramolecular ligands}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-021-01978-3}, author = {Koshti(S), Vijay S. and Chandanshive, Amol C. and Mote, Nilesh R. and Chikkali, Samir H.} } @article {47447, title = {Nitrogen activation to reduction on a recyclable V-SAC/BN-graphene heterocatalyst sifted through dual and multiphilic descriptors}, journal = {Journal of Colloid and Interface Science}, volume = {600}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {480-491}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Efficient reduction of nitrogen to ammonia at a minimal cost would require a recherche catalyst tailored by assimilating the inherent electronic and reactive nature of Single Atom Catalysts (SACs) on heteroatom doped-graphene. A full-scale DFT study accounting for disparate descriptions of atomic orbitals and representation of support, has been carried out to identify the most active and recyclable SAC/B-graphene composite as catalyst for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction (NRR). Dual and Multiphilic descriptors derived reactivity pattern of six different metal SACs V, Fe, Ni, Ru, W and Re on periodic and non-periodic paradigms of pristine and BN-pair doped graphene supports, align with the calculated chemisorption efficacy and activation of N2. The enzymatic route of nitrogen reduction on three most ideal metal SACs (V, W and Re) culminates Vanadium SAC, a relatively cheaper metal, anchored on BNring-graphene with an energy barrier of ⩽1.24 eV as a highly active and recyclable catalyst for NRR.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2021.05.027}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {47742, title = {Organic-inorganic perovskitoid with zwitterion cysteamine linker and its crystal-crystal transformation to ruddlesden-popper phase}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {AUG }, pages = {18750-18760}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We demonstrate synthesis of a new low-D hybrid perovskitoid (a perovskite-like hybrid halide structure, yellow crystals, P21/n space group) using zwitterion cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) linker, and its remarkable molecular diffusion-controlled crystal-to-crystal transformation to Ruddlesden-Popper phase (Red crystals, Pnma space group). Our stable intermediate perovskitoid distinctly differs from all previous reports by way of a unique staggered arrangement of holes in the puckered 2D configuration with a face-sharing connection between the corrugated-1D double chains. The PL intensity for the yellow phase is 5 orders higher as compared to the red phase and the corresponding average lifetime is also fairly long (143 ns). First principles DFT calculations conform very well with the experimental band gap data. We demonstrate applicability of the new perovskitoid yellow phase as an excellent active layer in a self-powered photodetector and for selective detection of Ni2+ via On-Off-On photoluminescence (PL) based on its composite with few-layer black phosphorous.}, keywords = {Crystal growth, organic-inorganic hybrid composites, perovskite phases, photodetectors, zwitterions}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202105918}, author = {Kour, Prachi and Reddy, Mallu Chenna and Pal, Shiv and Sidhik, Siraj and Das, Tisita and Pandey, Padmini and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel and Chakraborty, Sudip and Mohite, Aditya D. and Ogale, Satishchandra} } @article {47749, title = {On the origin of controlled anisotropic growth of monodisperse gold nanobipyramids}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP}, pages = {15292-15300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We elucidate the crucial role of the cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant in the anisotropic growth mechanism of gold nano-bipyramids, nano-objects with remarkable optical properties and high tunability. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations predict different surface coverages of the CTAB (positively charged) heads and their (bromide) counterions as function of the gold exposed surfaces. High concentration of CTAB surfactant promotes formation of gold nanograins in solution that work as precursors for the smooth anisotropic growth of more elongated nano-bipyramidal objects. Nanobipyramids feature higher index facets with respect to nanorods, allowing higher CTAB coverages that stabilize their formation and leading to narrower inter-micelles channels that smooth down their anisotropic growth. Absorption spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of nanograins and demonstrated the importance of surfactant concentration on driving the growth towards nano-bipyramids rather than nanorods. The outcome explains the formation of the monodisperse bipyramidal nano-objects, the origin of their controlled shapes and sizes along with their remarkable stability.}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d1nr01768c}, author = {Meena, Santosh Kumar and Lerouge, Frederic and Baldeck, Patrice and Andraud, Chantal and Garavelli, Marco and Parola, Stephane and Sulpizi, Marialore and Rivalta, Ivan} } @article {47080, title = {Oxidative radical-mediated addition of ethers to quinone imine ketals: an access to hemiaminals}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2107-2116}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The highly regioselective synthesis of substituted hemiaminal via addition of ethers to quinone imine ketals (QIKs) has been developed under metal-free conditions. In the presence of tetrabutylammonium chloride and potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), QIKs couple efficiently with cyclic and acyclic ethers to give hemiaminals. This strategy offers an easy access to substituted hemiaminal ethers with high functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.0c02254}, author = {More, Satish G. and Kamble, Rohit B. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @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 {47698, title = {Ozone assisted autohydrolysis of wheat bran enhances xylooligosaccharide production with low generation of inhibitor compounds: a comparative study}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {338}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {125559}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In the present study, ozone assisted autohydrolysis (OAAH) was evaluated for enhanced generation of xylooligosaccharide (XOS) from wheat bran. The total XOS yield with optimum ozone dose of 3\% (OAAH-3) was found to be 8.9\% (w/w biomass) at 110 degrees C in comparison to 7.96\% at 170 degrees C by autohydrolysis (AH) alone. Although, there was no significant difference in oligomeric composition (DP 2-6), significant decrease in degradation products namely furfural (2.78-fold), HMF (3.15-fold), acrylamide (nil) and acetic acid (1.06-fold), was observed with OAAH-3 as a pretreatment option. There was 1-fold higher xylan to XOS conversion and OAAH-hydrolysate had higher DPPH radical scavenging activity than AH. PCA plots indicated clear enhancement in XOS production and lower generation of inhibitors with decrease in treatment temperature. Results of the study therefore suggest OAAH can be an effective pretreatment option that can further be integrated with downstream processing for concentration and purification of XOS.}, keywords = {Advanced oxidation, Agro-industry waste, hydrothermal treatment, Ozonolysis, Xylooligosaccharide}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125559}, author = {Sonkar, Rutuja Murlidhar and Gade, Pravin Savata and Bokade, Vijay and Mudliar, Sandeep N. and Bhatt, Praveena} } @article {47758, title = {Palladium supported on magnesium hydroxyl fluoride: an effective acid catalyst for the hydrogenation of imines and N-heterocycles}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {19572-19583}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Palladium catalysts supported on acidic fluorinated magnesium hydroxide Pd/MgF2-x(OH)(x) were prepared through precipitation or impregnation methods. Applications to the hydrogenation of various aldimines and ketimines resulted in good catalytic activities at mild temperatures using one atmosphere of hydrogen. Quinolines, pyridines and other N-heterocycles were successfully hydrogenated at higher temperature and hydrogen pressure using low palladium loadings and without the use of any acid additive. Such reactivity trend confirmed the positive effect of the Bronsted and Lewis acid sites from the fluorinated magnesium hydroxide support resulting in the effective pre-activation of N-heterocycle substrates and therefore in the good catalytic activity of the palladium nanoparticles during the hydrogenations. As demonstrated in the hydrogenation of imines, the catalyst was recycled up to 10 times without either loss of activity or palladium leaching.}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d1nj03760a}, author = {Kokane, Reshma and Corre, Yann and Kemnitz, Erhard and Dongare, Mohan K. and Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine and Michon, Christophe and Umbarkar, Shubhangi B.} } @article {47778, title = {Performance of Aspergillus niger (NCIM 563) phytase based feed supplement for broiler growth and phosphorus excretion}, journal = {Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology}, volume = {31}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {101887}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Despite availability of commercial enzymes, the phytase produced from relatively inexpensive systems with high yields are gaining global attention in the feed industries in post-antibiotic era. We studied A. niger NCIM 563 Phytase produced in solid state fermentation (SSF) derived Koji powder and evaluated its utility in the poultry feed for broiler growth performance and phosphorous (P) excretion. The ability of phytase in the dried powder was estimated to dephytinize the poultry feed under simulated gastric conditions. Poultry feed was formulated using A. niger NCIM 563 phytase followed by a 42 days feed trial on broilers. After supplementation of phytase to the diet, there was a reduction of dietary P, maintained growth performance, skeletal development of broilers and reduced levels of phytic acid and available P in the litter. Extracellular phytase was able to replace up to 0.1\% P in poultry feed. Minimal downstream processing a low-cost feed supplement with significant phytase activity could provide added advantage for anti-nutrition free poultry feed.}, keywords = {Phosphorus, Phytase, Poultry feed, Solid state fermentation}, isbn = {1878-8181}, doi = {10.1016/j.bcab.2020.101887}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878818120319186}, author = {Puppala, Kumar Raja and Buddhiwant, Priyanka G. and Agawane, Sachin B. and Kadam, Avinash S. and Mote, Chandrashekhar S. and Lonkar, Vijaysinh D. and Khire, Jayant M. and Dharne, Mahesh S.} } @article {47329, title = {Pharmacore maping based on docking, ADME/toxicity, virtual screening on 3,5-dimethyl-1,3,4-hexanetriol and dodecanoic acid derivates for anticancer inhibitors}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {39}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {4490-4500}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Plants produced natural generating products play a significant role in drug discovery of new bioactive compounds and these are used for advancement of innovative curative drugs for specific target health diseases. In this study Docking and ADME/T virtual screening method are apply for in drug discovery and can be divided into ligand- and target structure-based. The aim of this study was to analyze theDecalepis hamiltoniiisolated compounds by using the evaluation of molecular docking and virtual screening of anticancer drugs. MOE docking ADME/Toxicity and virtual screening approaches. A docking energy -12.97 kcal/mol; -9.93- kcal/mol on cancer responsible protein was targeted. Further, the compounds were filtered through the rule of five, ADME/Toxicity risk and synthetic accessibility. The active compound were then docked to recognize the possible target binding pocket to obtain a set of a ligand poses and to prioritize the predicted active compounds. The scrutinize compounds, as well as their metabolites were evaluated for different pharmacokinetics parameter such as ADME/Toxicity. Therefore, the result shows that a large number of compounds were found to be ADME/toxicity positive to be a positive drug molecule against cancer, selected compounds under study satisfies parameters for ADME and Toxicity properties. The present study demonstrate to identifying the novel structures which are having similar structural feature with like activity with respect to the compounds 3,5-Dimethyl-1,3,4-Hexanetriol and Dodecanoic acid that are shown best binding energy with the receptors 4igk and 4b3z respectively. This study may provide significant clues for discovery novel drug inhibitors for cancer properties.

}, keywords = {ADME, Decalepis hamiltonii, docking, drug discovery, Toxicity, virtual screening}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2020.1778533}, author = {Prakash, Palanisamy and Vijayasarathi, Durairaj and Selvam, Kuppusamy and Karthi, Sengodan and Manivasagaperumal, Rengarajan} } @article {47344, title = {pH-dependent protein stability switch coupled to the perturbed pKa of a single ionizable residue}, journal = {Biophysical Chemistry}, volume = {274}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {106591}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The contribution of electrostatic interactions in protein stability has not been fully understood. Burial of an ionizable amino acid inside the hydrophobic protein core can affect its ionization equilibrium and shift its pKa differentially in the native (N) and unfolded (U) states of a protein and this coupling between the folding/ unfolding cycle and the ionization equilibria of the ionizable residue can substantially influence the protein stability. Here, we studied the coupling of the folding/unfolding cycle with the ionization of a buried ionizable residue in a multi-domain protein, Human Serum Albumin (HSA) using fluorescence spectroscopy. A pHdependent change in the stability of HSA was observed in the near native pH range (pH 6.0-9.0). The protonation-deprotonation equilibrium of a single thiol residue that is buried in the protein structure was identified to give rise to the pH-dependent protein stability. We quantified the pKa of the thiol residue in the N and the U states. The mean pKa of the thiol in the N state was upshifted by 0.5 units to 8.7 due to the burial of the thiol in the protein structure. Surprisingly, the mean pKa of the thiol in the U state was observed to be downshifted by 1.3 units to 6.9. These results indicate that some charged residues are spatially proximal to the thiol group in the U state. Our results suggest that, in addition to the N state, electrostatic interactions in the U state are important determinants of protein stability.

}, keywords = {electrostatic interactions, Fluorescence spectroscopy, Thermodynamic stability, Unfolded proteins}, issn = {0301-4622}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpc.2021.106591}, author = {Mishra, Prajna and Patni, Divya and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {47704, title = {Phosphine-free manganese(II)-catalyst enables acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols with indoles}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {363}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {4430-4439}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Herein, an air-stable, molecularly defined NNN-Mn(II) pincer complex catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols with indoles is reported. A wide variety of symmetrical and unsymmetrical bis(indolyl)methane derivatives as well as some structurally important products such as Vibrindole A, Turbomycin B alkaloid, Antileukemic, and Anticancer agents were synthesized. Mechanistic studies illustrate the importance of the NH moiety in the complex and the crucial role of metal-ligand cooperation during catalysis.}, keywords = {acceptorless dehydrogenation, Alcohol, Indole, manganese, phosphine-free}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202100621}, author = {Yadav, Vinita and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {47594, title = {Phosphite mediated asymmetric N to C migration for the synthesis of chiral heterocycles from primary amines}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {8996-9003}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A phosphite mediated stereoretentive C-H alkylation of N-alkylpyridinium salts derived from chiral primary amines was achieved. The reaction proceeds through the activation of the N-alkylpyridinium salt substrate with a nucleophilic phosphite catalyst, followed by a base mediated [1,2] aza-Wittig rearrangement and subsequent catalyst dissociation for an overall N to C-2 alkyl migration. The scope and degree of stereoretention were studied, and both experimental and theoretical investigations were performed to support an unprecedented aza-Wittig rearrangement-rearomatization sequence. A catalytic enantioselective version starting with racemic starting material and chiral phosphite catalyst was also established following our understanding of the stereoretentive process. This method provides efficient access to tertiary and quaternary stereogenic centers in pyridine systems, which are prevalent in drugs, bioactive natural products, chiral ligands, and catalysts.}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d1sc01217g}, author = {Rani, Soniya and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Bera, Asish and Alam, Md Nirshad and Vanka, Kumar and Maity, Pradip} } @article {47061, title = {Photoactivatable prodrug for simultaneous release of mertansine and CO along with a BODIPY derivative as a luminescent marker in mitochondria: a proof of concept for NIR image-guided cancer therapy}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2667-2673}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Controlled and efficient activation is the crucial aspect of designing an effective prodrug. Herein we demonstrate a proof of concept for a light activatable prodrug with desired organelle specificity. Mertansine, a benzoansamacrolide, is an efficient microtubule-targeting compound that binds at or near the vinblastine-binding site in the mitochondrial region to induce mitotic arrest and cell death through apoptosis. Despite its efficacy even in the nanomolar level, this has failed in stage 2 of human clinical trials owing to the lack of drug specificity and the deleterious systemic toxicity. To get around this problem, a recent trend is to develop an antibody-conjugatable maytansinoid with improved tumor/organelle-specificity and lesser systematic toxicity. Endogenous CO is recognized as a regulator of cellular function and for its obligatory role in cell apoptosis. CO blocks the proliferation of cancer cells and effector T cells, and the primary target is reported to be the mitochondria. We report herein a new mitochondria-specific prodrug conjugate (Pro-DC) that undergoes a photocleavage reaction on irradiation with a 400 nm source (1.0 mW cm(-2)) to induce a simultaneous release of the therapeutic components mertansine and CO along with a BODIPY derivative (BODIPY(PPH3)(2)) as a luminescent marker in the mitochondrial matrix. The efficacy of the process is demonstrated using MCF-7 cells and could effectively be visualized by probing the intracellular luminescence of BODIPY(PPH3)(2). This provides a proof-of-concept for designing a prodrug for image-guided combination therapy for mainstream treatment of cancer.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d0sc06270g}, author = {Tiwari, Rajeshwari and Shinde, Prashant S. and Sreedharan, Sreejesh and Dey, Anik Kumar and Vallis, Katherine A. and Mhaske, Santosh B. and Pramanik, Sumit kumar and Das, Amitava} } @article {47502, title = {Photoactive anthraquinone-based host-guest assembly for long-lived charge separation}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C }, volume = {125}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10891-10900}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Porous 2D covalent organic frameworks (COF) that are assembled axially through weak p-stacking interactions can provide reticular charge transport channels while playing host to kinetically stabilized reactive molecular redox states. Here we demonstrate a host-guest supramolecular charge transfer (CT) assembly using photoactive anthraquinone-based COF as an acceptor while incarcerating the electron donor N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA) inside it. Employing femtosecond broadband transient absorption spectroscopy in combination with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies, we show that the CT occurs rapidly within <110 fs after photoexcitation, subsequently leading to long-lived charge separation with 13\% quantum efficiency at room temperature. The photoinduced EPR signature of the long-lived confined DMA cation radical confirms the disparate regions of charge localization while H-1-C-13 correlation experiments using solid-state NMR spectroscopy enumerate the packing of the amines inside the host-guest COF assembly. Our work demonstrates the potency of charge transport pathways in supramolecular assemblies for efficient charge separation which if optimally tuned should pave the way for COF-based photocatalytic reaction centers.}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c02497}, author = {Jha, Ajay and Mote, Kaustubh R. and Chandra, Suman and Madhu, Perunthiruthy K. and Dasgupta, Jyotishman} } @article {47088, title = {PNA-mediated efflux inhibition as a therapeutic strategy towards overcoming drug resistance in Mycobacterium smegmatis}, journal = {Microbial Pathogenesis}, volume = {151}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, pages = {104737}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the decelerating development of new and effective antibiotics has impaired the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Efflux pump inhibitors (EPIs) have the potential to improve the efficacy of existing anti-TB drugs although with toxicity limitations. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), oligonucleotide mimics, by virtue of their high nucleic acid binding specificity have the capability to overcome this drawback. We, therefore, investigated the efflux pump inhibitory properties of a PNA designed against an efflux pump of Mycobacterium smegmatis. LfrA, an efflux pump found in M. smegmatis, is majorly involved in conferring innate drug resistance to this strain and, therefore, was selected as a target for gene silencing via PNA. qRT-PCR and EtBr assays confirmed the EPI activity of the anti-lfrA PNA. On testing the effect of the anti-lfrA PNA on the bactericidal activity of a fluoroquinolone, norfloxacin, we observed that 5 mu M of anti-lfrA PNA in combination with norfloxacin led to an enhanced killing of up to 2.5 log-fold against wild-type and a lab-generated multidrug resistant strain, exemplifying its potential in countering resistance. Improved efficacy was also observed against intra-macrophage mycobacteria, where the drug-PNA combination enhanced bacterial clearance by 1.3 log-fold. Further, no toxicity was observed with PNA concentrations up to 4 times higher than the efficacious anti-lfrA PNA concentration. Thus, PNA, as an adjuvant, presents a novel and viable approach to rejuvenate anti-TB therapeutics.

}, keywords = {Adjuvant, Antibiotic resistance, Antisense, Efflux pump, Gene silencing, Mycobacteria, Peptide nucleic acid (PNA)}, issn = {0882-4010}, doi = {10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104737}, author = {Ghosh, Saptarshi and Cotta, Karishma Berta and Hande, Aniket A. and Fernandes, Moneesha and Mehra, Sarika} } @article {47433, title = {Polycomb group methyltransferase StE(z)2 and deposition of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 regulate the expression of tuberization genes in potato}, journal = {Journal of Experimental Botany}, volume = {72}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {426-444}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) group proteins regulate various developmental processes in plants by repressing target genes via H3K27 trimethylation, and they function antagonistically with H3K4 trimethylation mediated by Trithorax group proteins. Tuberization in potato has been widely studied, but the role of histone modifications in this process is unknown. Recently, we showed that overexpression of StMSI1, a PRC2 member, alters the expression of tuberization genes in potato. As MSI1 lacks histone-modification activity, we hypothesized that this altered expression could be caused by another PRC2 member, StE(z)2, a potential H3K27 methyltransferase in potato. Here, we demonstrate that a short-day photoperiod influences StE(z)2 expression in the leaves and stolons. StE(z)2 overexpression alters plant architecture and reduces tuber yield, whereas its knockdown enhances yield. ChIP-sequencing using stolons induced by short-days indicated that several genes related to tuberization and phytohormones, such as StBEL5/11/29, StSWEET11B, StGA2OX1, and StPIN1 carry H3K4me3 or H3K27me3 marks and/or are StE(z)2 targets. Interestingly, we observed that another important tuberization gene, StSP6A, is targeted by StE(z)2 in leaves and that it has increased deposition of H3K27me3 under long-day (non-induced) conditions compared to short days. Overall, our results show that StE(z)2 and deposition of H3K27me3 and/or H3K4me3 marks might regulate the expression of key tuberization genes in potato.

}, keywords = {ChIP-sequencing, Epigenetics, PcG, photoperiod, polycomb repressive complex, potato tuberization, short-day, Solanum tuberosum, StE(z)2}, issn = {0022-0957}, doi = {10.1093/jxb/eraa468}, author = {Kumar, Amit and Kondhare, Kirtikumar R. and Malankar, Nilam N. and Banerjee, Anjan K.} } @inbook {47818, title = {Polymer graphene-based nanofibers and their application for batteries}, booktitle = {Electrospinning of Graphene}, year = {2021}, pages = {119-148}, abstract = {Polymer graphene-based nanofibers are increasingly used in energy storage devices, especially in lithium-ion batteries and thus attracting more and more industrial and academic research in material chemistry. Metal-doped graphene-based polymer nanofibers are now gaining much attention and recently are successfully used in related energy storage devices, including supercapacitors and more. This chapter primarily focuses on a brief of nanofibers, electrospinning and graphene followed by the review of polymer graphene-based nanofibers in the present scenario. }, isbn = {978-3-030-75455-6}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-75456-3_5}, author = {Mishra, Sasmita and Singh, Sandip and Singh, Ajeet} } @article {47748, title = {Possible electron doping of geometrically perfect spin-1/2 kagome-lattice barlowite by reduced graphene oxide}, journal = {Physical Review B}, volume = {104}, year = {2021}, month = {SEP }, pages = {L100418}, type = {Letter}, abstract = {Doping of quantum spin liquid (QSL) insulators by electron or hole leads to intriguing phase transitions to metallic and superconducting states. The barlowite family with geometrically perfect S = 1/2 kagome planes and tunable interkagome coupling is an emerging platform to realize spin-ordered, valence bond crystal, QSL states. Theoretical investigations on electron doping revealed localized states in the band gap of barlowite unlike metallicity in cuprate (Nd2CuO4). We present successful anchoring of phase-pure barlowite crystallites onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The resulting barlowite-rGO system was found to be an electrical semiconductor with Arrhenius activation energy of 0.07 eV. Semiconducting properties of the barlowite-rGO system were further modulated with retention of structural integrity. We have attributed such a transformation of electrical transport response to plausible electron doping thereby making charge-doping experiments on barlowite and its analogs propitious.}, issn = {2469-9950}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.104.L100418}, author = {Gupta, Kriti and Ninawe, Pranay and Jain, Anil and Dadwal, Arun and Anas, M. and Malik, V. K. and Yusuf, S. M. and Joy, Pattayil A. and Ballav, Nirmalya} } @article {47050, title = {Protriptyline improves spatial memory and reduces oxidative damage by regulating NF kappa B-BDNF/CREB signaling axis in streptozotocin-induced rat model of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {Brain Research}, volume = {1754}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {147261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antidepressants are well known to exert their role via upregulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has been reported to exerts its neuroprotective effect in rodent and primate models as well as in patients of Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of protriptyline (PRT), a tricyclic antidepressant, in streptozotocin (STZ)- induced rat model of AD. Total 10 mu l of STZ was injected into each ventricle (1 mg/kg). PRT (10 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment was started 3-day post STZ administration and continued till 21 days. We found that STZ treatment significantly increased pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 expression, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in hippocampus and cortex of adult rats. STZ induced impairment in spatial learning and retention memory was associated with increased WO and reduced CREB and BDNF expression in cortex and hippocampus. Interestingly, PRT treatment significantly reduced pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 levels, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and glial activation, contributing to the improved spatial learning and retention memory in STZ treated rats. Moreover, PRT treatment significantly improved p-ERK/ERK ratio and enhanced BDNF and CREB levels by reducing NFXB and GFAP expression in STZ treated rats. Our data suggest that impaired NFXB and CREB signaling potentially contribute in AD pathogenesis by elevating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation mediated neurodegeneration. Our study has established protriptyline as a multi target molecule in pre-clinical model of AD and further investigations on PRT like molecules could pave way for further development of effective new treatments in neurodegenerative disorders.

}, keywords = {Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease, antidepressant, BDNF, Memory, Oxidative stress, Protriptyline}, issn = {0006-8993}, doi = {10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147261}, author = {Tiwari, Virendra and Mishra, Akanksha and Singh, Sonu and Mishra, Sandeep Kumar and Sahu, Kiran Kumari and Parul and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Shukla, Rakesh and Shukla, Shubha} } @article {47426, title = {Raman spectroscopy-based sensitive, fast and reversible vapour phase detection of explosives adsorbed on metal-organic frameworks UiO-67}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {45}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {7145-7153}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we report highly sensitive, selective, rapid, and reversible detection of explosive molecules in the vapour phase, adsorbed on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) under ambient laboratory conditions. The sensing is based on the quenching of the Raman intensity of a zirconium-based MOF, Zr6O4(OH)(4)(dcppy)(6) (MOF 1, UiO-67-dcppy; dcppy is 2-phenylpyridine-5,4{\textquoteright}-dicarboxylate), where 50\% of the signal quenches swiftly within similar to 5 s of its exposure to trinitrophenol (TNP) vapours, while 90\% of the Raman signal was quenched in 30 s. The high surface area of porous MOFs provides increased adsorption of various nitro analytes. The quenching of Raman peaks resulted from the pi-pi interactions of the analytes with the benzene ring of the MOF. The sensors have also been proven to be reversible and stable by mild heat treatment (80 degrees C for 5 min). These notable results using Raman spectroscopy point to a new and important approach towards explosive sensing using metal-organic frameworks considering their vast versatility. This work emphasizes the importance of a non-invasive and non-destructive technique that can be used to develop handheld vapour phase explosive detectors.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d0nj04915h, Early Access Date = MAR 2021}, author = {Sen Bishwas, Mousumi and Malik, Monika and Poddar, Pankaj} } @article {47346, title = {Rapid and accurate nucleobase detection using FnCas9 and its application in COVID-19 diagnosis}, journal = {Biosensors \& Bioelectronics}, volume = {183}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL }, pages = {113207}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rapid detection of DNA/RNA pathogenic sequences or variants through point-of-care diagnostics is valuable for accelerated clinical prognosis, as witnessed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional methods relying on qPCR or sequencing are tough to implement with limited resources, necessitating the development of accurate and robust alternative strategies. Here, we report FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) that utilizes a direct Cas9 based enzymatic readout for detecting nucleobase and nucleotide sequences without transcleavage of reporter molecules. We also demonstrate that FELUDA is 100\% accurate in detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs), including heterozygous carriers, and present a simple web-tool JATAYU to aid end-users. FELUDA is semi-quantitative, can adapt to multiple signal detection platforms, and deploy for versatile applications such as molecular diagnosis during infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. Employing a lateral flow readout, FELUDA shows 100\% sensitivity and 97\% specificity across all ranges of viral loads in clinical samples within 1hr. In combination with RT-RPA and a smartphone application True Outcome Predicted via Strip Evaluation (TOPSE), we present a prototype for FELUDA for CoV-2 detection closer to home.

}, keywords = {CRISPRDx, FELUDA, FnCas9, LFA, SARS-CoV2, SNV detection}, issn = {0956-5663}, doi = {10.1016/j.bios.2021.113207}, author = {Azhar, Mohd and Phutela, Rhythm and Kumar, Manoj and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Rauthan, Riya and Gulati, Sneha and Sharma, Namrata and Sinha, Dipanjali and Sharma, Saumya and Singh, Sunaina and Acharya, Sundaram and Sarkar, Sajal and Paul, Deepanjan and Kathpalia, Poorti and Aich, Meghali and Sehgal, Paras and Ranjan, Gyan and Bhoyar, Rahul C. and Singhal, Khushboo and Lad, Harsha and Patra, Pradeep Kumar and Makharia, Govind and Chandak, Giriraj Ratan and Pesala, Bala and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik and Indian CoV2 Genomics Genetic Epide} } @article {47401, title = {Rapid identification and tracking of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern}, journal = {Lancet}, volume = {397}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {1346-1347}, type = {Letter}, issn = {0140-6736}, doi = {10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00470-0}, author = {Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Agrawal, Anurag and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {47637, title = {Reduction of hydroxyl traps and improved coupling for efficient and stable quantum dot solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {13}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {46549-46557}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Progress in quantum dot (QD)-based solar cells has been underpinned by the improvements in surface passivation and advancements in device engineering. Acute control over the surface properties is crucial to restrict the formation of in-gap trap states and improve the QD coupling in achieving conducting QD films. In this report, we demonstrate a solution-phase hybrid passivation strategy, which is beneficial in removing detrimental hydroxyl traps and improving the coupling between QDs by reducing the interdot distance. Advancement in surface passivation is translated to the long carrier lifetime, higher carrier mobility, and superior protection toward degradations in QD solids. The performance of solar cell devices is increased by 26\% to reach an efficiency of 10.6\%, compared to the state-of-the-art lead halide passivated solar cells. The improvement in solar cell performance is supported by the reduction of trap states and an 80 nm increase in thickness of the light-absorbing QD layer.}, keywords = {ligand, mobility, quantum dot, solar cell, surface passivation}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.1c11214}, author = {Mandal, Debranjan and Dambhare, V. Neha and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {47126, title = {Repurposing the McoTI-II rigid molecular scaffold in to inhibitor of {\textquoteleft}papain superfamily{\textquoteright} cysteine proteases}, journal = {Pharmaceuticals}, volume = {14}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN}, pages = {7}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Clan C1A or {\textquoteleft}papain superfamily{\textquoteright} cysteine proteases are key players in many important physiological processes and diseases in most living systems. Novel approaches towards the development of their inhibitors can open new avenues in translational medicine. Here, we report a novel design of a re-engineered chimera inhibitor Mco-cysteine protease inhibitor (CPI) to inhibit the activity of C1A cysteine proteases. This was accomplished by grafting the cystatin first hairpin loop conserved motif (QVVAG) onto loop 1 of the ultrastable cyclic peptide scaffold McoTI-II. The recombinantly expressed Mco-CPI protein was able to bind with micromolar affinity to papain and showed remarkable thermostability owing to the formation of multi-disulphide bonds. Using an in silico approach based on homology modelling, protein-protein docking, the calculation of the free-energy of binding, the mechanism of inhibition of Mco-CPI against representative C1A cysteine proteases (papain and cathepsin L) was validated. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation of the Mco-CPI-papain complex validated the interaction as stable. To conclude, in this McoTI-II analogue, the specificity had been successfully redirected towards C1A cysteine proteases while retaining the moderate affinity. The outcomes of this study pave the way for further modifications of the Mco-CPI design for realizing its full potential in therapeutics. This study also demonstrates the relevance of ultrastable peptide-based scaffolds for the development of novel inhibitors via grafting.

}, keywords = {Cathepsin, Clan CA cysteine proteases, cyclotide, cystatin, McoTI-II, papain, protein engineering}, doi = {10.3390/ph14010007}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Singh, Vigyasa and Tellis, Meenakshi B. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Singh, Shailja} } @article {47782, title = {Resveratrol loaded cubic phase nanoparticles with enhanced oral bioavailability}, journal = {BioNanoScience}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {1108 - 1118}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Resveratrol (RES), a naturally occurring hydrophobic polyphenolic compound, has shown potential anticancer activity. However, due to low aqueous solubility and extensive first pass metabolism (primarily by cytochrome enzymes), it shows poor oral bioavailability. In the present work, novel RES loaded cubosomes of glycerol monooleate (GMO) and Gelucire 44/14 (GL44) (RES-Cubs) were prepared. RES-Cubs were prepared by emulsion evaporation technique and optimized using 32 factorial design. The optimized RES-Cubs were assessed for particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, FTIR, TEM, SAXS, in vitro resveratrol release and oral bioavailability. RES-Cubs showed an average particle size of 121.7 {\textpm} 2.54~nm with adequate entrapment efficiency of about 82.0 {\textpm} 2.35\% w/w. The analysis of SAXS profile of RES-Cubs revealed Pn3m crystallographic space group containing diamond cubic phase. In vitro RES release profile of RES-Cubs exhibited markedly sustained release of resveratrol. Furthermore, RES-Cubs demonstrated considerable enhancement in oral bioavailability (ninefold) of resveratrol as compared to RES alone. The developed RES loaded cubosomes bearing cytochrome enzyme inhibitor property can act as promising nanocarrier in the delivery of lipophilic drugs with a drawback of in vivo degradation by cytochrome enzymes.}, isbn = {2191-1649}, doi = {10.1007/s12668-021-00892-9}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-021-00892-9}, author = {Rawat, Neeraj Kumar and Torris, Arun and Bhat, Suresh and Mahadik, Kakasaheb and Patil, Sharvil} } @article {47416, title = {Reusable magnetic nanocatalyst for bio-fuel additives: the ultrasound-assisted synthesis of solketal dagger}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels }, volume = {5}, year = {2021}, month = {APR}, pages = {2362-2372}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Acetalization of glycerol into solketal, a potential fuel additive, is a promising approach to utilizing the large waste-stream of glycerol from the biodiesel industry. Herein, we report an efficient ultrasound-assisted room temperature synthesis of solketal by acetalization of glycerol with acetone using an easily recoverable sulfonic acid-functionalized, silica-coated Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle (Fe3O4@SiO2@SO3H MNP, FSS MNP) catalyst. The morphology, chemical composition and magnetic properties of the catalyst were elucidated. The acetalization of glycerol was carried out under ultrasonication at room temperature, resulting in 97\% glycerol conversion after 15 minutes and 95\% isolated yield of solketal with 100\% selectivity for this acetal. The facile magnetic retrievability of the catalyst imparted operational simplicity to the solketal synthetic protocol, avoiding complicated catalyst separation and product purification processes. The FSS catalyst was magnetically recycled for up to five catalytic experiments, maintaining a glycerol conversion of 95\% and without deterioration in its selectivity, composition, morphology or magnetic properties, thereby ameliorating the green aspects of the protocol.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d0se01900c, Early Access Date = MAR 2021}, author = {Rajkumari, Kalyani and Changmai, Bishwajit and Meher, Ananta Kumar and Vanlalveni, Chhangte and Sudarsanam, Putla and Wheatley, Andrew E. H. and Rokhum, Samuel Lalthazuala} } @article {47831, title = {Rigidity dictates spontaneous helix formation of thermoresponsive colloidal chains in poor solvent}, journal = {ACS Nano}, volume = {15}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {19702-19711}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The formation of helical motifs typically requires specific directional interactions. Here, we demonstrate that isotropic interparticle attraction can drive self-assembly of colloidal chains into thermo-reversible helices, for chains with a critical level of backbone rigidity. We prepare thermoresponsive colloidal chains by cross-linking PNIPAM microgel-coated polystyrene colloids ({\textquotedblleft}monomers{\textquotedblright}), aligned in an AC electric field. We control the chain rigidity by varying cross-linking time. Above the LCST of PNIPAM, there is an effective attraction between monomers so that the colloidal chains are in a bad solvent. On heating, the chains decrease in size. For the most rigid chains, the decrease is modest and is not accompanied by a change in shape. Much less rigid chains form relatively compact structures, resulting in a large increase in the local monomer density. Unusually, chains with intermediate rigidity spontaneously assemble into helical structures. The chain helicity increases with temperature and plateaus above the collapse transition temperature of the microgel particles. We simulate a minimal model that captures the spontaneous emergence of the helical conformations of the polymeric chain and provides insight into this shape transition. Our work suggests that a purely mechanical instability for semiflexible filaments can drive helix formation, without the need to invoke directional interactions.}, doi = {10.1021/acsnano.1c07048}, author = {Biswas, Bipul and Mitra, Debarshi and KP, Fayis and Bhat, Suresh and Chatterji, Apratim and Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy} } @article {47096, title = {Role of Nd3+ concentration on the microstructure and scintillation behaviour of langbeinite sulphate}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {284}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {128997}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Langebeinite (K2Ca2(SO4)(3)) ceramics doped with increasing concentrations of Nd3+ ions (0.01-0.04 mol\%) was prepared by wet chemical precipitation and calcination at 800 degrees C. Thermal studies revealed high temperature stability of the phosphors. UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopic analysis of phosphors reveal strong absorption peaks representing f -\> f transitions. Direct bandgap derived from Kubelka-Munk plot was found to be similar to 5.66 eV. FTIR studies reveal tetrahedral symmetry of the SO42 ions. SEM micrographs reveal the formation of phosphors with wide particle size distribution and elemental composition was analysed using EDX studies. Scintillation studies representing a single high intensity peak around 784 nm is ascribed to I-4(9/2) -\> F-4(5/2) + H-2(9/2) transition. Langbeinite phosphor with 0.02 mol\% of Nd3+ exhibited maximum emission intensity indicating optimal concentration for scintillation studies favouring the development of NIR emitting phosphors. (c) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Ceramics, Langebeinites, Luminescence, Microstructure, Neodymium, Scintillation}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2020.128997}, author = {Poornima, Velswamy and Mohan, Subramaniam and Uma, Tiruchirappalli Sivagnanam} } @article {47375, title = {Role of Nd3+ concentration on the microstructure and scintillation behaviour of langbeinite sulphate (vol 284, 128997, 2021)}, journal = {Materials Letters}, volume = {290}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY}, pages = {129472}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0167-577X}, doi = {10.1016/j.matlet.2021.129472}, author = {Poornima, Velswamy and Mohan, Subramaniam and Uma, Tiruchirappalli Sivagnanam} } @article {47047, title = {Ru-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of alpha-acyl butyrolactone via dynamic kinetic resolution: asymmetric synthesis of bis-THF alcohol intermediate of darunavir}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {66}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {152831}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Ru-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective dynamic kinetic resolution of alpha-(benzyloxy/benzoyloxy)acyl-gamma-butyrolactones has been examined via transfer hydrogenation. Employing the in situ prepared (R,R)-Ru-FsDPEN catalyst, the transfer hydrogenation of using formic acid/triethylamine at rt gave the corresponding (S)-3-((S)-2-(benzyloxy/benzoyloxy)-1-hydroxyethyl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-on e with good to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. One of the resulting hydrogenation product prepared on gram scales was utilized for the synthesis of (3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-ol (1), a key synthetic intermediate of various HIV protease inhibitors such as darunavir with excellent enantio-(95\% ee) and diastereoselectivities (dr 95:5). (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Bis-THF-OH intermediate, Darunavir, Dynamic kinetic resolution, Ru-catalysis, transfer hydrogenation}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.152831}, author = {More, V. Ganesh and Malekar, V. Pushpa and Kalshetti, Rupali G. and Shinde, Mahesh H. and Ramana, V. Chepuri} } @article {47688, title = {Safe water and technology initiative for water disinfection: application of natural plant derived materials}, journal = {Journal of Water Process Engineering}, volume = {43}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {102280}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Safe drinking water is the necessity of life. The present study reveals use of natural resources such as plant extracts and natural oils for water disinfection. Differences between oil and water soluble additives were highlighted for plant extracts and insoluble natural oils. A hybrid hydrodynamic cavitation process was quite effective in both the cases and high rates of disinfection were achieved. Studies were reported using oils (ginger, turmeric, lavender, tulsi) and rhizome derived plant extracts such as ginger, turmeric and mango ginger, as additives in process intensification (0.1\% v/V). A vortex based cavitation device (vortex diode, nominal capacity 1 m3/h) was used with pressure drop of 1 bar. A high disinfection of 96\% and 88\% was obtained in 15 min for ginger oil and mango ginger extract respectively as compared to 44\% using cavitation alone. Acoustic cavitation gave 94\% and 30\% disinfection with and without additive-mango ginger extract. The FTIR analyses before and after cavitation, with ginger additive, showed no by-products formation and indicated gingerol as active component in disinfection. The per-pass disinfection values were also higher, up to 5 times than cavitation alone. Hybrid hydrodynamic cavitation using natural plant derived materials can offer a promising technology alternative in water disinfection.}, keywords = {Cavitation, Disinfection, Natural oil, Plant extract, Water treatment}, issn = {2214-7144}, doi = {10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102280}, author = {Mane, Maya B. and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Ranade, Vivek V.} } @article {47427, title = {Short enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-tofacitinib}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {67}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {152838}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An enantioselective total synthesis of Tofacitinib (CP-690,550), a Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK3) specific inhibitor has been achieved from the readily available 4-piperidone. Proline catalysed hydroxylation is the key step for the synthesis of enantiopure 1-benzyl-4-methylpiperidin-3-ol. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {aminohydroxylation, Hydrogenation, L-proline, piperidone}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.152838}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Kamble, Rohit B. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {47714, title = {Stabilization of the elusive antimony(I) cation and its coordination complexes with transition metals}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {60}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {25522-25529}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Upon stabilization by 5,6-bis(diisopropylphosphino)acenaphthene to form compound 1, the fugitive antimony (I) cation exhibited nucleophilic behavior towards coinage metals. Compound 1 was strategically synthesized at room temperature from SbCl3, the bis(phosphine), and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate taken in a 1:2:3 ratio, whereby the bis(phosphine) plays the dual role of a reductant and a supporting ligand. The generation of 1 involves two-electron oxidation of the ligand to form a P-P bonded diphosphonium dication. Compound 1 was separated from this dication to give both products in pure form in moderate yields. Despite the overall positive charge, the Sb-I site in 1 was found to bind to metal centers, forming complexes with Au-I, Ag-I and Cu-I. Compound 1 reduced Cu-II to Cu-I and formed a coordination complex with the resulting Cu-I species. The effects of the electron-rich bis(phosphine) and the constrained peri geometry in stabilizing and enhancing the nucleophilicity of 1 have been rationalized through computational studies.}, keywords = {antimony(I) cation, coordination modes, nucleophilicity, phosphine ligands, reduction}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202111339}, author = {Kumar, Vikas and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Yildiz, Cem B. and Majumdar, Moumita} } @article {47785, title = {Structural and computational investigation of an imine-based propeller-shaped macrocyclic cage}, journal = {SN Applied Sciences}, volume = {3}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this study, we present the synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of self-assembling gem-dimethyl imine based molecular cage (IMC). Self-assembling macrocycles and cages have well-defined cavities and have extensive functionalities ranging from energy storage, liquid crystals, and catalysts to water splitting photo absorber. IMC has large voids i.e., 25\% of the total crystal volume thus could accommodate wide substrates. The synthesized imine-based molecular cages are stabilized by coaxial π bonded networks and long-range periodic van der Waal and non-bonded contacts as observed from the crystal structure. IMC also has typical properties of soft condensed matter materials, hence theoretical prediction of stress and strain tensor along with thermophysical properties were computed on crystal system and were found to be stable. Molecular dynamics revealed IMC is stabilized by, strong interactions between the interstitial phenyl rings. Density functional theory (DFT) based physicochemical properties were evaluated and has band gap of around 2.38ev (520 nm) similar to various photocatalytic band gap materials.}, doi = {10.1007/s42452-021-04255-7}, author = {Madhu, Suresh and Raghavan, Sriram} } @article {47429, title = {Study of combinatorial drug synergy of novel acridone derivatives with temozolomide using in-silico and in-vitro methods in the treatment of drug-resistant glioma}, journal = {Frontiers in Oncology}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR}, pages = {625899}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Drug resistance is one of the critical challenges faced in the treatment of Glioma. There are only limited drugs available in the treatment of Glioma and among them Temozolomide (TMZ) has shown some effectiveness in treating Glioma patients, however, the rate of recovery remains poor due to the inability of this drug to act on the drug resistant tumor sub-populations. Hence, in this study three novel Acridone derivative drugs AC2, AC7, and AC26 have been proposed. These molecules when combined with TMZ show major tumor cytotoxicity that is effective in suppressing growth of cancer cells in both drug sensitive and resistant sub-populations of a tumor. In this study a novel mathematical model has been developed to explore the various drug combinations that may be useful for the treatment of resistant Glioma and show that the combinations of TMZ and Acridone derivatives have a synergistic effect. Also, acute toxicity studies of all three acridone derivatives were carried out for 14 days and were found safe for oral administration of 400 mg/kg body weight on albino Wistar rats. Molecular Docking studies of acridone derivatives with P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multiple resistant protein (MRP), and O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) revealed different binding affinities to the transporters contributing to drug resistance. It is observed that while the Acridone derivatives bind with these drug resistance causing proteins, the TMZ can produce its cytotoxicity at a much lower concentration leading to the synergistic effect. The in silico analysis corroborate well with our experimental findings using TMZ resistant (T-98) and drug sensitive (U-87) Glioma cell lines and we propose three novel drug combinations (TMZ with AC2, AC7, and AC26) and dosages that show high synergy, high selectivity and low collateral toxicity for the use in the treatment of drug resistant Glioma, which could be future drugs in the treatment of Glioblastoma.

}, keywords = {acridone derivatives, drug combinations, drug resistance, Glioma, mathematical model, synergy index}, issn = {2234-943X}, doi = {10.3389/fonc.2021.625899}, author = {Chakravarty, Malobika and Ganguli, Piyali and Murahari, Manikanta and Sarkar, Ram Rup and Peters, Godefridus Johannes and Mayur, Y. C.} } @article {47733, title = {Study on the failure of guide ropes used in mines}, journal = {Insight}, volume = {63}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {357-361}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The skips/cages in mine hoisting have to be guided to achieve high hoisting rates. Steel guide ropes are used in hoisting because they can safely guide the skips/cages and have been observed to be economical. Guide ropes are static in nature and are thus more prone to corrosion. An investigation into the causes of failure of a guide rope is discussed in this paper. The study consists of physical examination, examination of wear and corrosion, macro- and micro- examination, examination of the breaking load and individual tensile strength measurement of the rod. The main cause of failure is found to be corrosion. Heavy abrasion and corrosion together causes a substantial reduction in diameter of more than 60\%. Corrosion raises the stress level and thereby weakens the grains, which is indicated by the cracks that have developed all along the grains as revealed through micro-examination. This affects the breaking strength and reveals a 37\% loss of strength, as a result of which failure occurs.}, keywords = {corrosion on steel guide rope, guide rope failure, steel guide rope, wear}, issn = {1354-2575}, doi = {10.1784/insi.2021.63.6.357}, author = {Singh, M. K. and Mallick, M. and Verma, M. K.} } @article {47603, title = {Sulfonated polyvinyl alcohol ionomer membrane favoring smooth electrodeposition of zinc for aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {5}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {5557-5564}, type = {Article}, abstract = {One of the failure mechanisms of aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) involves high surface area zinc (HSAZ)/dendrite-like deposits over the Zn-metal anode during long-term cycling. Negatively charged (anionic) polymeric ionomer electrolyte membranes and separators are known for suppressing the dendrite-/HSAZ-induced failure of AZMBs. However, the preparation of cost-effective and non-fluorinated ionomers from cheap and environmentally friendly polymers is essential to leverage the feasibility of AZMBs. The current work demonstrates the potential of an ionomer electrolyte membrane (P-AS-C-Zn) made by the crystallization-induced physical cross-linking of sulfonated poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVS) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a dendrite-/HSAZ-inhibiting separator for AZMBs. The P-AS-C-Zn membranes exhibited excellent Zn plating/stripping behavior with a stable voltage vs. time profile beyond 1100 h, compared to their neutral PVA-C-Zn counterpart without any ionomer character (cell failure at close to 280 h). Applying the optimized P-AS-C-Zn membrane in a MnO2||Zn full cell helps retain about 50\% of the initial capacity close to 600 cycles in the absence of extra manganese salt in the electrolyte, which is indeed promising.}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d1se00865j}, author = {Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Torris, Arun and Kurian, Maria and Mathew, Megha Mary and Ghosh, Meena and Khairnar, Ajay B. and Badiger, Manohar V. and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {47753, title = {Supported MoOx and WOx solid acids for biomass valorization: interplay of coordination chemistry, acidity, and catalysis}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV}, pages = {13603-13648}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Supported molybdenum oxide (MoOx) and tungsten oxide (WOx) materials are a vital class of solid acid catalysts for the chemical industry because of their nontoxic nature, strong acidity, remarkable stability in water, hydrogen, and oxygen atmospheres, and excellent reusability performance. These fascinating solid acids play a pivotal role in developing sustainable catalytic routes for renewable biomass processing to produce value-added fuels, chemicals, and platform molecules. The coordination chemistry of MoOx and WOx on the support materials (oxides, carbons, or zeolites) controls their acidic strength, active site accessibility, and catalytic activity. Hence, significant efforts have been made toward optimizing the conditions used for catalyst synthesis and biomass processing to tune the coordination chemistry of MoOx and WOx with the substrate molecules and, thus, their acid-activity/selectivity performance. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of supported MoOx and WOx solid acids for biomass valorization. The importance of the biomass and the role of solid acids for biomass valorization were emphasized, followed by a brief discussion of supported MoOx and WO(x )solid acids. Afterward, the interplay of coordination chemistry, acidic strength, and catalytic activity of supported MoOx and WOx solid acids was discussed. Finally, their catalytic applications for the valorization of several biomass substrates and their derivatives were summarized. This Review will provide valuable insights for developing advanced supported WOx and MoOx solid acids for catalytic biomass valorization and other challenging acid-catalyzed processes.}, keywords = {Acidity, biomass valorization, catalysis, Coordination chemistry, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.1c03326}, author = {Sudarsanam, Putla and Gupta, Navneet Kumar and Mallesham, Baithy and Singh, Nittan and Kalbande, Pavan Narayan and Reddy, Benjaram M. and Sels, Bert F.} } @article {47740, title = {Synergistic electronic coupling/cross-talk between the isolated metal halide units of zero dimensional heterometallic (Sb, Mn) halide hybrid with enhanced emission}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC }, pages = {360-370}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Heterometallic 0D metal halide hybrids, consisting of more than one kind of metal halide units, are anticipated to manifest synergistic effects on the photo-physical properties of the constituent metal halide units. Such architectures hold great promise for design and development of function-targeted materials. However, heterometallic 0D hybrids, featuring isolated metal halide units, typically do not show any synergistic effects due to large inter-unit spatial separations that inhibit interactions/coupling between the constituent metal halide units. It remains challenging to design synthetic strategies that would support structural modifications to allow synergistic electronic coupling between the metal halide units in heterometallic 0D hybrids. Here, we report synthesis and characterization of heterometallic (Sb, Mn) 0D hybrid, namely Tris SbMnCl, with isolated MnCl5 units, (Sb/Mn)Cl-6 units, dispersed in the organic ligand matrix and layer of dynamic and networked water molecules. Steady state and time resolved emission spectra (TRES) analysis suggests strong synergistic interaction between the isolated metal halide units. Efficient energy transfer from the strongly absorbing Sb centres to emissive Mn centres results in the observed enhanced emission. Proton conductivity measurements together with first-principles calculations suggest the unique role of the networked water molecules in mediating the electronic coupling/energy transfer between the separated metal halide units in Tris SbMnCl hybrid. This report highlights the role of structure/composition of the synthesized heterometallic 0D hybrid in attaining electronic dimensionality higher than 0D through synergistic electronic interaction between the isolated metal halide units.}, issn = {2050-7526}, doi = {10.1039/d1tc04704c}, author = {Biswas, Anupam and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Das, Deep K. and Sam, Jisvin and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Biswas, Chinmoy and Maana, Narugopal and Thomson, Stuart and Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Dutta, Sudipta and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {47724, title = {Synthesis and application of silylene-stabilized low-coordinate Ag(I)-arene cationic complexes}, journal = {Organometallics}, volume = {40}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN }, pages = {1626-1632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {We report the first examples of N-heterocyclic silylene-stabilized monocoordinate Ag(I) cationic complexes weakly bound to the free arene rings (C6H6, C6Me6, and C7H8). Further, the application of these electrophilic Ag(I) complexes as catalysts has been investigated toward A(3)-coupling reactions, which afforded a series of propargylamines in good to excellent yields with low catalyst loading under a solvent-free condition (19 examples).}, issn = {0276-7333}, doi = {10.1021/acs.organomet.1c00083}, author = {Parvin, Nasrina and Sen, Nilanjana and Tothadi, Srinu and Muhammed, Shahila and Parameswaran, Pattiyil and Khan, Shabana} } @article {47723, title = {Synthesis, crystal structures, dielectric and magnetic properties of manganese sulfonyldibenzoates}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {23}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT }, pages = {6703-6723}, type = {Article}, abstract = {{A systematic investigation of the system manganese(II) salt-H(2)SBA-auxiliary ligand-solvent successfully led to the isolation of six new multidimensional coordination polymers: [Mn-5(2-pic)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (1), [Mn-3(pyzc)(2)(DMF)(H2O)(SBA)(2)]center dot DMF center dot H2O (2), [Mn-5(pyzc)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (3), [Mn-5(mpyzc)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (4), [Mn-2(phen)(2)(H2O)(SBA)(2)]center dot 2DMA (5) and [Mn-3(phen)(2)(SBA)(3)]center dot 5DMF (6), where SBA = 4,4{\textquoteright}-sulfonyldibenzoate 2-pic = 2-picolinate}, doi = {10.1039/d1ce00810b}, author = {Balendra and Singh, Bharti and Banday, Azeem and Tewari, Shailabh and Kumar, Vineet and Murugavel, Sevi and Joy, P. A. and Ramanan, Arunachalam} } @article {47657, title = {Synthesis of anisotropic rod-like gold nanostructures in organic media (vol 133, 106, 2021)}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {DEC}, pages = {120}, type = {Correction}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-021-01992-5}, author = {Prasad, V. Bhagavatula L. and Sivasankaran, Prathap Chandran and Patel, Pitambar and Malekar, V. Pushpa and Maya, V. K. and Ramana, V. Chepuri} } @article {47692, title = {Synthesis of new 2-(thiazol-4-yl)thiazolidin-4-one derivatives as potential anti-mycobacterial agents}, journal = {Bioorganic Chemistry}, volume = {115}, year = {2021}, month = {OCT}, pages = {105192}, type = {Article}, abstract = {To search for potent antimycobacterial lead compounds, a new series of 3-substituted phenyl-2-(2-(substituted phenyl)thiazol-4-yl) thiazolidin-4-one (5a-t) derivatives have been synthesized by the condensation of 2 substituted phenyl thiazole-4-carbaldehyde with aromatic amine followed by cyclocondensation with thioglycolic acid. The structure of the newly synthesized 2-(thiazol-4-yl)thiazolidin-4-one derivatives were characterized by the spectroscopic analysis. The synthesized compounds were screened for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) (ATCC 25177) and Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG, ATCC 35743). Most of the 2-(thiazol-4-yl)thiazolidin-4-one derivatives showed good to excellent antimycobacterial activity against both the Mtb strains. Nine derivatives 5c, 5g, 5j, 5m, 5n, 5o, 5p, 5s, and 5t showed excellent activity against M. bovis BCG with MIC 4.43 to 24.04 mu M were further evaluated for the cytotoxicity activity against HeLa A549, and HCT-116 cell lines and showed no significant cytotoxic activity at the maximum concentration evaluated. The potential antimycobacterial activities enforced that the thiazolyl-thiazolidin-4-one derivatives could lead to compounds that could treat tuberculosis.}, keywords = {Cytotoxicity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Thiazole, Thiazolidin-4-one}, issn = {0045-2068}, doi = {10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105192}, author = {Abhale, Yogita K. and Shinde, Abhijit and Shelke, Monika and Nawale, Laxman and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {47597, title = {Tandem acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling-decyanation under nickel catalysis}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {JUN}, pages = {7552-7562}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The development of new catalytic processes based on abundantly available starting materials by cheap metals is always a fascinating task and marks an important transition in the chemical industry. Herein, a nickel-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols with nitriles followed by decyanation of nitriles to access diversely substituted olefins is reported. This unprecedented C=C bond-forming methodology takes place in a tandem manner with the formation of formamide as a sole byproduct. The significant advantages of this strategy are the low-cost nickel catalyst, good functional group compatibility (ether, thioether, halo, cyano, ester, amino, N/O/S heterocycles; 43 examples), synthetic convenience, and high reaction selectivity and efficiency.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c00592}, author = {Midya, Siba P. and Subaramanian, Murugan and Babu, Reshma and Yadav, Vinita and Balaraman, Ekambaram} } @article {47690, title = {Three in one: triple G-C-T base-coded brahma nucleobase amino acid: synthesis, peptide formation, and structural features}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {NOV }, pages = {15689-15694}, type = {Article}, abstract = {This note reports the synthesis and peptide formation of a novel triple G-C-T nucleobase amino acid (NBA) building block featuring three recognition faces: DDA (G mimic), DAA (C mimic), and ADA (T mimic). Readily obtainable in multigram scale in a remarkably easy one-step reaction, this unique NBA building block offers scope for wide ranging applications for nucleic acid recognition and nucleic acid peptide/protein interaction studies.}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c01228}, author = {Wagh, Mahendra A. and Maity, Rahul and Bhosale, Rohit J. and Semwal, Divyam and Tothadi, Srinu and Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {47064, title = {Triazine-based janus G-C nucleobase as a building block for self-assembly, peptide nucleic acids, and smart polymers}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {86}, year = {2021}, month = {FEB }, pages = {3186-3195}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This communication reports on the utility of a triazine-based self-assembling system, reminiscent of a Janus G-C nucleobase, as a building block for developing (1) supramolecular polymers, (2) peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), and (3) smart polymers. The strategically positioned self-complementary triple H-bonding arrays DDA and AAD facilitate efficient self-assembly, leading to a linear supramolecular polymer.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.0c02530}, author = {Meena, Chhuttan L. and Singh, Dharmendra and Kizhakeetil, Bhavya and Prasad, Manasa and George, Malini and Tothadi, Srinu and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {47046, title = {Unbiased phenotype-based screen identifies therapeutic agents selective for metastatic prostate cancer}, journal = {Frontiers in Oncology}, volume = {10}, year = {2021}, month = {MAR }, pages = {594141}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In American men, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Dissemination of prostate cancer cells to distant organs significantly worsens patients{\textquoteright} prognosis, and currently there are no effective treatment options that can cure advanced-stage prostate cancer. In an effort to identify compounds selective for metastatic prostate cancer cells over benign prostate cancer cells or normal prostate epithelial cells, we applied a phenotype-based in vitro drug screening method utilizing multiple prostate cancer cell lines to test 1,120 different compounds from a commercial drug library. Top drug candidates were then examined in multiple mouse xenograft models including subcutaneous tumor growth, experimental lung metastasis, and experimental bone metastasis assays. A subset of compounds including fenbendazole, fluspirilene, clofazimine, niclosamide, and suloctidil showed preferential cytotoxicity and apoptosis towards metastatic prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. The bioavailability of the most discerning agents, especially fenbendazole and albendazole, was improved by formulating as micelles or nanoparticles. The enhanced forms of fenbendazole and albendazole significantly prolonged survival in mice bearing metastases, and albendazole-treated mice displayed significantly longer median survival times than paclitaxel-treated mice. Importantly, these drugs effectively targeted taxane-resistant tumors and bone metastases - two common clinical conditions in patients with aggressive prostate cancer. In summary, we find that metastatic prostate tumor cells differ from benign prostate tumor cells in their sensitivity to certain drug classes. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that albendazole, an anthelmintic medication, may represent a potential adjuvant or neoadjuvant to standard therapy in the treatment of disseminated prostate cancer.

}, keywords = {bone, carcinoma, drug-screen, Metastasis, Prostate}, issn = {2234-943X}, doi = {10.3389/fonc.2020.594141}, author = {Chung, Ivy and Zhou, Kun and Barrows, Courtney and Banyard, Jacqueline and Wilson, Arianne and Rummel, Nathan and Mizokami, Atsushi and Basu, Sudipta and Sengupta, Poulomi and Shaikh, Badaruddin and Sengupta, Shiladitya and Bielenberg, Diane R. and Zetter, Bruce R.} } @article {47112, title = {Web-gLV: a web based platform for lotka-volterra based modeling and simulation of microbial populations (vol 10, 288, 2019)}, journal = {Frontiers in Microbiology}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {JAN }, pages = {605308}, type = {Correction}, keywords = {lotka-volterra, microbial population, Microbiome, Modeling, numerical-simulation, time-series, visualization, web-server}, issn = {1664-302X}, doi = {10.3389/fmicb.2020.605308}, author = {Kuntal, Bhusan K. and Gadgil, Chetan and Mande, Sharmila S.} } @article {47668, title = {ZCTs knockdown using antisense LNA GapmeR in specialized photomixotrophic cell suspensions of Catharanthus roseus: Rerouting the flux towards mono and dimeric indole alkaloids}, journal = {Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants}, volume = {27}, year = {2021}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1437-1453}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The present study was carried out to silence the transcription factor genes ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 via lipofectamine based antisense LNA GapmeRs transfection into the protoplasts of established photomixotrophic cell suspensions. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions with a threshold of 0.5\% sucrose were raised and established using two-tiered CO2 providing flasks kept under high light intensity. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions showed morphologically different thick-walled cells under scanning electron microscopic analysis in comparison to the simple thin-walled parenchymatous control cell suspensions. The LC-MS analysis registered the vindoline production (0.0004 +/- 0.0001 mg/g dry wt.) in photomixotrophic cell suspensions which was found to be absent in control cell suspensions. The protoplasts were isolated from the photomixotrophic cell suspensions and subjected to antisense LNA GapmeRs silencing. Three lines, viz. Z1A, Z2C and Z3G were obtained where complete silencing of ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 genes, respectively, was observed. The Z3G line was found to show maximum production of vindoline (0.038 +/- 0.001 mg/g dry wt.), catharanthine (0.165 +/- 0.008 mg/g dry wt.) and vinblastine (0.0036 +/- 0.0003 mg/g dry wt.). This was supported by the multifold increment in the gene expression of TDC, SLS, STR, SGD, d4h, dat, CrT16H and Crprx. The present work indicates the master regulation of ZCT3 knockdown among all three ZCTs transcription factors in C. roseus to enhance the terpenoid indole alkaloids production. The successful silencing of transcription repressor genes has been achieved in C. roseus plant system by using photomixotrophic cell cultures through GapmeR based silencing. The present study is a step towards metabolic engineering of the TIAs pathway using protoplast transformation in C. roseus.}, keywords = {Catharanthine, LC-MS, Protoplast, TIAs, Vinblastine, Vindoline}, issn = {0971-5894}, doi = {10.1007/s12298-021-01017-y}, author = {Verma, Priyanka and Khan, Shamshad Ahmad and Parasharami, Varsha and Mathur, Ajay Kumar} } @article {47456, title = {Zinc-air batteries catalyzed using Co3O4 nanorod-supported N-doped entangled graphene for oxygen reduction reaction}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2021}, month = {MAY }, pages = {4570-4580}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The work reported here deals with the development of an efficient non-platinum electrocatalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) through a sequential pathway involving hydrothermal treatment followed by freeze-drying to build the desired structural architecture of the catalyst. The designed catalyst (Co3O4/nitrogen-doped entangled porous 3D graphene (NEGF)), which contains Co3O4 nanorods anchored on the surface of three-dimensional (3D)-structured N-doped graphene, was found to display higher ORR activity during single-electrode testing and demonstrate a Zn-air battery (ZAB) system. Under the hydrothermal treatment at 180 degrees C, in the presence of ammonia, nitrogen was doped into the carbon framework of graphene, which subsequently formed a self-assembled entangled 3D structure of graphene after freeze-drying. The hydrothermal treatment and freeze-drying processes were found to play vital roles in tuning the morphological and structural features of the catalyst. The doped nitrogen, apart from its favorable contribution toward ORR, helped facilitate efficient dispersion of oxide nanorods on graphene. Co3O4/NEGF displayed remarkable ORR activity in 0.1 M KOH solution, as evident from the 60 mV onset potential shift compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst and the Tafel slope value of 74 mV dec(-1) vs 68 mV dec(-1) for Pt/C. The ZAB fabricated by employing Co3O4/NEGF as the cathode catalyst was found to be an efficient competitor for the system based on the Pt/C cathode. This high performance has been credited to the controlled interplay of the governing factors such as the interfacial interactions leading to the efficient dispersion of metal oxide nanorods, increased catalyst surface area, the cooperative effect arising from the defects present in the N-doped porous 3D graphene, and the synergetic interactions operating in the system.

}, keywords = {cobalt-oxide nanorod, freeze-drying, hydrothermal, N-doped entangled graphene, oxygen reduction reaction, zinc-air battery}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.1c00210}, author = {Manna, Narugopal and Singh, Santosh K. and Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang and Torris, Arun and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48108, title = {2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) purified from streptomyces sp. KCA1 from phyllanthus niruri: isolation, characterization, antibacterial and anticancer properties}, journal = {Journal of King Saud University Science}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {102088}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Objectives: The present study reports the bioactivity of 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) purified from an endophytic Streptomyces species KCA1 isolated from the leaves of Phyllanthus niruri and its antibacterial and anticancer properties. Methods: The extracellular metabolites were produced from the strain KCA1 by submerged fermentation using ethyl acetate. The crude extract was further evaluated for antibacterial activity against set of pathogens. Active metabolite from the extract was purified using chromatography techniques and detected its antibacterial activity by disc diffusion assay. The molecular structure of the active molecule was identified through various spectral study. Moreover, the bioactive metabolite 2,4-DTBP was analyzed antibacterial and anti-proliferative activity. Results: Strain KCA1 was identified as Streptomyces sp. In the preliminary screening, the crude extract exhibited broad spectrum activity against various bacterial pathogens. Based on the spectral properties, the active metabolite was identified as 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol. The MIC of active compound 2,4-DTBP inhibited E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 29213 at 50 lg/ml and 0.78 lg/ml, respectively. The IC50 value of 2,4-DTBP was found to be 11.0 lg/ml and 116.8 lg/ml, against breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and normal VERO cell line, respectively. Conclusions: This study concluded that 2,4-DTBP, produced from the endophytic Streptomyces sp. KCA1, is the potential candidate to develop as promising antibacterial and anticancer agent. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.

}, keywords = {2, 4-Di-tert-butylphenol, Antibacterial, antiproliferative activity, Endophytic Streptomyces}, issn = {1018-3647}, doi = {10.1016/j.jksus.2022.102088}, author = {Seenivasan, Ayswarya and Manikkam, Radhakrishnan and Kaari, Manigundan and Sahu, Amit Kumar and Said, Madhukar and Dastager, Syed G.} } @article {48228, title = {2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases drive expansion of steroidal alkaloid structural diversity in the genus Solanum}, journal = {New Phytologist}, volume = {234}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1394-1410}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are renowned defence metabolites exhibiting spectacular structural diversity. Genes and enzymes generating the SGA precursor pathway, SGA scaffold and glycosylated forms have been largely identified. Yet, the majority of downstream metabolic steps creating the vast repertoire of SGAs remain untapped. Here, we discovered that members of the 2-OXOGLUTARATE-DEPENDENT DIOXYGENASE (2-ODD) family play a prominent role in SGA metabolism, carrying out three distinct backbone-modifying oxidative steps in addition to the three formerly reported pathway reactions. The GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM34 (GAME34) enzyme catalyses the conversion of core SGAs to habrochaitosides in wild tomato S. habrochaites. Cultivated tomato plants overexpressing GAME34 ectopically accumulate habrochaitosides. These habrochaitoside enriched plants extracts potently inhibit Puccinia spp. spore germination, a significant Solanaceae crops fungal pathogen. Another 2-ODD enzyme, GAME33, acts as a desaturase (via hydroxylation and E/F ring rearrangement) forming unique, yet unreported SGAs. Conversion of bitter alpha-tomatine to ripe fruit, nonbitter SGAs (e.g. esculeoside A) requires two hydroxylations; while the known GAME31 2-ODD enzyme catalyses hydroxytomatine formation, we find that GAME40 catalyses the penultimate step in the pathway and generates acetoxy-hydroxytomatine towards esculeosides accumulation. Our results highlight the significant contribution of 2-ODD enzymes to the remarkable structural diversity found in plant steroidal specialized metabolism.

}, keywords = {Solanum, specialized metabolism, steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), structural diversity, Tomato}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/nph.18064}, author = {Sonawane, Prashant D. and Jozawiak, Adam and Barbole, Ranjit and Panda, Sayantan and Abebie, Bekele and Kazachkova, Yana and Gharat, Sachin A. and Ramot, Ofir and Unger, Tamar and Wizler, Guy and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Doron-Faigenboim, Adi and Petreikov, Marina and Schaffer, Arthur and Giri, Ashok P. and Scherf, Tali and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48189, title = {Acetic acid-catalyzed regioselective C(sp(2))-H bond functionalization of indolizines: concomitant involvement of synthetic and theoretical studies}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {87}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {5097-5112}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An atom economical and environmentally benign protocol has been developed for the regioselective C(sp2)-H bondfunctionalization of indolizines. The acetic acid-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction proceeds under metal-free conditions, producing awide range of synthetically useful indolizine derivatives. The present protocol showed good functional group tolerance and broadsubstrate scope in good to excellent yields. Quantum mechanical investigation using density functional theory (DFT) has played acrucial role in understanding that acetic acid is the key player in determining the actual pathway as the catalyst and its ultrafastnature. Different pathways involving inter- and intramolecular proton transfer, with or without acetic acid, were investigated.Calculated results revealed that a proton shuttle mechanism is involved for the least energetic, most favorable acetic acid-catalyzedpathway. Furthermore, regioselectivity has also been explained theoretically.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c03019}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Mukherjee, Anirban and Das, Gourab Kanti and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {48174, title = {Air-cathode interface-engineered electrocatalyst for solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {5}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL }, pages = {8756-8768}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are gaining interest as a class of portable clean energy technology due to their advantages such as high theoretical energy density, intrinsic safety, and low cost. It is expected that an appropriately triple-phase boundary (TPB) engineered, bifunctional oxygen reaction (OER and ORR) electrocatalyst at the air- electrode of ZABs can redefine the performance characteristics of these systems. To explore this possibility, an electrode material consisting of manganese- cobalt-based bimetallic spinel oxide (MnCo2O4)-supported nitrogen-doped entangled graphene (MnCo2O4/NEGF) with multiple active sites responsible for facilitating both OER and ORR has been prepared. The porous 3D graphitic support significantly affects the bifunctional oxygen reaction kinetics and helps the system display a remarkable catalytic performance. The air electrode consisting of the MnCo2O4/NEGF catalyst coated over the gas diffusion layer (GDL) ensures the effective TPB, and this feature works in favor of the rechargeable ZAB system under the charging and discharging modes. As an important structural and functional attribute of the electrocatalyst, the porosity and nitrogen doping in the 3D conducting support play a decisive aspect in controlling the surface wettability (hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) of the air electrode. The fabricated solid-state rechargeable ZAB device with the developed electrode displayed a maximum peak power density of 202 mW cm(-2), which is significantly improved as compared to the one based on the Pt/C + RuO2 standard catalyst pair (124 mW cm(-2)). The solid-state device which displayed an initial charge-discharge voltage gap of only 0.7 V at 10 mA cm(-2) showed only a small increment of 86 mV after 50 h.

}, keywords = {air-cathode interface, bifunctional oxygen catalyst, N-doped entangled graphene, solid-state zinc-air battery, spinel oxides}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.2c01266}, author = {Manna, Narugopal and Singh, Santosh K. and Kurian, Maria and Torris, Arun and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48221, title = {Algal biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds as a biomimetic platform with antibacterial and wound healing activities}, journal = {ACS Applied Polymer Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {5800-5812}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The confluence of hydrogel scaffolds and dried algal biomass (AB), consisting of all the bioactive compounds, offers the possibility to facilitate wound healing while simultaneously instilling antibacterial benefits. For this purpose, a single-step synthesis of algal (Chlorella sorokiniana) biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds (AHS) was achieved. C. sorokiniana has been used in different areas for several years and has proved attractive to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Of note, the presence of phytochemicals and various bioactive compounds provides an added health benefit. Hitherto, we report AHS with accelerated wound healing along with potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. AHS consisting of different concentrations of AB was applied for 14 days on excisional wounds in mice. Microscopic analyses, assessment of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and histological studies were performed to investigate wound healing. These scaffolds were extensively characterized and studied using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Raman, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, swelling, rheological, thermal, and mechanical analyses. AHS have excellent biocompatibility in addition to significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (99\%) and Staphylococcus aureus (98\%). We believe that the as-synthesized AHS have the potential to broaden the arsenal of more effective wound healing processes along with antibacterial activities.

}, keywords = {antibacterial activity, Biomass, hydrogel scaffold, microalgae, wound Healing}, issn = {2637-6105}, doi = {10.1021/acsapm.2c00722}, author = {Agarwal, Aakanksha and Kumar, Arun and Garg, Piyush and Chakraborty, Arnab and Verma, Ranjan and Sarwat, Maryam and Gupta, Ajay and Sasmal, Pijus K. and Verma, Yogesh Kumar and Chowdhury, Chiranjit and Mukherjee, Monalisa} } @article {47766, title = {Alternative splicing modulation mediated by G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {50}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {378-396}, type = {Article}, abstract = {MALAT1, an abundant lncRNA specifically localized to nuclear speckles, regulates alternative-splicing (AS). The molecular basis of its role in AS remains poorly understood. Here, we report three conserved, thermodynamically stable, parallel RNAG-quadruplexes (rG4s) present in the 3{\textquoteright} region of MALAT1 which regulates this function. Using rG4 domain-specific RNA-pull-down followed by mass-spectrometry, RNA-immuno-precipitation, and imaging, we demonstrate the rG4 dependent localization of Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin (NPM) to nuclear speckles. Specific G-to-A mutations that abolish rG4 structures, result in the localization loss of both the proteins from speckles. Functionally, disruption of rG4 in MALAT1 phenocopies NCL knockdown resulting in altered pre-mRNA splicing of endogenous genes. These results reveal a central role of rG4s within the 3{\textquoteright} region of MALAT1 orchestrating AS.}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkab1066}, author = {Ghosh, Arpita and Pandey, Satya Prakash and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Sundar, Jennifer Seematti and Singh, Praveen and Khan, Yasmeen and Ekka, Mary Krishna and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {48123, title = {Amino acid-derived ABCBA-type antifouling biohybrid with multi-stimuli responsivity and contaminant removal capability}, journal = {Polymer Chemistry}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {1960-1969}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Multi-stimuli (pH/thermo/redox)-responsive amphiphilic poly(cysteine methacrylamide)-block-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(cysteine methacrylamide) (PCysMAM-b-PDMAEMA-b-PB-b-PDMAEMA-b-PCysMAM) pentablock copolymer biohybrids, based on hydrophobic PB, ampholytic redox responsive PCysMAM and dual (pH and temperature) stimuli responsive PDMAEMA segments, are synthesized via a four-step synthesis protocol. The synthesis protocol involves: (1) in situ post polymerization modification of living polybutadiene-based carbanionic species to prepare hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB); (2) introduction of an initiating functionality (capable of acting as an ATRP initiator) to HTPB, yielding a telechelic ATRP macroinitiator (Br-PB-Br); (3) recyclable alloy-mediated successive RDRP of DMAEMA and CysMAM, yielding a series of PCysMAM-b-PDMAEMA-b-PB-b-PDMAEMA-b-PCysMAM (A-B-C-B-A) pentablock copolymers with various chain lengths; and (4) conversion of the PDMAEMA block to poly(quaternary ammonium) (PQA) via quaternization. The stimuli responsiveness of the copolymer is investigated against changes in pH, temperature and redox. The pentablock copolymer self-assembles into spherical nanospheres, can switch between its monocationic, zwitterionic and monoanionic charged states, exhibits antifouling behaviour and is capable of removing ionic contaminants from water. These pentablock copolymers may emerge as a promising material for emerging applications.

}, issn = {1759-9954}, doi = {10.1039/d2py00280a}, author = {Kumar, Devendra and Mohammad, Sk Arif and Kumar, Anand and Mane, Shivshankar R. and Banerjee, Sanjib} } @article {48411, title = {Antibiotic natural product hunanamycin A: Lead identification towards anti-Salmonella agents}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {236}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {114245}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Design and synthesis of library of compounds around the antibiotic natural product hunanamycin A scaffold and their biological evaluation are disclosed here. These efforts resulted in identification of a lead compound 36, which is a structurally simplified analogue of original hunanamycin A with impressive activity against Salmonella enterica and possesses other druggable properties. In addition, no acute oral toxicity was observed for compound 36 in Swiss albino mice dosed up to 2 g/kg. It has the potential to be developed for the treatment of food infections caused by Salmonella. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

}, keywords = {Antibiotic natural product, Hunanamycin A, Riboflavin synthase, Salmonella, Structure activity relationship}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114245}, author = {Shingare, Rahul D. and MacMillan, John B. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48116, title = {Antimicrobial two-dimensional covalent organic nanosheets (2D-CONs) for the fast and highly efficient capture and recovery of phosphate ions from water}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {4585-4593}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The retrieval of depleting resources from wastewater could help resolve the mounting demands for resources in our society. Phosphate is an essential nutrient for all living things. However, the diminution of global reserves of phosphate rock could significantly affect our food security in the near future. At the same time, the removal of phosphates and pathogens is of great importance for water security and de-eutrophication. The specific pH-dependent adsorption and desorption of phosphate ions by water-insoluble adsorbents is an exciting strategy for removing and recovering phosphates from contaminated water. Herein, we report the development of new two-dimensional guanidine-containing covalent organic nanosheets (2D-gCONs). This water-insoluble amorphous polymer (exfoliated) selectively sequestered phosphate ions in the presence of other competing anions and could be reused for multiple cycles. The polymer showed a fast removal of phosphate ions with a maximum adsorption capacity of 398 mg g(-1) (pH 7.0). The sequestered phosphate ions could be easily reclaimed, and the polymer could be recycled just by altering the pH (similar to 10.0) of the aqueous solution. The guanidinium moieties played a pivotal role in exfoliation in aqueous medium and in the antibacterial activities against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. We hypothesize that the current study may advance the design of water-insoluble CONs to remove and recover phosphate ions from wastewater and could help alleviate the negative impact of water eutrophication. This strategy can also be tweaked to address other severe environmental challenges.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d1ta10911a}, author = {Dey, Subhasis and Das, Sribash and Patel, Anjali and Raj, K. Vipin and Vanka, Kumar and Manna, Debasis} } @article {48056, title = {Assessment of a multipoint dosing approach for exothermic nitration in CSTRs in series}, journal = {Reaction Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {1671-1679}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The exothermic aromatic nitration of a biaryl compound is studied using various configurations of CSTRs in series. The relative rates of heat generation and heat removal in different configurations are compared to identify safer options while taking scale-up-related decisions. The effects of different parameters on the steady-state temperatures of the CSTRs are demonstrated through simulations. The use of multipoint dosing in three different CSTRs of increasing volume in series was compared with the use of standard CSTRs of equal volume in series. The distribution of the nitrating agent in three different CSTRs in series helped to distribute the heat duty and thereby helped maximise the throughput almost 2.4-fold when compared with a conventional approach based on the co-addition of all the reactants in the first CSTR. Various feed combinations were studied, and suitable designs that fall within the safe operating range of CSTRs for highly exothermic reactions are given.

}, issn = {2058-9883}, doi = {10.1039/d2re00045h}, author = {Mule, G. M. and Kulkarni, S. and Kulkarni, A. A.} } @article {48419, title = {Behavioral and proteomic studies reveal methylglyoxal activate pathways associated with alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease}, journal = {ACS Pharmacology \& Translational Science}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {65{\textendash}75}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s disease (AD) development. The role of elevated levels of glucose, methylglyoxal (MGO), and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the pathogenesis of AD is not well understood. In this pursuit, we studied the role of methylglyoxal in the pathogenesis of AD in rat models. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) behavioral study indicated that MGO induces anxiety. Treatment of telmisartan (RAGE expression inhibitor) and aminoguanidine (MGO quencher) attenuated MGO induced anxiety. Further, hippocampal proteomics demonstrated that MGO treated rats differentially regulate proteins involved in calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial functioning, and apoptosis, which may affect neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity. The hippocampal tau phosphorylation level was increased in MGO treated rats, which was reduced in the presence of aminoguanidine and telmisartan. The plasma fructosamine level was increased upon MGO treatment. Hippocampal histochemistry showed vascular degeneration and neuronal loss upon MGO treatment. This study provides mechanistic insight into the role of MGO in the diabetes-associated development of AD.

}, doi = {10.1021/acsptsci.2c00143}, author = {Patil, Gouri and Kulsange, Shabda and Kazi, Rubina and Chirmade, Tejas and Kale, Vaikhari and Mote, Chandrashekhar and Aswar, Manoj and Koratkar, Santosh and Agawane, Sachin and Kulkarni, Mahesh} } @article {48346, title = {Blue fluorescence of cyano-tryptophan predicts local electrostatics and hydrogen bonding in biomolecules}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {10732-10740}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cyano-tryptophan is an unnatural fluorescent amino acid that emits in the visible region. Along with the structural similarity with tryptophan, the unique photophysical properties of this fluorophore make it an ideal probe for biophysical research. Herein, combining fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, we show that the cyano-tryptophan{\textquoteright}s emission energy quantifies the underlying bond-specific noncovalent interactions in terms of the electric field. We further report the use of fluorophore{\textquoteright}s emission energy to predict its hydrogen bond characteristics. We demonstrate that combining experiments with molecular dynamics simulations can provide the hydrogen bonding status of the nitrile moiety. In addition, we report a method to differentiate between aqueous and nonaqueous hydrogen-bonding partners. Using a phenomenological approach, we demonstrate that the presence of the cyano-indole moiety is responsible for the distinct correlations between the fluorophore{\textquoteright}s emission and the electrostatic forces on the nitrile bond. As indole is a privileged scaffold for both native amino acids and nucleobases, cyano-indoles will have many multifaceted applications.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05848}, author = {Haldar, Tapas and Chatterjee, Srijan and Alam, Md Nirshad and Maity, Pradip and Bagchi, Sayan} } @article {48205, title = {BQ-AurIPr: a redox-active anticancer Au(i) complex that induces immunogenic cell death}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {10779-10785}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) is a unique cell death mechanism that kills cancer cells while rejuvenating the anticancer immunosurveillance, thereby benefiting the clinical outcomes of various immuno-chemotherapeutic regimens. Herein, we report development of a library of benzo[a]quinolizinium-based Au(i) complexes through an intramolecular amino-auration reaction of pyridino-alkynes. We tested 40 candidates and successfully identified BQ-AurIPr as a novel redox-active Au(i) complex with potent anticancer properties. BQ-AurIPr efficiently triggered generation of DAMPs - the hallmarks of ICD - and was superior in terms of efficiency compared to FDA-approved drugs known to induce ICD. BQ-AurIPr significantly increased immunogenicity of cancer cells enhancing their phagocytosis when co-cultured with immune cells. Our investigation reveals that BQ-AurIPr induces oxidative stress inside mitochondria leading to mitophagy, as the mechanism for immunogenic cell death in A549 cells.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d2sc03756d}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Kumar, Akhilesh and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Senthilkumar, B. and Kumar, Himanshu and Patil, Nitin T.} } @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 {48192, title = {Case report: a fatal case of babesiosis in a splenectomized male patient from Western India}, journal = {American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene}, volume = {106}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {1421-1425}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Human babesiosis is a rare disease, caused by Babesia species and commonly transmitted by tick bite. Although human babesiosis is known to be asymptomatic in immunocompetent hosts, clinical cases of severe babesiosis have been reported from splenectomized or immunocompromised individuals. To our knowledge, only one case of human babesiosis in India has been previously reported. Here, we report a case of severe babesiosis with high parasitemia (similar to 70\%) in a 30-year-old asplenic farmer. The patient presented with fever, yellowish discoloration of skin, oliguria, and anemia; he eventually developed multiorgan failure syndrome and died. Peripheral blood films were prepared and used to confirm the presence of piroplasms by microscopy. Total DNA isolated from blood was used for 18S ribosomal RNA gene fragment amplification by polymerase chain reaction, which was subjected to Sanger sequencing. Although 18S sequence indicated that the Babesia species infecting the patient was similar to that of other Babesia species originating from wild mammals, species identification could not be done. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the patientderived pathogen is distinct because it forms a separate clade in the cladogram.

}, issn = {0002-9637}, doi = {10.4269/ajtmh.20-1118}, author = {Godbole, Ravi and Gaur, Avantika and Nayar, Priyanka and Kiruthiga, Kala and D{\textquoteright}Costa, Pradeep and Manchanda, Rumma and Khilari, Ajinkya and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Muglikar, Kalpana D. and Kundu, Krishnendu} } @article {48023, title = {Catalytic conversion of sucrose to 1,2-propanediol over alumina-supported Ni-Mo bimetallic catalysts}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3681-3689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ni-Mo supported on gamma-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized to test its catalytic activity towards sucrose to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) conversion. The catalyst system was characterized using various physicochemical methods, including XRD, BET, py-FTIR, XPS, FE-SEM, HR-TEM and ICP. The metal combination of 8\%Ni-20\%Mo/gamma-Al2O3 is found to be effective in producing a good yield of 1,2-propanediol (similar to 74\%) under mild reaction conditions of 180 degrees C, 40 bar H-2 pressure and a run time of 4.5 h in a batch reaction. The activity of the active catalyst over various substrates such as cellulose, glucose, fructose and real-source biomass has also been investigated. XPS analysis of the active catalyst confirms the various oxidation states of the metals Ni and Mo in the active catalyst. The py-IR results show that the optimum Lewis to Bronsted acidic site ratio is responsible for the selective conversion of sucrose to 1,2-PDO. The presence of interparticle mesopores on gamma-Al2O3 helps in the high conversion of sucrose. Furthermore, the catalyst has been found reusable for four consecutive runs without any structural or morphological changes.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d2se00610c}, author = {Sreekantan, Sreejith and Kirali, Arun Arunima Balachandran and Marimuthu, Banu} } @article {48038, title = {Ce promoted Cu/?-Al2O3 catalysts for the enhanced selectivity of 1,2-pro-panediol from catalytic hydrogenolysis of glucose}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {165}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {106447}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Ce promoted Cu/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared with varying amounts of Cu (x = 0-10 wt\%) and Ce (y = 0-15 wt\%). The prepared catalysts were characterized and tested for the conversion of aqueous glucose (5 wt\%) to 1,2propanediol in a batch reactor. 10\%Ce-8\%Cu/gamma-Al2O3 \& nbsp;showed the complete conversion of glucose with 62.7\% selectivity of 1,2-propanediol and total glycols (1,2-propanediol, ethylene glycol \& 1,2-butanediol) of 81\% at milder reaction conditions. Cu facilitated the hydrogenation activity and Ce loading optimize the acid/base sites of Cu/gamma-Al2O3 which obtain high selectivity of 1, 2-propanediol. Catalyst reusability is reported.

}, keywords = {2-Propanediol

,

1, Cu-Ce catalyst, ethylene glycol, Gamma alumina, Glucose hydrogenolysis}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106447}, author = {Kirali, Arun Arunima Balachandran and Sreekantan, Sreejith and Marimuthu, Banu} } @article {48020, title = {C-O hydrogenolysis of C3-C4 polyols selectively to terminal diols over Pt/W/SBA-15 catalysts}, journal = {Catalysts}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {1070}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pt/W/SBA-15 catalysts (with Pt-loading = 0.5-4 wt\% and W-loading = 1 wt\%) prepared by the sequential impregnation method were evaluated for selective C-O cleavage of erythritol and glycerol in an aqueous medium. The Pt and W particles dispersed on SBA-15 approached close proximity at higher Pt loadings and afforded synergistic enhancement in C-O hydrogenolysis activity/selectivity. 1,4-Butanediol yields of 30.9\% (at 190 degrees C, 50 bar H-2 and 24 h) and 1,3-propanediol yields of 34.4\% (at 190 degrees C, 50 bar H-2 and 12 h of reaction) were obtained over these catalysts. Pt nanoparticles (facilitating dissociative H-2 adsorption and spillover) and W (present as acidic oligomeric WOx species; activating and coordinating the polyol via 1 degrees-OH group) worked in tandem for the selective hydrogenolysis of polyols yielding terminal diols of industrial demand.

}, keywords = {diol, Erythritol, Glycerol, Hydrodeoxygenation, Pt, SBA-15, W}, doi = {10.3390/catal12091070}, author = {Bhowmik, Susmita and Enjamuri, Nagasuresh and Marimuthu, Banu and Darbha, Srinivas} } @article {48074, title = {Comparative investigation on the catalytic performance of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites for the isomerization of glucose to fructose}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {286}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {116052}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Hydrotalcites (HT) have a broad spectrum of applications as prosperous heterogeneous catalysts for diverse chemical transformations. The catalytic activity of HT-based materials can be tailored by introducing siliceous material into the internal or external framework. The surface modification of the HT framework with silica mesostructures leads to the formation of versatile Lewis base, Bronsted base and redox catalytic active sites. This work presents the comparative evaluation of the catalytic performance of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites for the isomerization of glucose to fructose using 1-butanol as a solvent. The composites with different external morphology were prepared by a modified template-assisted hydrothermal method, using different HT to SBA-15 proportions. The textural and morphological characterization results conferred the efficiency of the employed post-synthetic intercalation strategy to achieve the successful formation of HT/SBA-15 and SBA-15/HT composites. With optimal HT loading and surface basicity, the HTS-3 composite demonstrated the highest catalytic performance, resulting in good glucose conversions (54 \%) with improved selectivity (\>83 \%). The observed high reactivity could be mainly attributed to the extensive dispersion of HT particles on the SBA-15 component, which contributes to a significant increase in textural properties and surface basicity. Furthermore, special attention is devoted to addressing such reactivity phenomena as active site selectivity, catalyst multifunctionality and multisite reactivity commonly encountered in mesoporous catalysis.

}, keywords = {composites, glucose, hydrotalcite, isomerization, SBA-15}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2022.116052}, author = {Manikandan, Marimuthu and Arjunan, Ayyappan and Prabu, Marimuthu and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Sangeetha, Palanivelu} } @article {48213, title = {Concerted effect of Ni-in and S-out on ReS2 nanostructures towards high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3689-3692}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, a one-step hydrothermal reaction is developed to synthesize a Ni-doped ReS2 nanostructure with sulphur defects. The material exhibited excellent OER activity with a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) at an overpotential of 270 mV, a low Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1), and good long-term durability of 10 h in 1 M KOH. It shows high faradaic efficiency of 96\%, benefiting from the rapid charge transfer caused by the concerted effect of Ni-in and S-out on the ReS2 nanostructure.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc07030d}, author = {Das, Tapas K. and Ping, Tapan and Mohapatra, Manoj and Anwar, Shahid and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. and Jena, Bikash Kumar} } @article {48030, title = {Construction of tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds via polar [4+2]-Cycloaddition reaction with arynes as dienophiles}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {101}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {153901}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A transition-metal-free route has been developed for the direct synthesis of biologically significant tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds. The reaction features polar [4 + 2] Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction of arynes with a well-designed diene N-Boc protected vinyl tetrahydropyridine, followed by the isomerisation of the double bond leading to the formation of tetrahydrobenzo[f]quinoline scaffolds in good to moderate yields.

}, keywords = {Aryne, Diels-Alder, Diene, Tetrahydrobenzo[ f ]quinoline}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2022.153901}, author = {Pandya, Virat G. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {48222, title = {Controlled modulation of the structure and luminescence properties of zero-dimensional manganese halide hybrids through structure-directing metal-ion (Cd2+ and Zn2+) centers}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {5363-5372}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Zero-dimensional (0D) metal halide hybrids with high exciton binding energy are excellent materials for lighting applications. Controlling/modulating the structure of the con-stituent metal halide units allows tunability of their photo-luminescence properties. 0D manganese halide hybrids are currently attracting research efforts in lighting applications due to their eco-friendly and strong emission. However, structural transformation-induced tunability of their photophysical propertieshas rarely been reported. Herein, we demonstrate a rationalsynthetic strategy to modulate the structure and luminescenceproperties of 0D Mn(II) halide hybrids utilizing the structure-directing d10metal ions (Cd2+/Zn2+). 0D metal halide hybrids ofCd2+/Zn2+, which act as hosts with tunable structures, accept Mn2+ions as substitutional dopants. This structural flexibility of thehost d10metal ions is realized by optimizing the metal-to-ligand ratio (Cd/AEPip). This reaction parameter allows structuraltransformation from an octahedral (AEPipCdMnBrOh) to a tetrahedral (AEPipCdMnBrTd) 0D Mn halide hybrid with tunableluminescence (orange -\> green) with high photoluminescence quantum yield. Interestingly, when Zn2+is utilized, a tetrahedralAEPipZnMnBr structure forms exclusively with strong green emission. Optical and single-crystal X-ray diffraction structural analysisof the host and the doped system supports our experimental data and confirms the structure-directing role played by Cd2+/Zn2+centers. This work demonstrates a rational strategy to modulate the structure/luminescence properties of 0D Mn(II) halide hybrids, which can further be implemented for other 0D metal halide hybrids

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00160}, author = {Das, Deep Kumar and Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan and Anilkumar, Vishnu and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Ahmed, Md Soif and Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar and Pallepogu, Raghavaiah and Kundu, Janardan} } @article {48372, title = {Conventional and microwave-assisted organic synthesis of novel antimycobacterial agents bearing furan and pyridine hybrids}, journal = {Drug Development Research}, volume = {83}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {416-431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Drug resistance in tuberculosis poses a serious threat to humanity because currently available antitubercular drugs are ineffective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). As a result, the approval of Bedaquiline and Delamanid for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis was accelerated. Still, there is an urgent need to search for new antitubercular drugs with novel mechanisms of action (MoA). Due to this, we have designed a synthetic strategy by utilizing microwave-assisted organic synthesis. We have compared our method with the conventional procedure, and the data show that our procedure is more effective in the preparation of title compounds. A unique series of 1-(2-(furan-2-yl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-3(2H)-yl)-3-(aryl)-pr op-2-en-1-ones (5a-o) was synthesized utilizing conventional and microwave-assisted techniques. Synthetic compounds were investigated for antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium TB H37Ra and Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). Compound 5b was reported to be the most effective against M. tuberculosis H37Ra (97.69 percent inhibition at 30 mu g/ml) and M. bovis (97.09 percent inhibition at 30 mu g/ml). An in silico binding affinity study of mycobacterial enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) reveals the binding mechanism and thermodynamic interactions that determine these molecule{\textquoteright}s binding affinity. Compound 5b had a high glide score of -8.991 and low glide energy of -49.893 kcal/mol.

}, keywords = {Antitubercular activity, microwave-assisted organic synthesis, Molecular docking}, issn = {0272-4391}, doi = {10.1002/ddr.21872}, author = {Desai, Nisheeth C. and Bhatt, Kandarp and Jadeja, Dharmpalsinh J. and Mehta, Harsh K. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Sarkar, Dhiman} } @article {48207, title = {Copper(II) import and reduction are dependent on His-Met clusters in the extracellular amino terminus of human copper transporter-1}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {298}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {101631}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Copper(I) is an essential metal for all life forms. Though Cu(II) is the most abundant and stable state, its reduction to Cu(I) via an unclear mechanism is prerequisite for its bioutilization. In eukaryotes, the copper transporter-1(CTR1) is the primary high-affinity copper importer, although its mechanism and role in Cu(II) reduction remain uncharacterized. Here we show that extracellular amino-terminus of human CTR1 contains two methionine-histidine clusters and neighboring aspartates that distinctly bind Cu(I) and Cu(II) preceding its import. We determined that hCTR1 localizes at the basolateral membrane of polarized MDCK-II cells and that its endocytosis to Common-Recycling-Endosomes is regulated by reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) and subsequent Cu(I) coordination by the methionine cluster. We demonstrate the transient binding of both Cu(II) and Cu(I) during the reduction process is facilitated by aspartates that also act as another crucial determinant of hCTR1 endocytosis. Mutating the first Methionine cluster ((7)Met-Gly-Met(9)) and Asp(13)( )abrogated copper uptake and endocytosis upon copper treatment. This phenotype could be reverted by treating the cells with reduced and nonreoxidizable Cu(I). We show that histidine clusters, on other hand, bind Cu(II) and are crucial for hCTR1 functioning at limiting copper. Finally, we show that two N-terminal His-Met-Asp clusters exhibit functional complementarity, as the second cluster is sufficient to preserve copper-induced CTR1 endocytosis upon complete deletion of the first cluster. We propose a novel and detailed mechanism by which the two His-Met-Asp residues of hCTR1 amino-terminus not only bind copper, but also maintain its reduced state, crucial for intracellular uptake.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101631}, author = {Kar, Sumanta and Sen, Samarpita and Maji, Saptarshi and Saraf, Deepashri and Ruturaj and Paul, Rupam and Dutt, Sohini and Mondal, Basudeb and Rodriguez-Boulan, Enrique and Schreiner, Ryan and Sengupta, Durba and Gupta, Arnab} } @article {48121, title = {Crystalline xylitol production from corncob biomass with oral toxicity analysis}, journal = {Industrial Crops and Products}, volume = {187}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV }, pages = {115407}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Xylitol, a five-carbon sugar alcohol, has a steady global market and finds application as a natural sugar substitute in various food and confectionery products. Biocatalytic xylitol production, although touted as a greener alternative to conventional chemical catalysis, suffers from certain challenges, the primary being high cost of production. This study demonstrates a process for food-grade xylitol production from corncob biomass with energy reduction through two major process modifications. A non-conventional fermentation strategy was adopted whereby adjusting aeration without agitation, xylitol with high yield (0.86 +/- 0.015 g/g), and productivity (0.74 gL(-1)h(-1)) could be produced by a GRAS Pichia caribbica MTCC 5703 strain. Xylitol was recovered from the broth in the form of crystals using a combination of membrane-based filtration and crystallization. The crystals demonstrated similar to 98 \% purity when quantified with H-1 NMR. Oral toxicity analysis of the crystals demonstrated no adverse effect in female Winstar rats (at a loading of 2000 mg/kg body weight of animals). Overall process statistics showed that 0.584 kg of food-grade xylitol crystals could be produced from 3.5 kg of corncob biomass. The two-process modifications during fermentation and xylitol recovery enabled an energy saving of similar to 20.842 kW/kg of crystals, providing tremendous advantages for biorefinery-based large-scale xylitol production from corncob biomass.

}, keywords = {Biomass, Fermentation, Oral toxicity analysis, Wastewater treatment, xylitol}, issn = {0926-6690}, doi = {10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115407}, author = {Ahuja, Vishal and Dasgupta, Diptarka and Kshirsagar, Siddheshwar and Ghosh, Prasenjit and More, Snehal and Gupta, Piyush and Behera, Babita and Bhaskar, Thallada} } @article {46642, title = {Cyclic peptide engineered from phytocystatin inhibitory hairpin loop as an effective modulator of falcipains and potent antimalarial}, journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Structure \& Dynamics}, volume = {40}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {3642-3654}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cystatins are classical competitive inhibitors of C1 family cysteine proteases (papain family). Phytocystatin superfamily shares high sequence homology and typical tertiary structure with conserved glutamine-valine-glycine (Q-X-V-X-G) loop blocking the active site of C1 proteases. Here, we develop a cysteine-bounded cyclic peptide (CYS-cIHL) and linear peptide (CYS-IHL), using the conserved inhibitory hairpin loop amino acid sequence. Using an in silico approach based on modeling, protein-peptide docking, molecular dynamics simulations and calculation of free energy of binding, we designed and validated inhibitory peptides against falcipain-2 (FP-2) and -3 (FP-3), cysteine proteases from the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Falcipains are critical hemoglobinases of P. falciparum that are validated targets for the development of antimalarial therapies. CYS-cIHL was able to bind with micromolar affinity to FP-2 and modulate its binding with its substrate, hemoglobin in in vitro and in vivo assays. CYS-cIHL could effectively block parasite growth and displayed antimalarial activity in culture assays with no cytotoxicity towards human cells. These results indicated that cyclization can substantially increase the peptide affinity to the target. Furthermore, this can be applied as an effective strategy for engineering peptide inhibitory potency against proteases.

}, keywords = {Cyclic peptide, falcipain inhibitors, falciparum, P, Phytocystatin, protein interaction mimics, protein\&\#8211}, issn = {0739-1102}, doi = {10.1080/07391102.2020.1848629}, author = {Mishra, Manasi and Singh, Vigyasa and Tellis, Meenakshi B. and Joshi, Rakesh S. and Pandey, Kailash C. and Singh, Shailja} } @article {47768, title = {Deciphering the sensing of alpha-amyrin acetate with hs-DNA: a multipronged biological probe}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1238-1243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this study, we focus on the biomimetic development of small molecules and their biological sensing with DNA. The binding of herring sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (hs-DNA) with naturally occurring bioactive small molecule alpha-amyrin acetate (alpha-AA), a biomimetic - isolated from the leaves of Ficus (F.) arnottiana is investigated. Collective information from various imaging, spectroscopic and biophysical experiments provides evidence that alpha-AA is a minor groove sensor of hs-DNA and preferentially binds to the A-T-rich regions. Interactions of different concentrations of small molecule alpha-AA with hsDNA were evaluated via various analytical techniques such as UV-Vis, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy results suggest that alpha-AA decreases the emission level of hsDNA. DNA minor groove sensor Hoechst 33258 and intercalative sensor EB, melting transition analysis (T-M) and viscosity analysis clarified that alpha-AA binds to hs-DNA via a groove site. Biophysical chemistry and molecular docking studies show that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in this binding. The present research deals with a natural product biosynthesis-linked chemical-biology interface sensor as a biological probe for alpha-AA: hs-DNA.}, doi = {10.1039/d1ra07195e}, author = {Pansare, V. Amol and Shedge, Amol A. and Sonawale, Maryappa C. and Pansare, V. Shubham and Mahakal, Akshay D. and Khairkar, Shyam R. and Chhatre, Shraddha Y. and Kulal, Dnyaneshwar K. and Patil, Vishwanath R.} } @article {48007, title = {Design of hydrodynamic cavitation assisted intensified tertiary treatment unit for effective degradation of organic micropollutants in pharmaceutical industrial effluent: a case study with triclosan}, journal = {Journal of Water Process Engineering}, volume = {49}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {103132}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Increasing occurrence of micropollutants and trace amount of persistent organic contaminants (POC{\textquoteright}s) in the wastewater streams even after the well-established conventional treatment is a threat to human health, aquatic entities, and constitute a formidable challenge for the ecological security. In this regard, hydrodynamic cavi-tation based advanced oxidation treatment has attracted extensive attention towards removal of such micro scale pollutants from wastewater streams in the present scenario. Hence, the present work demonstrates the design and application of a rotating hydrodynamic cavitation (RHC) reactor with stator-rotor arrangement for effective degradation of organic micropollutants (triclosan being taken as the target pollutant) from tertiary effluents occurring in the pharmaceutical sector. The process performance was evaluated through optimization of geo-metric parameters of the reactor, various operating parameters as well as by studying the sole and synergistic performance of the HC process combined with other AOPs. The maximum degradation of Triclosan (TCS) ach-ieved by RHC alone was found to be 35.2 \% and in synergism, with ozone, a maximum of 97.6 \% degradation was observed. Further, to ensure the mineralization of the components, total organic carbon (TOC) contents of the samples were measured and the degradation pathway was predicted through LC-MS analysis. The techno-economic feasibility of the process were understood through economic and energetic analysis and technology transfer was done for replicating the same study for a pilot scale reactor.

}, keywords = {Advanced oxidation process, Hydrodynamic cavitation, Micropollutant, Pharmaceutical effluent, Tertiary treatment}, issn = {2214-7144}, doi = {10.1016/j.jwpe.2022.103132}, author = {Mishra, Birupakshya and Mukherjee, Anupam and Mullick, Aditi and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Moulik, Siddhartha} } @article {48224, title = {Design, synthesis of anticancer and anti-inflammatory 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles}, journal = {Synthetic Communications}, volume = {52}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {733-744}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel series of 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles (4a-i) was synthesized and evaluated for anticancer potential against cell lines for breast cancer. Compounds 4b, 4e, and 4h exhibited prominent cytotoxicity against human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell line with GI(50 )of 2.0, 0.5, and 0.5 mu M, respectively. Molecular docking study against EGFR tyrosine kinase could provide valuable insights into the plausible mechanism of action. The compounds could bind with significantly high binding affinity and their binding affinity scores could correlate well with the observed anticancer activity. Furthermore, compounds 4a, 4c, 4e, 4g, and 4i exhibited significant inflammatory activities as well which could expand the therapeutic domain of this novel series.

}, keywords = {Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Indole, pyrimidine}, issn = {0039-7911}, doi = {10.1080/00397911.2022.2048860}, author = {Bhale, Pravin S. and Chavan, V. Hemant and Shringare, Sadanand N. and Khedkar, Vijay M. and Tigote, Radhakrishna M. and Mali, Nikita N. and Jadhav, Tukaram D. and Kamble, Nitin B. and Kolat, Swati P. and Bandgar, Babasaheb P. and Patil, Harshal S.} } @article {48369, title = {Developing spherical activated carbons from polymeric resins for removal of contaminants from aqueous and organic streams}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology}, volume = {19}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {10021-10040}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Spherical activated carbons from polymer resin were developed with metal modifications, before/after carbonization using copper and nickel, for gradation of zeta potential (-5.01 to 8.64 mV) and high metal loading (up to 12.3\%). The materials provide improved removal of various contaminants from aqueous and organic streams-removal of bacteria from water and sulfur removal from fuel. The metal-modified spherical activated carbons were highly effective for removal of both gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus bacteria. The copper-modified spherical activated carbon could eliminate 99.9-100\%, both bacterial content proving efficacy in water disinfection with a very high rate similar to 1.33 x 10(5) (CFU/ml.s). The zeta potential has significant impact with higher disinfection for high values; similar to 10-15\% disinfection can be improved up to 100\% for zeta potential changes from -5 to 8.6 mV. Kinetics of disinfection was studied by accounting for zeta potential in the conventional rate model, and the efficacy of both the models was compared. The fit of revised model was excellent. The spherical activated carbons can be useful for removal of slightly polar contaminants from organic streams and a high capacity of 12.8, 20 and 28 mgS/g for thiophene, benzothiophene and dibenzothiophene, respectively. The developed materials can provide useful applications in the area of environmental pollution control. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Adsorption, Material, pollution, Sulfur removal, Water disinfection}, issn = {1735-1472}, doi = {10.1007/s13762-021-03684-6}, author = {Mane, M. B. and Bhandari, V. M.} } @article {47799, title = {Dimerization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein affects sensitivity of ELISA based diagnostics of COVID-19}, journal = {International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, volume = {200}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {428-437}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nucleocapsid protein (N protein) is the primary antigen of the virus for development of sensitive diagnostic assays of COVID-19. In this paper, we demonstrate the significant impact of dimerization of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) N-protein on sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based diagnostics. The expressed purified protein from E. coli is composed of dimeric and monomeric forms, which have been further characterized using biophysical and immunological techniques. Indirect ELISA indicated elevated susceptibility of the dimeric form of the nucleocapsid protein for identification of protein-specific monoclonal antibody as compared to the monomeric form. This finding also confirmed with the modelled structure of monomeric and dimeric nucleocapsid protein via HHPred software and its solvent accessible surface area, which indicates higher stability and antigenicity of the dimeric type as compared to the monomeric form. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA at 95\% CI are 99.0\% (94.5-99.9) and 95.0\% (83.0-99.4), respectively, for the highest purified dimeric form of the N protein. As a result, using the highest purified dimeric form will improve the sensitivity of the current nucleocapsid-dependent ELISA for COVID-19 diagnosis, and manufacturers should monitor and maintain the monomer-dimer composition for accurate and robust diagnostics.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.01.094}, author = {Khan, Wajihul and Khan, Nida and Mishra, Avinash and Gupta, Surbhi and Bansode, Vikrant and Mehta, Deepa and Bhambure, Rahul and Rathore, Anurag} } @article {48194, title = {Diversity assessment of Gloriosa superba accessions from Western Ghats of India based on morphological traits, ISSR markers and metabolite content}, journal = {Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants}, volume = {30}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {100388}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gloriosa superba L. (glory lily) is a medicinally and horticulturally important plant used as a commercial source of the alkaloid colchicine. The Western Ghats in India is mostly unexplored for the morphological, genetic, and metabolite diversity of the species. In the current study, three methodologies were employed to assess the diversity among 50 established accessions of G. superba collected from several locations in the Western Ghats. The morphological analysis revealed that, among the studied traits, seed yield per vine and dry seed weight per 100 seeds for the established accessions were the most diverse traits. The former exhibited a significantly positive correlation with four vegetative and five yield traits. The first three principal components showed nine traits contributing to the variation. Intra-specific molecular variation based on inter simple sequence repeat markers distributed the accessions in three clusters with high polymorphism and low genetic diversity indices. Liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis revealed significant variation among the screened accessions for colchicine content in tuber and seed tissue. Interestingly, an unexplored tissue, pod shell, was found to contain significantly high colchicine, which could be explored for commercial colchicine extraction. The morphogenetic and metabolite variation revealed by the study would be useful to develop elite varieties to expand the cultivation of glory lily across the country, fulfilling the increasing demand for colchicine and providing remunerative income to the farmers.

}, keywords = {Colchicine, Genetic diversity, Gloriosa superba, Metabolite diversity, Morphological diversity, Western Ghats}, doi = {10.1016/j.jarmap.2022.100388}, author = {Mahajan, Yogesh A. and Shinde, Balkrishna A. and Mulani, Fayaj A. and Gade, Akshay B. and Kasodekar, Amol K. and Thulasiram, H. V. and Kadoo, Narendra Y. and Nikam, Tukaram D.} } @article {48193, title = {Doped 2D VX2 (X = S, Se, Te) monolayers as electrocatalysts for ammonia production: a DFT based study}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {602}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {154401}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions on vanadium dichalcogenides (VX2) with non-metal dopants has been explored herein. Understanding the interface chemistry, inherent electronic and acute synergistic nature of non-metal dopants on two unique phases of VX2 has been meticulously explored through a scrutiny of several non-metal atoms as catalytic centers. The efficacity of N-2 chemisorption and N-N bond activation has been implemented as crucial parameters to realize boron and carbon doped VX2 monolayers to be electrocatalytically active for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Detailed investigation on the NRR mechanism brings out the pivotal role of thermodynamic favourability for product formation obtained from Gibbs free energy differences. The charge transfer on N and pi-pi* orbital hybridization and electron {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}donor-acceptor {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft} mechanism between the non-metal and N-2 has been found to modulate the electrocatalytic barrier for NRR on VX2 monolayers. This study proposes boron doped VS2 as an efficient chemically feasible, earth abundant sustainable electrocatalyst for NRR with an overpotential as low as 0.06 eV.

}, keywords = {1T and 2H phases, DFT, electrocatalysts, Nitrogen Reduction Reaction, Non metal dopants, Vanadium dichalcogenides}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154401}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Krishnamurty, Sailaj A.} } @article {48417, title = {Dual nanomechanics in anisotropic porous covalent organic framework janus-type thin films}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {144}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {400-409}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Empowered by crystalline ordered structures and homogeneous fabrication techniques, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been realized with uniform morphologies and isotropic properties. However, such homogeneity often hinders various surface-dependent properties observed in asymmetric nanostructures. The challenge remains to induce heterogeneity in COFs by creating an asymmetric superstructure such as a Janus thin film. In this regard, we propose a versatile yet straightforward interfacial layer-grafting strategy to fabricate free-standing Janus-type COF-graphene thin films. Herein, two-dimensional graphene sheets were utilized as the suitable grafter due to the possibility of noncovalent interactions between the layers. The versatility of the approach was demonstrated by fabricating two distinct Janus-type films, with the COF surface interwoven with nanofibers and nanospheres. The Janus-type films showcase opposing surface morphologies originating from graphene sheets and COF nanofibers or nanospheres, preserving the porosity (552-600 m(2) g(-1)). The unique surface chemistries of the constituent layers further endow the films with orthogonal mechanical properties, as confirmed by the nanoindentation technique. Interestingly, the graphene sheets favor the Janus-type assembly of COF nanofibers over the nanospheres. This is reflected in the better nanomechanical properties of COFfiber-graphene films (E-gra(phene) = 300-1200 MPa; E-COF( )= 15-60 MPa) compared to the COFsphere-graphene films (E-gra(phe)ne = 11-14 MPa; E-CO(F )= 2-5 MPa). These results indicate a direct relationship between the mechanical properties and homo/heterogeneity of Janus-type COF films.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.1c10263}, author = {Mohata, Shibani and Dey, Kaushik and Bhunia, Surojit and Thomas, Neethu and Gowd, E. Bhoje and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Reddy, C. Malla and Banerjee, Rahul} } @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 {48022, title = {Electrochemically tuned synergistic nano-interface of a tertiary Ni(OH)(2)-NiO(OH)/NixP heterojunction material for enhanced and durable alkaline water splitting}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {e202201171}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Making water splitting cheaper is the need of the hour.The present work reports a nickel-based, non-precious catalytic system, synthesized by a two-step electrodeposition (ED) process followed by a short-term heat treatment. The Ni(OH)(2)-NiO(OH)/NixP heterojunction has been synthesized and optimized through an unprecedented, energy-conserving method to achieve its best OER performance. Further, it has been carefully tuned for the first time by thoroughly optimizing the ED parameters to exhibit Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER). At high current regimes, the performance surpassed that of the Ru/C and Pt/C (\>= 500 mA and \>= 600 mA) respectively. The full cell electrolyzer configuring NOPO||NOPH further establishes the supremacy of the present electrocatalysts over the benchmark Ru/C||Pt/C. Moreover, the present electrocatalyst displayed 60 and 70 hours of HER and OER performances at -100 mA and 100 mA currents respectively. In short, this work is an example that illustrates how a single chemical system gets to exhibit two complementary catalytic behaviors that is, water oxidation and reduction when certain synthetic parameters are meticulously optimized.

}, keywords = {Electrodeposition, heterojunction, Ni(OH)(2)-NiO(OH), NixP, non-precious metal, water splitting}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202201171}, author = {Manappadan, Zinoy and Selvaraj, Kaliaperumal} } @article {48359, title = {Electronic structure evolution from metallic vanadium to metallic VxOy: a nappes study for o2+v gas-solid interaction}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {19136-19146}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Gas-solid interactions between molecular oxygen and metallic vanadium surfaces and the systematic evolution in the electronic structure of vanadium oxide (VOx) surfaces have been explored in the present work by near-ambient pressure photo-electron spectroscopy (NAPPES). The current article studies the evolution of various oxides of vanadium as a function of partial pressure of O2 (ultrahigh vacuum to 1 mbar), temperature (298- 875 K), and the exposure time to oxygen (up to 18 h). Valence -band (VB) and core-level spectral measurements recorded with UV (He-I = 21.2 eV) and Al K alpha (1486.6 eV) photons, respectively, show interesting changes. (1) Oxidation is limited to the top layers of vanadium at 298 K and up to a partial pressure of 1 mbar O2. About 50\% of vanadium gets oxidized, and the remaining amount exists as metal within the top 10 nm. (2) Metallic vanadium disappears above 625 K, and it is predominantly oxidized to a mixture of V4+ and V5+ oxidation states at a 0.1 mbar partial pressure of O2. Points 1 and 2 suggest the predominantly thermodynamically controlled nature of vanadium oxidation through oxygen diffusion into the subsurface and bulk layers. (3) The Fermi-level (EF) feature observed first at \>= 725 K at a 0.1 mbar O2 pressure demonstrates the formation of metallic VO2; however, its metallic nature is preserved even at ambient temperature due to interweaving nanodomains of VOx with VO2. (4) Only partial conversion of surface layers to V5+ (V2O5) along with VO2 and V2O3 (within the probing depth of 8-10 nm by near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS)) was observed even after prolonged heating (18 h) in 1 mbar O2 pressure. (5) The nature of the surface changes between metal and semiconducting/ insulator oxides is substantiated by the observation of changes in work function (phi) and EF features. Typical VB features and Fermi intensity of V-metal and vanadium oxides were observed, and the results were corroborated with core-level and VB spectra. The present results extend the capabilities of NAPPES to explore the electronic structure evolution as a function of reaction conditions and underscore its relevance to areas such as heterogeneous catalysis and sensing.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.2c05212}, author = {Ranjan, Ravi and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Kolekar, Sadhu K. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48410, title = {Elliptically birefringent chemically tuned liquid crystalline nanocellulose composites for photonic applications}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {366}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV }, pages = {120326}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) based photonic materials are one of the promising materials in the recent trends. The liquid crystalline behavior of the CNCs can be tailored to different advanced applications. The proposed research investigates the potential of CNCs as an optically active material. CNCs were tuned to hydroxypropyl nano cellulose (HPNC) with the degree of substitution 1.39. The prepared liquid crystalline HPNC were dispersed in various concentrations of monomethyl ether of polyethylene glycol to get waterborne materials with specific optical anisotropy. The extraction, modification, and morphology of the CNCs were investigated using NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), XRD (X-ray Powder Diffraction), and FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy) analysis. The prepared HPNC was analyzed using a hot stage POM (Polarized Optical Microscope) for optical anisotropy. The thermal stability of prepared CNCs and HPNC was also investigated. Upon optimization using rheology and POM, it was found that at the ratio of 1:1, HPNC (5 wt\%) and mPEG (40 wt\%) had the most distinct optical properties. The potential of the prepared materials can be further explored in sensing, smart coating, and security materials. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {bagasse, Cellulose nanocrystals, Elliptical birefringence, liquid crystals, optical anisotropy}, issn = {0167-7322}, doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120326}, author = {Singh, Shiva and Bhardwaj, Shakshi and Verma, Chhavi and Chhajed, Monika and Balayan, Kajal and Ghosh, Kaushik and Maji, Pradip K.} } @article {48229, title = {Elucidating the influence of structure and Ag+ -Na+ ion-exchange on crack-resistance and ionic conductivity of Na3Al1.8Si1.65 P-1.8 O-12 glass electrolyte}, journal = {Acta Materialia}, volume = {227}, year = {2022}, month = {APR }, pages = {117745}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glasses are emerging as promising and efficient solid electrolytes for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries. However, they still suffer from poor ionic conductivity and crack-resistance, which need to be improved for better battery performance, reliability, and service life. The current study shows a significant enhancement in crack resistance (from 11.3 N to 32.9 N) for Na3Al (1.8) Si-1.65 P1.8O12 glass (Ag-0 glass) upon Na+ -Ag+ ion-exchange (IE) due to compressive stresses generated in the glass surface while the ionic conductivity values (similar to 10(-5) S/cm at 473 K) were retained. In this study, magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, Vickers micro hardness, and impedance spectroscopic techniques were used to evaluate the intermediate-range structure, atomic structure, crack resistance and conductivity of the glass. MAS-NMR and MD simulations confirm the presence of Si-OAl-O-P groups in the glass, thus enabling formation of Na percolated channel regions. AC-conductivity analysis for Ag-0 and ion-exchanged Ag-0 glass suggests that the mobility of Na+ ion increases with increasing temperature. It is observed that the measured mean square displacement (root \< R-2(t(p))\>) for sodium cations using AC-conductivity isotherms is nearly constant up to 448 K and then increases with increasing temperature up to 523 K. From the impedance spectra for ion-exchanged Ag-0 glass, it is identified that the increase in root \< R-2 (t(nu))\> and thereby, the mobility of sodium-ions for Ag-0 glass is due to the structural variations in the Ag-0 glass with increasing the temperature. Overall, the mechanisms presented in this article helps in formulating better glass based electrolyte materials for room temperature or high temperature sodium-ion batteries. (C) 2022 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amorphous, Ion-exchange, Ionic-conductivity, MD simulations, Mechanical property}, issn = {1359-6454}, doi = {10.1016/j.actamat.2022.117745}, author = {Keshri, Shweta R. and Mandal, Indrajeet and Ganisetti, Sudheer and Kasimuthumaniyan, S. and Kumar, Rajesh and Gaddam, Anuraag and Shelke, Ankita and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Gosvami, Nitya Nand and Krishnan, N. M. Anoop and Allu, Amarnath R.} } @article {47993, title = {Emerging landscape of molecular interaction networks: opportunities, challenges and prospects}, journal = {Journal of Biosciences}, volume = {47}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {24}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Network biology finds application in interpreting molecular interaction networks and providing insightful inferences using graph theoretical analysis of biological systems. The integration of computational bio-modelling approaches with different hybrid network-based techniques provides additional information about the behaviour of complex systems. With increasing advances in high-throughput technologies in biological research, attempts have been made to incorporate this information into network structures, which has led to a continuous update of network biology approaches over time. The newly minted centrality measures accommodate the details of omics data and regulatory network structure information. The unification of graph network properties with classical mathematical and computational modelling approaches and technologically advanced approaches like machine-learning- and artificial intelligence-based algorithms leverages the potential application of these techniques. These computational advances prove beneficial and serve various applications such as essential gene prediction, identification of drug-disease interaction and gene prioritization. Hence, in this review, we have provided a comprehensive overview of the emerging landscape of molecular interaction networks using graph theoretical approaches. With the aim to provide information on the wide range of applications of network biology approaches in understanding the interaction and regulation of genes, proteins, enzymes and metabolites at different molecular levels, we have reviewed the methods that utilize network topological properties, emerging hybrid network-based approaches and applications that integrate machine learning techniques to analyse molecular interaction networks. Further, we have discussed the applications of these approaches in biomedical research with a note on future prospects.

}, keywords = {Centrality, disease mechanisms, hybrid network-based models, machine learning, molecular interaction networks, network topology, systems biology}, issn = {0250-5991}, doi = {10.1007/s12038-022-00253-y}, author = {Panditrao, Gauri and Bhowmick, Rupa and Meena, Chandrakala and Sarkar, Ram Rup} } @article {48191, title = {Enantioselective Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis enabled by chiral (P,N)-ligands}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {144}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {7089-7095}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Presented herein is the first report of enantioselective Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis, enabled by a newly designed hemilabile chiral (P,N)-ligand (ChetPhos). The potential of this concept has been demonstrated by the development of enantioselective 1,2-oxyarylation and 1,2-aminoarylation of alkenes which provided direct access to the medicinally relevant 3-oxy- and 3-aminochromans (up to 88\% yield and 99\% ee). DFT studies were carried out to unravel the enantiodetermining step, which revealed that the stronger trans influence of phosphorus allows selective positioning of the substrate in the C-2-symmetric chiral environment present around nitrogen, imparting a high level of enantioselectivity.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.2c02799}, author = {Chintawar, Chetan C. and Bhoyare, Vivek W. and Mane, Manoj V. and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {48137, title = {Enantioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed borylative cyclization of enone-tethered cyclohexadienones and mechanistic insights}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB }, pages = {854}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rapidly building molecular structures with both elements of complexity and flexibility is a key goal of organic synthesis. Here the authors show a tandem copper-catalyzed beta-borylation/Michael addition on prochiral enone-tethered 2,5-cyclohexadienones, to generate bicyclic borylated products in high yield and enantioselectivity. The catalytic asymmetric borylation of conjugated carbonyls followed by stereoselective intramolecular cascade cyclizations with in situ generated chiral enolates are extremely rare. Herein, we report the enantioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed beta-borylation/Michael addition on prochiral enone-tethered 2,5-cyclohexadienones. This asymmetric desymmetrization strategy has a broad range of substrate scope to generate densely functionalized bicyclic enones bearing four contiguous stereocenters with excellent yield, enantioselectivity, and diastereoselectivity. One-pot borylation/cyclization/oxidation via the sequential addition of sodium perborate reagent affords the corresponding alcohols without affecting yield and enantioselectivity. The synthetic potential of this reaction is explored through gram-scale reactions and further chemoselective transformations on products. DFT calculations explain the requirement of the base in an equimolar ratio in the reaction, as it leads to the formation of a lithium-enolate complex to undergo C-C bond formation via a chair-like transition state, with a barrier that is 22.5 kcal/mol more favourable than that of the copper-enolate complex.

}, issn = {0039-7881}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-022-28288-7}, author = {Jadhav, Sandip B. and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Maurya, Sundaram and Nanubolu, Jagadeesh Babu and Vanka, Kumar and Chegondi, Rambabu} } @article {48190, title = {Enhanced field emission behaviour from ethylene glycol mediated synthesis of 2D hexagonal SnS2 disc with nanoparticle}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials}, volume = {284}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {115865}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, octahedron and stacked 2D hexagonal disc - like nanostructures of SnS2 were obtained by hydrothermal and ethylene glycol mediated hydrothermal methods, respectively. Attempt has been made to shade light on the plausible growth mechanism. Liquid phase exfoliation followed by centrifugation process leads to presence of tiny single crystalline SnS2 nanoparticles (similar to 5 nm) on the hexagonal discs over C substrate, characterized by preferred growth along {001} direction. The observed Raman shift and enhanced intensities of A(1g) and E-g modes infer charge interactions between the SnS2 disc and C substrate. Interestingly, the SnS2-C emitter exhibited superior field emission (FE) behaviour due to the unique morphology, excellent charge transfer, and reduced work function (similar to 4.1 eV). Here the extraction of large current density of similar to 1137 mu A/cm(2) at an applied field of 3.72 V/mu m, with good emission current stability. The present strategy is beneficial to design architectured morphology for multi-functionality.

}, keywords = {2D layered materials, Field Emission (FE), SnS2, SnS2 on C}, issn = {0921-5107}, doi = {10.1016/j.mseb.2022.115865}, author = {Mutadak, Pallavi R. and Chaudhari, Nilima S. and Gadhave, Dattatraya C. and Rajput, Parikshit K. and Kolekar, Sadhu K. and Late, Dattatray J. and More, Mahendra A. and Warule, Sambhaji S.} } @article {48062, title = {Evaluating suitability of confined impinging jet reactor for exothermic reactions: hydrodynamics, residence time distribution, and heat transfer}, journal = {AICHE Journal}, volume = {68}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e17792}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Effect of confinement (wall proximity) of a confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR) on the flow field, residence time distribution and heat transfer are explored, through experiments and CFD simulations. Hydrodynamic characteristics are evaluated for different parameters namely confinement, impinging jet velocity, temperature gradient, and so on. For 2 mm confinement, highest values of dispersion number and overall heat transfer coefficient are observed due to interaction of turbulent eddies followed by the effect of reactor wall proximity. For the CIJR having confinements above 10 mm, jet velocity need to be greater than 3 m/s to achieve both, excellent mixing efficiency and high heat removal rate. Empirical correlations for Dispersion and Nusselt numbers as a function of Re-j and L/D are obtained, over a range of 500 \<= Rej \<= 3000\$\$ 500\textbackslashle {\textbackslashmathit{\textbackslashoperatorname{Re}}}_j\text backslashle 3000 \$\$ and 5 \<= L/D \<= 35\$\$ 5\textbackslashle L/D\textbackslashle 35 \$\$, which correspond to jet velocity of 0.5-3 m/s. The present study gives a basis for designing CIJR suitable for rapid, homogeneous, exothermic reactions.

}, keywords = {confinement, exothermic reactions, heat transfer, impinging jets, residence time distribution}, issn = {0001-1541}, doi = {10.1002/aic.17792}, author = {Khan, Muzammilanwar S. and Mane, Mayur and Kulkarni, Amol A.} } @article {48077, title = {Facile, sustainable and unassisted plain water oxidation on Au/Ce0.9Ti0.1O2 nanorods in direct sunlight}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Sciences}, volume = {134}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {61}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Impressive rate of solar water oxidation to molecular oxygen (O-2) has been demonstrated on nanorods (NRs) of Ce0.9Ti0.1O2 (CT-NR) and Au-deposited CT-NR (Au-CT-NR) photocatalysts with a sacrificial agent (Fe3+) and in plain water in one sun condition, direct sunlight and with lambda \>= 455 nm. Probably the highest 0 2 yield of 11 mmol/h.g was observed with Au-CT-NR thin film in plain water in direct sunlight, with no sacrificial agent or applied potential. Photoelectrochemical measurements demonstrate a marked reduction in oxidation onset potential of Au-CT-NR by 150 mV with stable photocurrent (0.75 mA/cm(2)), compared to CT-NR (0.23 mA/cm(2)), indicating the operative of plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET) process. Effective electron quenching by nanogold and hence low recombination in the depletion region is a critical step for the observation of a high rate of oxygen evolution. In addition to this, a predominant change in the nature of the valence band from O-2p dominated on CeO2 to Ce-4f dominated with CT-NR (due to Ti4+ introduction in CeO2), the efficient light absorption of photocatalysts in thin-film form, functional and effective PIRET process, and facile E-F alignment, enhances the oxygen evolution with Au-CT-NR in direct sunlight and make it highly sustainable. A possible mechanism of water oxidation is proposed from the observed experimental findings.

}, keywords = {ceria, Electronic integration, Photocatalysis, thin film, water splitting}, issn = {0974-3626}, doi = {10.1007/s12039-022-02055-z}, author = {Dubey, Anjani and Mishra, Abhaya Kumar and Negi, Sanjay Singh and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48147, title = {Facile synthesis of nanocomposites of CNF-Sn and C-Sn microspheres: Prospective field emitter}, journal = {Journal of Alloys and Compounds}, volume = {907}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN }, pages = {164318}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report synthesis of Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and hybrid nanocomposites namely, CNF-Sn and C-Sn microspheres using simple electrospinning technique, followed by annealing in controlled atmosphere. The as-prepared materials were characterized using X-raydiffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and Raman spectroscopy to reveal their physico-chemical properties. As carbon family members are potential materials for field emission (FE) based applications, owing to their high aspect ratio FE characteristics of the synthesized materials were explored at base pressure of 1 x 10(-8) mbar. Interestingly, the hybrid nanocomposite CNF-Sn and C-Sn emitters showed improved FE behavior (with the turn-on field of 3.4 and 1.36 V/mu m, respectively) in contrast to the pristine CNFs emitter (turn-on field of 5.4 V/mu m). Furthermore, the maximum emission current density is substantially enhanced, 7.75 and 4.6 mA/cm(2) for CNF-Sn and C-Sn emitters, respectively. The improvement in the FE behavior of nanocomposite emitters is attributed to the combined effect of morphology and modulation of electronic properties at the interface of nanocomposites. The results confirm that FE characteristics of pristine nanostructures can be greatly improved upon formation of their nanocomposites and this approach can be extended to other nanostructures for improving their multi-functionalities. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {carbon nanofiber, electrospinning, field emission, Nanocomposite, Tin}, issn = {0925-8388}, doi = {10.1016/j.jallcom.2022.164318}, author = {Badadhe, Satish S. and Yadav, Poonam and Suryawanshi, Sachin and More, Mahendra A.} } @article {47062, title = {First synthesis of podocarflavone A and its analogs and evaluation of their antimycobacterial potential against mycobacterium tuberculosis with the support of virtual screening}, journal = {Natural Product Research}, volume = {36}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {3879-3886}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The first synthetic route developed for Podocarflavone A reported from Podocarpus macrophyllus and its analogs in 7 steps. Computational analysis for binding with the pantothenate kinase (3AVO) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis showed their docking score (ds) in the range of -8.9 to -9.3 Kcal/mol. MD simulations delineated the stability of the protein-ligand complexes in the TIP3P model. MMGBSA and MMPBSA values of 8d were -42.46 Kcal/mol and -14.58 Kcal/mol, respectively. Further in-vitro antitubercular screening of compounds 8a, 8d, and 8e against M. tuberculosis H37Ra using XRMA protocol exhibited promising antimycobacterial activity with IC50 values 21.82 mu g/mL, 15.55 mu g/mL, and 16.56 mu g/mL, respectively. Compounds 8a, 8d, and 8e showed antibacterial activity with IC50 values 41.56 mu g/mL, 24.72 mu g/mL, and 72.45 mu g/mL respectively against the Staphylococcus aureus. 8a and 8d showed inhibition with IC50 values 39.6 mu g/mL and 27.64 mu g/mL, respectively, against Bacillus subtilis. The present study could help in the further development of lead molecules against tuberculosis.

}, keywords = {and MMGBSA, antimycobacterial activity, docking, MD simulations, MMPBSA, Podocarflavone A synthesis}, issn = {1478-6419}, doi = {10.1080/14786419.2021.1893317}, author = {Puranik, Ninad V. and Swami, Sagar and Misar, Ashwini V. and Mamgain, Ritu and Gulawani, Swapnaja S. and Dhiman, Sarkar and Srivastava, Pratibha} } @article {48185, title = {Fluorobenzoic acid coformers to improve the solubility and permeability of the BCS class IV drug naftopidil}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {58}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY }, pages = {5582-5585}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Crystalline salts of the low solubility and low permeability drug naftopidil were investigated with mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrafluorobenzoic acids as coformers to show that 245TFBA (2,4,5-trifluorobenzoic acid) is the optimal salt with faster dissolution and high permeability, thereby opening the study of fluorinated coformers in pharmaceutical cocrystals and salts.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d1cc07187d}, author = {Mannava, M. K. Chaitanya and Bommaka, Manish K. and Dandela, Rambabu and Solomon, K. Anand and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {48036, title = {From molecular adsorption to decomposition of methanol on various ZnO facets: a periodic DFT study}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {602}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {154150}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Methanol is an interesting and important molecule to study because of its potential to replace existing fuels. It is also a prominent hydrogen source which can be used to generate hydrogen in-situ. ZnO is widely used as catalyst in synthesis of methanol from CO2 at industrial scale. In this work, we demonstrate that the same catalyst could be used for MeOH decomposition. We have investigated interaction of methanol with various flat and stepped facets of ZnO by employing Density Functional Theory (DFT). Two flat [(10(1)overbar 0) and (11(2)overbar 0)] and two stepped [(10(1)overbar 3) and (11(2)overbar 2)] facets are studied in detail for methanol adsorption. Chemisorption of MeOH with varying strength is common to all four facets. Most importantly spontaneous dissociation of O-H bond of methanol is observed on all facets except (11(2)overbar 0). Our DFT calculations reveal that molecular adsorption is favored on flat facets, while dissociation is favored on step facets. Also, (10(1)overbar 0) facet undergoes substantial reconstruction upon MeOH adsorption. Activation of C-H bond along with strengthening of C-O bond on ZnO facets suggest partial oxidation of methanol. With our DFT investigations, we dig deeper into the underlying electronic structure of various facets of ZnO and provide rationale for the observed facet dependent interaction of ZnO with MeOH.

}, keywords = {DFT, MeOH, Surface interactions, ZnO}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154150}, author = {Mehta, Shweta and Joshi, Kavita} } @article {48076, title = {Green synthesis of cyclohexanone to adipic acid over Fe-W oxides incorporated mesoporous carbon support}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {168}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {106466}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have prepared iron and tungsten oxides incorporated mesoporous carbon (MC) catalysts using a simple hydrothermal methodology with different carbon sources, and the catalytic performance was investigated for cyclohexanone oxidation. An adequate amount of metal oxide loading has displayed a key role in the selective catalyst for adipic acid (AA) synthesis. The MC catalyst has shown its prime activity under the influence of redox properties of W5+/W6+ and Fe2+/Fe3+ as promoters. The 10\%Fe 90\%W-MC fructose as a carbon source catalyst has provided its best selectivity of 87\% for AA at 120 ?C.

}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, Liquid phase oxidation, mesoporous carbon, Redox center}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106466}, author = {Mekala, Siva Prasad and Prabu, Marimuthu and Gawali, Sheetal Datta and Gopakumar, Karthik and Gogoi, Pranjal and Bhatkar, Akash Ravindra and Mohapatra, Gourab and Unnikrishanan, Eeswar and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {47988, title = {Green synthesis of highly dispersed Cu metal nanoparticles catalysts}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry Communications}, volume = {146}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {110118}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Bionanotechnology approach for metal nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Organic molecules present in plant extracts can be efficiently utilized for bio-reduction of metal ions into metal NPs in a one-step green synthesis methodology. The biosynthesis procedure for metal NPs synthesis is quick, easy to scale up and can be perform at ambient conditions. The present investigations propose the biosynthesis of highly dispersed and stable copper NPs (Cu NPs) supported on NaY zeolite using plant extract of Tinospora cordifolia and Andrographis paniculata for the first time. The structural and morphological attributes of Cu NPs were explored by adopting various physico-chemical techniques, for example Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Temperature Programmed Desorption (CO2-TPD and NH3-TPD), Temperature Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR), N2 sorption, Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM and HR-TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The experimental study (XRD, SEM, TEM, and HR-TEM) recommend that the green synthesis method by using plant extract has promising effect for the synthesis of nano-sized, stable and homogeneously dispersed Cu NPs catalysts (Cu NPs average size of 1.6 and 1.8 nm) as compared to chemical synthesis approach. The present result is better than those of many state-ofthe art techniques reported for green synthesis of Cu NPs using plant extract. According to the current study, it is advantageous to prepare highly dispersed metal NPs with desired size, shape, morphology and the required properties by using plant extract.

}, keywords = {Biosynthesis of nanomaterials, Cu nanoparticles, Heterogeneous catalysts, Support -Metal interaction, Zeolite supported catalysts}, issn = {1387-7003}, doi = {10.1016/j.inoche.2022.110118}, author = {Nagpure, Atul S. and Mohture, Vikas M. and Kayarkar, Ankush} } @article {48089, title = {Heterostructure from heteromixture: unusual OER activity of FeP and CoP nanostructures on physical mixing}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {22354-22362}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Heterointerfaces generated by inter-domain interactions on a nanoscale play a critical role in altering the activity of an electrocatalyst towards an electrochemical process. Heterointerfaces affect the surface characteristics, electronic structure, and physicochemical properties of a nanomaterial. Herein, we report an FeP-CoP heterostructure prepared by simple physical mixing of FeP and CoP nanostructures showing a remarkable performance towards water oxidation in comparison to their individual monometallic phosphides. FeP mixed with 20 wt\% CoP shows a low overpotential (eta(10)) of 220 mV as compared to FeP (eta(10), 325 mV). Furthermore, a high current density of 1.37 A cm(-2) and mass activity of 18 987 A g(M)(-1) were also achieved at 500 mV overpotential in 1.0 M KOH. The physical mixture shows immense stability for 200 h to achieve a high current density of 200 mA cm(-2). Meanwhile the potentiostatic performance of FeP at 200 mA cm(-2) decreases to an extent of 50\% in 40 h. A full cell arrangement employing this catalyst as the anode material requires 1.56 V to attain a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Various characterization techniques, control experiments and theoretical studies indicate that the formation of heterointerfaces between the nano-domains of FeP and CoP results in charge transfer between Fe and Co metal sites. In addition, an oxygenated surface at the metal phosphide interface favours the sorption kinetics of intermediates involved in the reaction leading to low energy barriers in the potential determining and other steps, thus showing improved performance towards water oxidation.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d2ta04296g}, author = {Bhutani, Divya and Maity, Sisir and Chaturvedi, Shashank and Chalapathi, Divya and Waghmare, V. Umesh and Narayana, Chandrabhas and Prabhakaran, Vinod C. and Muthusamy, Eswaramoorthy} } @article {48198, title = {High-alkaline water-splitting activity of mesoporous 3D heterostructures: an amorphous-shell@crystalline-core nano-assembly of Co-Ni-phosphate ultrathin-nanosheets and V- doped cobalt-nitride nanowires}, journal = {Advanced Science}, volume = {9}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {2201311}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Introducing amorphous and ultrathin nanosheets of transition bimetal phosphate arrays that are highly active in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as shells over an electronically modulated crystalline core with low hydrogen absorption energy for an excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can boost the sluggish kinetics of the OER and HER in alkaline electrolytes. Therefore, in this study, ultrathin and amorphous cobalt-nickel-phosphate (CoNiPOx) nanosheet arrays are deposited over vanadium (V)-doped cobalt-nitride (V-3\%-Co4N) crystalline core nanowires to obtain amorphous-shell@crystalline-core mesoporous 3D-heterostructures (CoNiPOx@V-Co4N/NF) as bifunctional electrocatalysts. The optimized electrocatalyst shows extremely low HER and OER overpotentials of 53 and 270 mV at 10 mA cm(-2), respectively. The CoNiPOx@V-3\%-Co4N/NF (+/-) electrolyzer utilizing the electrocatalyst as both anode and cathode demonstrates remarkable overall water-splitting activity, requiring a cell potential of only 1.52 V at 10 mA cm(-2), 30 mV lower than that of the RuO2/NF (+)/20\%-Pt/C/NF (-) electrolyzer. Such impressive bifunctional activities can be attributed to abundant active sites, adjusted electronic structure, lower charge-transfer resistance, enhanced electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), and surface- and volume-confined electrocatalysis resulting from the synergistic effects of the crystalline V-3\%-Co4N core and amorphous CoNiPOx shells boosting water splitting in alkaline media.

}, keywords = {core-shell, hydrogen productions, metal nitrides, metal phosphates, synergistic effect, water-splitting}, doi = {10.1002/advs.202201311}, author = {Singh, Thangjam Ibomcha and Maibam, Ashakiran and Cha, Dun Chan and Yoo, Sunghoon and BabaRao, Ravichandar and Lee, Sang Uck and Lee, Seunghyun} } @article {48044, title = {Hypervalent-iodine-mediated oxidation followed by the acetoxylation/tosylation of alpha-substituted benzylamines to obtain alpha-acyloxy/tosyloxy ketones}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {46}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {16832-16839}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient and metal-free method has been developed for the sequential oxidation of alpha-alkylbenzylamines followed by acetoxylation or tosylation for the synthesis of alpha-acyloxy/tosyloxy ketones using hypervalent iodine(iii). The employment of a simple starting material, broad substrate scope and operational simplicity are the key features of this protocol.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d2nj02271k}, author = {Rupanawar, Bapurao D. and Mane, Kishor D. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {48397, title = {Identification and characterization of the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the neurotoxin beta-ODAP in grass pea}, journal = {Journal of Biological Chemistry}, volume = {298}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {101806}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a grain legume commonly grown in Asia and Africa for food and forage. It is a highly nutritious and robust crop, capable of surviving both droughts and floods. However, it produces a neurotoxic compound, beta-N- oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid (beta-ODAP), which can cause a severe neurological disorder when consumed as a primary diet component. While the catalytic activity associated with beta-ODAP formation was demonstrated more than 50 years ago, the enzyme responsible for this activity has not been identified. Here, we report on the identity, activity, 3D structure, and phylogenesis of this enzyme-beta-ODAP synthase (BOS). We show that BOS belongs to the benzylalcohol O-acetyltransfer-ase, anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase superfamily of acyltransferases and is structurally similar to hydroxycinnamoyl transferase. Using molecular docking, we propose a mechanism for its catalytic activity, and using heterologous expression in tobacco leaves (Nicotiana benthamiana), we demonstrate that expression of BOS in the presence of its substrates is sufficient for beta-ODAP production in vivo. The identification of BOS may pave the way toward engineering beta-ODAP-free grass pea cultivars, which are safe for human and animal consumption.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101806}, author = {Goldsmith, Moshe and Barad, Shiri and Knafo, Maor and Savidor, Alon and Ben-Dor, Shifra and Brandis, Alexander and Mehlman, Tevie and Peleg, Yoav and Albeck, Shira and Dym, Orly and Ben-Zeev, Efrat and Barbole, Ranjit S. and Aharoni, Asaph and Reich, Ziv} } @article {48029, title = {Immobilization of HPW on UiO-66-NH2 MOF as efficient catalyst for synthesis of furfuryl ether and alkyl levulinate as biofuel}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {531}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {112689}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Phosphotungustic Acid (HPW) is an inorganic super acid, that is highly soluble in polar solvents limiting its applicability as acid catalysis. To overcome these limitations immobilization of HPW was carried out at room temperature by protonation of-NH2 group of UiO-66-NH2 MOF to UiO-66-NH2-HPW. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and XPS results confirmed the protonation and chemical interaction between HPW and UiO-66-NH2. STEM-EDS mapping showed homogeneous distribution of HPW on UiO-66-NH2. BET and NH3-TPD confirmed the reduction in specific surface area, total pore volume, and increase in total acidity for UiO-66-NH2-HPW. Further, powder XRD, SEM, and HR-TEM prevailed that there is no change in phase and morphology after post-synthetic modification of UiO-66-NH2. The prepared catalyst is found to be effective for etherification and alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol (FALc) to Furfuryl ether (FE) and Alkyl levulinate (AL). UiO-66-NH2-HPW has shown 97 mol \% FALc conversions in ethanolic media and 31 mol\% Ethyl furfuryl ether (EFE) yield and 29 mol\% Ethyl lev-ulinate (EL) yield. UiO-66-NH2-HPW is also found to be efficient for the multistep conversion of Furfural (FFR) to FALc, FE, and AL.

}, keywords = {Alcoholysis, etherification, Immobilization, Phosphotungstic acid, UiO-66-NH2-HPW}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2022.112689}, author = {Mulik, Nagesh and Bokade, Vijay} } @article {48406, title = {Improved mucoadhesion, permeation and in vitro anticancer potential of synthesized thiolated acacia and karaya gum combination: a systematic study}, journal = {Molecules}, volume = {27}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {6829}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thiolation of polymers is one of the most appropriate approaches to impart higher mechanical strength and mucoadhesion. Thiol modification of gum karaya and gum acacia was carried out by esterification with 80\% thioglycolic acid. FTIR, DSC and XRD confirmed the completion of thiolation reaction. Anticancer potential of developed thiomer was studied on cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) and more than 60\% of human cervical cell lines (HeLa) were inhibited at concentration of 5 mu g/100 mu L. Immobilized thiol groups were found to be 0.8511 mmol/g as determined by Ellman{\textquoteright}s method. Cytotoxicity studies on L929 fibroblast cell lines indicated thiomers were biocompatible. Bilayered tablets were prepared using Ivabradine hydrochloride as the model drug and synthesized thiolated gums as mucoadhesive polymer. Tablets prepared using thiolated polymers in combination showed more swelling, mucoadhesion and residence time as compared to unmodified gums. Thiol modification controlled the release of the drug for 24 h and enhanced permeation of the drug up to 3 fold through porcine buccal mucosa as compared to tablets with unmodified gums. Thiolated polymer showed increased mucoadhesion and permeation, anticancer potential, controlled release and thus can be utilized as a novel excipient in formulation development.

}, keywords = {buccal tablets, enhanced permeation, ivabradine HCl, mucoadhesion, thiolated gums}, doi = {10.3390/molecules27206829}, author = {Munot, Neha and Kandekar, Ujjwala and Rikame, Chaitali and Patil, Abhinandan and Sengupta, Poulomi and Urooj, Shabana and Bilal, Anusha} } @article {48210, title = {Improvement in oxygen evolution performance of NiFe layered double hydroxide grown in the presence of 1T-Rich MoS2}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {31951-31961}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) grown in the presence of MoS2 (rich in 1T phase) shows exceptional performance metrics for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in this class of composites. The as-prepared NiFe LDH/MoS2 composite (abbreviated as MNF) exhibits a low overpotential (eta(10)) of 190 mV; a low Tafel slope of 31 mV dec(-1); and more importantly, a high stability in its performance manifested by the delivery of current output for 45 h. It is important to note that this could be achieved with an exceedingly low loading of 0.14 mg cm(-2). The mass activity of this composite (97 A g(-1)) is about 14 times greater than that of the conventional RuO2 (7 A g(-1) ) at eta = 200 mV. When normalized with respect to the total metal content, a mass activity of 1000 A g(-1) (eta = 300 mV) was achieved. Impedance analysis further reveals that the significant reduction in charge-transfer resistance and hence high current density (5 times greater as compared to NiFe LDH at eta = 300 mV) observed for MNF is associated with interfacial adsorption kinetics of intermediates (R-1). Significant enhancement in the intrinsic activity of MNF over LDH has been observed through normalization of current with the electrochemically active surface area. Computational studies suggest that the Ni centers in the composite act as the active sites for OER, which is well-corroborated with the observed postreaction appearance of Ni3+ species.

}, keywords = {Impedance, LDH-MoS2 hybrid electrocatalyst, mass activity, OER, overpotential}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.2c06210}, author = {Chakraborty, Soumita and Marappa, Shivanna and Agarwal, Sakshi and Bagchi, Debabrata and Rao, Ankit and Vinod, Chathakudath P. and Peter, Sebastian C. and Singh, Abhishek and Eswaramoorthy, Muthusamy} } @article {48156, title = {Influence of catalyst reduction temperature on autogenous glycerol hydrogenolysis over NiAl catalyst}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {e202100704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Autogenous glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-propanediol by aqueous phase reforming (APR) was investigated over supported nickel catalysts. Effect of reduction temperature on physico-chemical properties of catalysts played a significant role in tuning conversion and product selectivities. The formation of nickel aluminate (NiAl2O4) spinel phase during catalyst reduction led to rearrangement of Ni species to obtain small and stable Ni particles. The catalyst activation temperature alters the extent of reduction of multivalent Ni species (Ni-0, Ni+2/+3) which facilitated glycerol dehydration and hydrogenation while suppressing C-C cleavage and thus avoiding undesirable side products. Additionally, presence of moderate Bronsted/Lewis acid ratio of the catalyst promoted higher 1,2-PDO selectivity. In-situ glycerol hydrogenolysis involves glycerol dehydration to acetol with simultaneous reforming to H-2 and CO2 and this hydrogen converts acetol to 1,2-PDO.

}, keywords = {APR, autogenous hydrogenolysis, Glycerol, Propanediols, reduction temperature, spinel}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.202100704}, author = {Pandya, Rajan and Mane, Rasika and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {48187, title = {Insights into active tungsten species on Pt/W/SBA-15 catalysts for selective hydrodeoxygenation of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol}, journal = {Molecular Catalysis}, volume = {531}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {112704}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Diols are important class of industrial chemicals. Their synthesis from bio-resources (instead from fossil feed-stocks) is sustainable. In this study, we probed active tungsten species on Pt/W/SBA-15 catalysts for selective synthesis of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) from aqueous glycerol through a liquid-phase hydrodeoxygenation re-action. A synergistic enhancement in glycerol conversion and 1,3-PDO selectivity was observed when both Pt and W were present on the catalyst. A volcano-shape variation followed with a gradual increase in glycerol conversion and 1,3-PDO yield with W-loading (0.25-15 wt\%) was observed. Pt dispersion and acidity of the catalyst dis-played similar variations with the W-loading confirming their critical role in the reaction. Structure-function relationships inferred that oligomeric WOx with moderate Bro center dot nsted acidity (predominant at 1 wt\% W-loading) in contact with dispersed Pt are the active species for 1,3-PDO formation and crystalline WO3 with strong Bro center dot nsted acidity (prevalent above 4 wt\% W-loading) in association with Pt nanoparticles lead to 1-propanol formation.

}, keywords = {3-Propanediol, Active sites, Glycerol, Hydrodeoxygenation, Hydrogenolysis, Supported Pt-WO x}, issn = {2468-8231}, doi = {10.1016/j.mcat.2022.112704}, author = {Bhowmik, Susmita and Enjamuri, Nagasuresh and Sethia, Govind and Akula, Venugopal and Marimuthu, Banu and Darbha, Srinivas} } @article {48087, title = {Instabilities as the origin of large-area self-assembled and aligned organic semiconductor nanocrystals}, journal = {ACS Applied Electronic Materials}, volume = {4}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {1815-1822}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aligned nanocrystals of organic semiconductors (OSCs) are highly desirable for electronic devices and biomedical and photonic applications. Solution-based wet processing routes have the potential to produce aligned nanocrystals over large areas in small time frames. Herein, we demonstrate that by optimizing the hydrodynamic evaporative processes, controlled long-range crystalline assemblies of OSCs can be achieved (longest nanocrystal similar to 3 mm) purely through physical processes: namely, from fingering instabilities. Self-assembly is achieved here without strong noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen-bonding interactions. Experimentally our approach involves just placing a drop of a solution on an inclined substrate. Nanocrystals with widths of 300-800 nm and lengths of millimeters (length/width aspect ratios \>10(5)) are formed in less than 2-8 s. A hydrazine chemiresistive sensor based on the aligned crystalline patterns show unprecedented responsivity (similar to 10(-6)), 2 orders greater than those of stick-slip patterns. Finally, experimental parameters that need optimization to achieve nanocrystal patterns are investigated in detail and pointers to fabricate such OSC nanocrystals are provided.

}, keywords = {aligned fibers, diketopyrrolopyrrole, fingering instability, nanocrystal arrays, naphthalenediimide, organic semiconductors}, doi = {10.1021/acsaelm.2c00061}, author = {Venugopalan, Vijay and Jain, Bhanprakash and Mahale, Rajashree Y. and Subramani, Kumar and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam} } @article {48128, title = {Interplay of anion-pi(+) and pi(+)-pi(+) interactions in novel pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolinium-based aiegens - substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence modulation and applications in live cell mitochondrial imaging}, journal = {Chemistry-A European Journal}, volume = {28}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL }, pages = {e202200632}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Recently, the concept of anion-pi(+) interactions has witnessed unique applications in the field of AIEgen development. In this contribution, we disclose a consolidated study of a library of N-doped ionic AIEgens accessed through silver-mediated cyclization of pyridino-alkynes. A thorough photophysical, computational and crystallographic study has been conducted to rationalize the observed substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence properties of these luminogens. We further elucidate the prominent role of anion-pi(+) interactions, pi(+)-pi(+) interactions and other non-covalent interactions, in inhibiting the undesired ACQ effect. Finally, we have also demonstrated the application of selected AIEgens for imaging of mitochondria in live cells.

}, keywords = {1-a]isoquinolinium, AIEgens, anion-pi(+), crystal structure, mitochondrial imaging, pyrido[2}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202200632}, author = {Mule, Ravindra D. and Roy, Rupam and Mandal, Koushik and Chopra, Deepak and Dutta, Tanoy and Sancheti, Shashank P. and Shinde, Popat S. and Banerjee, Somsuvra and Lal Koner, Apurba and Bhowal, Rohit and Senthilkumar, Beeran and Patil, Nitin T.} } @article {48371, title = {Iridium-catalyzed synthesis of pyrazolone fused 1,4-dihydrocinnolin-3-one employing alpha-diazotized Meldrum{\textquoteright}s acid}, journal = {ARKIVOC}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {179-190}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The [Iri-catalysed carbenoid insertion and cyclization of N-arylpyrazolones has been carried out with alpha-diazotized Meldrum{\textquoteright}s acid to access tricyclic pyrazolone fused 1,4-dihydrocinnolin-3-one derivatives. Further, the selective reduction of these tricyclic derivatives has been studied under Birch reduction conditions.

}, keywords = {?-diazotized Meldrum{\textquoteright}s acid, C-H activation, carbene Insertion, cinnoline derivatives, N-arylpyrazolones, [Iri-Catalysis}, issn = {1551-7004}, doi = {10.24820/ark.5550190.p011.841}, author = {Kulkarni, Anand M. and Mullapudi, Venkannababu and Ramana, Chepuri Venkata} } @article {47809, title = {Isolation and characterization of chitosans from different fungi with special emphasis on zygomycetous dimorphic fungus benjaminiella poitrasii: evaluation of its chitosan nanoparticles for the inhibition of human pathogenic fungi}, journal = {Biomacromolecules}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {null}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The cell wall chitosan was extracted from fungi belonging to different taxonomic classes, namely, Benjaminiella poitrasii (Zygomycetes, dimorphic), Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia membranifaciens, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ascomycetes, yeasts), and Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus sajor-caju (Basidiomycetes). The maximum yield of chitosan was 60.89 {\textpm} 2.30 mg/g of dry mycelial biomass of B. poitrasii. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of chitosan extracted from different fungi, as observed with 1H NMR, was in the range of 70{\textendash}93\%. B. poitrasii chitosan exhibited the highest DDA (92.78\%). The characteristic absorption bands were observed at 3450, 1650, 1420, 1320, and 1035 cm{\textendash}1 by FTIR. Compared to chitosan from marine sources (molecular weight, MW, 585 kDa), fungal chitosans showed lower MW (6.21{\textendash}46.33 kDa). Further, to improve the efficacy of B. poitrasii chitosan (Bp), nanoparticles (Np) were synthesized using the ionic gelation method and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). For yeast and hyphal chitosan nanoparticles (BpYCNp and BpHCNp), the average particle size was <200 nm with polydispersity index of 0.341 {\textpm} 0.03 and 0.388 {\textpm} 0.002, respectively, and the zeta potential values were 21.64 {\textpm} 0.34 and 24.48 {\textpm} 1.58 mV, respectively. The B. poitrasii chitosans and their nanoparticles were further evaluated for antifungal activity against human pathogenic Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida glabrata NCYC 388, Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 34664, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 10578. BpHCNps showed lower MIC90 values (0.025{\textendash}0.4 mg/mL) than the chitosan polymer against the tested human pathogens. The study suggested that nanoformulation of fungal chitosan, which has low molecular weight and high \% DDA, is desirable for antifungal applications against human pathogens. Moreover, chitosans as well as their nanoparticles were found to be hemocompatible and are therefore safe for healthcare applications.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01248}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01248}, author = {Mane, Shamala and Pathan, Ejaj and Tupe, Santosh and Deshmukh, Sneha and Kale, Deepika and Ghormade, Vandana and Chaudhari, Bhushan and Deshpande, Mukund} } @article {48111, title = {Janus cross-links in supramolecular networks}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {144}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {845-853}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Thermosets composed of cross-linked polymers demonstrate enhanced thermal, solvent, chemical, and dimensional stability as compared to their non-cross-linked counterparts. However, these often-desirable material properties typically come at the expense of reprocessability, recyclability, and healability. One solution to this challenge comes from the construction of polymers that are reversibly cross-linked. We relied on lessons from Nature to present supramolecular polymer networks comprised of cooperative Janus-faced hydrogen bonded cross-links. A triazine-based guanine-cytosine base (GCB) with two complementary faces capable of self-assembly through three hydrogen bonding sites was incorporated into poly(butyl acrylate) to create a reprocessable and recyclable network. Rheological experiments and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were employed to investigate the flow behavior of copolymers with randomly distributed GCB units of varying incorporation. Our studies revealed that the cooperativity of multiple hydrogen bonding faces yields excellent network integrity evidenced by a rubbery plateau that spanned the widest temperature range yet reported for any supramolecular network. To verify that each Janus-faced motif engages in multiple cross-links, we studied the effects of local concentration of the incorporated GCB units within the polymer chain. Mechanical strength improved by colocalizing the GCB within a block copolymer morphology. This enhanced performance revealed that the number of effective cross-links in the network increased with the local concentration of hydrogen bonding units. Overall, this study demonstrates that cooperative noncovalent interactions introduced through Janus-faced hydrogen bonding moieties confers excellent network stability and predictable viscoelastic flow behavior in supramolecular networks.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.1c10606}, author = {Mondal, Swagata and Lessard, Jacob J. and Meena, Chhuttan L. and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J. and Sumerlin, Brent S.} } @article {48117, title = {Kinetic model of GPCR-G protein interactions reveals allokairic modulation of signaling}, journal = {Biophysical Journal}, volume = {121}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {122}, type = {Meeting Abstract}, issn = {0006-3495}, author = {Culhane, Kelly and Gupte, Tejas and Madhugiri, Indrani and Gadgil, Chetan and Sivaramakrishnan, Sivaraj} } @article {48352, title = {Kinetic study on alkylation of hydroquinone with methanol over SO3H functionalized Bronsted acidic ionic liquids}, journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering}, volume = {100}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2986-2996}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

O-alkylation of a dihydric phenol (i.e., hydroquinone) with methanol in presence of benzoquinone catalyzed by double SO3H functionalized Bronsted acidic ionic liquids (i.e., 1,3-disulphonic acid imidazolium hydrogen sulphate, 1,3-disulphonic acid benzimidazolium hydrogen sulphate, and sulphuric acid) is studied in a batch reactor. The sensitivity of activity and selectivity with reaction time, temperature, speed of agitation, and catalyst loading was examined. The plausible reaction pathways proposed based on the experimental observations and detailed kinetic investigation are performed by assuming a homogeneous reaction phase. The kinetic parameters, such as pre-exponential factor and activation energy, are estimated for both ionic liquids and sulphuric acid by considering all competitive reactions, and comparative results were presented. An extended form of the Arrhenius equation is used to estimate the kinetic parameters for the reaction which showed curvature in lnk against a 1/T plot. The model prediction with the estimated kinetic parameters is in good agreement with the experimental data, which confirmed the model validity in the experimental operating range. It was found that ionic liquid has a potential application in the synthesis of a selective monoalkylated product of hydroquinone. The kinetic analysis performed is found to be useful in the understanding of process behaviour.

}, keywords = {4-Methoxyphenol, Hydroquinone, ionic liquids, Kinetic analysis, O-alkylation}, issn = {0008-4034}, doi = {10.1002/cjce.24307}, author = {Bhongale, V. Priyanka and Amonkar, Amogh A. and Joshi, Sunil S. and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @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 {48066, title = {Lewis acid triggered N-alkylation of sulfoximines through nucleophilic ring-opening of donor-acceptor cyclopropanes: synthesis of gamma-sulfoximino malonic diesters}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {20}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {2518-2529}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Scandium triflate (Sc(OTf)(3)) catalyzed, mild, and regioselective ring-opening reaction of donor-acceptor (D-A) cyclopropanes has been developed using sulfoximines for the synthesis of gamma-sulfoximino malonic diesters. This protocol allows the synthesis of different N-alkyl sulfoximines in good to excellent yields (up to 94\%) with broad functional group tolerance. In this process, N-H and C-C bonds are cleaved to form new C-N and C-H bonds. The feasibility of this method is supported by a gram-scale reaction and synthetic elaboration of the obtained product.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d2ob00213b}, author = {More, Satish G. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @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 {48084, title = {Mapping the finite-temperature behavior of conformations to their potential energy barriers: case studies on Si6B and Si5B clusters}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB }, pages = {6167-6173}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Dynamical simulations of molecules and materials have been the route to understand the rearrangement of atoms within them at different temperatures. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamical simulations have further helped to comprehend the reaction dynamics at various finite temperatures. We take a case study of Si6B and Si5B clusters and demonstrate that their finite-temperature behavior is rather mapped to the potential energy surface. The study further brings forth the fact that an accurate description of the dynamics is rather coupled with the accuracy of the method in defining the potential energy surface. A more precise potential energy surface generated through the coupled cluster method is finally used to identify the most accurate description of the potential energy surface and the interconnected finite-temperature behavior.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.1c06654}, author = {Maneri, Asma H. and Singh, Chandrodai Pratap and Kumar, Ravi and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja} } @article {48394, title = {Mechanistic modeling of continuous capture step purification of biosimilar monoclonal antibody therapeutic}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology}, volume = {97}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2404-2419}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

{BACKGROUND Continuous multicolumn Protein A chromatography offers various advantages for capture stage purification of monoclonal antibody therapeutics, like higher productivity and resin capacity utilization, lower buffer consumption, small footprint, etc. Due to the complexity of the continuous process, experimental optimization is time-consuming and cost-intensive. This investigation proposes a hybrid process development approach integrating experimental and mechanistic modeling for time- and cost-effective development and optimization of continuous Protein A affinity chromatography. RESULTS Productivity and capacity utilization of the continuous CaptureSMB process under varying operating conditions were predicted using the Chromatography Analysis and Design Toolkit (CADET) framework and validated with experimental results. Effects of critical process parameters like feed concentration (c(0)), loading breakthrough (s) and residence time (RT) on productivity and capacity utilization were evaluated. Model predictions were validated using the experimental results proving the reliability and feasibility of the modeling approach. At 15.00 +/- 0.20 mg mL(-1) feed model mAb concentration, the model-based approach predicted the best performance giving 27.56 g L-1 h(-1) productivity (RT = 2 min

}, keywords = {CaptureSMB, continuous chromatography, Mathematical modeling, Protein A, simulation}, issn = {0268-2575}, doi = {10.1002/jctb.6922}, author = {Deulgaonkar, Prashant and Bhambure, Rahul and Prasad, Bhaskarjyoti and Mishra, Ashok and Tiwari, Sanjay and Mody, Rustom} } @article {48042, title = {Metal- and light-free direct C-3 ketoalkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with cyclopropanols in aqueous medium}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e202203597}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Direct oxidative C-3 ketoalkylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with cyclopropanols using ammonium persulfate in an aqueous medium has been achieved in a moderate to good yield. The reaction does not require metals, light-source, or catalysts to facilitate the reaction and could be efficiently utilized to construct a wide range of biologically relevant 3-ketoalkylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones.

}, keywords = {aqueous medium, cyclopropanols, ketoalkylation, metal-free, quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202203597}, author = {More, Devidas A. and Mujahid, M. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {48024, title = {Metal-free access to hindered N-alkyl sulfoximines via in-situ generated Aza-oxyallyl cations from functionalized alkyl bromide}, journal = {Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {11}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e202200210}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we report a catalyst-free and mild synthetic method for the construction of hindered N-alkyl sulfoximines derivative. A wide range of hindered di-alkyl sulfoximines can be readily obtained from the reaction of alpha-bromo-hydroxamates with a variety of sulfoximines, including diaryl, aryl-alkyl, di-alkyl and heteroaryl sulfoximines.

}, keywords = {alpha-Bromo hydroxamates, Aza-oxyallyl cations, Di-alkyl sulfoximines, metal-free, Sulfoximines}, issn = {2193-5807}, doi = {10.1002/ajoc.202200210}, author = {More, Satish G. and Mane, Kishor D. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {47997, title = {Metal-free aminocarbonylation of p-quinone methides with isocyanides: synthesis of sterically hindered alpha-arylated acetamides}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e202200642}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The synthesis of sterically hindered alpha-arylated acetamides generally requires a multistep reaction sequence and is also difficult to access due to steric constraints. This protocol allows the synthesis of sterically hindered alpha-arylated acetamides in moderate to high yields via 1,6-addition of isocyanides to p-quinone methides in the presence of BF3 center dot OEt2. The present transformation features transition metal-free conditions, avoiding the use of toxic carbon monoxide, broad substrate scope, mild reaction conditions, and operational simplicity.

}, keywords = {Aminocarbonylation, Isocyanide, p-Quinone methide, Sterically Hindered alpha-Arylated Acetamides}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202200642}, author = {Shirsath, Sachin R. and More, Devidas A. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {47990, title = {MgB2/NaNO2-PVA free-standing polymer composite film as a green firework: a step towards environmental sustainability}, journal = {Bulletin of Materials Science}, volume = {45}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP }, pages = {175}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have demonstrated a simple fabrication methodology of free-standing polymer composite film firework that sparkles, provides colour display and moderate sound, yet is less polluting. The polymer composite film fireworks are composed of magnesium boride (MgB2), sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). This study also suggested that a flammable, explosive powder composition can be made of two very common inorganic precursors, mainly NaNO2 and MgB2 . This is the first report demonstrating composite film fireworks with new flammable composition using metal boride as a primary precursor, which can also be used in conventional fireworks fabrication, replacing the traditional fuel, mainly gunpowder. The film fireworks were free from charcoal, sulphur, metal powder and paper. Therefore, they substantially lower the odour and COx, NOx, emissions and minimize the substantial trash generated when burned. Most importantly, film firework{\textquoteright}s minimum ignition temperature and exothermic decomposition temperature are much higher than the ambient temperature; hence are safe to handle.

}, keywords = {Firework, free-standing film, magnesium boride (MgB2), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), sodium nitrite (NaNO2)}, issn = {0250-4707}, doi = {10.1007/s12034-022-02756-8}, author = {Jeyavani, Vijayakrishnan and Kumar, Rajendra and Joy, Pattayil Alias and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel} } @article {48021, title = {Microwave-assisted selective N-alkylation of aniline over molybdenum supported catalyst}, journal = {Catalysis Communications}, volume = {168}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {106464}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Selective N-alkylation of aniline is a tough and challenging reaction due to over alkylation, therefore, catalyst with specific characteristics is needed to accomplish such transformations. In this work, a series of catalysts with molybdenum supported on alumina are prepared and subjected to various reaction conditions, out of which 30 PMA (Phosphomolybdic acid) showed the best result due to its proper combination of acidic sites. This reaction is sustainable and environmentally friendly as it is carried out with methanol as an alkylating source in the presence of microwave radiation at low temperature. The reaction data was compared with various other reactor systems too.

}, issn = {1566-7367}, doi = {10.1016/j.catcom.2022.106464}, author = {Bhatkar, Akash and Mane, Samruddhi and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Gogoi, Pranjal and Mohapatra, Gourab and Ramakrishnan, Archana and Marimuthu, Prabu and Thirumalaiswamy, Raja} } @article {47986, title = {Molecular mechanisms underlying caveolin-1 mediated membrane curvature}, journal = {Journal of Membrane Biology}, volume = {255}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {225-236}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Caveolin-1 is one of the main protein components of caveolae that acts as a mechanosensor at the cell membrane. The interactions of caveolin-1 with membranes have been shown to lead to complex effects such as curvature and the clustering of specific lipids. Here, we review the emerging concepts on the molecular interactions of caveolin-1, with a focus on insights from coarse-grain molecular dynamics simulations. Consensus structural models of caveolin-1 report a helix-turn-helix core motif with flanking domains of higher disorder that could be membrane composition dependent. Caveolin-1 appears to be mainly surface-bound and does not embed very deep in the membrane to which it is bound. The most interesting aspect of caveolin-1 membrane binding is the interplay of cholesterol clustering and membrane curvature. Although cholesterol has been reported to cluster in the vicinity of caveolin-1 by several approaches, simulations show that the clustering is maximal in membrane leaflet opposing the surface-bound caveolin-1. The intrinsic negative curvature of cholesterol appears to stabilize the negative curvature in the opposing leaflet. In fact, the simulations show that blocking cholesterol clustering (through artificial position restraints) blocks membrane curvature, and vice versa. Concomitant with cholesterol clustering is sphingomyelin clustering, again in the opposing leaflet, but in a concentration-dependent manner. The differential stress due to caveolin-1 binding and the inherent asymmetry of the membrane leaflets could be the determinant for membrane curvature and needs to be further probed. The review is an important step to reconcile the molecular level details emerging from simulations with the mesoscopic details provided by state of the art experimental approaches. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {Cholesterol clustering, Membrane curvature, Protein-lipid interactions}, issn = {0022-2631}, doi = {10.1007/s00232-022-00236-y}, author = {Prakash, Shikha and Malshikare, Hrushikesh and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {48157, title = {Morphology-tuned Pt3Ge accelerates water dissociation to industrial-standard hydrogen production over a wide pH range}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {2202294}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The discovery of novel materials for industrial-standard hydrogen production is the present need considering the global energy infrastructure. A novel electrocatalyst, Pt3Ge, which is engineered with a desired crystallographic facet (202), accelerates hydrogen production by water electrolysis, and records industrially desired operational stability compared to the commercial catalyst platinum is introduced. Pt3Ge-(202) exhibits low overpotential of 21.7 mV (24.6 mV for Pt/C) and 92 mV for 10 and 200 mA cm(-2) current density, respectively in 0.5 m H2SO4. It also exhibits remarkable stability of 15 000 accelerated degradation tests cycles (5000 for Pt/C) and exceptional durability of 500 h (@10 mA cm(-2)) in acidic media. Pt3Ge-(202) also displays low overpotential of 96 mV for 10 mA cm(-2) current density in the alkaline medium, rationalizing its hydrogen production ability over a wide pH range required commercial operations. Long-term durability (\>75 h in alkaline media) with the industrial level current density (\>500 mA cm(-2)) has been demonstrated by utilizing the electrochemical flow reactor. The driving force behind this stupendous performance of Pt3Ge-(202) has been envisaged by mapping the reaction mechanism, active sites, and charge-transfer kinetics via controlled electrochemical experiments, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, in situ infrared spectroscopy, and in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy further corroborated by first principles calculations.

}, keywords = {Electrochemistry, hydrogen production, intermetallics, water electrolysis}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202202294}, author = {Mondal, Soumi and Sarkar, Shreya and Bagchi, Debabrata and Das, Tisita and Das, Risov and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Prasanna, Ponnappa Kechanda and Vinod, C. P. and Chakraborty, Sudip and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {47813, title = {Na-montmorillonite to Fe(II)-Mt using ferrous citrate/ascorbate obtained by dissolving iron powder}, journal = {Applied Clay Science}, volume = {217}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {106396}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Bentonite containing montmorillonite (Mt) as the major clay mineral is the potential buffer material of engineered barrier system in the deep geological repository for high-level waste management. The corrosion products of canister/or overpack material (carbon steel) may alter the basic characteristics of bentonite through Fe/clay interaction and formation of FeMt to certain extent. A convenient method is required for quantitative preparation of Fe(II)-Mt because the only few direct methods reported have some limitations. For this, weak ferrous complexes having good solubility to facilitate the cation-exchange with bentonite is essential. Therefore, Fe(II)-citrate, Fe(II)-ascorbate and Fe(II)-citrate/ascorbate were obtained here by dissolving the iron powder (Fe0) in citric acid (CA), ascorbic acid (AA) and their equimolar mixtures from 25~mM to 300~mM at 70~{\textdegree}C under N2 atmosphere. The redox potential was measured to monitor the dissolution of Fe0 in these mild organic acids. Higher dissolution of Fe0 occurred in CA~+~AA mixture. The dissolved iron in the form of ferrous complex was reasonably stable in inert atmosphere, Fe2+/Fetotal~≈~1. The parent clay mineral (bentonite, NaMt) was treated with Fe(II)~-~cit/asc to form Fe(II)~-~Mt. through cation exchange process. The CEC and ferrous to ferric ratio of the Fe(II)-Mt was close to the stoichiometric amount. The XRF, XRD, ac impedance, FT-IR, TGA/DSC, XPS and FE-SEM are used for further characterization. In-situ complexation reaction of interlayer Fe2+ ions in Fe(II)-Mt with o-phenanthroline was also observed.}, keywords = {Ascorbic acid, Bentonite, Citric acid, Cr(VI) reduction, Fe(II)-montmorillonite, Iron dissolution}, issn = {0169-1317}, doi = {10.1016/j.clay.2021.106396}, author = {S. Chikkamath and J. Manjanna and N. Momin and B.G. Hegde and G.P. Nayaka and Aishwarya S. Kar and B.S. Tomar} } @article {47825, title = {Native state conformational heterogeneity in the energy landscape of protein folding}, journal = {Biophysical Chemistry}, volume = {283}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {106761}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The native structure of proteins is central to various functions performed by cells. A vital part of the structure-function paradigm of proteins is their inherent flexibility and dynamics. The dynamic interconversion between the conformational substates in the heterogeneous native state basin of the energy landscape enables a single protein molecule to perform multiple functions. The dynamics among the substates are assisted by the motion of different structural elements of a protein out of which side-chains of amino acids hold a significant position due to their involvement in various functions such as molecular recognition and dynamic allostery. This review briefly describes the origin of conformational heterogeneity in the native state ensemble and the motions of different structural modules that assist the equilibrium dynamics of the conformational substates. The review then centers the discussion on conformational heterogeneity due to side-chain movements in proteins, the experimental methods to detect and characterize them and their role in performing multiple functions.}, keywords = {Conformational heterogeneity, Dry molten globules, Energy landscape model, Native state, Side-chain packing}, issn = {0301-4622}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpc.2022.106761}, author = {Mishra, Prajna and Jha, Santosh Kumar} } @article {48343, title = {Nickel-catalyzed direct synthesis of N-substituted indoles from amino alcohols and alcohols}, journal = {Organic Letters}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {9054-9059}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A one-pot cascade approach for the synthesis of N substituted indoles from amino alcohols and alcohols under additive and base-free conditions with the liberation of water as the only stoichiometric byproduct is reported. The commercially available bench-stable Ni(OTf)2 salt in combination with 1,2-bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)ethane (dcype) is very effective for this unprecedented catalytic transformation. A broad range of substrates including aromatic and aliphatic primary alcohols, cyclic and acyclic secondary alcohols, and various substituted 2-aminophenyl ethyl alcohols are employed in the reaction conditions to provide a diverse range of N-alkylated indoles. Mechanistic studies revealed that the reaction proceeds through tandem N-alkylation via hydrogen autotransfer followed by the cyclization of N-alkylated alcohol intermediate.

}, issn = {1523-7060}, doi = {10.1021/acs.orglett.2c03617}, author = {Yadav, Vinita and Jagtap, Sayali G. and Balaraman, Ekambaram and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {47770, title = {Novel 3-fluoro-4-morpholinoaniline derivatives: synthesis and assessment of anti-cancer activity in breast cancer cells}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1253}, year = {2022}, month = {APR }, pages = {132127}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Heterocyclic morpholine compounds are well-known for their anti-cancer activity. In this study, novel morpholine and its sulfonamide derivatives were designed and synthesized as potential anti-tumor agents. The new compounds were obtained from amine derivatives via nucleophilic addition reactions, providing the desired products in 70 to 90\% yield. The docking analysis was performed for all thirty-one compounds. Out of them, we represent the docking poses for compounds NAM-5 and NAM-7 as representatives. After docking analysis, compounds NAM-5 and NAM- 7 were tested for in vitro antitumor activity against breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and healthy mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line (3T3L-1). Amongst these, sulfonamide group-containing compound NAM-5 showed significant anti-proliferative activity with IC50 of 1.811 mu M and 2.143 mu M for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, respectively. On the other hand, NAM-7 showed good anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 (IC50 1.883 mu M) but slightly lower activity against MDA-MB-231 cells (IC50 4.688 mu M). The activity of both the compound was also tested on 3T3L-1 Cell line which showed activity similar to clinically approved anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The cell death analysis by flow-cytometry confirmed apoptosis mediated cell death in 3T3L-1, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells when treated with the NAM-5 and NAM-7, respectively. The results demonstrated that the synthesized sulfonamide derivatives have significant potential as anti-cancer agents and have a substantial importance in cancer therapeutics with favourable safety profile. Structural analysis of docked poses of sulfonamide derivatives attempts to shed light on the structural basis of sulfonamide derivatives based anti-cancer effect. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {Anticancer activity, Apoptosis, Breast cancer, Heterocyclic compounds, Morpholine, Sulfonamide}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.132127}, author = {More, Namita A. and Jadhao, Nitin L. and Meshram, Rohan J. and Tambe, Prajakta and Salve, Rajesh A. and Sabane, Jagjivan K. and Sawant, Sanskruti N. and Gajbhiye, Virendra and Gajbhiye, Jayant M.} } @article {47593, title = {Novel lignin as natural-biodegradable binder for various sectors-A review}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {139}, year = {2022}, month = {APR }, pages = {e51951}, type = {Review}, abstract = {Lignin functions as an essential polymer in plants that forms the plant body{\textquoteright}s structural framework. The natural glue holds the cellulosic fibers together in the plant body, thereby providing rigidity and strength. Despite this, lignin shows promising relevance for biomaterial production due to its abundance, nontoxic nature and biodegradability. Considerably, adhesive components were derived from petroleum, which is increasingly more expensive. Hence, lignin, the natural glue in plant materials, gained much popularity because of its phenolic nature, making it an attractive substitute for adhesives. Lignin-based binders are produced through phenols substitution in phenol-formaldehyde resins with lignin due to their similar structural framework. Many researchers have confirmed the multifunctional applications of lignin, such as wood adhesive in fiber board, plywood and particleboard, a binder in printed wiring boards, abrasive tools, epoxy asphalts, epoxy wood composites, 3D printing, adhesive hydrogels, soil suppressants, lignocellulosic paper and coatings. This review presents a comprehensive description of the utilization of lignin-based binders for different applications. The present work highlights the discussion on the various methods by which lignin can be used to replace synthetic binders. This review focuses on global research work introducing lignin in different chemical adhesives for a more cost-effective and less harmful alternative.}, keywords = {binder, biodegradable, lignin, multifunctional}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.51951}, author = {Mili, Medha and Hashmi, Sayed Azhar Rasheed and Ather, Madeeha and Hada, Vaishnavi and Markandeya, Nishant and Kamble, Sanjay and Mohapatra, Mamata and Rathore, Sanjai Kumar Singh and Srivastava, Avanish Kumar and Verma, Sarika} } @article {47814, title = {Novel pharmaceutical cocrystal of apalutamide, a nonsteroidal antiandrogen drug: synthesis, crystal structure, dissolution, stress, and excipient compatibility}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {22}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {1130-1142}, abstract = {Apalutamide (APA), a second-generation nonsteroidal antiandrogen BCS Class II drug with poor solubility and high permeability. A novel 1:1 cocrystal of Apalutamide (APA) with methylparaben (MP) was identified by cooling crystallization during the cocrystal screening and characterized by various solid-state techniques, such as PXRD, DSC, TGA, FT-IR, and 13C solid-state CP-MAS NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of APA and its cocrystal (APA-MP) were determined by the SC-XRD technique. The crystal structure analysis of the APA-MP cocrystal revealed that the APA and MP molecules are connected through strong O{\textendash}H{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}{\textperiodcentered}O hydrogen bonds. The novel cocrystal improves the solubility and dissolution rate in different physiological conditions compared to poorly soluble APA due to strong hydrogen bond between the drug and the coformer. The cocrystal is stable (physically and chemically) under stress conditions, such as exposure to the relative humidity, mechanical grinding, open exposure to atmosphere at cRT (critical room temperature) and compression pressure of 10 tons. In addition, the compatibility of the cocrystal with excipients used in the drug product of APA (ERLEADA) was also investigated, and no disproportionation of cocrystal was observed.}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.1c01087}, author = {Saladi, Venkata Narasayya and Kammari, Bal Raju and Mandad, Pratap Reddy and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Sajja, Eswaraiah and Thirumali, Rajan S. and Marutapilli, Arthanareeswari and Mathad, Vijayavitthal T.} } @article {47777, title = {One-pot concurrent biosynthesis of biphasic CuxO (cuprous and cupric oxide) nanoparticles using leaf extract of Eichhornia crassipes and investigation of their potent healthcare applications}, journal = {Emergent Materials}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Eichhornia crassipes, an aquatic weed, has been used for the one-pot quick synthesis of cuprous and cupric oxide nanoparticles in this report. The identification and validation of the formed nanoparticles were successfully done by sophisticated characterization techniques such as UV{\textendash}visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Their biomedical interventions were assessed by their antioxidant and anticancer activities. The synthesized nanoparticles have a spherical morphology with an average diameter of 10~nm. Antioxidant assay performed showed an increasing trend in a dose-dependent manner with the percentage radical scavenging activity up to 94.70\% at a much higher concentration of 1000~{\textmu}g/ml. The antioxidant potential at such higher concentration is suspected to invoke a change in the cytotoxic potential of the nanoparticles which is then verified by the MTT assay. A significant cytotoxic activity against HeLa (cervical cancer) and HCT 116 (colorectal carcinoma) cell lines was detected with noted IC50 values of 17.17 and 13.70~{\textmu}g/ml respectively. The conclusive findings obtained are enough to substantiate the use of these nanoparticles in biomedical areas specifically in anticancer treatment due to their high toxicities. The hazards imposed by Eichhornia crassipes can be alleviated by using them as biofactories for the synthesis of a variety of nanomaterials. This helps in curbing the water pollution issues as well as the developing synthesis protocols for robust and stable nanoparticles.}, isbn = {2522-574X}, doi = {10.1007/s42247-022-00347-1}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s42247-022-00347-1}, author = {Moudgil, Aliesha and Varma, Sanjana and Shinde, Manish D. and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Sarkar, Dhiman M. and Shende, Rajnigandha A. and Amalnerkar, Dinesh and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {48086, title = {Palladium mediated selective cleavage of benzyl and allyl phosphates: a convenient non-hydrogenolytic method for the synthesis of phosphates and phospholipids.}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {7}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL }, pages = {e202201167}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Palladium(II) hydroxide on carbon is a catalyst routinely used for the cleavage of O-benzyl groups by hydrogenolysis to obtain the corresponding parent organic compound. The work described in this article shows that allyl and benzyl phosphates, can be cleaved efficiently and selectively using palladium(II) hydroxide on carbon, under non-hydrogenolytic and neutral conditions, precluding the migration of acyl groups. The utility of these cleavage reactions for the synthesis of diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, containing unsaturation, is demonstrated. These methods have high potential for the synthesis of a variety of phosphates and natural phospholipids.

}, keywords = {Carbohydrate, Ether cleavage, Palladium, Phosphate, Phospholipid, Protecting group}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202201167}, author = {Mart, Alson and Sarkar, Nitai N. and Shashidhar, Mysore S.} } @article {48145, title = {Pendant propargyloxy-functionalized aromatic (co)polycarbonates: synthesis, thermal crosslinking and chemical modification}, journal = {Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A-Pure and Applied Chemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {752-763}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A bisphenol monomer bearing pendant propargyloxy group viz, 1, 1-bis (4-hydoxyphenyl)-1-(4 {\textquoteleft}-propargyloxyphenyl) ethane (BPP) was synthesized starting from commercially available 1, 1, 1-tris (4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane (THPE) by mono O-propargylation reaction using propargyl bromide. A new series of pendant propargyloxy-functionalized aromatic (co)polycarbonates was synthesized by low-temperature solution polycondensation of BPP or different molar ratios of BPP and bisphenol-A with triphosgene in dichloromethane in the presence of triethylamine. The formation of reasonably high molecular weight (co)polycarbonates was confirmed by inherent viscosity (0.52-0.83 dL/g) and gel permeation chromatography (M-n 37,000-69,800 g/mol, polystyrene standards) measurements. C-13 NMR spectral studies supported formation of random copolycarbonates in copolymerization of BPP and BPA with triphosgene. The 10\% weight loss temperature (T-10) values of (co)polycarbonates, determined by thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen atmosphere, were in the range 427-438 degrees C indicating their good thermal stability. The glass transition temperature (T-g) values of (co)polycarbonates were observed in the range 147-152 degrees C. The crosslinking ability of (co)polycarbonates involving pendant propargyloxy groups leading to formation of networked structure was evaluated via non-isothermal curing studies by DSC. As a proof-of-concept, the post-modification of a representative polycarbonate bearing pendant propargyloxy groups with 1-octane thiol as a model compound via thiol-yne click reaction was briefly studied.

}, keywords = {Aromatic polycarbonate, Chemical modification, propargyloxy groups, thermal crosslinking, thiol-yne click reaction}, issn = {1060-1325}, doi = {10.1080/10601325.2022.2117055}, author = {Nagane, Samadhan S. and Maher, Deepak M. and Verma, Savita and Talanikar, Aniket A. and Wadgaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {48124, title = {Polymorphs of green fluorescence protein chromophore analogue: fluorescence switching with thermal stimuli}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {22}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR }, pages = {1892-1905}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymorphs of fluorescent organic materials offer significant implications in optoelectronics and advanced materials as they modulate photoluminescence properties. A slight alteration in the conformation/packing of molecules in the crystals shows variation in photoluminescence. This necessitates the polymorph screening of these materials to develop novel crystalline forms with distinct fluorescence emissions for broader application. In continuation of our work on the polymorph screening of Green Fluorescence Protein Chromophore (GFPc), we have synthesized a new imidazoline derivative, ethyl (Z)-2-(2-methyl-5-oxo-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imi dazol-1- yl)acetate (1). Polymorph screening of 1 under different crystallization conditions revealed three polymorphs, Form I (needle), Form II (block), and Form III (polycrystalline material). Forms I and II are the outcome of solution crystallization, whereas Form III was produced from the melt crystallization of Forms I and II. DSC, HSM, and powder and single-crystal XRD studies indicate the conversion of Form I and Form III crystals to Form II crystals on thermal stimuli. The photoluminescence studies revealed cyan, yellow, and yellowish-green fluorescence emission for Forms I, II, and III crystals, respectively. The difference in photoluminescence could be due to the variance in aggregation modes like H-aggregation in Form I and J-aggregation in Form II crystals. Form I, Form II, and Form III crystals also showed irreversible thermal fluorescent switching from cyan-yellow-green due to polymorphic phase transitions. The study correlates the direct observation of the modulation of the excited-state transition under thermal stimuli in the crystalline phase. It will help augment the pace in the research of thermally responsive fluorescent materials.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.1c01459}, author = {Mali, Bhupendra P. and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Biswas, Anupam and Vanka, Kumar and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {48209, title = {Porous covalent organic nanotubes and their assembly in loops and toroids}, journal = {Nature Chemistry}, volume = {14}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {507+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Carbon nanotubes, and synthetic organic nanotubes more generally, have in recent decades been widely explored for application in electronic devices, energy storage, catalysis and biosensors. Despite noteworthy progress made in the synthesis of nanotubular architectures with well-defined lengths and diameters, purely covalently bonded organic nanotubes have remained somewhat challenging to prepare. Here we report the synthesis of covalently bonded porous organic nanotubes (CONTs) by Schiff base reaction between a tetratopic amine-functionalized triptycene and a linear dialdehyde. The spatial orientation of the functional groups promotes the growth of the framework in one dimension, and the strong covalent bonds between carbon, nitrogen and oxygen impart the resulting CONTs with high thermal and chemical stability. Upon ultrasonication, the CONTs form intertwined structures that go on to coil and form toroidal superstructures. Computational studies give some insight into the effect of the solvent in this assembly process.

}, issn = {1755-4330}, doi = {10.1038/s41557-022-00908-1}, author = {Koner, Kalipada and Karak, Shayan and Kandambeth, Sharath and Karak, Suvendu and Thomas, Neethu and Leanza, Luigi and Perego, Claudio and Pesce, Luca and Capelli, Riccardo and Moun, Monika and Bhakar, Monika and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Pavan, Giovanni M. and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48345, title = {Possible fine-tuning of methane activation toward C2 oxygenates by 3d-transition metal-ions doped nano-ceria-zirconia}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC }, pages = {19577-19587}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this work, we demonstrate a simple sol-gel technique to prepare metal-ion(s)-doped ceria-zirconia solid solution for efficient catalytic methane activation. The cation -depicting formula units are Ce0.80Zr0.20 (CZ), Ce0.79Zr0.20M0.01 (CZM), and Ce0.79Zr0.20M0.005M10.005 (CZMM1) (M and M1 = V, Mn, Fe, Co, and Cu), employed for undoped, mono-metal-ion -doped, and bi-metal-ion-doped solid solutions, respectively. Methane activation with Mn, Fe, Cu mono-metal-ion-doped CZ favors the C1 product, while CZCo assists C-C coupling with the formation of acetaldehyde. On the other hand, the Co-and Fe -doped bi-metal-ion combination catalyst (CZCoFe) shows significant ethanol but predominant formic acid formation. This is further promoted by the Co + V bi-metal-ion combination (CZCoV) catalyst, and it shows ethanol as the major product along with methyl hydrogen peroxide, methanol, and formic acid as minor products. An impressive ethanol yield of 93 mu mol/g h with 76\% selectivity obtained with the CZCoV catalyst is at par with that obtained with noble-metal-based catalysts under comparable reaction conditions. When Co and V content was increased two and four times from 0.005 to 0.01 and 0.02, ethanol yield increased at the expense of formic acid. The 213 mu mol/g h ethanol yield (86\% selectivity) observed with Ce0.76Zr0.20Co0.02V0.02 is probably the highest observed. The partial oxidation of CH4 in Co-based bi-metal combinations (Co + V or Co + Fe) suggests the synergistic effect of doped metal ions owing to the heterogeneous near -neighbor environment. The present results are attributed to the surface heterogeneity between the host and the dopants, which selectively promotes methane activation as well as C-C coupling. This indicates a large scope to tune the activity of partial oxidation of methane and product selectivity with different metal-ion(s) combinations.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03493}, author = {Kanungo, Subhashree S. and Mishra, Abhaya Kumar and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Marelli, Udaya Kiran and Kumar, Dharmesh and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48068, title = {Postmodification of voxelotor (GBT 440) via [Rh]-catalyzed cross dehydrogenative coupling with olefins br}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry Letters}, volume = {77}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {129022}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The directed Rh(III)-catalyzed cross dehydrogenative coupling of the pyrazole unit of the GBT-440 scaffold has been explored with simple as well as conjugated olefins to synthesize post-functionalized GBT-440 analogues. The screening of these synthesized compounds for improving the oxygen binding efficiency of the hemoglobin isolated from the sickled red blood cells revealed that some of these compounds are as good as GBT-440.

}, keywords = {CDC Coupling, GBT-440 (Voxelotor), Rh(III) catalysis, sickle cell anemia}, issn = {0960-894X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.129022}, author = {Kalshetti, Rupali G. and Rajput, Raveena and Motiwala, Zenia and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Kulkarni, Kiran A. and V. Ramana, Chepuri} } @article {48179, title = {Potassium phosphate catalyzed highly efficient synthesis of structurally diverse thioethers at ambient temperature}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry Section B-Organic Chemistry Including Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {154-158}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Commercially available potassium phosphate has been demonstrated to be a highly efficient catalyst for the synthesis of thioethers employing two different routes viz. alkylation of thiols with alkyl/aralkyl halides and by Michael addition of thiols to conjugated alkenes.

}, keywords = {Alkyl halides, Potassium phosphate, thia-Michael reaction, thioethers, thiols}, issn = {0019-5103}, author = {Mitragotri, Satish D. and Kulkarni, Makarand A. and Desai, V. Uday and Wadagaonkar, Prakash P.} } @article {48104, title = {Process development for crystalline xylitol production from corncob biomass by Pichia caribbica}, journal = {Food and Bioproducts Processing}, volume = {133}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {45-56}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Xylitol, a commodity chemical, is widely used in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations. Microbial xylitol production is a promising alternative to mitigate current industrial practice issues and offers an environment-friendly sustainable conversion route. This study demonstrates a bioprocess for xylitol production from corncob using a mesophilic yeast Pichia caribbica. Corncob was hydrolyzed by dilute acid and steam explosion to recover fermentable xylose and used as the feed for xylitol production. Activated carbon treatment (3\% w/v) completely removed the biomass-derived inhibitors furfural and hydroxymethyl furfural from the liquid hydrolysate. The fermenting yeast Pichia caribbica produced 124.1 +/- 0.45 g/L xylitol from the detoxified and concentrated corncob hydrolysate with a high yield of 0.80 +/- 0.02 g/g. The crystallized xylitol with 96.5\% purity demonstrated no harmful effects on the cell line used as a control for the in-vitro toxicity studies. This proof of concept can be applied to help scale up for bio-refinery-based large-scale production of xylitol from corncob biomass.(c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Biomass, Corncob, Detoxification, Fermentation, Toxicity analysis, xylitol}, issn = {0960-3085}, doi = {10.1016/j.fbp.2022.02.006}, author = {Dasgupta, Diptarka and Sidana, Arushdeep and Sarkar, Bipul and More, Snehal and Ghosh, Debashish and Bhaskar, Thallada and Ray, Anjan} } @article {47762, title = {Process development for detoxification of corncob hydrolysate using activated charcoal for xylitol production}, journal = {Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {107097}, type = {Article}, abstract = {The work describes process development for detoxification of corncob hydrolysate using activated carbon for microbial xylitol production. Activated carbon was used as an adsorbent to completely remove the major fermentation inhibitors obtained during dilute acid and steam explosion of biomass. A xylitol yield of 0.78 g/g was achieved from the detoxified hydrolysate in a 5 L fermenter by Pichia caribbica. The spent carbon was effectively regenerated and used for three consecutive cycles of operation. The successive regeneration and reuse of carbon could reduce the operational cost by similar to 38\% and be used as a reference dataset for process scale-up and cost-effective xylitol production.}, keywords = {Activated charcoal, Detoxification, Fermentation, Regeneration, xylitol}, issn = {2213-2929}, doi = {10.1016/j.jece.2021.107097}, author = {Ahuja, Vishal and Kshirsagar, Siddheshwar and Ghosh, Prasenjit and Sarkar, Bipul and Sutar, Ajit and More, Snehal and Dasgupta, Diptarka} } @article {48201, title = {Pseudo-boehmite AlOOH supported NGr composite-based air electrode for mechanically rechargeable Zn-air battery applications}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {10014-10025}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Both mechanically and electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have received much interest due to their high energy density and suitability for mobile and stationary applications. However, their commercialization has been impeded by the lack of robust, low-cost and environmentally benign catalyst materials that can be easily scaled up. In this context, the present work introduces a new type of transition metal-free catalytic material (AlOOH/NGr) by anchoring the pseudo-boehmite phase of aluminium oxyhydroxide (AlOOH) nanosheets over nitrogen-doped graphene (NGr) via a single-step and straightforward hydrothermal process. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) based computation demonstrates that the nucleation of AlOOH starts from the N-sites and points towards the strong surface interaction between AlOOH and NGr via doped nitrogen. AlOOH/NGr consisting of thin layered pseudo-boehmite sheets uniformly distributed over NGr has displayed an oxygen reduction reaction onset potential of 0.83 V and a half-wave potential of 0.72 V, along with good catalytic durability in alkaline medium. With this, AlOOH/NGr, when used as an air electrode for fabricating a primary Zn-air battery, the system has exhibited an open circuit voltage of similar to 1.27 V with a flat discharge profile at a current rate of 10 mA cm(-2). The fabricated system delivered a specific capacity of similar to 720 mA h g(-1) and a high power density of 204 mW cm(-2) and is comparable to the counterpart system based on the state-of-the-art Pt/C (20 wt\% Pt) cathode. Additionally, the homemade battery was able to maintain its performance after 4 times of mechanical recharging of the battery, which lasted for more than 35 h at a discharge current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Thus, we have uncovered the potential of an earth-abundant metal-based catalytic system for fabricating and demonstrating a robust mechanically rechargeable zinc-air battery.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d2ta00546h}, author = {Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang and Manna, Narugopal and Nadeema, Ayasha and Singh, Santosh K. and Mehta, Shweta and Nair, Aathira and Joshi, Kavita and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48160, title = {Ready access to benzannulated [5,5]-oxaspirolactones using Au(III)-catalyzed cascade cyclizations}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {87}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3025-3041}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work showcases an unprecedented Au(III)-catalyzed cascade cyclization of 2-(4-hydroxyalkynyl)benzoates to access benzannulated [5,5]-oxaspirolactones related to biologically active natural products. This reaction proceeds through an initial 5-endo-dig mode of hydroalkoxylation of the alkynol segment to give the oxocarbenium species (via cyclic enol-ether) followed by the addition of carboxylate onto the oxocarbenium that delivers the oxaspirolactone scaffold. While testing this method{\textquoteright}s scope, we found that the steric and electronic environment of the hydroxyl group could alter the reaction pathway that delivers isochromenone through a competitive 6-endo-dig mode of attack of the carboxylate onto the tethered alkyne.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c02843}, author = {Mankad, Yash and Thorat, Sagar S. and Das, Pronay and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Kontham, Ravindar and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48143, title = {Ready access to densely substituted furans using Tsuji-Wacker type cyclization}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {87}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {556-568}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A competent method for the construction of highly substituted furans catalyzed by Pd(II) and Cu(II) chloride has been developed. The method provides easy access to di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted furans from corresponding diols with relatively mild conditions in a unified strategy. The developed method has been successfully tested with more than 25 substrates, which resulted in furans of multiple substitution patterns with up to 84\% isolated yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.1c02567}, author = {Masal, Dattatraya P. and Choudhury, Rahul and Singh, Aman and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48065, title = {Reduction of carbon dioxide to dimethylformamide using ruthenium doped Mg/Al hydrotalcites under supercritical conditions}, journal = {Journal of CO2 Utilization}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {102055}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The utilization of carbon dioxide is one of the developing areas due to its significant contribution to global warming. Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) to formic acid and its derivatives has gained importance because of its thermodynamic limitations and high industrial demand. In this article, we report the synthesis of dime-thylformamide (DMF) using ruthenium doped Mg/Al calcined hydrotalcite by CO2 hydrogenation in the presence of dimethylamine (DMA). At optimized conditions, complete conversion of dimethylamine was achieved with more than 92\% product yield at 170 degrees C and 13 MPa pressure with a reaction time of 6 h. Key catalyst properties were determined using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), CO2-temper-ature programmed desorption (TPD), H-2 temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The determination of surface morphology was carried out using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). At the same time, the chemical composition was verified by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS). In addition, kinetic modeling is performed using the two site Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson model. The regressed kinetic parameters gave an appropriate fit with experimental concentration values and activation energy is calculated as 413 kJ/mol K-1.

}, keywords = {Dimethylformamide, Hydrogenation, hydrotalcite, Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson model, Supercritical carbon dioxide}, issn = {2212-9820}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcou.2022.102055}, author = {Chaudhary, Sagar D. and Rahatade, Shardul S. and Joshi, Sunil S. and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @article {48091, title = {Reference quality genome sequence of Indian pomegranate cv. {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} (Punica granatum L.)}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {947164}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Pomegranate is an important fruit crop for ensuring livelihood and nutrition security in fragile semi-arid regions of the globe having limited irrigation resources. This is a high-value, nutritionally rich, and export-oriented agri-commodity that ensures high returns on investment to growers across the world. Although it is a valuable fruit crop, it has received only a limited genomics research outcome. To fast-track the pomegranate improvement program, de novo whole-genome sequencing of the main Indian cultivar {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} was initiated by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Center on Pomegranate (ICAR-NRCP). We have demonstrated that a combination of commercially available technologies from Illumina, PacBio, 10X Genomics, and BioNano Genomics could be used efficiently for sequencing and reference-grade de novo assembly of the pomegranate genome. The research led to a final reference-quality genome assembly for {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} of 346.08 Mb in 342 scaffolds and an average N50 of 16.12 Mb and N90 of 1088.62 Kb. This assembly covered more than 98\% of the estimated pomegranate genome size, 352.54 Mb. The LTR assembly index (LAI) value of 10 and 93.68\% Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness score over the 1,440 ortholog genes of the completed pomegranate genome indicates the quality of the assembled pomegranate genome. Furthermore, 29,435 gene models were discovered with a mean transcript length of 2,954 bp and a mean coding sequence length 1,090 bp. Four transcript data samples of pomegranate tissues were mapped over the assembled {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome up to 95\% significant matches, indicating the high quality of the assembled genome. We have compared the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome with the genomes of the pomegranate cultivars {\textquoteleft}Dabenzi{\textquoteright} and {\textquoteleft}Taishanhong.{\textquoteright} We have also performed whole-genome phylogenetic analysis using Computational Analysis of Gene Family Evolution (CAFE) and found that Eucalyptus grandis and pomegranate diverged 64 (60-70) million years ago. About 1,573 protein-coding resistance genes identified in the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome were classified into 32 domains. In all, 314 copies of miRNA belonging to 26 different families were identified in the {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} genome. The reference-quality genome assembly of {\textquoteleft}Bhagawa{\textquoteright} is certainly a significant genomic resource for accelerated pomegranate improvement.

}, keywords = {genome sequencing, hybrid genome assembly, Long Terminal Repeats Assembly Index (LAI), PacBio, pomegranate}, issn = {1664-462X}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2022.947164}, author = {Roopa Sowjanya, P. and Shilpa, Parashuram and Patil, Goudappa Prakash and Babu, Dhinesh Karuppannan and Sharma, Jyotsana and Sangnure, Vipul R. and Mundewadikar, Dhananjay M. and Natarajan, Purushothaman and Marathe, Arvind Rajiv and Reddy, Umesh K. and Singh, Vikram Nripendra} } @article {48125, title = {Regio-isomerism directed electrocatalysis for energy efficient zinc-air battery}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {25}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT }, pages = {105179}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have investigated the role of ligand isomerism in modulating the mechanisms and kinetics associated with charge/ discharge chemistry of an aqueous metal-air battery. The dominant electron-withdrawing inductive effect (-I effect) and the diminished electron-withdrawing resonance effect (-R effect) in the alpha-NO2 isomer noticeably diminishes the rate of oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) on the catalytic Co-center. In their beta-counterpart, the cumulative -I and -R effects noticeably enhance the OER and ORR kinetics on the same catalytic Co-center. Therefore, the regioisomerism of the -NO2 functionality amplifies the kinetics of ORR/OER without influencing their mechanistic pathways. When isomeric electrocatalysts are integrated to aid the charge chemistry of a Zn-air battery, the overpotential could be decreased by similar to 250mV with beta-NO2 isomer leading to a round-trip efficiency as high as 60\%. This work contributes to the design of novel molecular platforms to target the overall round-trip efficiency of energy storage and conversion devices.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2022.105179}, author = {Mukhopadhyay, Sanchayita and Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli and Kanade, Sandeep C. and Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran and Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi and Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam} } @article {48058, title = {Regioselective synthesis of 1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazole derivatives from alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2022}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {e202200317}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The copper-catalyzed oxidative azide-olefin cycloaddition (OAOC) reaction of differently substituted alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls with azides provided an efficient method for preparing biologically active 1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles. In this study, the cycloaddition reaction was found to be a simple and powerful method for constructing diverse mono- and bis-(1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazole) functionalized heterocyclic compounds in moderate to high yields with great regioselectivity. The XRD-analysis data of one of the bis-triazole derivatives supported the regioselectivity as well as the conformity of the method in the construction of the triazole nucleus. The preliminary antifungal profile against C. albicans was observed with cinnamaldehyde-based triazole derivatives demonstrating promising results.

}, keywords = {alpha, antifungal, beta-Unsaturated carbonyls, Cycloaddition, Dibenzalacetone, Triazole}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202200317}, author = {Verma, Naimish K. and Bera, Smritilekha and Gonnade, Rajesh and Mondal, Dhananjoy} } @article {47769, title = {Regioselectivity in metalloradical catalyzed C-H bond activation: a theoretical study}, journal = {Journal of Organometallic Chemistry}, volume = {957}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {122179}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Pure quantum mechanical calculations were performed to find out the origin of regioselectivity under the metalloradical catalysis (MRC) by Co(II)-porphyrin, which showed regioselectivity is the inherent property of the aminyl radical generated from the sulfamoyl azide substrate. Different conformational analysis for the transition state from alpha-Co-III-aminyl radical to zeta-Co-III-alkyl radical formation have been studied to find out the most stable conformation for the preferable selectivity. The outcome of our study completely agrees with the reported experimental results. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, keywords = {C-H activation, DFT, Metalloporphyrin, Metalloradical, Regioselectivity}, issn = {0022-328X}, doi = {10.1016/j.jorganchem.2021.122179}, author = {Mukherjee, Anirban and Singh, Ritesh and Mane, Kishor D. and Das, Gourab Kanti} } @article {48080, title = {Reusable and efficient polystyrene immobilized ionic liquid catalyst for batch and flow methylation of hydroquinone}, journal = {Catalysis Letters}, volume = {152}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {3304-3316}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An environmentally benign process for synthesizing 4-methoxyphenol through methylation of hydroquinone using polystyrene immobilized Bronsted acidic ionic liquid is presented. The catalyst has been characterized by several techniques, such as solid-state NMR, FTIR, and XRD. The morphological properties were analyzed through SEM and TEM analysis. The elemental analysis was performed using EDS and XPS techniques. The catalyst was thermally stable up to 603 K, which was confirmed by TGA. The chemical interaction between ionic liquid and polystyrene was confirmed by measuring the glass transition temperature of pure polystyrene and catalyst. The BET analysis was performed to estimate the catalyst{\textquoteright}s surface area, pore size, and pore volume. The recyclability of the proposed new catalyst was established up to five recycle runs in the batch mode. In addition, continuous flow experiments were conducted to test the catalytic activity in terms of catalyst life span and showed excellent stability up to 20 h. The rapid separation, long-term stability, and efficient recycling of synthesized polymeric catalysts make an excellent alternative to the commonly used homogeneous catalysts for selective O-methylation of hydroquinone reaction. The newly developed continuous process for synthesizing 4-methoxyphenol with 100\% selectivity suggests good opportunities to reduce energy consumption, which designates a cost-effective process. [GRAPHICS] .

}, keywords = {4-Methoxyphenol, Hydroquinone, O-methylation, Polystyrene immobilized ionic liquid}, issn = {1011-372X}, doi = {10.1007/s10562-022-03918-3}, author = {Bhongale, V. Priyanka and Joshi, Sunil S. and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @article {48053, title = {Review on non-noble metal catalysts for glycerol hydrodeoxygenation to 1,2-propanediol with and without external hydrogen}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {6751-6781}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

The depleting petroleum oil resources, political embargos, and global warming dilemma have made it mandatory to develop alternative green technologies for energy and chemical production. Glycerol is one of the top-12 building block chemicals that can be mainly obtained as a coproduct of biodiesel production. The value addition of glycerol is only possible through its conversion to commodity and fine chemicals. Glycerol hydrogenolysis is one of the crucial pathways to produce several value-added products, among which 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO), 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO), ethylene glycol (EG) and 1-and/or 2-propanols are hydrogenolysis products. Selective glycerol hydrogenolysis to the desired product 1,2-PDO is only possible through the catalyst having an optimum combination of acid/base and metal sites (metallic and mixed oxides). The present review mainly focuses on the critical assessment of the influence of different supports, catalyst preparation methods, and/or pretreatment on structural, and electronic properties and simultaneously on the activity and product selectivity of non-noble metal catalysts. The role of reaction parameters in this industrially important reaction on catalyst performance will also be presented. A rigorous survey of patented literature on non-noble metal-catalyzed glycerol hydrogenolysis to 1,2-PDO is also discussed. Further, the review covers recent progress on non-noble metal-catalyzed autogenous glycerol hydrogenolysis through glycerol aqueous phase reforming (APR) and/or catalytic transfer hydrogenolysis (CTH), to overcome the cost and handling issues of external hydrogen. Finally, techno-economic analysis is also presented which compares the glycerol hydrogenolysis with and without external hydrogen with the conventional process of 1,2-PDO production. This analysis indicated that CTH and glycerol hydrogenolysis under ambient hydrogen pressure have the potential for commercialization, however catalyst stability and elimination of co-product formation at higher glycerol concentration need to be considered critically.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/d2gc01879a}, author = {Mane, Rasika and Jeon, Yukwon and Rode, Chandrashekhar} } @article {48163, title = {Ru, Pd doped WO3 nanomaterials: a synergistic effect of noble metals to enhance the acetone response properties}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {48}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {17923-17933}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Noble metals (NMs) have an enormous impact on the intrinsic properties of the metal oxides. We report the synergistic effect of Ruthenium (Ru) and Palladium (Pd) noble metals on the enhancement of gas sensing properties of pure tungsten oxide (WO3). The gas sensing material is synthesized by simple and straight forward precipitation route, and its physico-chemical analyses are determined using XRD, FESEM, TEM/HRTEM, FFT, UV-Vis, XPS, EDAX, and BET measurements. Use of the developed material as a gas sensor is evaluated using several target gases (oxidizing as well as reducing), with acetone showing the best selectivity. The noble metal doping and hence catalytic action improved the gas response qualities. The synergistic effect of Ru and Pd on WO3 gas response properties are identified, where the effect is 99.80\% sensitivity, and lower response/recovery time (10 s and 2 min) at 300 degrees C operating temperature. Nonetheless, the sensors displayed better gas sensing properties even at lower operating temperatures ranging from 200 to 275 degrees C. In addition, the synergistic effect has displayed the dramatic enhancement in the sensitivity to 76.44\% at barely 10 ppm acetone concentration. This particular result will undoubtedly be helpful for diagnostic purpose of diabetic patients, and a strong candidate for prospective gas sensing applications, particularly acetone.

}, keywords = {Acetone vapours, Precipitation route, Ru -Pd doping, synergistic effect, WO3}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.03.065}, author = {Kodam, Pavan M. and Ghadage, Pandurang A. and Nadargi, Digambar Y. and Shinde, K. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz S. and Park, J. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {48344, title = {Scalable mechanochemical synthesis of beta-ketoenamine-linked covalent organic frameworks for methane storage}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {17}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the current scenario of increased pollution and releasing toxic gases by burning petroleum products, switching to natural gas is more promising for reducing CO2 emissions and air pollutants. Hence, research on Liquefied Natural Gas and Compressed Natural Gas is gaining more value. However, natural gas primarily consists of CH4, which has less energy density than conventional fuels. Interestingly, since the C-H ratio of CH4 gas is 1 : 4, it is easily combustible, gives less carbon footprint, and reduces unburnt hydrocarbon pollution. Hence, research on storing and transporting CH4 has utmost importance, and porous materials are one of the suitable candidates for storing CH4. Herein we report the scalable synthesis of highly porous and crystalline covalent organic frameworks for storing CH4 at room temperature and pressure. Two COFs, namely, Tp-Azo and Tp-Azo-BD(Me)(2), synthesized in 1 kg at similar to 45 g batch scale using a Planetary mixer, displayed a maximum BET surface area of around 3345 m(2)/g, and 2342 m(2)/g and CH4 storage of 174.10 cc/cc and 151 cc/cc, respectively. A comparison of the CH4 sorption of Tp-Azo and Tp-Azo-BD(Me)(2) COFs synthesized in different batches has a variation of only +/- 5 cc/cc and shows the consistency in bulk scale synthesis of COFs. The cyclic equilibrium CH4 adsorption studies showed the COFs are stable with consistent CH4 adsorption and desorption cycles. The present study is a step towards the scalable mechanochemical synthesis of COFs for gas storage applications.

}, keywords = {CH4 storage, COF, porous material, scalable synthesis}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202201012}, author = {Asokan, Kiran and Patil, Manoj Krishnat and Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel and Sukumaran, Santhosh Babu and Nandakumar, T.} } @article {48170, title = {Screening of osmotic stress-tolerant bacteria for plant growth promotion in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under drought conditions}, journal = {Letters in Applied Microbiology}, volume = {75}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1286-1292}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Drought stress adversely affects plant growth and productivity. Therefore, the application of plant growth-promoting bacteria is a viable option for combating drought resistance in crops. In this study, 144 bacteria were isolated from the Kutch desert soil in Gujarat. Based on osmotic stress tolerance and PGP properties, two strains, Bacillus tequilensis (KS5B) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (KS5C) were tested for their effect on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) under drought stress conditions. Inoculation with osmotic stress-tolerant bacteria showed 15 center dot 15-29 center dot 27\% enhancement in root length of wheat and 15 center dot 27-32 center dot 59\% in brinjal plants. Similarly, the enhancement of shoot length ranged from 14 center dot 72 to 37 center dot 70\% for wheat and 59 center dot 39-95 center dot 94\% for brinjal plants. Furthermore, the inoculated plants showed significant improvement in chlorophyll content and antioxidant properties such as proline, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity compared to the control. Therefore, the bacterial strains identified in this study can be used to mitigate drought stress and enhance plant biomass.

}, keywords = {Antioxidant, brinjal, drought, plant growth, Wheat}, issn = {0266-8254}, doi = {10.1111/lam.13797}, author = {Patel, P. and Patil, T. and Maiti, S. and Paul, D. and Amaresan, N.} } @article {48178, title = {{\textquoteleft}Self-activating{\textquoteright} Bi3TaO7-Bi4TaO8Br photocatalyst and its use in the sustainable production of pro-fluorophoric rhodamine-110}, journal = {Green Chemistry}, volume = {24}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5514-5523}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We counter two common notions that (i) photocatalysts are likely to degrade during use with barely any strategy to counter it and (ii) rhodamine-B (RhB) photo-degradation lacks any useful or commercial prospects even after 53 years of its discovery by developing a photocatalyst that continues to improve its activity for similar to 300 h due to a leaching induced {\textquoteleft}self-activation{\textquoteright} process. Rhodamine-110 (Rh110) is a widely used pro-fluorophore in biological studies. However, its commercial production is highly challenging due to the formation of various side-products originating from the presence of the two labile amino side-groups that induce the pro-fluorophore activity, leading to purification difficulties, low yield, and unusually high costs. Herein, we demonstrate a facile strategy to produce pure Rh110 using extremely inexpensive RhB and Bi3TaO7-Bi4TaO8Br heterostructures as a catalyst in sunlight. The catalyst is not just stable over 30 catalytic cycles but also gets activated continuously in successive cycles to produce a reaction yield as high as 88\%. The role of the heterostructure, the origin of surface activation, and the RhB -\> Rh110 transformation mechanism have been established. Based on 150 days of sunlight experiments, large-scale production prospects (similar to 4000 times scale-up) and isolation of Rh110 have also been realized, paving a novel way for its production by anyone, inexpensive biological essaying, and device fabrication. Continuously improving catalysts are unknown and compensatory leaching of metal atoms from the catalyst surface may pave the way to realize them.

}, issn = {1463-9262}, doi = {10.1039/d2gc01574a}, author = {Banoo, Maqsuma and Chatterjee, Kaustav and Mondal, Sanjit and Vinod, C. P. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @article {48405, title = {Silver dependent enantiodivergent gold(i) catalysed asymmetric intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes: a theoretical study}, journal = {Catalysts}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {1392}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a theoretical study of the first silver-dependent enantiodivergent gold-catalysed reaction. The combination of a single chiral binuclear gold(I) chloride complex and silver perchlorate catalyses the asymmetric intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes and affords both enantiomers of the products by applying a simple solvent change from toluene to methanol. A gold-silver chloride adduct that occurs only in methanol appears to control the enantioinversion. If one gold atom coordinates and activates the alkene moiety, the other gold is included in an adduct with silver chloride, which coordinates a methanol solvent molecule and further interacts with the amine function. If the use of toluene implies free anions and affords (S)-enantiomer, methanol allows a proximal interaction with the amine, leads to an opposite stereodifferentiation of the two diastereomeric intermediates during the final protodeauration step and results in the (R)-enantiomer.

}, keywords = {alkene, enantiodivergent catalysis, Gold, hydroamination, Silver}, doi = {10.3390/catal12111392}, author = {Dixit, Ruchi and Sharma, Himanshu and Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine and Vanka, Kumar and Michon, Christophe} } @article {48351, title = {Small molecule quercetin binds MALAT1 triplex and modulates its cellular function}, journal = {Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids}, volume = {30}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {241-256}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The triple-helix structure at the 30 end of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), a long non -cod-ing RNA, has been considered to be a target for modulating the oncogenic functions of MALAT1. This study examines the binding of quercetin-a known triplex binding molecule-to the MALAT1 triplex. By employing UV-visible spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calo-rimetry, we observed that quercetin binds to the MALAT1 triplex with a stoichiometry of 1:1 and Kd of 495 +/- 61 nM, along with a negative change in free energy, indicating a spontaneous interaction. Employing real-time PCR measurements, we observed around 50\% downregulation of MALAT1 transcript levels in MCF7 cells, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments showed concomitantly reduced levels of MALAT1 in nuclear speckles. This interaction is likely a result of a direct interaction between the molecule and the RNA, as indicated by a transcription-stop experiment. Further, tran-scriptome-wide analysis of alternative splicing changes induced by quercetin revealed modulation of MALAT1 downstream genes. Collectively, our study shows that quercetin strongly binds to the MALAT1 triplex and modulates its functions. It can thus be used as a scaffold for further development of ther-apeutics or as a chemical tool to understand MALAT1 func-tions.

}, issn = {2162-2531}, doi = {10.1016/j.omtn.2022.09.016}, author = {Rakheja, Isha and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Ray, Arjun and Joshi, Dheeraj Chandra and Maiti, Souvi} } @article {48234, title = {SNP discovery and structural insights into OeFAD2 unravelling high oleic/linoleic ratio in olive oil}, journal = {Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal}, volume = {20}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1229-1243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fatty Acid Desaturase 2 (FAD2), a key enzyme in the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway, is involved in the desaturation and conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid. Therefore, it plays a crucial role in oleic/linoleic acid ratio and the quality of olive oil. DNA sequencing of 19 FAD2 genes from a set of olive oil varieties revealed several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and highlighted associations between some of the SNPs and saturated fatty acids contents. This was further confirmed by SNP-interaction and machine learning approach. Haplotype diversity analysis led to the discovery of three highly polymorphic SNPs and four haplotypes harboring differential oleic/linoleic acid ratios. Moreover, a combination of molecular modeling and docking experiments allowed a deeper and better understanding of the structure-function relationship of the FAD2 enzyme. Sequence patterns and variations involved in the regulation of the FAD2 activity were also identified. Furthermore, S82C and H213N substitutions in OeFAD2 make the Oueslati variety more interesting in terms of fatty acid profile and oleic acid level. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Research Network of Computational and Structural Biotechnology.

}, keywords = {docking, Fatty acid desaturase, Haplotype, machine learning, Oleic/linoleic acid ratio, Protein structure}, issn = {2001-0370}, doi = {10.1016/j.csbj.2022.02.028}, author = {Ben Ayed, Rayda and Moreau, Fabienne and Ben Hlima, Hajer and Rebai, Ahmed and Ercisli, Sezai and Kadoo, Narendra and Hanana, Mohsen and Assouguem, Amine and Ullah, Riaz and Ali, Essam A.} } @article {48211, title = {Spinel magnesium ferrite (MgFe2O4): a glycine-assisted colloidal combustion and its potentiality in gas-sensing application}, journal = {Chemosensors}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {361}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein, we describe the facile synthesis of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite and its potential use as a gas sensor using a straightforward and reliable sol-gel approach, i.e., the glycine-assisted auto-combustion route. The novelty in obtaining the sensing material via the auto-combustion route is its inherent simplicity and capability to produce the material at an industry scale. The said cost-effective process makes use of simple metal salts (Mg and Fe-nitrates) and glycine in an aqueous solution, which leads to the formation of spinel MgFe2O4 ferrite. A single-phase crystallinity with crystallite sizes ranging between 36 and 41 nm was observed for the synthesized materials using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The porous morphologies of the synthesized materials caused by auto-ignition during the combustion process were validated by the microscopic investigations. The EDS analysis confirmed the constituted elements such as Mg, Fe, and O, without any impurity peaks. The gas-sensing ability of the synthesized ferrites was examined to detect various reducing gases such as LPG, ethanol, acetone, and ammonia. The ferrite showed the highest response (\>80\%) toward LPG with the response and recovery times of 15 s and 23 s, respectively. Though the sensor responded low toward ammonia (similar to 30\%), its response and recovery times were very quick, i.e., 7 s and 9 s, respectively. The present investigation revealed that the synthesized ferrite materials are good candidates for fabricating high-performance sensors for reducing gases in real-world applications.

}, keywords = {Gas sensors, glycine combustion, MgFe2O4, reducing gases}, doi = {10.3390/chemosensors10090361}, author = {Nadargi, Digambar and Umar, Ahmad and Nadargi, Jyoti and Patil, Jayvant and Mulla, Imtiaz and Akbar, Sheikh and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {48134, title = {Sponge microflowers of NiCo2O4: a versatile material for high performance supercapacitor}, journal = {Journal of Porous Materials}, volume = {29}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1239-1252}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report the development of well optimised NiCo2O4 microflowers for high performance supercapacitor application. The efforts were made to optimise the electrode material by tuning the synthetic as well as electrolyte concentration parameters such as (i) hydrothermal reaction temperature, (ii) hydrothermal reaction time, (iii) sintering temperature, and (iv) electrolyte concentration. The physico-chemical and supercapacitive properties were analysed using TGA, XRD, SEM/TEM/HRTEM, XPS, BET, and electrochemical measurements. The well optimised electrode material was obtained at 150 degrees C hydrothermal reaction temperature, 12 h of hydrothermal reaction time, 300 degrees C sintering temperature, and 3 M KOH electrolyte concentration. The optimised sample displayed high specific -capacitance (1478 F/g), -energy density (16.5 Wh/kg), and -power density (248 W/kg). The specific capacitance can be retained to 97.61\% after 1000 cycles. The developed NiCo2O4 microflower structures are well optimised and offer great promise for future industrial applications.

}, keywords = {hydrothermal, Microflowers, Nickel cobaltite, supercapacitor}, issn = {1380-2224}, doi = {10.1007/s10934-022-01247-9}, author = {Ghadage, Ambar and Kodam, Pavan and Nadargi, Digambar and Shinde, K. P. and Mulla, Imtiaz and Park, J. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {48223, title = {Stacking herbicide detoxification and resistant genes improves glyphosate tolerance and reduces phytotoxicity in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.)}, journal = {Plant Physiology and Biochemistry}, volume = {189}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {126-138}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Glyphosate residues retained in the growing meristematic tissues or in grains of glyphosate-resistant crops affect the plants physiological functions and crop yield. Removing glyphosate residues in the plants is desirable with no penalty on crop yield and quality. We report a new combination of scientific strategy to detoxify glyphosate that reduces the residual levels and improve crop resistance. The glyphosate detoxifying enzymes Aldo-keto reductase (AKR1) and mutated glycine oxidase (mGO) with different modes of action were co-expressed with modified EPSPS, which is insensitive to glyphosate in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). The transgenic tobacco plants expressing individual PsAKR1, mGO, CP4-EPSPS, combinations of PsAKR1:CP4EPSPS, PsAKR1:mGO, and multigene with PsAKR1: mGO: CP4EPSPS genes were developed. The bio-efficacy studies of in-vitro leaf regeneration on different concentrations of glyphosate, seedling bioassay, and spray on transgenic tobacco plants demonstrate that glyphosate detoxification with enhanced resistance. Comparative analysis of the transgenic tobacco plants reveals that double and multigene expressing transgenics had reduced accumulation of shikimic acid, glyphosate, and its primary residue AMPA, and increased levels of sarcosine were observed in all PsAKR1 expressing transgenics. The multigene expressing rice transgenics showed improved glyphosate resis-tance with yield maintenance. In summary, results suggest that stacking genes with two different detoxification mechanisms and insensitive EPSPS is a potential approach for developing glyphosate-resistant plants with less residual content.

}, keywords = {Detoxification, Gene stacking, Glyphosate, Herbicide, Multigene, Residual toxicity, Resistant, rice, Tobacco, Transgenics}, issn = {0981-9428}, doi = {10.1016/j.plaphy.2022.08.025}, author = {Vennapusa, Amaranatha Reddy and Agarwal, Subham and Hm, Hanumanth Rao and Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam and Babitha, K. C. and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu and Kulkarni, Mahesh J. and Melmaiee, Kalpalatha and Sudhakar, Chinta and Udayakumar, M. and Vemanna, Ramu S.} } @article {47757, title = {Steroidal alkaloids defence metabolism and plant growth are modulated by the joint action of gibberellin and jasmonate signalling}, journal = {New Phytologist}, volume = {233}, year = {2022}, month = {FEB}, pages = {1220-1237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are protective metabolites constitutively produced by Solanaceae species. Genes and enzymes generating the vast structural diversity of SGAs have been largely identified. Yet, mechanisms of hormone pathways coordinating defence (jasmonate; JA) and growth (gibberellin; GA) controlling SGAs metabolism remain unclear. We used tomato to decipher the hormonal regulation of SGAs metabolism during growth vs defence tradeoff. This was performed by genetic and biochemical characterisation of different JA and GA pathways components, coupled with in vitro experiments to elucidate the crosstalk between these hormone pathways mediating SGAs metabolism. We discovered that reduced active JA results in decreased SGA production, while low levels of GA or its receptor led to elevated SGA accumulation. We showed that MYC1 and MYC2 transcription factors mediate the JA/GA crosstalk by transcriptional activation of SGA biosynthesis and GA catabolism genes. Furthermore, MYC1 and MYC2 transcriptionally regulate the GA signalling suppressor DELLA that by itself interferes in JA-mediated SGA control by modulating MYC activity through protein-protein interaction. Chemical and fungal pathogen treatments reinforced the concept of JA/GA crosstalk during SGA metabolism. These findings revealed the mechanism of JA/GA interplay in SGA biosynthesis to balance the cost of chemical defence with growth.}, keywords = {alpha-tomatine, defence, gibberellin (GA), growth, jasmonate (JA), steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs), Tomato}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/nph.17845}, author = {Panda, Sayantan and Jozwiak, Adam and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Szymanski, Jedrzej and Kazachkova, Yana and Vainer, Andrii and Kilambi, Himabindu Vasuki and Almekias-Siegl, Efrat and Dikaya, Varvara and Bocobza, Samuel and Shohat, Hagai and Meir, Sagit and Wizler, Guy and Giri, Ashok P. and Schuurink, Robert and Weiss, David and Yasuor, Hagai and Kamble, Avinash and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48088, title = {Structure-tailored surface oxide on Cu-Ga intermetallics enhances CO2 reduction selectivity to methanol at ultralow potential}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {34}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2109426}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO(2)RR) is performed on two intermetallic compounds formed by copper and gallium metals (CuGa2 and Cu9Ga4). Among them, CuGa2 selectively converts CO2 to methanol with remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 77.26\% at an extremely low potential of -0.3 V vs RHE. The high performance of CuGa2 compared to Cu9Ga4 is driven by its unique 2D structure, which retains surface and subsurface oxide species (Ga2O3) even in the reduction atmosphere. The Ga2O3 species is mapped by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) techniques and electrochemical measurements. The eCO(2)RR selectivity to methanol are decreased at higher potential due to the lattice expansion caused by the reduction of the Ga2O3, which is probed by in situ XAFS, quasi in situ powder X-ray diffraction, and ex situ XPS measurements. The mechanism of the formation of methanol is visualized by in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy and the source of the carbon of methanol at the molecular level is confirmed from the isotope-labeling experiments in presence of (CO2)-C-13. Finally, to minimize the mass transport limitations and improve the overall eCO(2)RR performance, a poly(tetrafluoroethylene)-based gas diffusion electrode is used in the flow cell configuration.

}, keywords = {(2) reduction, CO, Electrochemistry, Methanol}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202109426}, author = {Bagchi, Debabrata and Raj, Jithu and Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Cherevotan, Arjun and Roy, Soumyabrata and Manoj, Kaja Sai and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48060, title = {Studies in instant water disinfection using natural oils}, journal = {Biochemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {187}, year = {2022}, month = {NOV}, pages = {108631}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present research reveals an instant and simple process for drinking water treatment by employing specific natural oils having antimicrobial properties to ensure complete elimination of harmful bacteria. The disinfection was studied for two different model bacteria, Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive, S. aureus. Seven natural oils, ajwain, thyme, oregano, peppermint, harsingar, cinnamon leaf and black pepper oil were evaluated and were found to yield 100\% water disinfection within 1 min except for harsingar and black pepper oil. The process was also effective for the instant and 100\% disinfection of real well water. The methodology for altering zeta potential, to an extent of 130\%, for instant disinfection in drinking water treatment helps in selecting natural oils. Molecular docking studies indicated natural oils action as potential inhibitors of bacterial DNA gyrase. The studies indicate one of the lowest operating costs comparable to conventional chlorination. The simple meth-odology not requiring complex equipment has the potential to provide many options for implementations-from portability, household application to large scale water treatment plants.

}, keywords = {Bacteria removal, Natural oil, Technology, Water treatment, Zeta potential}, issn = {1369-703X}, doi = {10.1016/j.bej.2022.108631}, author = {Dixit, Divya and Bhandari, Vinay M. and Mane, Maya B. and Balapure, Kshama} } @article {48092, title = {Study on anisotropy in wire arc additively manufactured Inconel 625 multi-layered wall and its correlation with molten pool thermal history}, journal = {Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing}, volume = {840}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {142865}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the present study, the variation in molten pool thermal history with layer number during wire arc additive manufacturing of Inconel 625 wall was investigated. Further, its effect on the evolution of microstructure and anisotropy in mechanical and corrosion properties was reported. During the deposition process, the molten pool thermal history was monitored using a non-contact type IR pyrometer operating at 1.6 mu m wavelength. A total number of 40 layers were deposited, building a wall of 60 mm height. With an increase in layer number, the molten pool lifetime and cooling rate were found to increase and decrease, respectively, resulting in coarse grains and increased elemental segregation or Laves phase formation. To investigate its effect on mechanical properties, the samples were collected in a skewed fashion along the height with orientation in the deposition direction. The tensile specimens collected close to the substrate exhibited better strength and ductility, while the samples from the top location of the wall exhibited a relatively brittle mode of fracture, which was investigated by carrying out the fracture surface analysis using SEM. Corrosion test was also conducted along the height of the wall, wherein the samples close to substrate exhibited better corrosion resistance due to refined microstructure and low elemental segregations. Further, EDS, XRD analysis and hardness test were carried out to investigate the elemental composition, variation in phases and hardness with layer number, respectively.

}, keywords = {anisotropy, Layer number, mechanical properties, Molten pool thermal history, Wire arc additive manufacturing}, issn = {0921-5093}, doi = {10.1016/j.msea.2022.142865}, author = {Nagallapati, Vishwanath and Choudhary, Amit and Torris, Arun and Muvvala, Gopinath and Dadasaheb, Sagar Pawar and Gudur, Srinath Ellaswamy} } @article {48055, title = {Subcritical water hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine: hydrolysis mechanism, reaction pathways and optimization for selective production of 5-HMF and levulinic acid}, journal = {Carbohydrate Research}, volume = {516}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {108560}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, the subcritical water hydrolysis of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (NAG), a monomer of abundant renewable marine biopolymer chitin, for production of value-added chemicals is investigated. The enhanced ionization of water at subcritical conditions (200 degrees C; 50-100 bar), provides enough acidity for deacetylation of NAG resulting in 80\% yield of acetic acid along with traces of formic acid, lactic acid, glucose, fructose, 5hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF),etc. The significant humin formation indicates that the self-condensation and polymerisation of 5-HMF is favored in water at subcritical conditions. A catalyst p-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) was employed to selectively convert NAG to levulinic acid (LA) via ring opening of 5-HMF previously formed during hydrolysis. The maximum yield of 27.13 +/- 1\% and 53.46 +/- 1\% of 5-HMF and LA, respectively, was obtained at process conditions optimized using Box-Behnken design coupled with response surface methodology. Subcritical water enables greener conversion of NAG to platform chemicals wherein the selective production can be achieved by tuning the process conditions.

}, keywords = {5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, chitin, Glucosamine, levulinic acid, Response surface methodology, Subcritical water}, issn = {0008-6215}, doi = {10.1016/j.carres.2022.108560}, author = {Kulkarni, Sphurti Prakash and Dure, Shital N. and Joshi, Sunil S. and V. Pandare, Kiran and Mali, Nilesh A.} } @article {47824, title = {Surface alteration driven bi-functional catalytic activity of alkali niobate-N doped graphene composite for exalted oxygen electrochemistry}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {580}, year = {2022}, month = {APR}, pages = {152160}, type = {Article}, abstract = {In this work, we establish that surface reconstruction, oxygen vacancies {\textemdash}specifically those located on the catalyst surface, and high crystallinity can be effective in tuning the catalytic activity of perovskite oxides. We report a high-performance electrocatalyst with an orthorhombic perovskite structure (NaNbO3), having an anisotropic surface layer and high crystallinity that exhibits superior activity and durability for the bi-functional oxygen electrochemistry compared to that of a similar perovskite composition with an isotropic surface layer and low crystallinity. The improvement in the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is mainly attributed to the formation of an easy diffusion path on the surface layer due to the ionic movements, enhanced intrinsic activity of the catalytic sites resulting from the higher crystallinity, high oxygen vacancies and a large electrochemically active surface area. The sole key parameter in achieving all the acquired characteristics is the annealing temperature. We believe that the straightforward method of bringing the desired combination of properties by just tweaking the annealing temperature is handy and energy-efficient, and hence easily adoptable.}, keywords = {Bi-functionality, N-doped graphene, Oxygen Evolution Reaction, oxygen reduction reaction, perovskite, Surface reconstruction}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.152160}, author = {Suman Kumari Jhajharia and Shashaank Gupta and Zinoy Manappadan and Kaliaperumal Selvaraj and Myoor K. Padmanabhan and Roop L. Mahajan} } @article {48000, title = {Sustainable CO2 reduction on in (2)O(3 )with exclusive CO selectivity: catalysis and in situ valence band photoelectron spectral investigations}, journal = {ACS Sustainable Chemistry \& Engineering}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {MAR}, pages = {3521-3531}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study demonstrates a sustainable catalytic CO2 conversion to near 100\% CO selectivity at ambient pressure on In2O3. Critically, high CO yield could be observed at the cost of undesired methanation, using a lower than stoichiometric amount of hydrogen in the feed; 1:1 and 1:0.67 CO2:H-2 ratios exhibit 98-99.6\% CO selectivity with 25-38\% CO2 conversion between 773 and 873 K. CO2 and H-2 conversion under steady-state conditions at 773-873 K suggests a 1:1 ratio of adsorbed reactants (with 1:0.67 CO2:H-2 feed) on the catalyst surface, underscoring the presence of an ideal reactant composition for the reverse water-gas shift reaction, while H-2-rich feed compositions show the H-2-dominated surface. Surface electronic structure changes, under near-operating conditions, were explored with near ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (NAPPES), and the interesting findings are as follows: (a) A shift in the valence band to lower binding energy, up to 0.6 eV, was observed because of electron filling at high temperatures. (b) An observation of heterogeneous nature of the catalyst surface under NAPPES measurement conditions is attributed to the generation of active oxygen vacancy (O-v) sites, which in turn changes the work function of In2O3. (c) The above changes are found to be reversible, when the reaction was stopped. Vibrational features of the reactant molecules were observed to be broadened in the active temperature window of the catalyst supporting the heterogeneous character of the catalyst surface because of dynamic O-v generation. By optimizing gas hourly space velocity, CO2:H-2 ratio, and reaction temperature, exclusive CO selectivity is possible with a H-2:CO2 ratio of similar to 0.67, which will avoid the product separation stage altogether, while minimizing the expensive H-2 in the reactant feed.

}, keywords = {heterogeneous catalysis, Oxygen vacancy, photoelectron spectroscopy, RWGS, Work function}, issn = {2168-0485}, doi = {10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c07897}, author = {Mhamane, Nitin B. and Chetry, Sibo and Ranjan, Ravi and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48208, title = {Sustainable composite of SnFe2O4 conversion alloying anode for lithium-ion storage}, journal = {Sustainable Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {6}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG }, pages = {3806-3817}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of high-performance, low-cost electrodes using sustainable materials for Li-ion batteries is of vital importance in view of their increasing demand for use in electronics and electric vehicles, as we transition from non-renewable energy resources. Challenges associated with commercial graphite anode materials include relatively low capacity, the use of high-temperature synthesis, Li dendrite formation, and limited rate capability. In this study, we present a tin ferrite SnFe2O4 (SFO) conversion alloying material (CAM), and its synergistic composite with a scalable and low-cost waste-derived carbon (WDC), which was prepared by low-temperature pyrolysis of a waste material sustainably. The combination of SFO with the WDC in the composite boosts the conductivity, diffusion kinetics, stability, and reversibility, and accommodates volume expansion upon cycling. The first charge capacity obtained for WDC, SFO, and SFO-WDC is 595, 1269, and 1331 mA h g(-1), respectively at 100 mA g(-1) in a Li-ion half-cell. In a full cell fabricated with LFP, a stable capacity of 80 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1) could be obtained, and the corresponding energy density for the SFO-WDCIILFP full cell is 300 W h kg(-1). Kinetic studies revealed that capacitance-controlled charge storage is dominant so the capacity was higher in the composite. This composite system addresses both the low capacity issue of the carbon anode and stability issues of CAMs while being compatible for use with current Li-ion battery technology.

}, issn = {2398-4902}, doi = {10.1039/d2se00919f}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Parte, Golu and Malik, Wahid and Sabri, Ylias M. and Jones, Lathe A. and Shelke, V. Manjusha} } @article {48347, title = {Synergistic and competitive lipid interactions in the serotonin1A receptor microenvironment}, journal = {ACS Chemical Neuroscience}, volume = {13}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC }, pages = {3403-3415}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The interaction of lipids with G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) has been shown to modulate and dictate several aspects of GPCR organization and function. Diverse lipid interaction sites have been identified from structural biology, bioinformatics, and molecular dynamics studies. For example, multiple cholesterol interaction sites have been identified in the serotonin1A receptor, along with distinct and overlapping sphingolipid interaction sites. How these lipids interact with each other and what is the resultant effect on the receptor is still not clear. In this work, we have analyzed lipid-lipid crosstalk at the receptor of the serotonin1A receptor embedded in a membrane bilayer that mimics the neuronal membrane composition by long coarse-grain simulations. Using a set of similarity coefficients, we classified lipids that bind at the receptor together as synergistic cobinding, and those that bind individually as competitive. Our results show that certain lipids interact with the serotonin1A receptor in synergy with each other. Not surprisingly, the ganglioside GM1 and cholesterol show a synergistic cobinding, along with the relatively uncommon GM1-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and cholesterol-PE synergy. In contrast, certain lipid pairs such as cholesterol and sphingomyelin appear to be in competition at several sites, despite their coexistence in lipid nanodomains. In addition, we observed intralipid competition between two lipid tails, with the receptor exhibiting increased interactions with the unsaturated lipid tails. We believe our work represents an important step in understanding the diversity of GPCR-lipid interactions and exploring synergistic cobinding and competition in natural membranes.

}, keywords = {GPCR, lipid crosstalk, Martini coarse-grain simulations, Membrane cholesterol, neuronal membranes}, issn = {1948-7193}, doi = {10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00422}, author = {Mohole, Madhura and Sengupta, Durba and Chattopadhyay, Amitabha} } @article {48165, title = {Synthesis and antimycobacterial screening of a novel series of alpha-amino acids containing thiazole linker}, journal = {ARKIVOC}, year = {2022}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A small focused library of uncommon (S)-2-amino-3-(4-(((4-methyl-2-arylthiazol-5-yl)methyl)amino)phenyl) propanoic acid (5a-e) and (S)-2-amino-3-(4-(((2-arylthiazol-4-yl)methyl)amino)phenyl)propanoic acid (9a-d) derivatives have been efficiently synthesized by employing molecular simplification. The title compounds were screened for inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) and Mycobacterium bovis (BCG) strains. The cytotoxicity study was conducted against primary Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs), on two different human tumor cells HeLa, and HCT 116 and was observed non-toxic to host cells.

}, keywords = {Amino acid, antibacterial activity, Cytotoxicity, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, synthesis, Thiazole}, issn = {1551-7004}, doi = {10.24820/ark.5550190.p011.831}, author = {Nalawade, Jitendra L. and Mhaske, Pravin C. and Shinde, Abhijit D. and Chavan, Abhijit P. and Abhale, Yogita K. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Bobade, Vivek D.} } @article {48431, title = {Synthesis and ionic conductivity of calcium-doped ceria relevant to solid oxide fuel cell applications}, journal = {Materials Advances}, volume = {3}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {8780-8791}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Towards the development of green energy devices, it is necessary to focus on commercial electrolyte materials for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). Ca-doped ceria (CDC) samples having a composition of Ce(1-x)CaxO2-δ\ (0.03 <=\ x\ <= 0.1) were synthesized by a facile solid-state route and sintered at a lower temperature (1473 K). X-ray diffraction, Raman, X-ray photoelectron, Fourier-transform infrared, UV{\textendash}VIS diffuse reflectance, field emission scanning electron microscopy {\textendash} energy dispersive X-ray with elemental mapping, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques were used for the characterization of these CDC samples. The 0.10 CDC showed high oxide ion conductivity of 8.01 {\texttimes} 10-3\ S cm-1\ at 973 K with a lower activation energy of 0.78 eV. The 0.03 CDC, 0.05 CDC, and 0.07 CDC samples exhibited ionic conductivities of 1.66 {\texttimes} 10-4, 4.42 {\texttimes} 10-3, and 5.76 {\texttimes} 10-3\ S cm-1\ at 973 K with activation energies of 1.65, 1.01, and 0.92 eV, respectively. The present work aims to develop Ca-doped ceria as economically viable electrolytes for IT-SOFCs.

}, doi = {10.1039/D2MA00868H}, author = {Momin, Naeemakhtar and Manjanna, J. and Kobayashi, Satoru and Aruna, S. T. and Kumar, S. Senthil and Nayaka, G. P.} } @article {48376, title = {Synthesis of 2D MoO3-x/N-doped-carbon nanocomposites via in situ carbonization of layered (NH4)Mo3O9-(NH4)(2)Mo4O13-organic hybrid nanomaterials for exceptionally efficient adsorption and separation of organic dyes}, journal = {Environmental Science-Nano}, volume = {9}, year = {2022}, month = {DEC}, pages = {4508-4523}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

MoO3-x/N-doped-carbon (MoO3-x/N-C) nanocomposites with nanobelt structures were prepared by the in situ carbonization of the (NH4)Mo3O9-(NH4)(2)Mo4O13/oleylamine-oleic acid hybrids, and were designed using a two-step tailored nanoemulsion method followed by a solvothermal process. The MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites possess high stability in a wide pH range of 1-11. In addition to the formation mechanism, detailed studies on adsorption properties, including adsorption isotherms, kinetics, mechanism, and reusability of the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites were systematically studied. The effects of various parameters on the adsorption characteristics, such as adsorbate concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature, were also evaluated. The detailed investigation of the kinetics and adsorption mechanism of MB from an aqueous solution showed that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetics and intraparticle diffusion model. The adsorption isotherm study demonstrated that the Langmuir isotherm model could illustrate the experimental data with a maximum adsorption capacity value of similar to 1360 mg g(-1), which turns out to be the highest among the previously reported adsorbents based on MoO3 nanomaterials, and is attributed to multiple adsorption mechanisms including electrostatic, pi-pi stacking, and H-bonding interactions between the MB dye and the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites. Thermodynamic analysis suggested that MB adsorption onto the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites was spontaneous and endothermic. Additionally, the adsorption and desorption cycles were examined for 100 ppm aqueous MB solution, where the removal efficiency by the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites remained at similar to 99\% even after four regeneration cycles. Furthermore, the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites could selectively adsorb MB from a binary solution mixture containing two times higher concentrations of an anionic dye, methyl orange (MO), and the separation efficiency obtained was similar to 99\% at neutral pH. More significantly, the MoO3-x/N-C nanocomposites could successfully and simultaneously adsorb several cationic dyes, including MB, malachite green (MG), crystal violet (CV), safranin O (SO), and separate an anionic dye, MO, from quaternary and pentanary dye mixture solutions with a separation efficiency of similar to 75\% and 62\%, respectively, at neutral pH. To the best of our knowledge, the effective separation of a single component by molybdenum oxide-based nanomaterials via a simple batch separation technique from a four/five-component mixed interfering analyte, close to a real matrix system, in an aqueous medium at neutral pH has not been reported so far. Therefore, the MoO3-x-based nanocomposite could be a new promising material for application in dye wastewater treatment.

}, issn = {2051-8153}, doi = {10.1039/d2en00668e}, author = {Gaikwad, Supriya Hanmant and Porel Mukherjee, Shatabdi} } @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 {46623, title = {Synthesis of new thiazole and pyrazole clubbed 1,2,3-triazol derivatives as potential antimycobacterial and antibacterial agents}, journal = {Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds}, volume = {42}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {3216-3237}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

New series of 4-methyl-2-(4-substituted phenyl)-5-(4-((4-(4-substituted phenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)methyl)-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)thiazole, 6a-t and 4-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-((1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methyl )-1H-1,2,3-triazole, 11a-o derivatives have been synthesized by applying copper-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. The newly synthesized 1,3-thiazolyl-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole (6a-t) and bis-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole (11a-o) derivatives were screened for in vitro antimycobacterial activity against M. Tuberculosis H37Ra dormant and active and antibacterial activity against four pathogenic bacteria, E. coli (NCIM 2576), P. flurescence (NCIM 2059), S. aureus (NCIM 2602) and B. subtilis (NCIM 2162). Compounds 6a, 6f, 6j, 11e and 11m showed good activity against M tuberculosis H37Ra Active strain, also compounds 6g, 6h, 11f, 11n and 11o showed good activity against M tuberculosis H37Ra Dormant strain. Compounds 6b, 6i, 6l, 6o, 6r, 11k, 11l and 11m showed good activity against B. subtilis with IC50 1.99-2.96 mu g/mL. The antibacterial activity of thiazolyl-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole and bis-pyrazolyl-1,2,3-triazole derivatives suggested that, these derivatives could lead to new compounds for treatment against bacterial infection.

}, keywords = {123-Triazole, antibacterial activity, antimycobacterial activity, Pyrazole, Thiazole}, issn = {1040-6638}, doi = {10.1080/10406638.2020.1857272}, author = {Jagadale, Shivaji M. and Abhale, Yogita K. and Pawar, Hari R. and Shinde, Abhijit and Bobade, Vivek D. and Chavan, Abhijit P. and Sarkar, Dhiman and Mhaske, Pravin C.} } @article {48151, title = {Tailored synthesis of ultra-stable Au@Pd nanoflowers with enhanced catalytic properties using cellulose nanocrystals}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {292}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {119723}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A green strategy for the synthesis of bimetallic core-shell Au@Pd nanoflowers (NFs) employing banana pseudostem-derived TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC) as both capping and shape-directing agent via seed-mediated method is presented. Flower-like nanostructures of Au@Pd bound to TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals (TCNC-Au@Pd) were decorated on amino-functionalized graphene (NH2-RGO) without losing their unique structure, allowing them to be deployed as an efficient, reusable and a green alternative heterogeneous catalyst. The decisive role of TCNC in the structural metamorphosis of nanoparticle morphology were inferred from the structural and morphology analyses. According to our study, the presence of -OH rich TCNC appears to play a pivotal role in the structured evolution of intricate nanostructure morphology. The feasibility of the bio-supported catalyst has been investigated in two concurrently prevalent model catalytic reactions, namely the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the best model reactions in fuel cell and industrial catalytic applications, respectively.

}, keywords = {Au@Pd, catalysis, Cellulose nanocrystals, Nanoflowers, oxygen reduction reaction}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119723}, author = {Hakkeem, Hasna M. Abdul and Babu, Aswathy and Shilpa, Nagaraju and Venugopal, Adithya A. and Mohamed, A. P. and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Pillai, Saju} } @article {47730, title = {Tantalum based single, double, and triple atom catalysts supported on g-C2N monolayer for effective nitrogen reduction reaction: a comparative DFT investigation}, journal = {Catalysis Science \& Technology}, volume = {12}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {310-319}, type = {Article}, abstract = {Design of efficient and low cost electrocatalysts for the reduction of N-2 molecule to NH3 in a green manner remains a great challenge in the 21st century. Herein, we have used density functional theory based first principle simulations to systematically investigate the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) ability of single, double, and triple Ta-atom catalysts anchored to C2N monolayer. Our results demonstrate that the single and triple Ta-atom catalysts anchored to C2N monolayer act as superior catalysts for the NRR via alternating and distal pathways as compared to the Ru(0001) stepped surface. In particular, the triple Ta-atom catalyst anchored to C2N shows enhanced NRR performance with a limiting potential of -0.72 V which is comparable to the experimentally reported Ru based single atom catalyst. Further, all the three catalysts were found to be highly selective for NRR with an enhanced ability to suppress the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction. Electronic structure analysis revealed that the enhanced ability of Ta-3@C2N catalyst to effectively capture and reduce N-2 molecule could be attributed to the built up of localized d states near the fermi level, thereby aiding in strong electron transfer into the antibonding orbitals of N-2. Thus, our findings propose a highly active catalyst for the NRR with an emphasis on the importance of triple atom-based catalysts for electrocatalytic applications.}, issn = {2044-4753}, doi = {10.1039/d1cy01292d}, author = {Rasool, Anjumun and Anis, Insha and Dixit, Mudit and Maibam, Ashakiran and Hassan, Afshana and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Dar, Manzoor Ahmad} } @article {48403, title = {Temporal analysis of melanogenesis identifies fatty acid metabolism as key skin pigment regulator}, journal = {Plos Biology}, volume = {20}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e3001634}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Therapeutic methods to modulate skin pigmentation has important implications for skin cancer prevention and for treating cutaneous hyperpigmentary conditions. Towards defining new potential targets, we followed temporal dynamics of melanogenesis using a cell-autonomous pigmentation model. Our study elucidates 3 dominant phases of synchronized metabolic and transcriptional reprogramming. The melanogenic trigger is associated with high MITF levels along with rapid uptake of glucose. The transition to pigmented state is accompanied by increased glucose channelisation to anabolic pathways that support melanosome biogenesis. SREBF1-mediated up-regulation of fatty acid synthesis results in a transient accumulation of lipid droplets and enhancement of fatty acids oxidation through mitochondrial respiration. While this heightened bioenergetic activity is important to sustain melanogenesis, it impairs mitochondria lately, shifting the metabolism towards glycolysis. This recovery phase is accompanied by activation of the NRF2 detoxication pathway. Finally, we show that inhibitors of lipid metabolism can resolve hyperpigmentary conditions in a guinea pig UV-tanning model. Our study reveals rewiring of the metabolic circuit during melanogenesis, and fatty acid metabolism as a potential therapeutic target in a variety of cutaneous diseases manifesting hyperpigmentary phenotype.

}, issn = {1544-9173}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pbio.3001634}, author = {Sultan, Farina and Basu, Reelina and Murthy, Divya and Kochar, Manisha and Attri, Kuldeep S. and Aggarwal, Ayush and Kumari, Pooja and Dnyane, Pooja and Tanwar, Jyoti and Motiani, Rajender K. and Singh, Archana and Gadgil, Chetan and Bhavesh, Neel Sarovar and Singh, Pankaj K. and Natarajan, Vivek T. and Gokhale, Rajesh S.} } @article {48113, title = {Thallium(III) p-tosylate (TTS) mediated oxidative rearrangement of 2-naphthyl and 2-heteroarylchromanones}, journal = {Indian Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {923-927}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A practical and effective approach towards the synthesis of 3-hetroaryl-4H-chromen-4-ones by the oxidative rearrangement of the respective 2-hetroaryl chroman-4-ones using thallium(III) p-tosylate is described. The oxidative rearrangement of alpha and beta-naphthyl and thiophene behave like aryl groups. However, pyridyl groups give only the dehydrogenated product.

}, keywords = {2-(3-pyridyl)chromones, 2-(4-pyridyl)chromones, 2-and 3-(2-theinyl)chromones, 2-and 3-(3-theinyl)chromones, 2-and 3-(?-naphthyl) chromones, Dehydrogenation, Oxidative rearrangements, thallium(III) acetate, thallium(III) p-tosylate}, issn = {0019-5103}, doi = {10.56042/ijc.v61i9.66341}, author = {Kurapati, Chidvilas and Muthukrishnan, M. and Singh, V. Om and Gundla, Rambabu} } @article {47675, title = {Thallium(III) p-tosylate-mediated oxidative [1,2] rearrangement of 2-naphthyl and 2-heteroarylchromanones}, journal = {Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry}, volume = {59}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN}, pages = {172-177}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A practical and effective approach towards the synthesis of 3-heteroaryl-4H-chromen-4-ones by the oxidative [1,2] rearrangement of the respective 2-heteroaryl chroman-4-ones using thallium(III) p-tosylate is presented. The oxidative rearrangement of alpha- and beta-naphthyl and thiophene substituents behaves like aryl groups; However, pyridyl substituents gave only dehydrogenated products.}, issn = {0022-152X}, doi = {10.1002/jhet.4377}, author = {Kurapati, Chidvilas and Muthukrishnan, Murugan and Singh, V. Om and Gundla, Rambabu} } @article {47771, title = {Thermodynamics and its correlation with dynamics in a mean-field model and pinned systems: a comparative study using two different methods of entropy calculation}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {156}, year = {2022}, month = {JAN }, pages = {014503}, type = {Article}, abstract = {A recent study introduced a novel mean-field model system where each particle over and above the interaction with its regular neighbors interacts with k extra pseudo-neighbors. Here, we present an extensive study of thermodynamics and its correlation with the dynamics of this system. We surprisingly find that the well-known thermodynamic integration (TI) method of calculating the entropy provides unphysical results. It predicts vanishing of the configurational entropy at temperatures close to the onset temperature of the system and negative values of the configurational entropy at lower temperatures. Interestingly, well below the temperature at which the configurational entropy vanishes, both the collective and the single-particle dynamics of the system show complete relaxation. Negative values of the configurational entropy are unphysical, and complete relaxation when the configurational entropy is zero violates the prediction of the random first-order transition theory (RFOT). However, the entropy calculated using the two-phase thermodynamics (2PT) method remains positive at all temperatures for which we can equilibrate the system, and its values are consistent with RFOT predictions. We find that with an increase in k, the difference in the entropy computed using the two methods increases. A similar effect is also observed for a system where a randomly selected fraction of the particles are pinned in their positions in the equilibrated liquid. We show that the difference in entropy calculated via the 2PT and TI methods increases with pinning density.}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0065668}, author = {Nandi, Ujjwal Kumar and Patel, Palak and Moid, Mohd and Nandi, Manoj Kumar and Sengupta, Shiladitya and Karmakar, Smarajit and Maiti, Prabal K. and Dasgupta, Chandan and Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra} } @article {48033, title = {Thiocyanate- and thiol-functionalized p-doped quantum dot colloids for the development of bulk homojunction solar cells}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP}, pages = {2200455}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Progress in device engineering and surface passivation strategies has led to steady progress in colloidal quantum dot (QD) solar cells. Bulk homojunction (BHJ) device architecture has several advantages over the conventional planar junction in developing QD solar cells. Herein, surface ligand chemistry is utilized to control the doping type and dispersibility of oppositely doped PbS QDs to develop BHJ solar cells. Thiocyanate and thiol ligand combination is introduced to develop p-PbS QD ink, which is blended with halide-passivated n-PbS QDs to build BHJ solar cells. It is shown that BHJ solar cells are benefited from high energy offset and higher hole mobility. This leads to the superior carrier extraction from a thicker active layer without compromising fill factor and open circuit voltage. Power conversion efficiency has reached 10.7\% in 530 nm-thick BHJ solar cells, a 24\% improvement over the best performing planar solar cells. With the help of the 1D solar cell capacitance simulator, it is shown that a 15\% efficient QD solar cell can be realized by further improving the hole mobility above 0.1 cm(2) V-1 s(-1).

}, keywords = {bulk homojunctions, Doping, quantum dots, solar cells, surface functionalization}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.202200455}, author = {Dambhare, V. Neha and Sharma, Ashish and Mahajan, Chandan and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {48230, title = {Transcriptional and translational perturbation in abiotic stress induced physiological activities and metabolic pathway networks in spongy tissue disorder of mango fruit}, journal = {Postharvest Biology and Technology}, volume = {188}, year = {2022}, month = {JUN}, pages = {111880}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Spongy tissue formation is economically the most detrimental but agriculturally less focused physiological disorder in mango. {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} cultivar is highly prone to oxidative stress induced spongy tissue disorder impacting biochemical and metabolic profile, thereby affecting pulp quality and nutritional value of the fruit. In the present study, comparative analysis of spongy and healthy mesocarp tissues of {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} mango by transcriptomics using Illumina sequencing and proteomics using LC-MS approaches, respectively identified and quantified many genes and proteins in the metabolic pathways responsible for the spongy tissue development. The table green and the mid ripe stages of {\textquoteleft}Alphonso{\textquoteright} fruit ripening were evaluated by the transcriptomic study and outcomes were validated using proteomic investigations for all the four ripening stages. Colossal amount of data including 30,582 transcripts, 10,800 gene ontologies and 387 putative proteins was generated from this analysis. Current multi-omics exploration revealed the development of abiotic stress (mainly oxidative stress) induced perturbations in various metabolic pathways and their interconnections, leading to the spongy tissue formation in mango. This further unfolded the altered cell wall degradation, ethylene and flavonoid biosynthesis, fruit ripening and flavor formation, thus hampering the fruit specific characteristics in mango with spongy tissue disorder.

}, keywords = {Oxidative stress, Proteome, spongy tissue disorder, Transcriptome, {\textquoteleft} Alphonso {\textquoteleft} mango}, issn = {0925-5214}, doi = {10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111880}, author = {Oak, Pranjali and Jha, Vineet and Deshpande, Ashish and Tanpure, Rahul and Dawkar, Vishal and Mundhe, Swapnil and Ghuge, Sandeep and Prabhudesai, Shrikant and Krishanpal, Anamika and Jere, Abhay and Giri, Ashok and Gupta, Vidya} } @article {48144, title = {Trap inlaid cationic hybrid composite material for efficient segregation of toxic chemicals from water}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG }, pages = {e202203385}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Metal-based oxoanions are potentially toxic pollutants that can cause serious water pollution. Therefore, the segregation of such species has recently received significant research attention. Even though several adsorbents have been employed for effective management of chemicals, their limited microporous nature along with non-monolithic applicability has thwarted their large-scale real-time application. Herein, we developed a unique anion exchangeable hybrid composite aerogel material (IPcomp-6), integrating a stable cationic metal-organic polyhedron with a hierarchically porous metal-organic gel. The composite scavenger demonstrated a highly selective and very fast segregation efficiency for various hazardous oxoanions such as, HAsO42-, SeO42-, ReO4-, CrO42-, MnO4-, in water, in the presence of 100-fold excess of other coexisting anions. The material was able to selectively eliminate trace HAsO42- even at low concentration to well below the As-v limit in drinking water defined by WHO.

}, keywords = {Aerogel, Chemical Separation, Hybrid composite, Metal-Organic Gel, Metal-Organic Polyhedra}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202203385}, author = {Fajal, Sahel and Mandal, Writakshi and Mollick, Samraj and More, Yogeshwer D. and Torris, Arun and Saurabh, Satyam and Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article {48153, title = {Trap inlaid cationic hybrid composite material for efficient segregation of toxic chemicals from water (vol 61, e202203385, 2022)}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie-International Edition}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {e202212921}, type = {Correction}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.202212921}, author = {Fajal, Sahel and Mandal, Writakshi and Mollick, Samraj and More, Yogeshwer D. and Torris, Arun and Saurabh, Satyam and Shirolkar, Mandar M. and Ghosh, Sujit K.} } @article {48051, title = {Tridentate NacNac stabilized tin and nickel complexes: access to a monomeric nickel hydride and its catalytic application}, journal = {Inorganic Chemistry}, volume = {61}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT}, pages = {17370-17377}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The transmetalation reaction of picolyl-supported tridentate nacnac germylene monochloride [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC-(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]GeCl (1) (py = pyridine) with SnCl2 results in an analogous stannylene chloride (2). The three -coordinated stannylenium cation [{2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC-(Me)NH(CH2py)}Sn]+ with SnCl3- as a counteranion (3) has been generated through the abstraction of chloride ligand from 2 using an additional equivalent of SnCl2. Instead of forming a donor-acceptor complex, 2 undergoes a facile redox trans-metalation reaction with Ni(COD)2 (COD = cyclooctadiene) and CuCl to afford analogous nickel and copper complexes [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]MCl [M = Ni (4) and Cu (5)]. The reactions of 4 with potassium tri-sec-butylborohydride (commonly known as K-selectride) and AgSbF6 provide access to monomeric Ni(II) hydride, [2,6-iPr2-C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)]NiH (6) and a Ni(II) cation, [{2,6-iPr2- C6H3NC(Me)CHC(Me)NH(CH2py)}Ni][SbF6] (7), respectively. 6 was found to be an effective catalyst for the hydroboration of amides.

}, issn = {0020-1669}, doi = {10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03227}, author = {Pahar, Sanjukta and Sharma, Vishal and Mahata, Biplab and George, Christy P. and Sharma, Himanshu and Vanka, Kumar and Sen, Sakya S.} } @article {48212, title = {Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap MS/MS-based profiling and quantification of limonoids in Meliaceae plants}, journal = {Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry}, volume = {414}, year = {2022}, month = {AUG}, pages = {6093-6106}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Meliaceae plants have been extensively used in agriculture, folklore, and traditional medicine. They are the major storehouses for structurally diverse limonoids (meliacins) possessing various bioactivities like antifeedant, insecticidal, antimicrobial, etc. However accurate detection of these tetranortriterpenes from the vast pool of metabolites in plant tissue extracts or biological sample is a crucial challenge. Though the mass spectrum (MS) provides the molecular mass and the corresponding elemental composition, it cannot be relied precisely. The exact identification of a specific metabolite demands the MS/MS spectrum containing the signature product ions. In the present study, we have developed the UHPLC Q-Orbitrap-based method for identification, quantification, and characterization of limonoids in different plant tissue extracts requiring minimum plant material. Using this method, we carried out the limonoid profiling in different tissue extracts of sixteen Meliaceae plants and the identification of limonoids was performed by comparing the retention time (RT), ESI-(+)-MS spectrum, and HCD-MS/MS of the purified fifteen limonoids used as reference standards. Our results revealed that early intermediates of the limonoid biosynthetic pathway such as azadiradione, epoxyazadiradione, and gedunin occurred more commonly in Meliaceae plants. The MS/MS spectrum library of the fifteen limonoids generated in this study can be utilized for identification of these limonoids in other plant tissue extracts, botanical fertilizers, agrochemical formulations, and bio pesticides.

}, keywords = {LC-HRMS, LC-MS/MS, Limonoids, Meliaceae, Natural product, Quantification}, issn = {1618-2642}, doi = {10.1007/s00216-022-04169-2}, author = {Mulani, Fayaj A. and Nandikol, Sharvani S. and Kajjihundi, Jagadeesh S. and Pathappa, Niranjana and Puttappa, Sharanappa and Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu} } @article {48199, title = {Understanding the effect of sodium polyphosphate on improving the chemical stability of Ti3C2Tz MXene in water}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {10}, year = {2022}, month = {OCT }, pages = {22016-22024}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Degradation of MXenes in aqueous environments severely limits the application and industrialization of this large family of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Hydrolysis and oxidation are now considered as two main degradation mechanisms and while significant efforts have been directed to prolonging the shelf-life of MXenes, separating and studying their degradation mechanisms have lagged behind. Herein, gas analysis via gas chromatography and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the effect of sodium polyphosphate, PP, on the degradation of Ti3C2Tz MXene. Transmission and scanning electron microscopies, as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopywere also used as complimentary techniques to support conclusions derived from gas analysis and to confirm the extent of degradation via characterization of solid reaction products. Based on these studies we have determined that the addition of PP to an equal mass of Ti3C2Tz solution can effectively suppress hydrolysis and protect Ti3C2Tz from degradation.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d2ta04009c}, author = {Huang, Shuohan and Natu, Varun and Tao, Jingyi and Xia, Yumin and Mochalin, Vadym N. and Barsoum, Michel W.} } @article {48416, title = {Viscoelastic covalent organic nanotube fabric via macroscopic entanglement}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {144}, year = {2022}, month = {SEP }, pages = {16052-16059}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Covalent organic nanotubes (CONTs) are one-dimensional porous frameworks constructed from organic building blocks via dynamic covalent chemistry. CONTs are synthesized as insoluble powder that restricts their potential applications. The judicious selection of 2,2{\textquoteright}-bipyridine-5,5{\textquoteright}-dicarbaldehyde and tetraaminotriptycene as building blocks for TAT-BPy CONTs has led to constructing flexible yet robust and self-standing fabric up to 3 mu m thickness. The TAT-BPy CONTs and TAT-BPy CONT fabric have been characterized by solid-state one-dimensional (1D) C-13 CP-MAS, two-dimensional (2D) C-13-H-1 correlation NMR, 2D H-1-H-1 DQ-SQ NMR, and 2D N-14-H-1 correlation NMR spectroscopy. The mechanism of fabric formation has been established by using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The as-synthesized viscoelastic TAT-BPy CONT fabric exhibits high mechanical strength with a reduced modulus (E-r) of 8 (+/- 3) GPa and hardness (H) of 0.6 (+/- 0.3) GPa. Interestingly, the viscoelastic fabric shows time-dependent elastic depth recovery up to 50-70\%.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.2c06133}, author = {Koner, Kalipada and Das, Susobhan and Mohata, Shibani and Duong, Nghia Tuan and Nishiyama, Yusuke and Kandambeth, Sharath and Karak, Suvendu and Reddy, C. Malla and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48078, title = {Visible light-promoted, photocatalyst-free C(sp(2))-H bond functionalization of indolizines via EDA complexes}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {2022}, year = {2022}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e202200261}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The catalyst and additive-free, photo-driven cross dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction initiated by electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complexes between electron rich indolizines and electron poor quinones has been demonstrated. This green transformation reveals the advantages of operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions and good functional group tolerances.

}, keywords = {Blue LED, CDC, EDA, Indolizine, Quinone}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202200261}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Rupanawar, Bapurao D. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {48437, title = {Water-controlled keto-enol tautomerization of a prebiotic nucleobase}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry B}, volume = {126}, year = {2022}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5735{\textendash}5743}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Barbituric acid is believed to be a proto-RNA nucleobase that was used for biological information transfer on prebiotic earth before DNA and RNA in their present forms evolved. Nucleobases have various tautomeric forms and the relative stability of these forms is critical to their biological function. It has been shown that barbituric acid has a tri-keto form in the gas phase and an enol form in the solid state. However, its dominant tautomeric form in aqueous medium that is most relevant for biology has been investigated only to a limited extent and the findings are inconclusive. We have used multiple approaches, namely, molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, NMR, and IR spectroscopy to determine the most stable tautomer of barbituric acid in solution. We find a delicate balance in the stability of the two tautomers, tri-keto and enol, which is tipped toward the enol as the extent of solvation by water increases.

}, issn = {1520-6106}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c02507}, author = {Datar, Avdhoot and Paithankar, Harshad and Deb, Pranab and Chugh, Jeetender and Bagchi, Sayan and Mukherjee, Arnab and Hazra, Anirban} } @article {48335, title = {2D layered nanomaterials as fillers in polymer composite electrolytes for lithium batteries}, journal = {Advanced Energy Materials}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Polymer composite electrolytes (PCEs), i.e., materials combining the disciplines of polymer chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and electrochemistry, have received tremendous attention within academia and industry for lithium-based battery applications. While PCEs often comprise 3D micro- or nanoparticles, this review thoroughly summarizes the prospects of 2D layered inorganic, organic, and hybrid nanomaterials as active (ion conductive) or passive (nonion conductive) fillers in PCEs. The synthetic inorganic nanofillers covered here include graphene oxide, boron nitride, transition metal chalcogenides, phosphorene, and MXenes. Furthermore, the use of naturally occurring 2D layered clay minerals, such as layered double hydroxides and silicates, in PCEs is also thoroughly detailed considering their impact on battery cell performance. Despite the dominance of 2D layered inorganic materials, their organic and hybrid counterparts, such as 2D covalent organic frameworks and 2D metal-organic frameworks are also identified as tuneable nanofillers for use in PCE. Hence, this review gives an overview of the plethora of options available for the selective development of both the 2D layered nanofillers and resulting PCEs, which can revolutionize the field of polymer-based solid-state electrolytes and their implementation in lithium and post-lithium batteries.

}, keywords = {2D materials, clay minerals, covalent organic frameworks, metal-organic frameworks, MXene, polymer composite electrolyte, solid-state batteries}, issn = {1614-6832}, doi = {10.1002/aenm.202203326}, author = {Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Ghosh, Meena and Asokan, Kiran and Sukumaran, Santhosh Babu and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Mindemark, Jonas and Brandell, Daniel and Winter, Martin and Nair, Jijeesh Ravi} } @article {48317, title = {Accelerated Rauhut-Currier dimerization enabled the synthesis of (+/-)-incarvilleatone and anticancer studies}, journal = {Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {204-211}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The total synthesis of racemic incarvilleatone has been achieved by utilizing unexplored accelerated Rauhut-Currier (RC) dimeriza-tion. The other key steps of the synthesis are oxa-Michael and aldol reactions in a tandem sequence. Racemic incarvilleatone was separated by chiral HPLC and the configuration of each enantiomer was determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. In addition, a one-pot synthesis of (+/-)-incarviditone has been achieved from rac-rengyolone by using KHMDS as a base. We have also assessed the anticancer activity of all the synthesized compounds in breast cancer cells nonetheless, they exhibited very limited growth suppression activity.

}, keywords = {dimerization, incarviditone, incarvilleatone, oxa-Michael, Rauhut-Currier}, issn = {1860-5397}, doi = {10.3762/bjoc.19.19}, author = {Kotammagari, Tharun K. and Misra, Sweta and Paul, Sayantan and Kunte, Sunita and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Santra, Manas K. and Bhattacharya, Asish K.} } @article {48326, title = {Antiviral and ROS scavenging potential of Carica papaya Linn and Psidium guajava leaves extract against HIV-1 infection}, journal = {BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies}, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {82}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antiretroviral therapy is the only treatment option for HIV-infected patients; however, it has certain drawbacks in terms of developing multiple toxic side effects. Thus, there is a continuous need to explore safe and efficacious anti-retroviral agents. Carica papaya Linn and Psidium guajava are known for their various biological activities. In this study, we characterized the bioactive fractions of methanolic leaves extract from both plants using the High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) technique, followed by the investigation of their potential as anti-HIV-1 and antioxidant agents through in vitro mechanistic assays. The anti-HIV-1 activity was examined in TZM-bl cells through luciferase gene assay against two different clades of HIV-1 strains, whereas the intracellular ROS generation was analyzed by Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting. Additionally, the mechanisms of action of these phyto-extracts were determined through the Time-of-addition assay. The characterization of Carica papaya Linn and Psidium guajava leaves extract through HR-ESI-MS fragmentation showed high enrichment of various alkaloids, glycosides, lipids, phenolic compounds, terpenes, and fatty acids like bioactive constituents. Both the phyto-extracts were found to be less toxic and exhibited potent antiviral activity against HIV-1 strains. Furthermore, the phyto-extracts also showed a decreased intracellular ROS in HIV-1 infected cells due to their high antioxidant potential. Overall, our study suggests the anti-HIV-1 potential of Carica papaya Linn and Psidium guajava leaves extract due to the synergistic action of multiple bioactive constituents.

}, keywords = {anti-HIV-1 activity, Anti-retroviral, Bioactive constituents, Carica papaya Linn, Cytotoxicity, HR-ESI-MS, Psidium guajava, reactive oxygen species}, doi = {10.1186/s12906-023-03916-x}, author = {Jadaun, Pratiksha and Shah, Prachibahen and Harshithkumar, R. and Said, Madhukar S. and Bhoite, Shubhangi P. and Bokuri, Sowmya and Ravindran, Selvan and Mishra, Neetu and Mukherjee, Anupam} } @article {48704, title = {Baby step in assembling and integrating the components of an artificial photosynthesis device with forced heterojunctions towards improved efficiency}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {15168-15182}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

How to achieve unassisted, economical, scalable, and sustainable artificial photosynthesis for liquid fuels/products with improved solar-to-fuel efficiency (STFE) to address a carbon-neutral economy remains a big question. To a large degree, the extent of charge separation at heterojunction interfaces and charge utilization determine the STFE. Towards this, BiVO3 is assembled from ionic-precursors into TiO2 pores, and integrated structurally and electronically with TiO2 on calcination as BiVO4 quantum dots (BVQDs). BVQDs in TiO2 (BVT) pores lead to an all-inorganic system with a sub-quadrillion number of heterojunctions in a 1 cm(2) device (contains similar to 25 mu g of BiVO4 (similar to 2.5 wt\%) in the nanopores of similar to 975 mu g of TiO2 (similar to 97.5 wt\%)) and facilitate artificial photosynthesis. We demonstrate 31-38\% STFE with a photon to chemical conversion turn over frequency (ToF(P2C)) of 2.73 s(-1) with a 1 cm(2) wireless BiVO4-TiO2 artificial leaf (BVT-AL) device for HCHO and CH3OH. The sequential nature of CO2 reduction to HCHO and then to CH3OH is evident from the reaction results. (CO2)-C-13 isotopic labeling experiments confirm that the input CO2 is the source for product formation. A large increase in the photocurrent density and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of BVT, over 100\% for the BiVO4 photoanode in visible light, demonstrates and supports efficient visible light absorption, charge separation and migration to the redox sites. A device has been demonstrated to show sustainable activity in direct sunlight, and addresses scalability from 1 to 9 cm(2). Assuming no change (50\% decrease) in the STFE, a 6.74 m(2) device is expected to convert 1 (0.5) kg h(-1) CO2 into C1-oxygenates in sunlight. DFT calculations carried out with anatase TiO2 (101) and BiVO4 (121) interfaces support many of the experimental findings, including electron flow from the latter to the former, and interaction of the oxygen of TiO2 with BiVO4 and vice versa at the interface towards forced heterojunctions.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d3ta01850d}, author = {Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Bajpai, Himanshu and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Nalajala, Naresh and Chauhan, Inderjeet and Thakkar, Kavita and Joshi, Kavita and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48473, title = {Bacterial communities and diversity of western ghats soil: a study of a biodiversity hotspot}, journal = {Current Microbiology}, volume = {80}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {108}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Western Ghats is one of India{\textquoteright}s mega-diversity hotspots and an ecologically and geologically important area for the diversity of endemic plants and animals. The present study provides insights into the aerobic bacterial diversity and composition of the soils of North Western Ghats located in Maharashtra state (NWGM), India. The samples for the culture-dependent study were collected from 6 different locations namely Malshej Ghat, Bhimashankar, Lonavala, Mulshi, Tail-Baila, and Mahabaleshwar. A total of 173 isolates were obtained from the different samples, which belonged to Proteobacteria (43\%), Firmicutes (36\%), and Actinobacteria (19\%). Sequences of 15 strains shared \<= 98.7\% similarity (a species cut-off) which represent potential novel species. Metagenomic analysis revealed the presence of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria as the most dominant phyla at both MB and MG. However, both sites showed variation in the composition of rare phyla and other dominant phyla. This difference in bacterial community composition could be due to differences in altitude or other physicochemical properties. The functional prediction from the amplicon sequencing showed the abundance of carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism which was corroborated by screening the isolated bacterial strains for the same. The present study has a unique take on microbial diversity and defines the importance of community assembly processes such as drift, dispersal, and selection. Such processes are relatively important in controlling community diversity, distribution, as well as succession. This study has shown that the microbial community of NWGM is a rich source of polysaccharide degrading bacteria having biotechnological potential.

}, issn = {0343-8651}, doi = {10.1007/s00284-023-03207-1}, author = {Ghare, Uma and Narvekar, Simran and Lodha, Tushar and Mallebhari, Rubiya and Dastager, Syed and Barvkar, Vitthal T. and Dhotre, Dhiraj and Karmalkar, Nitin R. and Pable, Anupama A.} } @article {48816, title = {BAHD-type acyltransferase concludes the biosynthetic pathway of non-bitter glycoalkaloids in ripe tomato fruit}, journal = {Nature Communications}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {4540}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

During tomato fruit ripening, bitter and toxic steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are converted to nonbitter and less toxic forms, but proposed acylating enzyme in pathway remain unknown. Here, authors report BAHD-type acyltransferase that catalyze acylation step in biosynthesis of non-bitter SGAs in tomato. Tomato is the highest value fruit and vegetable crop worldwide, yet produces \& alpha;-tomatine, a renowned toxic and bitter-tasting anti-nutritional steroidal glycoalkaloid (SGA) involved in plant defense. A suite of modifications during tomato fruit maturation and ripening converts \& alpha;-tomatine to the non-bitter and less toxic Esculeoside A. This important metabolic shift prevents bitterness and toxicity in ripe tomato fruit. While the enzymes catalyzing glycosylation and hydroxylation reactions in the Esculeoside A pathway have been resolved, the proposed acetylating step remains, to date, elusive. Here, we discovered that GAME36 (GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM36), a BAHD-type acyltransferase catalyzes SGA-acetylation in cultivated and wild tomatoes. This finding completes the elucidation of the core Esculeoside A biosynthetic pathway in ripe tomato, allowing reconstitution of Esculeoside A production in heterologous microbial and plant hosts. The involvement of GAME36 in bitter SGA detoxification pathway points to a key role in the evolution of sweet-tasting tomato as well as in the domestication and breeding of modern cultivated tomato fruit.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-023-40092-5}, author = {Sonawane, Prashant D. and Gharat, Sachin A. and Jozwiak, Adam and Barbole, Ranjit and Heinicke, Sarah and Almekias-Siegl, Efrat and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and O{\textquoteright}Connor, Sarah E. and Giri, Ashok P. and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48465, title = {Benign strategy toward mesoporous carbon coated Sb nanoparticles: a high-performance Li-ion/Na-ion batteries anode}, journal = {Solid State Ionics}, volume = {396}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {116243}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Antimony (Sb)-based anodes can offer excellent gravimetric capacity (-660 mAhg(1)) in lithium-ion/sodium-ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs) fabricated using carbonate-based electrolytes complexed with lithium/sodium salt. However, high first-cycle irreversible loss (35-40\%) and gradual capacity fade (25-30\%/cycle) originate from solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), and severe volumetric stress (-300\%) associated with alloyed phase(s) impede reallife applications. Herein, we devise a benign strategy to develop mesoporous carbon coating onto antimony nanoparticles (Sb@C) based core-shell architecture for LIBs/SIBs anode. In particular, -30-50 nm thick mesoporous carbon spheres (-1 +/- 0.5 mu m) were obtained from resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF)-based polycondensation reaction by sol-gel chemistry engulfing Sb nanoparticles by suitably controlling Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-induced steric stabilization and pH modulation during synthesis. The core-shell Sb@C helps faster Li+/Na+-ion migration preventing the structural collapse of Sb during electrochemical cycling and thereby improving the capacity fade. Electrochemical results demonstrate Sb@C can deliver a specific capacity of -536 mAhg(-1) and - 291 mAhg(-1) at 0.1C current rate in LIBs and SIBs, respectively, up to 200 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicates lower charge transfer (Rct) and SEI resistance (RSEI) of Sb@C cycled electrode than the bare Sb-NPs was the probable reason for improved Li/Na-ion storage in Sb@C anode. A detailed galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) and internal resistance measurements during 1st and 2nd cycles shed light on distinguishably different Li-ion/Na-ion storage behavior. The bulk Li+/Na+-ion diffusion coefficients found diminishes at reaction voltages (0.9 V/0.6 V for lithiation and 0.6 V/0.4 V for sodiation) corresponding with alloyed phase(s) concurrent with a drop in internal resistance at the quasi-opencircuit voltage (QOCV) during 1st and 2nd discharge cycle. On the contrary, de-alloying phenomena from the fully lithiated/sodiated phase(s) display an entirely opposite trend. The Li+ diffusion coefficient reaches minima at -1.1 V with a sudden jump in the internal resistance at QOCV during 1st and 2nd charge cycle. However, Na+ diffusion coefficient gradually drops along with a steep increase in the internal resistance, indicating partial Naion trapping and irreversible capacity loss.

}, keywords = {anode, Antimony, lithium-ion batteries, mesoporous carbon, Sodium-ion batteries}, issn = {0167-2738}, doi = {10.1016/j.ssi.2023.116243}, author = {Dashairya, Love and Chaturvedi, Vikash and Kumar, Abhishek and Mohanta, Tandra Rani and Shelke, Manjusha and Saha, Partha} } @article {48685, title = {BF3.Et2O-catalyzed selective C-4 alkylation of isoquinolin1(2H)-ones employing p-quinone methides}, journal = {Chemistry-an Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {Sep}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The direct C-4 alkylation of isoquinolin-1(2H)-one moiety is a challenging transformation in organic synthesis. Here we present a practical and efficient synthesis of C-4 alkylated isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones through conjugate addition of isoquinolin-1(2H)-ones to p-quinone methides for the first time. The process is facilitated by Lewis acid catalysis and this operationally straightforward, mild, metal-free and one-pot transformation provides a wide range of C-4 alkylated isoquinolin-1(2H)ones at ambient temperature in good to excellent yields.

}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202300546}, author = {More, Devidas A. and Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @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 {48336, title = {Carbon black and chitin nanofibers for green tyres: preparation and property evaluation}, journal = {Carbohydrate Polymers}, volume = {310}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {120700}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This research highlights the synergistic use of carbon black (CB) and chitin nanofibers (CHNFs) for developing green tyres for the first time. The CHNFs (12-30 nm) were prepared from chitin powder with the help of steam explosion and mild oxalic acid hydrolysis. The CHNFs were uniformly dispersed in natural rubber (NR) latex, dried, and mixed with CB in a two-roll mill to form NR/CB/CHNF composites. The NR/CB/CHNF composite at 1 phr CHNF loading exhibited tensile and tear strengths that were about 47 and 160 \% greater than the NR-Neat, respectively. The dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the loss tangent (tan delta) at 60 degrees C was 50 \% lower for the NR/CB/CHNF 1.0 composite than for the NR/CB50 composite. The study succeeded in developing a new green tyre tread formulation that would be helpful for attaining sustainability and a circular economy.

}, keywords = {carbon black, Chitin nanofibers, Green Tyre, natural rubber latex}, issn = {0144-8617}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.120700}, author = {Mathew, Mariya and Dominic, C. D. Midhun and Neenu, K. V. and Begum, P. M. Sabura and Dileep, P. and Kumar, T. G. Ajith and Sabu, Akshay Alax and Nagane, Dhiraj and Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar and Badawi, Michael} } @article {48678, title = {Catalyst-assisted selective vinylation and methylallylation of a quaternary carbon center using tert-butyl acetate}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {88}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {9686-9703}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The In-(OTf)(3)-catalyzed \& alpha;-vinylationof varioushydroxy-functionalized quaternary carbon centers using in situ generatedisobutylene from tert-butyl acetate is presentedas a novel synthetic methodology. Moreover, tert-butylacetate is a nonflammable feed stock and is a readily available sourcefor the in situ production of vinyl substituents, as demonstratedby the vinylation reaction with quaternary hydroxy/methoxy compounds.Moreover, an excellent selectivity for methylallylation over vinylationwas obtained with Ni-(OTf)(2) as a catalyst. In the case ofperoxyoxindole, methylallyl-functionalized 1,4-benzoxazin-3-one derivativeswere formed through the sequential rearrangement of peroxyoxindolefollowed by the nucleophilic attack by isobutylene. The detailed mechanismfor this reaction and rationalization for the selectivity are providedusing kinetics and density functional theory studies.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.2c03072}, author = {Mohanta, Nirmala and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Pandey, Akanksha M. and Mondal, Shankhajit and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy} } @article {48726, title = {C-H functionalization of pyridines}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5671-5690}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Pyridine and its reduced form (piperidine) are the most common nitrogen heterocycles in FDA-approved drugs. Additionally, their presence in alkaloids, ligands for transition metals, catalysts, and organic materials with various properties makes them among the most important structural cores. Despite its importance, direct and selective functionalization of pyridine remains scarce due to its electron-poor nature and nitrogen coordination power. Instead, functionalized pyridine rings were primarily constructed from suitably substituted acyclic precursors. The focus on sustainable chemistry with minimum waste generation encourages chemists to develop direct C-H functionalization. This review summarizes different approaches to tackle the reactivity and regio- and stereoselectivity aspects for direct pyridine C-H functionalization.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d3ob00799e}, author = {Maity, Susmita and Bera, Asish and Bhattacharjya, Ayantika and Maity, Pradip} } @article {48318, title = {Challenges and emerging strategies for next generation liposomal based drug delivery: an account of the breast cancer conundrum}, journal = {Chemistry and Physics of Lipids}, volume = {250}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {105258}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The global cancer burden is witnessing an upsurge with breast cancer surpassing other cancers worldwide. Furthermore, an escalation in the breast cancer caseload is also expected in the coming years. The conventional therapeutic regimens practiced routinely are associated with many drawbacks to which nanotechnological in-terventions offer a great advantage. But how eminent could liposomes and their advantages be in superseding these existing therapeutic modalities? A solution is reflected in this review that draws attention to a decade-long journey embarked upon by researchers in this wake. This text is a comprehensive discussion of liposomes, the front runners of the drug delivery systems, and their active and passive targeting approaches for breast cancer management. Active targeting has been studied over the decade by many receptors overexpressed on the breast cancer cells and passive targeting with many drug combinations. The results converge on the fact that the actively targeted formulations exhibit a superior efficacy over their non-targeted counterparts and the all lipo-somal formulations are efficacious over the free drugs. This undoubtedly underlines the dominion of liposomal formulations over conventional chemotherapy. These investigations have led to the development of different liposomal formulations with active and passive targeting capacities that could be explored in depth. Acknowl-edging and getting a deeper insight into the liposomal evolution through time also unveiled many imperfections and unchartered territories that can be explored to deliver dexterous liposomal formulations against breast cancer and more in the clinical trial pipeline.

}, keywords = {Breast cancer, Liposomal metamorphosis, Receptor-ligand dynamics, Targeted Drug Delivery}, issn = {0009-3084}, doi = {10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2022.105258}, author = {Moudgil, Aliesha and Salve, Rajesh and Gajbhiye, Virendra and Chaudhari, Bhushan P.} } @article {48818, title = {Chemical bridge-mediated heterojunction electron transport layers enable efficient and stable perovskite solar cells}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {29597-29608}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) emerged as potential photovoltaicenergy-generating devices developing in recent years because of theirexcellent photovoltaic properties and ease of processing. However,PSCs are still reporting efficiencies much lower than their theoreticallimits owing to various losses caused by the charge transport layerand the perovskite. In this regard, herein, an interface engineeringstrategy using functional molecules and chemical bridges was appliedto reduce the loss of the heterojunction electron transport layer.As a functional interface layer, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)was introduced between PCBM and the ZnO layer, and as a result, EDTAsimultaneously formed chemical bonds with PCBM and ZnO to serve asa chemical bridge connecting the two. DFT and chemical analyses revealedthat EDTA can act as a chemical bridge between PCBM and ZnO, passivatedefect sites, and improve charge transfer. Optoelectrical analysisproved that EDTA chemical bridge-mediated charge transfer (CBM-CT)provides more efficient interfacial charge transport by reducing trap-assistedrecombination losses at ETL interfaces, thereby improving device performance.The PSC with EDTA chemical bridge-mediated heterojunction ETL exhibiteda high PCE of 21.21\%, almost no hysteresis, and excellent stabilityto both air and light.

}, keywords = {charge transfer, chemical bridge, electron transport layer, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Perovskite solar cells, trap-assisted recombination}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c04852}, author = {Patil, Pramila and Maibam, Ashakiran and Sangale, Sushil S. and Mann, Dilpreet Singh and Lee, Hyun-Jung and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Kwon, Sung-Nam and Na, Seok-In} } @article {48696, title = {Co3O4 for sustainable CO2 reduction and possible fine-tuning towards selective CO production}, journal = {Chemical Engineering Journal}, volume = {471}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {144459}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Two main challenges involved in heterogeneous catalytic CO2 reduction are: (a) decreasing the consumption of H2 to the minimum required level with possibly the maximum CO2 conversion, and (b) concurrently enhancing the selectivity of the desired CO, at the cost of methane. Towards meeting these two challenges, Co3O4 spinel has been identified as a potential catalyst and it exhibits predominant CO selectivity \> 673 K at atmospheric pressure. CO2 conversion begins \> 523 K, with 100\% CO selectivity observed \> 673 K with CO2:H2 = 3:2. Current work shows a sustainable catalytic CO2 conversion to 100\% CO selectivity with Co3O4-Nanocube (NC). Critically, CO selectivity and yield is observed to increase at the cost of methane with smaller amount of H2. 1:1 and 3:2 CO2:H2 ratio exhibits 88-100\% CO selectivity with 24-32.5\% CO2 conversion between 623 and 823 K. Irrespective of the input CO2:H2, ratio of CO2:H2 uptake changes from around 1:3 at 523 K to 1:1-1.5 at 823 K with concurrent production of significant methane to predominant CO, respectively. Surface electronic state changes was explored by near ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy, and the results suggests that Co3O4 is the active phase that promotes CO2 reduction selectively to CO. Broadening observed with the vibrational feature of the CO2 molecules at high temperature underscores the heterogeneous character of the catalyst surface, under operating conditions, due to changing electron density. By optimizing the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), H2-lean CO2:H2 ratio, and the reaction temperature/pressure, 100\% CO selectivity could be broadened to a range of operating conditions.

}, keywords = {Carbon neutral economy, heterogeneous catalysis, RWGS, SDG, Surface Science}, issn = {1385-8947}, doi = {10.1016/j.cej.2023.144459}, author = {Ranjan, Ravi and Tekawadia, Jyoti and Jain, Ruchi and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48793, title = {Cocrystal approach to modulate the photoluminescent properties of a GFP chromophore analogue: role of halogen/hydrogen bonding in achieving a wide range of solid-state fluorescence emissions}, journal = {Crystal Growth \& Design}, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {5052-5065}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Fine-tuning the photophysical properties of fluorescentorganicsolids is essential to attain multicolor displays and meet the demandfor futuristic light-emitting materials. Here, we report the tunableluminescence of a green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore analogue,3,4,5-TIA (A), based on the formation of two-component molecular cocrystalswith six different coformers. Coformers selected to synthesize thebinary cocrystals include 1,4-diiodotetrafluorobenzene (B), perfluoronaphthalene(C), 1,4-dibromotetrafluorobenzene (D), 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoroterephthalicacid (E), benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarbonitrile (F), and benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylicacid (G). Interestingly, the cocrystals A center dot C and A center dot Fshowed molecular crystal polymorphism with a slight variation in fluorescence,revealing an aggregation-induced emission (AIE). A crystal structureanalysis showed the interplay of hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding,and aromatic pi-stacking interactions in associating neutralsolid components in the cocrystal. All of the novel cocrystals displayeda wide range of photoluminescence ranging from blue to dark orange.The time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculationsindicate the changes in the energy level structures (HOMO to LUMO)in cocrystals that resulted in variations in fluorescence emission.The study aims to further understand the structure-propertyrelationship between molecular arrangement and photoluminescence. Cocrystals of a GFPc analogue with differentcoformers displayeda wide range of fluorescence emissions ranging from blue to dark orangewith varying quantum yields. With similar geometries of pi-stackinginteractions, hydrogen and halogen bonding have played a vital rolein fine-tuning the photoluminescence; halogen bonding leads to a blueshift, and hydrogen bonding results in a red shift.

}, issn = {1528-7483}, doi = {10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00307}, author = {Mali, Bhupendra P. and Dash, Soumya Ranjan and Annadhasan, Mari and Biswas, Anupam and Manoj, Kochunnoonny and Vanka, Kumar and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @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 {48302, title = {Comparison of the solid-state and submerged fermentation derived secretomes of hyper-cellulolytic Penicillium janthinellum NCIM 1366 reveals the changes responsible for differences in hydrolytic performance}, journal = {Bioresource Technology}, volume = {371}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {128602}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

better hydrolytic performance along with a higher initial rate of reaction. Secretome analyses of the SSF and SmF enzymes using LC/MS-MS, indicated that while the type of proteins secreted were similar in both modes, the abundance of specific beta glucosidases, lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases and hemicellulolytic enzymes were very high in SSF resulting in efficient initiation, low accumulation of cellobiose and high initial reaction rates. Key enzymes that catalyse lignocellulose breakdown under SSF and SmF are therefore different and the fungus may be speculated to have regulation mechanisms that aid differential expression under different culti

}, keywords = {Cellulase, Solid -state fermentation}, issn = {0960-8524}, doi = {10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128602}, author = {Sankar, Meena and Mathew, Reshma M. and Puthiyamadam, Anoop and Sreeja-Raju, Athiraraj and Christopher, Meera and Gokhale, Digambar Vitthal and Sukumaran, Rajeev K.} } @article {48666, title = {Composites of HKUST-1@nanocellulose for gas-separation and dye-sorption applications}, journal = {CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL}, volume = {29}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In this study, composites of HKUST-1 MOF with nanocellulose, HKUST-1@NCs, have been prepared and explored for CO2/N-2 gas-separation and dye-sorption based applications. Our biopolymer-MOF composites are prepared via a copper ion pre-seeding method, in which, the HKUST-1 crystallites are grown in situ on the Cu-seeded and carboxylate anchored NC fibers for a better interfacial integration between the MOF and the polymer matrices. Static gas sorption studies show the capability of one of our HKUST-1@NC composites to reach similar to 300 \% enhancement in the CO2/N-2 sorption selectivity compared to the corresponding MOF alone - blank reference sample prepared at similar conditions. The same composite, C100, in the bulk powder form, shows a remarkable IAST sorption selectivity of 298 (CO2/N-2) at 298 K and 1 bar for the CO2/N-2 (15/85, v/v) gas mixture. The relative position of the C100, in the bound plot visualizations of the CO2/N-2 separation trade-off factors indicate a significant potential. The HKUST-1@NC composites have also been processed along with a polymeric cellulose acetate (CA) matrix as HKUST-1@NC@CA films to study them as free-standing mixed-matrix membranes. The CO2/N-2 sorption selectivity, at 298 K and 1 bar is 600 for one such membrane, C-120@CA, as bulk sample studied by the static gas sorption. The composite, C120, exhibits a good uptake with an enhancement of 11 \% for alizarin and 70 \% for Congo red in comparison to the uptakes of the corresponding blank reference HKUST-1 sample, B120.

}, keywords = {CO2 separation, dye sorption, MOFs, nanocellulose composites, sustainable polymers}, issn = {0947-6539}, doi = {10.1002/chem.202300674}, author = {Muhamed, Shamna and Sunny, Blesson and Kunjattu, Shebeeb H. and Alagarsamy, Thirumurugan} } @article {48480, title = {Comprehensive analysis of physiological and metabolomic responses to drought reveals specific modulation of acquired tolerance mechanisms in rice}, journal = {Physiologia Plantarum}, volume = {175}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e13917}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mild stresses induce {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}acquired tolerance traits{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} (ATTs) that provide tolerance when stress becomes severe. Here, we identified the genetic variability in ATTs among a panel of rice germplasm accessions and demonstrated their relevance in protecting growth and productivity under water-limited conditions. Diverse approaches, including physiological screens, association mapping and metabolomics, were adopted and revealed 43 significant marker-trait associations. Nontargeted metabolomic profiling of contrasting genotypes revealed 26 {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}tolerance-related-induced{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} primary and secondary metabolites in the tolerant genotypes (AC-39000 and AC-39020) compared to the susceptible one (BPT-5204) under water-limited condition. Metabolites that help maintain cellular functions, especially Calvin cycle processes, significantly accumulated more in tolerant genotypes, which resulted in superior photosynthetic capacity and hence water use efficiency. Upregulation of the glutathione cycle intermediates explains the ROS homeostasis among the tolerant genotypes, maintaining spikelet fertility, and grain yield under stress. Bioinformatic dissection of a major effect quantitative trait locus on chromosome 8 revealed genes controlling metabolic pathways leading to the production of osmolites and antioxidants, such as GABA and raffinose. The study also led to the identification of specific trait donor genotypes that can be effectively used in translational crop improvement activities.

}, issn = {0031-9317}, doi = {10.1111/ppl.13917}, author = {Doddaraju, Pushpa and Dharmappa, Prathibha M. and Thiagarayaselvam, Aarthy and Vijayaraghavareddy, Preethi and Bheemanahalli, Raju and Basavaraddi, Priyanka A. and Malagondanahalli, Mohan Kumar V. and Kambalimath, Sumanth and Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. and Sreeman, Sheshshayee M.} } @article {48316, title = {Controlled synthesis of thermosensitive tunable porous film of (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) copolymer for sustain drug delivery}, journal = {Journal of Applied Polymer Science}, volume = {140}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e53854}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

There have been reports on different types of porous polymer films for various applications. The designing of such porous films with uniform properties is a challenging task. In this work, tunable porous thin films of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) and polycaprolactone (PCL), that is, (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) has been fabricated and its sustained drug delivery applications have been reported. First, the (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) has been synthesized through the addition polymerization of pNIPAM and PCL. Then the synthesized (pNIPAM)-b(PCL) has been used to design porous thin film with varying temperatures without using any external template, below and above the lower critical solution temperatures (LCST) of pNIPAM. Pore size in (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) films has been tuned by varying the temperature from similar to 10 to 40 degrees C. Then the developed thermosensitive porous film has been taken and seeded with the K562 (chronic myeloid leukemia blood cancer) and HepG2 (hepatocarcinoma) cells and the skin cancer cells (B16-F10) killing efficiency of anticancer drug (e.g., doxorubicin hydrochloride, DOX) loaded (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) film has been studied. It is found that the DOX-loaded (pNIPAM)-b-(PCL) can efficiently kill the skin cancer cells. The porous polymer thin film reported in this work can be a versatile platform for the loading of drugs and it can be used for the various therapeutic applications.

}, keywords = {Biomaterials, Biomedical Applications, drug delivery systems, films, nanostructured polymers}, issn = {0021-8995}, doi = {10.1002/app.53854}, author = {Amgoth, Chander and Patra, Sukanya and Wasnik, Kirti and Maity, Pradip and Paik, Pradip} } @article {48745, title = {Covalent organic framework cladding on peptide-amphiphile-based biomimetic catalysts}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, volume = {145}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {12793-12801}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Peptide-based biomimetic catalysts are promising materialsforefficient catalytic activity in various biochemical transformations.However, their lack of operational stability and fragile nature innon-aqueous media limit their practical applications. In this study,we have developed a cladding technique to stabilize biomimetic catalystswithin porous covalent organic framework (COF) scaffolds. This methodologyallows for the homogeneous distribution of peptide nanotubes insidethe COF (TpAzo and TpDPP) backbone, creating strong noncovalent interactionsthat prevent leaching. We synthesized two different peptide-amphiphiles,C10FFVK and C10FFVR, with lysine (K) and arginine(R) at the C-termini, respectively, which formed nanotubular morphologies.The C10FFVK peptide-amphiphile nanotubes exhibit enzyme-likebehavior and efficiently catalyze C-C bond cleavage in a buffermedium (pH 7.5). We produced nanotubular structures of TpAzo-C10FFVK and TpDPP-C10FFVK through COF claddingby using interfacial crystallization (IC). The peptide nanotubes encasedin the COF catalyze C-C bond cleavage in a buffer medium aswell as in different organic solvents (such as acetonitrile, acetone,and dichloromethane). The TpAzo-C10FFVK catalyst,being heterogeneous, is easily recoverable, enabling the reactionto be performed for multiple cycles. Additionally, the synthesis ofTpAzo-C10FFVK thin films facilitates catalysis inflow. As control, we synthesized another peptide-amphiphile, C10FFVR, which also forms tubular assemblies. By depositingTpAzo COF crystallites on C10FFVR nanotubes through IC,we produced TpAzo-C10FFVR nanotubular structuresthat expectedly did not show catalysis, suggesting the critical roleof the lysines in the TpAzo-C10FFVK.

}, issn = {0002-7863}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.3c03562}, author = {Kumar Mahato, Ashok and Pal, Sumit and Dey, Kaushik and Reja, Antara and Paul, Satyadip and Shelke, Ankita and Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G. and Das, Dibyendu and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48261, title = {Covalently interconnected layers in g-C3N4: toward high mechanical stability, catalytic efficiency and sustainability}, journal = {Applied Catalysis B: Environmental}, volume = {322}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {122069}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The grim prospects for the industrial utilization of g-C3N4 nanosheets arise from multi-step processing resulting in low material yields and poor visible light response due to quantum confinement. Herein, we introduce a strategy for linking the adjacent layers of g-C3N4 covalently to realize a high surface area without excess mass loss in a one-step process by introducing diethylene glycol as a precursor that produces-(CH2)2-O-(CH2)2-linkers in-situ. Their presence increases interlayer spacing and introduces surface curvatures, discouraging the stacking of a larger number of layers to produce nanosheets with-3 times higher surface area. Interestingly, unlike other layered materials, the linkers also provide extraordinary mechanical stability against exfoliating forces. In addition, the process instills sub-bandgap states and a considerable visible light response at 500 nm to slow down the picosecond exciton recombination dynamics, resulting in-5 times enhancement in H2 generation efficiency from photocatalytic water-splitting over the bulk sample.

}, keywords = {Layer-linkers, Sustainable synthesis, Transient absorption spectroscopy, water-splitting}, issn = {0926-3373}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.122069}, author = {Roy, Raj Sekhar and Mondal, Sanjit and Mishra, Samita and Banoo, Maqsuma and Sahoo, Lipipuspa and Kumar, Amit and Vinod, C. P. and De, Arijit K. and Gautam, Ujjal K.} } @article {48825, title = {Dabrafenib-panobinostat salt: improving the dissolution rate and inhibition of BRAF melanoma cells}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY }, pages = {18255-18265}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Cocrystallization of the drug-drug salt-cocrystal of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) panobinostat (PAN) and b-rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (BRAF) inhibitor dabrafenib (DBF) afforded single crystals of a two-drug salt stabilized by N+-H center dot center dot center dot O and N+-H center dot center dot center dot N- hydrogen bonds between the ionized panobinostat ammonium donor and dabrafenib sulfonamide anion acceptor in a 12-member ring motif. A faster dissolution rate for both drugs was achieved through the salt combination compared to the individual drugs in an aqueous acidic medium. The dissolution rate exhibited a peak concentration (Cmax) of approximately 310 mg cm-2 min-1 for PAN and 240 mg cm-2 min-1 for DBF at a Tmax of less than 20 min under gastric pH 1.2 (0.1 N HCl) compared to the pure drug dissolution values of 10 and 80 mg cm-2 min-1, respectively. The novel and fast-dissolving salt DBF-center dot PAN+ was analyzed in BRAFV600E melanoma cells Sk-Mel28. DBF-center dot PAN+ reduced the dose-response from micromolar to nanomolar concentrations and lowered IC50 (21.9 +/- 7.2 nM) by half compared to PAN alone (45.3 +/- 12.0 nM). The enhanced dissolution and lower survival rate of melanoma cells show the potential of novel DBF-center dot PAN+ salt in clinical evaluation.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.3c01881}, author = {Rai, Sunil K. and Marverti, Gaetano and Gunnam, Anilkumar and Allu, Suryanarayana and Nangia, Ashwini K.} } @article {48299, title = {D-A-D-based unsymmetrical thiosquaraine dye for the dye-sensitized solar cells(dagger)}, journal = {Photochemistry and Photobiology}, volume = {99}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {529-537}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In dye-sensitized solar cell, modulating the electronic properties of the sensitizer by varying the donor, pi-spacer, acceptor and anchoring groups help optimizing the structure of the dye for better device performance. Here, a donor-acceptor-donor-based unsymmetrical thiosquaraine sensitizer (SQ5S) has been designed and synthesized. Photophysical, electrochemical, theoretical and photovoltaic characterizations of SQ5S dye have been compared with its oxygen analog, SQ5. The incorporation of the sulfur atom in the acceptor unit of SQ5S dye showed an intense peak at 688 nm, which was 38 nm of red-shifted and showed the panchromatic light harvesting response with the onset of 850 nm compared with SQ5 dye. The LUMO and HOMO energy levels are well aligned with the conduction band of TiO2 and the redox potential of electrolyte for the charge injection and the dye-regeneration processes, respectively. Photovoltaic efficiency of 1.51\% (V-OC 610 mV, J(SC) 3.07 mA cm(-2), ff 81\%) has been achieved for SQ5S dye, whereas SQ5 showed the device performance of 5.43\% (V-OC 723 mV, J(SC) 9.3 mA cm(-2), ff 80\%). The decreased device performance for the dye SQ5S has been attributed to the favorable intersystem crossing process associated with the photoexcited SQ5S that reduces the driving force for the charge injection process.

}, issn = {0031-8655}, doi = {10.1111/php.13769}, author = {Jadhav, Avinash P. and Singh, Ambarish Kumar and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam and Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj} } @article {48823, title = {Design and development of multi-functional graphitic carbon nitride heterostructures embedded with copper and iron oxide nanoparticles as versatile sensing platforms for environmental and agricultural applications}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {20688-20698}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

In the recent past, agrotechnology has witnessed a tremendous change due to the advent of technologies employed towards enhancing the yield and quality of the crops. The application of nanotechnology in agriculture is promoting sustainable practices and smart farming. Currently, nanomaterial-based sensors are gaining considerable attention in agrotechnology, such sensors can detect the environmental conditions and support for crop growth and enhances the agricultural yield. Graphiticcarbon nitride (g-C3N4), a soft polymer belongs to a class of 2-D semiconductors which are affordable, metal-free, indispensable for sensing applications due to significant changes in their conductivity upon exposure to analyte molecules in nano-regime. Further, this g-C3N4 can be combined with other nano metal oxides to form nanocomposites with remarkable properties and superior performance. In this work we report development of high-performance sensors based on graphitic carbon nitride embedded with copper and iron oxide nanoparticles. These heterostructures offers tremendous improvement in the physical and chemical properties due to the synergetic interactions between various phases. The chemiresistive sensor fabricated from these nanocomposites exhibit excellent sensitivity towards monitoring methane gas @ ppb level, relative humidity (\% RH), and soil moisture content. Owing to their excellent sensitivity, stability and selectivity, this graphitic carbon nitride embedded with Cu and Fe oxide nanoparticles could be potentially used as multifunctional sensors towards environmental monitoring and greenhouse conditions in agricultural applications.

}, keywords = {Agricultural sensors, CuO nanoparticles, Environmental monitoring, FeO nanoparticles, Graphitic carbon nitride}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.03.200}, author = {Khasim, Syed and Pasha, Apsar and Dastager, Syed G. and Panneerselvam, Chellasamy and Hamdalla, Taymour A. and Al-Ghamdi, S. A. and Alfadhli, S. and Makandar, Mohammad Basha and Albalawi, Jalal Bassam and Darwish, A. A. A.} } @article {48822, title = {Design, synthesis, and in vitro biological evaluation of ROS-generating phenanthridin-trione-epoxide conjugates as agents against mycobacterium tuberculosis}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {e202300416}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the devasting infectious diseases and continues to spread among people despite having several specific drugs. Total eradication of TB is one of the shared interests of both the World Health Organization (WHO) and India globally. A library of antitubercular 6-((1-(aryl/heteroaryl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)oxireno[2,3-b] phenanthridine-5,7,9(6H,7aH,8aH)-trione (6 a-e) has been prepared in five steps including click chemistry and tested against active and dormant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra using XRMA protocol. The result showed the inhibitory potential of 6 d IC50 at 0.74 \& mu;g/mL concentration against active strain and at 0.9 \& mu;g/mL against the dormant strain of Mtb. ROS generating ability of the compounds has been confirmed by luminol, H2O2, and glutathione assays. The molecular docking with the thioredoxin protein of Mtb showed a docking score of -9.6 Kcal/mol. To understand the mechanism with the thioredoxin protein of Mtb, the adduct formation of compounds with cystine was confirmed with HPLC. The involvement of lead molecules with existing drugs can be helpful in the eradication of tuberculosis.

}, keywords = {antimycobacterial agents, Computational docking, Cystine adduct, Epoxy-Phenanthridinone-triazoles, ROS generation}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202300416}, author = {Mamgain, Ritu and Swami, Sagar and Sarkar, Dhiman and Srivastava, Pratibha} } @article {48715, title = {Developing a feeding assay system for evaluating the insecticidal effect of phytochemicals on Helicoverpa armigera}, journal = {Jove-Journal of Visualized Experiments}, volume = {195}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e65278}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Helicoverpa armigera, a lepidopteran insect, is a polyphagous pest with a worldwide distribution. This herbivorous insect is a threat to plants and agricultural productivity. In response, plants produce several phytochemicals that negatively impact the insect{\textquoteright}s growth and survival. This protocol demonstrates an obligate feeding assay method to evaluate the effect of a phytochemical (quercetin) on insect growth, development, and survival. Under controlled conditions, the neonates were maintained until the second instar on a pre-defined artificial diet. These second-instar larvae were allowed to feed on a control and quercetin-containing artificial diet for 10 days. The insects{\textquoteright} body weight, developmental stage, frass weight, and mortality were recorded on alternate days. The change in body weight, the difference in feeding pattern, and developmental phenotypes were evaluated throughout the assay time. The described obligatory feeding assay simulates a natural mode of ingestion and can be scaled up to a large number of insects. It permits one to analyze phytochemicals{\textquoteright} effect on the growth dynamics, developmental transition, and overall fitness of H. armigera. Furthermore, this setup can also be utilized to evaluate alterations in nutritional parameters and digestive physiology processes. This article provides a detailed methodology for feeding assay systems, which may have applications in toxicological studies, insecticidal molecule screening, and understanding chemical effects in plant-insect interactions.

}, issn = {1940-087X}, doi = {10.3791/65278}, author = {Mohite, Sharada D. and Patil, Yogita P. and Nichit, Vikram J. and Joshi, Rakesh S.} } @article {48443, title = {Developing a mealybug pheromone monitoring tool to enhance IPM practices in New Zealand vineyards}, journal = {Journal of Pest Science}, volume = {96}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {29-39}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Mealybugs are phloem-feeding insects found on many crops worldwide. In New Zealand vineyards, they transmit the economically important Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3). For some mealybug species, synthetic sex pheromones have been commercialised, and are used as monitoring tools. The mealybugs Pseudococcus longispinus and Pseudococcus calceolariae are major pests in many New Zealand vineyards. We present work on the development of a combined P. longispinus and P. calceolariae pheromone lure. The optimal dose for monitoring P. longispinus was found to be 10 mu g of the (S)-(+)-enantiomer, either alone or in the racemic mixture. Addition of the corresponding alcohol did not improve trap catch of P. longispinus. Both the P. longispinus and the P. calceolariae pheromone lures remained active in the field for 90 days. Combining the 2 species{\textquoteright} pheromones had no negative effects on male mealybug trap catch for either species. We conclude that the pheromone ester alone is the best lure for the male P. longispinus. Combining the two mealybug species{\textquoteright} pheromones into a single lure provides the New Zealand viticultural industry with an efficient monitoring tool. Late-vintage deployment of baited lures will provide information on mealybug abundance and local distribution that will inform the scope of future insecticide programmes, to target areas based on need rather than an area-wide application by default.

}, keywords = {Citrophilus mealybug, Integrated pest management (IPM), Long-tailed mealybug, monitoring, Pseudococcus calceolariae, Pseudococcus longispinus}, issn = {1612-4758}, doi = {10.1007/s10340-022-01504-5}, author = {Sullivan, Nicola J. and Bell, Vaughn A. and Butler, Ruth C. and Wallis, Roger and Ramesh, Remya and Reddy, D. Srinivasa and Twidle, Andrew M. and Bunn, Barry and Unelius, C. Rikard and Manning, Lee-Anne M. and Suckling, David M.} } @article {48736, title = {Differential membrane curvature induced by distinct protein conformers}, journal = {Soft Matter}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {4021-4028}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Membrane topology changes are associated with various cellular processes and are modulated by synergistic effects between lipid composition and membrane-associated proteins. However, how protein shape or conformational dynamics couples to membrane molecular properties remains unclear. In this work, we aim to investigate this coupling behavior using the curvature-inducing protein caveolin-1. We considered distinct protein conformers of the helical hairpin protein corresponding to different protein shapes, such as the wedge and the banana-shaped conformers. The different protein conformers were simulated in a coarse-grain representation in the presence of cholesterol-sphingomyelin rich membrane. We observed that membrane curvature is dependent on protein shape and is the lowest for the wedge conformer and maximal for the banana conformer. The differences in the net stress between the two membrane leaflets, calculated from the lateral pressure profile distributions in lipid bilayers for different protein conformers, show a similar trend. In conjunction, we show that cholesterol and sphingomyelin clustering in the membrane is modulated by protein shape. Overall, our results provide molecular-level insights into the coupling between membrane topology, protein shape and lipid clustering in cell membranes.

}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/d3sm00218g}, author = {Malshikare, Hrushikesh and Prakash, Shikha and Sengupta, Durba} } @article {48787, title = {Dual-mode porous and highly graphitized 3D nitrogen-doped carbon network as an advance anode material for sodium-ion batteries}, journal = {Journal of Physical Chemistry C}, volume = {127}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14053-14064}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The practical application of hard carbons as the mostappealinganode material for sodium-ion batteries is hampered by their poorcycling and rate performances, emanating from poor electrochemicalstability, low electroconductivity, and sluggish Na+ transport.Designing a single remedial method for these challenges often involvescomplex and energy-intensive processes, contradicting the core conceptof cost-effectiveness for practical energy storage technology. Herein,we employed trifunctional silica (SiO2): as colloidal silicato ice template micron-sized pores, as a hard template for nanopores,and as a catalyst for the graphitization of carbon for the synthesisof a highly graphitized, efficiently nitrogen-doped, high-surface-area,three-dimensional porous carbon network (3D PNC) with dual-mode porosity(nanopores and micron-sized pores). As an anode material, the obtained3D PNC exhibits a reversible capacity of 262 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1), an ultrahighrate capability of 173 mAh g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), and a stable cycling life of 1000 cycles at a high current densityof 100 mA g(-1) with almost 100\% capacity retention.The galvanostatic intermittent titration technique (GITT) revealsfacile sodium diffusion kinetics with an average diffusion coefficientof an order of \& SIM;10(-9) (cm(2) s(-1)), which is fairly low compared to most reported HCanodes for SIBs. This work demonstrates how a merger of two or moresynthesis methodologies can be employed for the advanced microstructureengineering of carbon materials, opening up new avenues for the rationaldesign of anode materials in SIBs.

}, issn = {1932-7447}, doi = {10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c01773}, author = {Dar, Mudasir and Suresh, Karthika and Majid, Kowsar and Wahid, Malik} } @article {48327, title = {Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction on defective graphene modulated from single atom catalyst to aluminium clusters}, journal = {Applied Surface Science}, volume = {623}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {157024}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Density Functional Theory (DFT) investigation on the most earth-abundant Al-based catalysts, has been conducted detailing its electronic properties and catalytic efficacy for nitrogen reduction at ambient condition. The Al-based catalysts have been modulated to perform as par a highly performing, but rare, Ru-single atom catalytic center by varying number of Al atoms, shape, and size. The coalesce of band-center, work function and electronic properties in metal atom catalysts along with N-N bond activation has been demonstrated to be responsible for an efficient nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) with Delta Gmax of 0.78 eV in Al5 supported on N-doped double vacancy graphene (Al5@N4-DVG) catalyst. Electron localization function analysis has shown a weak physisorption of N2 in the Al-based catalysts. Projected Density of States (PDOS) illustrates the enhancement of aluminium electron density in Al5@N4-DVG led to enhanced orbital densities overlap of Alp and Np electrons. The Bader charge analysis and electronic analysis of the intermediates show efficient electron gain on the N atoms, leading to formation of NH3 from the NxHy intermediates in Al5@N4-DVG catalyst.

}, issn = {0169-4332}, doi = {10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.157024}, author = {Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and BabaRao, Ravichandar} } @article {48676, title = {Electrode|electrolyte interface enhancement in quasi-solid-state zinc-air batteries through an anion conducting polymer electrolyte interlayer by in situ polymerization}, journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry A}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {14776-14787}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This work introduces a novel concept of electrode|electrolyte interface enhancement using an ultraviolet (UV) light-assisted in situ polymerization strategy to improve the performance of quasi-solid-state zinc-air batteries (ZABs). The suitability of the UV polymerization strategy to process a mechanically stable OH- conducting anion exchange polymer electrolyte membrane (AEPEM) reinforced by a glass fiber (GF) separator is also reported. The in situ polymerized ionomer-skin/interlayer (a thin anion-conducting polymer coating over the air-cathode of ZAB) acts as a buffer layer to narrow down the performance gap generally observed between ZABs possessing quasi-solid-state electrolytes and standard liquid electrolytes, respectively. For instance, when combined with the in situ polymerization strategy, a rechargeable ZAB (rZAB) based on an AEPEM-GF composite membrane delivered a high power density of 140 mW cm(-2), higher than that of the one without an in situ polymerized ionomer interlayer (120 mW cm(-2)). Notably, in a flexible rZAB configuration, this new strategy resulted in enhanced rate capability and cycling stability for 14 h at an operating current density of 2 mA cm(-2).

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d3ta02320f}, author = {Kurian, Maria and Vijayakumar, Vidyanand and Manna, Narugopal and Kanheerampockil, Fayis and Bhat, Suresh and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48695, title = {Electronic fingerprints for diverse interactions of methanol with various Zn-based systems}, journal = {Surface Science}, volume = {736}, year = {2023}, month = {OCT}, pages = {122350}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We have investigated various Zn-based catalysts for their interaction with methanol (MeOH). MeOH is one of the most critical molecules being studied extensively, and Zn-based catalysts are widely used in many industrially relevant reactions involving MeOH. We note that the same element (Zn and O, in the present study) exhibits different catalytic activity in different environments. The changing environment is captured in the underlying electronic structure of the catalysts. In the present work, we compared the electronic structure of Zn-based systems, i.e., ZnAl2O4 and ZnO along with oxygen preadsorbed Zn (O-Zn) and metallic Zn. We demonstrate the one-to-one correlation between the pDOS of the bare facet and the outcome of that facet{\textquoteright}s interaction (i.e. either adsorption or dissociation of MeOH) with MeOH. These findings would pave the way towards the in-silico design of catalysts.

}, keywords = {DFT, Electronic properties, Methanol, Zn-based systems, ZnO}, issn = {0039-6028}, doi = {10.1016/j.susc.2023.122350}, author = {Mehta, Shweta and Joshi, Kavita} } @article {48836, title = {Emergent stability in complex network dynamics}, journal = {Nature Physics}, volume = {19}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1033+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The stable functionality of networked systems is a hallmark of their natural ability to coordinate between their multiple interacting components. Yet, real-world networks often appear random and highly irregular, raising the question of what are the naturally emerging organizing principles of complex system stability. The answer is encoded within the system{\textquoteright}s stability matrix-the Jacobian-but is hard to retrieve, due to the scale and diversity of the relevant systems, their broad parameter space and their nonlinear interaction dynamics. Here we introduce the dynamic Jacobian ensemble, which allows us to systematically investigate the fixed-point dynamics of a range of relevant network-based models. Within this ensemble, we find that complex systems exhibit discrete stability classes. These range from asymptotically unstable (where stability is unattainable) to sensitive (where stability abides within a bounded range of system parameters). Alongside these two classes, we uncover a third asymptotically stable class in which a sufficiently large and heterogeneous network acquires a guaranteed stability, independent of its microscopic parameters and robust against external perturbation. Hence, in this ensemble, two of the most ubiquitous characteristics of real-world networks-scale and heterogeneity-emerge as natural organizing principles to ensure fixed-point stability in the face of changing environmental conditions. Despite looking highly irregular, most real-world networks exhibit natural stability to external perturbations. A study of the properties of the stability matrix of networks now sheds light on the principles underlying this emerging stability.

}, issn = {1745-2473}, doi = {10.1038/s41567-023-02020-8}, author = {Meena, Chandrakala and Hens, Chittaranjan and Acharyya, Suman and Haber, Simcha and Boccaletti, Stefano and Barzel, Baruch} } @article {48729, title = {Enantioselective intramolecular decarboxylative C-H bond func-tionalization of quinazolinones with amino acids by visible light photoredox catalysis}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The direct visible light-mediated intramolecular decarboxylative C-H functionalization of Csp(2)-H bond adjacent to the nitrogen of a heteroarene has been achieved by iridium-catalyzed photodecarboxylative radical cyclization. This method offers rapid entry to the synthesis of quinazolinone scaffolds from easily accessible starting materials. The newly developed protocol is mild, operationally simple, oxidant free and general. The utility of this unique Csp(3)-Csp(2) bond forming reaction has been demonstrated in the syntheses of Circumdatin, Sclerotigenine and Benzomalvin A class of quinazolinone natural products and their congeners. The present work represents an interesting example of use of memory of chirality in decarboxylative C-C bond forming enantioselective photoredox reaction.

}, keywords = {C-H functionalization, memory of chirality, Minisci reaction, photodecarboxylative cyclization, photoredox catalysis, quinazolinone alkaloid, Radical}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202300235}, author = {Sonavane, Sameer R. and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @conference {48799, title = {Fast normalization and despeckled method for skin optical coherence tomography image via deep learning}, booktitle = {Photonics in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery 2023}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, publisher = {SPIE}, organization = {SPIE}, address = {1000 20TH ST, PO BOX 10, BELLINGHAM, WA 98227-0010 USA}, abstract = {

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is well-known for its high-resolution, non-invasive imaging modality with many medical uses, including skin imaging. Nevertheless, speckle noise limits the analytical capabilities of this imaging tool, causing deterioration in contrast and less exact detection of tissue microstructural heterogeneity. To address this issue, we proposed OCT despeckling approach by combing it with normalization to reduce the speckle noise more effectively. The proposed method contains multiple steps including phase correlation for alignment of misaligned frames, frame averaging which minimizes speckle noise, region-wise pixels normalization that helps to normalize intensity pixels, a modified BM3D filtering to suppress the white and speckle, and contrast enhancement to improve the contrast appropriately. To establish the approach, we applied 130 distinct B-scan skin OCT images and validate and evaluate the performance using qualitatively and quantitatively. Although the output obtained by the algorithm is promising, the method is time-consuming because of a series of steps. To reduce the time complexity, we also develop a supervised deep learning model by mapping between noisy-despeckled image pairs. The effectiveness and applicability of our DL approach were assessed using 130 skin OCT B-scans from various body areas taken from 45 healthy people between the ages of 20 and 60. With the support of the experimental results, we demonstrate that our DL model is capable to normalize and despeckling OCT images simultaneously.

}, keywords = {CNN, deep learning, denoising, Optical coherence tomography, speckle}, isbn = {978-1-5106-5809-7; 978-1-5106-5810-3}, doi = {10.1117/12.2651211}, author = {Rahaman, Jarjish and Lukas, Brandon and May, Julia and Puyana, Carolina and Tsoukas, Maria and Avanaki, Kamran}, editor = {Choi, B and Zeng, H} } @article {48266, title = {FeCl2-catalyzed rearrangement of aryl peroxyoxindole into 1,3-benzooxazin-4-One}, journal = {Advanced Synthesis \& Catalysis}, volume = {365}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {515-521}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report an FeCl2-catalyzed radical rearrangement of aryl peroxyoxindoles into 1,3-benzooxazin-2-ones to obtain a variety of aryl substituted 1,3-benzooxazin-4-ones in moderate to good yields. Mechanistically, this skeletal rearrangement of peroxyoxindoles proceeded via radical pathway and was well supported with a series of experimental findings and DFT studies.

}, keywords = {1, 3-Benzooxazin-4-one, FeCl2, Peroxyoxindole, rearrangement, Ring expansion}, issn = {1615-4150}, doi = {10.1002/adsc.202201308}, author = {Mohanta, Nirmala and Samal, PragnyaParamita and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy} } @article {48295, title = {Food-grade xylitol production from corncob biomass with acute oral toxicity studies}, journal = {World Journal of Microbiology \& Biotechnology}, volume = {39}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {102}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Xylitol, a sugar substitute, is widely used in various food formulations and finds a steady global market. In this study, xylitol crystals were produced from corncob by fermentation (as an alternative to the chemical catalytic process) by a GRAS yeast Pichia caribbica MTCC 5703 and characterized in detail for their purity and presence of any possible contaminant that may adversely affect mammalian cell growth and proliferation. The acute and chronic oral toxicity trials demonstrated no gross pathological changes with average weekly weight gain in female Wistar rats at high xylitol loading (LD50 \> 10,000 mg/kg body weight). The clinical chemistry analysis supported the evidence of no dose-dependent effect by analyzing blood biochemical parameters. The finding suggests the possible application of the crystals (\> 98\% purity) as a food-grade ingredient for commercial manufacture pending human trials.

}, keywords = {Acute oral toxicity, Corncob, Fermentation, Shelf life analysis, xylitol}, issn = {0959-3993}, doi = {10.1007/s11274-023-03542-2}, author = {Dasgupta, Diptarka and Ahuja, Vishal and Singh, Raghuvir and More, Snehal and Mudliar, Sandeep and Kumar, Madan} } @article {48338, title = {G4-binding drugs, chlorpromazine and prochlorperazine, repurposed against COVID-19 infection in hamsters}, journal = {Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences}, volume = {10}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR }, pages = {1133123}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of infections and deaths worldwide. Limited treatment options and the threat from emerging variants underline the need for novel and widely accessible therapeutics. G-quadruplexes (G4s) are nucleic acid secondary structures known to affect many cellular processes including viral replication and transcription. We identified heretofore not reported G4s with remarkably low mutation frequency across \>5 million SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The G4 structure was targeted using FDA-approved drugs that can bind G4s - Chlorpromazine (CPZ) and Prochlorperazine (PCZ). We found significant inhibition in lung pathology and lung viral load of SARS-CoV-2 challenged hamsters when treated with CPZ or PCZ that was comparable to the widely used antiviral drug Remdesivir. In support, in vitro G4 binding, inhibition of reverse transcription from RNA isolated from COVID-infected humans, and attenuated viral replication and infectivity in Vero cell cultures were clear in case of both CPZ and PCZ. Apart from the wide accessibility of CPZ/PCZ, targeting relatively invariant nucleic acid structures poses an attractive strategy against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, which spread fast and accumulate mutations quickly.

}, keywords = {Conserved motif, FDA-approved drugs, G-quadruplex binding drugs, hamster model of COVID-19, RNA G-quadruplex}, doi = {10.3389/fmolb.2023.1133123}, author = {Roy, Shuvra Shekhar and Sharma, Shalu and Rizvi, Zaigham Abbas and Sinha, Dipanjali and Gupta, Divya and Rophina, Mercy and Sehgal, Paras and Sadhu, Srikanth and Tripathy, Manas Ranjan and Samal, Sweety and Maiti, Souvik and Scaria, Vinod and Sivasubbu, Sridhar and Awasthi, Amit and Harshan, Krishnan H. and Jain, Sanjeev and Chowdhury, Shantanu} } @article {48337, title = {Gas sensors and factors influencing sensing mechanism with a special focus on MOS sensors}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science}, volume = {58}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {559-582}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Industrialization and its progress are very important for the economy and to move towards prosperity, stimulating innovation and creating jobs. Nonetheless, industrialization has negative impacts, if not done judiciously, such as pollution, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and global warming. Therefore, amenity-with-security is of fundamental significance in a new and dynamic lifestyle. A gas sensor is one of the crucial devices for monitoring and subsequently preserving the clean atmosphere among a number of other safety technologies. In-depth assessments of gas sensors and their necessity in the environment (air) pollution are provided in the current review. With a special emphasis on metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)-based gas sensors, the review includes a thorough study of gas sensors and the factors relating to sensing mechanisms. It not only describes the basic concepts and brief history of gas sensors, but also highlights the schemes responsible for improving the gas sensing properties and state-of-art literature review. These schemes include (1) surface engineering/morphological tuning and (2) bulk and surface doping. To keep scientific rigour and in-depth analyses, this review focuses on these two schemes only. In the doping area, the emphasis is given on graphene loading, decorated with nanoparticles of noble metals, spillover mechanism, and heterojunction (p-n, n-n, and p-p) formation. The conclusion summarizes the most optimized MOS gas sensors with enhanced gas sensing capabilities. The emphasis is given to formulate the article in such a way that it will be useful for the beginners who wish to explore the gas sensor research field, as well as to the established researchers to further improve the sensing capabilities of MOS gas sensors.

}, issn = {0022-2461}, doi = {10.1007/s10853-022-08072-0}, author = {Nadargi, Digambar Y. Y. and Umar, Ahmad and Nadargi, Jyoti D. D. and Lokare, Smita A. A. and Akbar, Sheikh and Mulla, Imtiaz S. S. and Suryavanshi, Sharad S. S. and Bhandari, Nagesh L. L. and Chaskar, Manohar G. G.} } @article {48739, title = {Green adeptness in synthesis of non-toxic copper and cobalt oxide nanocomposites with multifaceted bioactivities}, journal = {Cancer Nanotechnology}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {DEC}, pages = {79}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: In the present era, we are facing different health problems mainly concerning with drug resistance in microorganisms as well as in cancer cells. In addition, we are also facing the problems of controlling oxidative stress and insect originated diseases like dengue, malaria, chikungunya, etc. originated from mosquitoes. In this investigation, we unfurled the potential of Achatina fulica mucus in green synthesis of mucus mediated copper oxide bio-nanocomposites (SM-CuONC) and cobalt oxide bio-nanocomposites (SM-Co3O4NC). Herein we carried out the physico-chemical characterization like UV-Vis spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of as synthesized bio-nanocomposites. Both the bio-nanocomposites were tested for their potential as antimicrobial activity using well diffusion assay, anticancer activity by MTT assay, antioxidant activity by phosphomolybdenum assay and mosquito larvicidal activity.Results: The results of this study revealed that, SM-CuONC and SM-Co3O4NC were synthesized successfully using A. fulica mucus. The FESEM and TEM data reveal the formation of nanoparticles with quasi-spherical morphology and average particle size of similar to 18 nm for both nanocomposites. The EDAX peak confirms the presence of elemental copper and cobalt in the analyzed samples. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the crystalline nature of the CuO and Co3O4. The result of anti microbial study exhibited that, SM-CuONC showed maximum antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli NCIM 2065 and Aspergillus fumigatus NCIM 902 which were noted as 2.36 +/- 0.31 and 2.36 +/- 0.59 cm resp. at 60 mu g/well concentration. The result of anticancer activity for SM-CuONC was exhibited as, 68.66 +/- 3.72, 62.66 +/- 3.61 and 71.00 +/- 2.36 percent kill, while SM-Co3O4NC exhibited 61.00 +/- 3.57, 72.66 +/- 4.50 and 71.66 +/- 4.22 percent kill against Human colon cancer (HCT-15), Cervical cancer (HeLa), and Breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cell lines, respectively, at 20 mu g/well concentration. Both the nanocomposites also exhibited better antioxidant activity. Total antioxidant activity for SM-CuONC at 50 mu g/ml concentration was found to be highest as 55.33 +/- 3.72 while that of SM-Co(3)O(4)Ns was 52.00 +/- 3.22 mM of ascorbic acid/mu g respectively. Both bio-nanocomposites also exhibited 100\% mosquito larvicidal activity at concentration ranging from 40 to 50 mg/l. During cytotoxicity study it is noted that at 5 mu g/well concentration, SM-CuO and SM-Co3O4NCs suspension showed more than 97\% viability of normal (L929) cell lines. We also studied phytotoxicity of both bio-nanocomposites on Triticum aestivum. In this study, 100\% seed germination was observed when seeds are treated with SM-CuONC and SM-Co3O4NC at 500 mg/l and 250 mg/l concentration respectively.Conclusions: This study concludes that in future as synthesized SM-CuONC and SM-Co3O4NC can be used in pharmaceutical, health care system for betterment and welfare of human life as both bio-nanocomposites exhibits better antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant and mosquito larvicidal potential.

}, keywords = {Achatina fulica mucus, Bio-nanocomposites, Biological activities, Characterization, Toxicity}, issn = {1868-6958}, doi = {10.1186/s12645-023-00226-2}, author = {Mane, Pramod C. and Kadam, Deepali D. and Khadse, Ashok N. and Chaudhari, Aditya R. and Ughade, Supriya P. and Agawane, Sachin B. and Chaudhari, Ravindra D.} } @article {48824, title = {Green synthesis of GO-loaded Ag/ZnO nanocomposites for methyl orange degradation}, journal = {Journal of Materials Science-Materials in Electronics}, volume = {34}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {1568}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nature is a perfect laboratory for creating novel nanomaterials for a variety of applications. A robust green synthesis approach to GO-loaded Ag/ZnO nanocomposite materials using medicinal plant extraction and their potential application in methyl orange dye degradation are reported. The straightforward technique employs zinc and silver nitrate precursors in an aqueous solution of medicinal plant extract, causing the precipitation process. Prior to photocatalytic investigations, the physico-chemical properties of the material are analysed using TG-DTA, XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, EDAX and BET. The developed material showcase hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO, with face-centered-cubic phase of Ag and AgCl. All the samples exhibit aggregated, irregular rounded grains, as expected in the precipitation synthesis process. Pristine ZnO showed 15.5\% degradation efficiency towards methyl orange, which was further improved by doping Ag from 0.5 to 2 mol\%. The catalyst with 1 mol\% Ag doping resulted in the better photocatalytic activity (26.30\%), which has again improved by loading the GO (27.46\%). The outcome of this study provides the new insights to GO-loaded Ag/ZnO nanocomposites by green synthesis route, in view of photocatalytic applications.

}, issn = {0957-4522}, doi = {10.1007/s10854-023-10979-6}, author = {Nadargi, Digambar Y. and Nadargi, Jyoti D. and Tamboli, Mohaseen S. and Tamboli, Asiya M. and Mulla, Imitaz S. and Umar, Ahmad and Truong, Nguyen Tam Nguyen and Suryavanshi, Sharad S.} } @article {48815, title = {Hierarchical covalent organic framework-foam for multi-enzyme tandem catalysis}, journal = {Chemical Science}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {6643-6653}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are ideal host matrices for biomolecule immobilization and biocatalysis due to their high porosity, various functionalities, and structural robustness. However, the porosity of COFs is limited to the micropore dimension, which restricts the immobilization of enzymes with large volumes and obstructs substrate flow during enzyme catalysis. A hierarchical 3D nanostructure possessing micro-, meso-, and macroporosity could be a beneficial host matrix for such enzyme catalysis. In this study, we employed an in situ CO2 gas effervescence technique to induce disordered macropores in the ordered 2D COF nanostructure, synthesizing hierarchical TpAzo COF-foam. The resulting TpAzo foam matrix facilitates the immobilization of multiple enzymes with higher immobilization efficiency (approximately 1.5 to 4-fold) than the COF. The immobilized cellulolytic enzymes, namely beta-glucosidase (BGL), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), and endoglucanase (EG), remain active inside the TpAzo foam. The immobilized BGL exhibited activity in organic solvents and stability at room temperature (25 degrees C). The enzyme-immobilized TpAzo foam exhibited significant activity towards the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (BGL@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 23.5 +/- 3.5 mM and 497.7 +/- 28.0 mu M min(-1)) and carboxymethylcellulose (CBH@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 18.3 +/- 4.0 mg mL(-1) and 85.2 +/- 9.6 mu M min(-1) and EG@TpAzo-foam: K-m and V-max = 13.2 +/- 2.0 mg mL(-1) and 102.2 +/- 7.1 mu M min(-1)). Subsequently, the multi-enzyme immobilized TpAzo foams were utilized to perform a one-pot tandem conversion from carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) to glucose with high recyclability (10 cycles). This work opens up the possibility of synthesizing enzymes immobilized in TpAzo foam for tandem catalysis.

}, issn = {2041-6520}, doi = {10.1039/d3sc01367g}, author = {Paul, Satyadip and Gupta, Mani and Dey, Kaushik and Mahato, Ashok Kumar and Bag, Saikat and Torris, Arun and Gowd, E. Bhoje and Sajid, Hasnain and Addicoat, Matthew A. and Datta, Supratim and Banerjee, Rahul} } @article {48670, title = {High open-circuit voltage in lead sulfide quantum dot solar cells via solution-phase ligand exchange with low electron affinity cadmium halides}, journal = {JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {17282-17291}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The deployment of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) in building high-performance solar cells and other optoelectronic applications relies on the passivation of unsaturated surface atoms through ligand engineering to attain a trap-free energy bandgap and strong QD coupling while maintaining the quantum confinement effect. Despite major advancements in surface passivation strategies, the open circuit voltage (V-oc) of lead sulfide (PbS) QD solar cells is limited by undesirable sub-bandgap states and high-bandtail states. The most advanced solution-phase ligand exchange strategy for PbS QDs depends on lead halide ligands, which improved the photocurrent and fill factor in QD solar cells significantly, but only an incremental change in V-oc is observed. Here we showcase a solution-phase hybrid ligand passivation strategy for PbS QDs using shallow electron affinity cadmium halide and thiol ligands. The cadmium halide ligand treatment results in the sub-monolayer substitution of surface Pb atoms by Cd atoms. The photophysical properties of QDs improve significantly to show intense band edge emission, diminished trap emission and reduced Urbach tail states. The photovoltaic devices built using cadmium halide-treated QDs show low reverse saturation current, which helps to attain a record 0.7 V V-oc (for a 1.28 eV bandgap) and 12.3\% PCE.

}, issn = {2050-7488}, doi = {10.1039/d3ta02191b}, author = {Dambhare, Neha V. and Biswas, Arindam and Sharma, Anjali and Shinde, Dipak Dattatray and Mahajan, Chandan and Mitra, Anurag and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {48829, title = {High rate, high temperature, dendrite free plating/stripping of Li in 3-dimensional honeycomb boron carbon nitride to realize an ultrastable lithium metal anode}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {68}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {107547}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium (Li) metal could be the anode of choice for energy dense Li-batteries owing to its high theoretical specific capacity. However, low coulombic efficiency and poor safety on account of the occurrence of the Li-dendrites during charging-discharging pose a bottleneck for practical applications. In this work, we report a high-rate plating and stripping of Li through host engineering to realize ultrastable Li metal anode (LMA). Benchmark plating/stripping efficiency could be achieved via uniquely structured, highly ordered honeycomb boron carbon nitride (HBCN) as a functional scaffold. Boron and nitrogen doping, large surface area and ordered mesoporous structure induce homogeneous solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer formation and provide numerous nucleation sites with subsequent dendrite-free growth with 99.98 \% coulombic efficiency at 8 mA cm(-2) high current and 10 mAh cm(-2) capacity over 3000 cycles. Via post-cycling advanced characterizations techniques of Ex-situ XPS, 3D X-ray micro-tomography analyses and FESEM, we demonstrate the formation of a stable SEI layer and morphological changes that occurred during Li plating cycles in the HBCN structure. Computational studies validate the high lithium plating-stripping efficacy of HBCN to its highly ordered porous nature, exothermic Li-binding and upshift in the Fermi levels. When tested at elevated temperature (50 degrees C), a stable Li plating-stripping in HBCN is realised at 4 mA cm(-2) current and 10 mAh cm(-2) capacity values with similar to 100 \% C.E. Furthermore, we report the results of testing a Li metal cell comprised of Li deposited HBCN anode and LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode.

}, keywords = {Boron carbon nitride, Dendrite-free Li metal anode, Functional scaffold, High temperature plating/stripping of Li, Molecular planarity parameter, X-ray micro-tomography}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2023.107547}, author = {Patrike, Apurva and Karbhal, Indrapal and Wasnik, Kundan and Torris, Arun and Maibam, Ashakiran and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Shelke, V, Manjusha} } @article {48323, title = {Histidinal-based potent antimalarial agents}, journal = {ChemMedChem}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we report the synthesis and evaluation of peptide-histidinal conjugated drug scaffolds, which have the potential to target the hemoglobin-degrading proteases falcipain-2/3 from the human malaria parasite. Scaffolds with various substitutions were tested for antimalarial activity, and compounds 8 g, 8 h, and 15 exhibited EC50 values of similar to 0.018 mu M, similar to 0.069 mu M, and similar to 0.02 mu M, respectively. Structure-based docking studies on falcipain-2/3 proteases (PDB:2GHU and PDB:3BWK) revealed that compounds 8 g, 8 h, and 15 interact strongly with binding sites of falcipain-2/3 in a substrate-like manner. In silico ADME studies revealed that the molecules of interest showed no or minimal violations of drug-likeness parameters. Further, phenotypic assays revealed that compound 8 g and its biotinylated version inhibit hemoglobin degradation in the parasite food vacuole. The identification of falcipain-2/3 targeting potent inhibitors of the malaria parasite can serve as a starting point for the development of lead compounds as future antimalarial drug candidates.

}, keywords = {artemisinin, chloroquine, digestive vacuole, docking, falcipains, falciparum, P}, issn = {1860-7179}, doi = {10.1002/cmdc.202200709}, author = {Meena, Chhuttan L. and Hingamire, Tejashri and Gupta, Tanya and Deshmukh, Bhagyashree and Karmodiya, Krishanpal and Joshi, Rakesh and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Sanjayan, Gangadhar J.} } @article {48774, title = {Hydrogen from catalytic non-thermal plasma-assisted steam methane reforming reaction}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {48}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {24328-24341}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Steam methane reforming reaction was carried out in a dielectric barrier plasma reactor. A systematic study is conducted to understand the influence of input power, flow rate, and water for the conversion, yield, and selectivity of the reaction over strategically designed catalysts. In particular, the production rate and selectivity of the products (H2, CO and C2 hydrocarbons) are monitored. CeO2 was used as packing material, mixed with oxides of manganese or copper and their combination. The optimum Cu/CeO2 catalyst illustrated the production rate of 248.7 mmolg-1h-1 and 11.25 mmolg-1h-1 for H2, and CO, respectively at specific energy input of 19.8 JL-1. DFT calculations exhibit apparent change in electronic structure of the CeO2 after inclusion of oxides of manganese and copper that enhance interaction with methane. Based on these findings, a plausible mechanism is elucidatedSteam methane reforming reaction was carried out in a dielectric barrier plasma reactor. A systematic study is conducted to understand the influence of input power, flow rate, and water for the conversion, yield, and selectivity of the reaction over strategically designed catalysts. In particular, the production rate and selectivity of the products (H2, CO and C2 hydrocarbons) are monitored. CeO2 was used as packing material, mixed with oxides of manganese or copper and their combination. The optimum Cu/CeO2 catalyst illustrated the production rate of 248.7 mmolg-1h-1 and 11.25 mmolg-1h-1 for H2, and CO, respectively at specific energy input of 19.8 JL-1. DFT calculations exhibit apparent change in electronic structure of the CeO2 after inclusion of oxides of manganese and copper that enhance interaction with methane. Based on these findings, a plausible mechanism is elucidated which can help to design catalyst for other applications in non-thermal plasma atmosphere. \& COPY; 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {DFT, Dielectric barrier discharge, Non-thermal plasma, selectivity, Specific energy input, Steam methane reforming}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.03.281}, author = {Bajpai, Abhinav and Mehta, Shweta and Joshi, Kavita and Kumar, Sushant} } @article {48754, title = {Identification of G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA that interact with nucleolin and nucleophosmin}, journal = {Nucleic Acids Research}, volume = {51}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP}, pages = {9415-9431}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Nuclear-retained long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) including MALAT1 have emerged as critical regulators of many molecular processes including transcription, alternative splicing and chromatin organization. Here, we report the presence of three conserved and thermodynamically stable RNA G-quadruplexes (rG4s) located in the 3 \& PRIME; region of MALAT1. Using rG4 domain-specific RNA pull-down followed by mass spectrometry and RNA immunoprecipitation, we demonstrated that the MALAT1 rG4 structures are specifically bound by two nucleolar proteins, Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin (NPM). Using imaging, we found that the MALAT1 rG4s facilitate the localization of both NCL and NPM to nuclear speckles, and specific G-to-A mutations that disrupt the rG4 structures compromised the localization of both NCL and NPM in speckles. In vitro biophysical studies established that a truncated version of NCL (\& UDelta;NCL) binds tightly to all three rG4s. Overall, our study revealed new rG4s within MALAT1, established that they are specifically recognized by NCL and NPM, and showed that disrupting the rG4s abolished localization of these proteins to nuclear speckles

}, issn = {0305-1048}, doi = {10.1093/nar/gkad639}, author = {Ghosh, Arpita and Pandey, Satya Prakash and Joshi, Dheeraj Chandra and Rana, Priya and Ansari, Asgar Hussain and Sundar, Jennifer Seematti and Singh, Praveen and Khan, Yasmeen and Ekka, Mary Krishna and Chakraborty, Debojyoti and Maiti, Souvik} } @article {48761, title = {Identification of new modulator of DNA repairing pathways based on natural product ({\textpm})-peharmaline A}, journal = {Bioorganic \& Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {91}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {117365}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The complex heterogenic environment of tumour mass often leads to drug resistance and facilitate chemo insensitivity triggering more malignant phenotypes among cancer patients. Major DNA-damaging cancer drugs have been consistently proven unsuccessful in terms of elevating chemo-resistance. (\& PLUSMN;)-peharmaline A, a hybrid natural product isolated from seeds of Peganum harmala L. possesses significant cytotoxic activities. Herein, we have described the design, and synthesis of a novel library of close and simplified analogues around the anticancer natural product (\& PLUSMN;)-peharmaline A and investigated their cytotoxic activities, which led to the identification of three structurally simplified lead compounds exhibiting better potency than parent natural product. Among them, demethoxy analogue of peharmaline A was further investigated for its anticancer potential eliciting demethoxy analogue as potent DNA-damage inducing agent attenuating the expression of the proteins responsible for the DNA damage repair. Therefore, this demethoxy analogue warrants detailed investigations for the confirmations of the molecular mechanism-based studies responsible for its anticancer activity.

}, keywords = {DNA damage, EMT, Pictet, Spengler reaction, Structure-activity relationship, Total synthesis}, issn = {0968-0896}, doi = {10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117365}, author = {Kulkarni, Akshay S. and Dash, Anshurekha and Shingare, Rahul D. and Chand, Jagdish and Manhas, Diksha and Singh, Aman and Nandi, Utpal and Goswami, Anindya and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48315, title = {Interactive study of Au-20 nanocluster and methyl substituted amide linked tyrosine/tryptophan to develop representative model for studying protein-nanoparticle interaction}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Structure}, volume = {1272}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {134177}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Investigations on UV-vis, steady-state fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence properties of human hemoglobin (HHb) reveals greater spectral shifts in peaks arising due to alterations in microenvironment of Tyr-compared to Trp-during interactions with gold nanoparticle (GNP). Besides, interactions of Au-20 nanocluster with modified Tyr/Trp (possessing methyl substituted amide bonds) by quantum chemical calculations demonstrate significant role of amide bonds and the spectral shift, binding energy and alteration in bond distances appear to be higher for modified Tyr-compared to modified Trp. Moreover, close resemblance of frequency shift of modified Tyr/Trp-in presence of Au 20 is observed with respect to the experimental FT-IR study of HHb upon interaction with GNP, suggesting participation of amide bonds in both cases. Furthermore, CD DFT calculations using optimized helical stretch of HHbin presence of Au-20 and experimental CD results of HHb in presence of GNP further indicate participation amide bonds and biocompatibility of GNP. Apparently, the theoretical and experimental interactions are going in good agreement with each other. Overall, the study of interactions of modified Tyr/Trp-as representative models of protein microenvironment and Au-20 nanocluster as prototype of GNP to develop models for exploring protein nanoparticle interactions has been highlighted. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {amide bonds, Au-20 nanocluster, Gold nanoparticle, Human hemoglobin, Modified Tyr/Trp}, issn = {0022-2860}, doi = {10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.134177}, author = {Sen Banerjee, Nineesha and Ghosh, Deborin and Mitra, Ishani and Paul, Somnath and Show, Bibhutibhushan and Ganguly, Tapan and Chakraborty, Madhurima} } @article {48339, title = {Investigation and analysis of structural and electrochemical properties of highly ionic conductive La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta electrolyte for SOFC applications}, journal = {Chemical Papers}, volume = {77}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {2697-2705}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study primarily focused on the investigation, synthesis and analysis of lanthanum and tin pyrochlores electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. Ceramic samples with diverse compositions of La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3) were synthesized by using solid-state reaction (SSR) methods. The prepared La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The results were further interpreted regarding the formation of high oxygen vacancy and structural disorder in the La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta matrix. The doping of lanthanum (La3+) by strontium (Sr2+) had a beneficial and remarkable effect on the structural and electrical properties: the increase in dopant (Sr) concentration decreased the lattice parameters of the crystalline phase and enhanced the creation of oxygen vacancies, which consequently increased the ionic conductivity and decreased the activation energy. Thus, it could be understood that the studied new La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta electrolyte would be one of the potential candidates for intermediate temperature SOFC applications.

}, keywords = {Electrolyte, Impedance spectroscopy, Ionic conductivity, Pyrochlore, SOFC}, issn = {0366-6352}, doi = {10.1007/s11696-022-02659-2}, author = {Melit, Fatima and Bounar, Nedjemeddine and Shaikh, Shabana P. S. and Deshpande, Manish and Steil, Marlu Cesar} } @article {48259, title = {Investigation of the effect of zeolite supports and the role of W-species for one-pot catalytic conversion of cellulose to ethylene glycol: theoretical \& experimental studies.}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Endeavors were made to study the influence of various zeolite (HY, NaY, NaZSM-5 and HZSM-5) supports with (Al)-Ni-W metal combination catalysts for the ethylene glycol (EG) production, selectively from cellulose. From the experimental results ZSM-5 (NaZSM-5/73.3\% \& HZSM-5/67.7\%) support is superior over HY \& NaY support in selective EG production from cellulose. It was understood that W- species with oxygen vacancies (WO3-x, XPS analysis) plays an important role in producing the glycolaldehyde (GA) intermediate (via C-C cleavages), which on hydrogenation over Ni- sites selectively produce EG. Further, the studies based on the Density Functional Theory (DFT) were conducted to substantiate the involvement of the WO3-x species in the reaction. The adsorption energies and structural changes establish that the C-2-C-3 bond of the glucose elongates and thereby activates on adsorbing to WO3-x sites supporting the formation of GA. Activation of GA on Ni- sites is distinguished by an increase of 0.1 angstrom in C=O bond length, which facilitates the hydrogenation of C=O resulting in EG. The reaction pathway is explained through an analysis of CDD and DOS.

}, keywords = {Cellulose hydrogenolysis, DFT studies, ethylene glycol, zeolites}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202201202}, author = {Sreekantan, Sreejith and Singh, Chandrodai Pratap and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Marimuthu, Banu} } @article {48284, title = {Low-temperature preferential CO oxidation in a hydrogen-rich stream over Pt-NaY and modified Pt-NaY catalysts for fuel cell application}, journal = {Fuel Cells}, volume = {23}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {15-28}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Preferential oxidation of CO (CO-PROX) in the hydrogen-rich stream has been carried out over Pt-NaY catalysts containing various Pt loadings along with Fe, Co, and Au. Catalysts have been characterized with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy, Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller surface area, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature programmed reduction, and Pt dispersion. CO-PROX activities and CO oxidation selectivities are observed to increase with an increase in Pt content. Pt-NaY catalyst with 0.75 wt.\% Pt loading shows maximum CO-PROX activity at low temperatures. An increase in space velocity decreases the CO and O-2 conversions, but CO oxidation selectivity increases. A decrease in activity is observed when reformat gas contains around 20\% H2O. During the stability test, no change in CO and O-2 conversions is observed, but a small increase in the CO oxidation selectivity is noticed after 10 h indicating that the Pt-NaY catalyst is a promising candidate for CO-PROX reaction in a hydrogen-rich stream. The Pt-Fe-NaY catalyst shows better activity than the Pt-NaY catalyst but starts deactivating after 10 h. However, activity is observed to decrease over Pt-Co-NaY and Pt-Au-NaY catalysts. Pt-Fe-NaY catalyst with 0.75 and 0.35 wt.\% Pt and Fe, respectively, shows better CO-PROX activity at a temperature of 75 degrees C.

}, keywords = {catalysis, CO oxidation, experimental results, flow bed, Fuel Cell Applications, Hydrogen, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy}, issn = {1615-6846}, doi = {10.1002/fuce.202200134}, author = {Malwadkar, Sachin and Bera, Parthasarathi and Satyanarayana, Chilukuri V. V.} } @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 {48697, title = {Mechano-immunology in microgravity}, journal = {Life Sciences in Space Research}, volume = {37}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {50-64}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Life on Earth has evolved to thrive in the Earth{\textquoteright}s natural gravitational field; however, as space technology advances, we must revisit and investigate the effects of unnatural conditions on human health, such as gravitational change. Studies have shown that microgravity has a negative impact on various systemic parts of humans, with the effects being more severe in the human immune system. Increasing costs, limited experimental time, and sample handling issues hampered our understanding of this field. To address the existing knowledge gap and provide confidence in modelling the phenomena, in this review, we highlight experimental works in mechanoimmunology under microgravity and different computational modelling approaches that can be used to address the existing problems.

}, keywords = {Computational modelling, Immune system, Mechano-immunology, Mechanotransduction, Microgravity}, issn = {2214-5524}, doi = {10.1016/j.lssr.2023.03.001}, author = {Murali, Anirudh and Sarkar, Ram Rup} } @article {48775, title = {MeGen-generation of gallium metal clusters using reinforcement learning}, journal = {Machine Learning-Science and Technology}, volume = {4}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {025032}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The generation of low-energy 3D structures of metal clusters depends on the efficiency of the search algorithm and the accuracy of inter-atomic interaction description. In this work, we formulate the search algorithm as a reinforcement learning (RL) problem. Concisely, we propose a novel actor-critic architecture that generates low-lying isomers of metal clusters at a fraction of computational cost than conventional methods. Our RL-based search algorithm uses a previously developed DART model as a reward function to describe the inter-atomic interactions to validate predicted structures. Using the DART model as a reward function incentivizes the RL model to generate low-energy structures and helps generate valid structures. We demonstrate the advantages of our approach over conventional methods for scanning local minima on potential energy surface. Our approach not only generates isomer of gallium clusters at a minimal computational cost but also predicts isomer families that were not discovered through previous density-functional theory (DFT)-based approaches.

}, keywords = {gallium clusters, reinforcement learning, structure generation}, doi = {10.1088/2632-2153/acdc03}, author = {Modee, Rohit and Verma, Ashwini and Joshi, Kavita and Priyakumar, U. Deva} } @article {48698, title = {Metal- and photocatalyst-free, visible-light-initiated C3 a-aminomethylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones via electron donor-acceptor complexes}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {88}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {13339-13350}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

We report a metal- and photocatalyst-free C3 a-aminomethylation of quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones with N-alkyl-N-methylanilines. The reaction proceeds through the formation of a photoactivated electron donor-acceptor complex between quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones and N-alkyl-N-methylanilines. The present method provides a mild and environmentally friendly protocol that exhibits good atom economy and excellent functional group tolerance to obtain a library of biologically significant C3 a-aminomethylated quinoxalin-2(1H)-ones in good yields.

}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.3c01249}, author = {More, Devidas A. and Shirsath, Sachin R. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {48820, title = {Metal deficiency tailored by the 18-electron rule stabilizes metal-based inorganic compounds}, journal = {Chemistry of Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {6050-6058}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The 18-electron (18-e(-)) rule is typicallyrestrictedto predicting the stability of transition-metal-based complexes. Herein,we report the use of the 18-e(-) to predict the stabilityin a family of intermetallics MNiSn (M = V, Cr, Fe, and Co) crystallizingin the Co1.75Ge structure type. Site deficiencies at theM site obtained from single-crystal X-ray diffraction are understoodas attaining a stable noble gas electronic configuration. The densityfunctional theory -based structure calculation confirms that the deficientstructure is more stable than the ideal occupation available at thecrystal lattice. MnNiSn, which crystallizes in the half-Heusler crystalstructure, depicts the role of covalent radii of the constituent elementsin determining the crystal structure. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopyand X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the local structure of the above-mentionedcompounds was also elucidated, supporting the role of deficiency tunedvalence fluctuation to attain a 18-e(-) configurationthat eventually leads to the formation of stable compounds.

}, issn = {0897-4756}, doi = {10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01142}, author = {Singh, Ashutosh Kumar and Mumbaraddi, Dundappa and Mishra, Vidyanshu and Roy, Soumyabrata and Vinod, C. P. and Peter, Sebastian C.} } @article {48493, title = {Microporous 3D-structured hierarchically entangled graphene-supported Pt3Co alloy catalyst for PEMFC application with process-friendly features}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials \& Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {28023-28035}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

To improve the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) performance in aproton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) cathode with respect tomass activity and durability, a suitable electrocatalyst design strategyis essentially needed. Here, we have prepared a sub-three nm-sizedplatinum (Pt)-cobalt (Co) alloy (Pt3Co)-supportedN-doped microporous 3D graphene (Pt3Co/pNEGF) by usingthe polyol synthesis method. A microwave-assisted synthesis methodwas employed to prepare the catalyst based on the 3D porous carbonsupport with a large pore volume and dense micro-/mesoporous surfaces.The ORR performance of Pt3Co/pNEGF closely matches withthe state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalyst in0.1 M HClO4, with a small overpotential of 10 mV. The 3Dmicroporous structure of the N-doped graphene significantly improvesthe mass transport of the reactant and thus the overall ORR performance.As a result of the lower loading of Pt in Pt3Co/pNEGF ascompared to that in Pt/C, the alloy catalyst achieved 1.5 times highermass activity than Pt/C. After 10,000 cycles, the difference in theelectrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and half-wave potential(E (1/2)) of Pt3Co/pNEGF is foundto be 5 m(2) g(Pt) (-1) (Delta ECSA)and 24 mV (Delta E (1/2)), whereas, forPt/C, these values are 9 m(2) g(Pt) (-1) and 32 mV, respectively. Finally, in a realistic perspective, single-celltesting of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was made by sandwichingthe Pt3Co/pNEGF-coated gas diffusion layers as the cathodedisplayed a maximum power density of 800 mW cm(-2) under H-2-O-2 feed conditions with aclear indication of helping the system in the mass-transfer region(i.e., the high current dragging condition). The nature of the I-V polarization shows a progressivelylower slope in this region of the polarization plot compared to asimilar system made from its Pt/C counterpart and a significantlyimproved performance throughout the polarization region in the caseof the system made from the Pt3Co/NEGF catalyst (withoutthe microwave treatment) counterpart. These results validate the betterprocess friendliness of Pt3Co/pNEGF as a PEMFC electrode-specificcatalyst owing to its unique texture with 3D architecture and well-definedporosity with better structural endurance.

}, keywords = {microwave synthesis, N-doped porous 3D graphene, ORR, PEMFC, polyol synthesis, Pt3Co alloy}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c03372}, author = {Manna, Narugopal and Singh, Mayank and Kurungot, Sreekumar} } @article {48803, title = {Mitigating dendrite formation on a Zn electrode in aqueous zinc chloride by the competitive surface chemistry of an imidazole additive}, journal = {ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {23093-23103}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrochemical energy storage systems are critical in several ways for a smooth transition from nonrenewable to renewable energy sources. Zn-based batteries are one of the promising alternatives to the existing state-of-the-art Li-ion battery technology, since Li-ion batteries pose significant drawbacks in terms of safety and cost-effectiveness. Zn (with a reduction potential of -0.76 V vs SHE) has a significantly higher theoretical volumetric capacity (5851 mAh/cm3) than Li (2061 mAh/cm3), and it is certainly far less expensive, safer, and more earth-abundant. The formation of dendrites, hydrogen evolution, and the formation of a ZnO passivation layer on the Zn anode are the primary challenges in the development and deployment of rechargeable zinc batteries. In this work, we examine the role of imidazole as an electrolyte additive in 2 M ZnCl2 to prevent dendrite formation during zinc electrodeposition via experimental (kinetics and imaging) and theoretical density functional theory (DFT) studies. To characterize the efficacy and to identify the appropriate concentration of imidazole, linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and chronoamperometry (CA) are performed with in situ monitoring of the electrodeposited zinc. The addition of 0.025 wt \% imidazole to 2 M ZnCl2 increases the cycle life of Zn-symmetric cells cycled at 1 mA/cm2 for 60 min of plating and stripping dramatically from 90 to 240 h. A higher value of the nucleation overpotential is noted in the presence of imidazole, which suggests that imidazole is adsorbed at a competitively faster rate on the surface of zinc, thereby suppressing the zinc electrodeposition kinetics and the formation. X-ray tomography reveals that a short circuit caused by dendrite formation is the main plausible failure mechanism of Zn symmetric cells. It is observed that the electrodeposition of zinc is more homogeneous in the presence of imidazole, and its presence in the electrolyte also inhibits the production of a passivating coating (ZnO) on the Zn surface, thereby preventing corrosion. DFT calculations conform well with the stated experimental observations.

}, keywords = {dendrite, Density functional theory, exchange current density, Imidazole, X-ray computed tomography, zinc metal electrodeposition}, issn = {1944-8244}, doi = {10.1021/acsami.3c01310}, author = {Rana, Ashutosh and Thakare, Anup and Kumar, Nikhil and Mukherjee, Buddhadev and Torris, Arun and Das, Bidisa and Ogale, Satishchandra and Banerjee, Abhik} } @article {48765, title = {MnXWO4 nanostructure-based catalysts for single-step oxidation of cyclohexane and methane to oxygenates}, journal = {ACS Applied Nano Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {7245-7258}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Activation of the C-H bond in cyclohexane (CYH) and methane is a crucial step to obtain desirable oxygenated products using nanostructured catalyst and is a great challenge and an efficient route to mitigate the inauspicious effects of climate change. The active sites were identified using XRD, HR-TEM, SEM, N2 sorption analysis, TPR, Raman, XPS, TGA, in situ DRIFT, XAS, etc. In optimal reaction conditions, 46\% of CYH was converted into adipic acid (AA) on MnxWO4 nanostructures within 6 h. The recyclability test confirmed the catalyst heterogeneity, which revealed no appreciable loss of catalytic activity even after three consecutive reactions. In situ DRIFT study reveals that CYH is oxidized to cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol (KA oil) and is further oxidized to AA via carboxylate intermediates. DFT studies disclosed that MnOx species are responsible for the C-H activation of CYH, and the Mn2+/Mn3+ redox centers play a vital role in the absorption of KA oil to form AA. Herein, we demonstrated the significant role of the {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}MnOx{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} species and that adequate Lewis and Bronsted acidic sites, redox centers of (Mn2+/Mn3+), and lattice oxygen are accountable for the CYH conversion toward the AA. Additionally, we have reported the oxidation of methane to methanol (146 mu mole per gram of catalyst) in the presence of water at 75 degrees C without over-oxidation products.

}, keywords = {Adipic Acid, C-H bond activation, Cyclohexane oxidation, methane activation, MnOx chain, Redox center}, doi = {10.1021/acsanm.3c00319}, author = {Prabu, Marimuthu and Manikandan, Marimuthu and Samal, Pragnya Paramita and Gurrala, Lakshmi Prasad and Mekala, Siva Prasad and Archana, Ramakrishnan and Nayak, Chandrani and Bhattacharyya, D. and Jha, S. N. and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Raja, Thirumalaiswamy} } @article {48701, title = {Multi-bandgap quantum dots ensemble for near-infrared photovoltaics}, journal = {Energy Technology}, volume = {11}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Narrow bandgap quantum dots (QDs) are an important class of materials for near-infrared (NIR) optoelectronic devices owing to their size-tunable bandgap and chemical root processing. In photovoltaic applications, NIR QDs could be particularly useful to complement the sub-bandgap transmission loss of NIR solar radiation from perovskite and c-Si solar cells. However, insufficient carrier extraction thickness associated with the narrow NIR excitonic bandwidth of QDs limits the conversion efficacy of the broad NIR solar spectrum. Here, we utilize a multi-bandgap QD ensemble which widens the NIR absorption bandwidth to mimic the broad solar spectrum. A solution-phase ligand passivation strategy is used to control doping properties and energy level alignment of multi-bandgap QDs. We successfully developed bulk-heterojunction solar cells using the multi-bandgap QD ensemble, which yields higher carrier extraction thickness and broader NIR absorption. The gain from NIR absorption and carrier transport resulted in higher short-circuit current generation and power conversion efficiency (PCE) in solar cell devices. The champion device shows 8.73\% PCE under 1.5 AM solar illumination and 7.44\% and 5.05\% PCE for the NIR photons transmitted from perovskite and c-Si layers.

}, keywords = {bulk-heterojunctions, multi-bandgap, near-infrared, quantum dots, solar cells, surface passivation}, issn = {2194-4288}, doi = {10.1002/ente.202201375}, author = {Mahajan, Chandan and Dambhare, Neha V. and Biswas, Arindam and Sharma, Anjali and Shinde, Dipak Dattatray and Rath, Arup K.} } @article {48781, title = {Nanopore sequencing of RAGE gene polymorphisms and their association with type 2 diabetes}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {25727-25738}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The receptor foradvanced glycation end products (RAGE)is a transmembraneprotein that interacts with its ligands, advanced glycation end products(AGEs). AGEs are elevated in diabetes and diabetic complications,leading to increased oxidative stress and activation of pro-inflammatorypathways facilitated by AGE-RAGE signaling. Polymorphisms inthe RAGE gene can potentially affect AGE-RAGEinteraction and its downstream signaling, which plays a crucial rolein the progression of diabetes and its complications. In this study,we used nanopore sequencing for genotyping of RAGE polymorphism and identified a maximum number of 33 polymorphisms,including two previously unreported novel mutations in a cohort ofhealthy, type 2 diabetics without nephropathy and type 2 diabeticswith nephropathy in order to identify associations. Two novel RAGE polymorphisms in the intron 8 and 3 \& PRIME;UTR regionat genomic locations 32181834 and 32181132, respectively, were detectedwith a low frequency. For four previously reported polymorphisms,cross-validation by PCR-RFLP showed 99.75\% concordance with nanoporesequencing. Analysis of genotype distribution and allele frequenciesrevealed that five single nucleotide polymorphisms, i.e., rs1800625,rs3131300, rs3134940, rs2070600, and rs9391855, were associated withan increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.3c00297}, author = {Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H. and Khilari, Ajinkya A. and Kazi, Rubina and Jaiswal, Meera R. and Bhoite, Gouri M. and Padwal, Meghana K. and Momin, Abdulrahaman A. and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Kulkarni, Mahesh J.} } @article {48272, title = {Nanostructured Co-doped BiVO4 for efficient and sustainable photoelectrochemical chlorine evolution from simulated sea-water}, journal = {Dalton Transactions}, volume = {52}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {2051-2061}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The co-production of hydrogen and chlorine from sea-water splitting could be a potential, sustainable and attractive route by any method. However, challenges to overcome are many, and critically, the sustainability and operating potential of the electrocatalyst are important. In this work, we report on Co-doping in the BiVO4 (Co-BV) crystal lattice and employed the same as the photoanode; Co-BV exhibits a photocurrent of 190 mu A cm(-2) at 1.1 V vs. RHE (the reversible hydrogen electrode) in the acidic sodium chloride solution (pH 2.3) under one sun illumination. The best-performing photoanode, with 0.05 mol\% of Co doping (0.05 Co-BV), selectively produced active chlorine with 92\% faradaic efficiency at 1.1 V vs. RHE by successfully suppressing the kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the stability of the catalyst was demonstrated for up to 20 h. This is the lowest operating potential reported for the chlorine evolution reaction (CER), thus far. The overpotential required for CER with 0.05 Co-BV is lower than that of OER, which leads to selective CER at 1.1 V (vs. RHE). Co-doping into the BiVO4 lattice decreases the charge transfer resistance and enhances the CER kinetics due to its structural and electronic integration with the BV lattice. We demonstrate that Co-doping also improves the lifetime of the charge carrier and enhances the current density of CER and sustainability of the catalyst.

}, issn = {1477-9226}, doi = {10.1039/d2dt03369k}, author = {Chauhan, Inderjeet and Patra, Kshirodra Kumar and Bajpai, Himanshu and Mhamane, Nitin B. and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48752, title = {N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of N-N axially chiral 3-amino quinazolinones}, journal = {ACS Catalysis}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {8752-8759}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Although the atroposelective synthesisof biaryls and related compoundsbearing axially chiral C-C bonds is well-known, the synthesisof axially chiral C-N bond-containing compounds is relativelyless explored, and the construction of axially chiral N-N bondshas received only scant attention. Demonstrated herein is the N-heterocycliccarbene (NHC)-catalyzed selective amidation reaction, leading to theatroposelective synthesis of N-N axially chiral 3-amino quinazolinones.The NHC-catalyzed reaction of quinazolinones containing a free N-Hmoiety with \& alpha;,\& beta;-unsaturated aldehydes under oxidativeconditions furnished the atropisomeric quinazolinone derivatives undermild conditions and broad scope. Preliminary studies on experimentaland density functional theory-based N-N rotational barrierdetermination are also presented.

}, keywords = {amino quinazolinones, asymmetriccatalysis, axial chirality, N-heterocycliccarbenes, organocatalysis}, issn = {2155-5435}, doi = {10.1021/acscatal.3c01709}, author = {Balanna, Kuruva and Barik, Soumen and Barik, Shilpa and Shee, Sayan and Manoj, Niket and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Biju, Akkattu T.} } @article {48828, title = {Non-Markov models of single-molecule dynamics from information-theoretical analysis of trajectories}, journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics}, volume = {159}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {064104}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Whether single-molecule trajectories, observed experimentally or in molecular simulations, can be described using simple models such as biased diffusion is a subject of considerable debate. Memory effects and anomalous diffusion have been reported in a number of studies, but directly inferring such effects from trajectories, especially given limited temporal and/or spatial resolution, has been a challenge. Recently, we proposed that this can be achieved with information-theoretical analysis of trajectories, which is based on the general observation that non-Markov effects make trajectories more predictable and, thus, more {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}compressible{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} by lossless compression algorithms. Toy models where discrete molecular states evolve in time were shown to be amenable to such analysis, but its application to continuous trajectories presents a challenge: the trajectories need to be digitized first, and digitization itself introduces non-Markov effects that depend on the specifics of how trajectories are sampled. Here we develop a milestoning-based method for information-theoretical analysis of continuous trajectories and show its utility in application to Markov and non-Markov models and to trajectories obtained from molecular simulations.

}, issn = {0021-9606}, doi = {10.1063/5.0158930}, author = {Song, Kevin and Park, Raymond and Das, Atanu and Makarov, Dmitrii E. and Vouga, Etienne} } @article {48475, title = {Novel Biogenic Synthesis of Pd/TiO@BC as an electrocatalytic and possible energy storage materials}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {15874-15883}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The standard approach towards synthesizing nanomaterials exercising chemical or physical techniques generally costs more and necessitates using toxic chemicals, which negatively affect the environment. For the first time, an investigation of a basic green synthesis approach for Phyto fabrication of Pd/TiO@BC nanocomposite via biomass of rice husk (Oryza sativa L) is conducted to sustain the green chemistry for synthesis of less toxic chemicals. XRD analysis revealed that the structure of Phyto synthesized Pd/TiO@BC is crystalline, while UV, FTIR, SEM and EDX analyses marked the victorious nanocomposite biosynthesis. We have investigated the electrocatalytic and biomedical applications of the novel nanocomposite Pd/TiO@BC at different environmental conditions. Testing the potential electrochemical properties of Pd/TiO@BC to eliminate the Congo red (CR) dye from wastewater marked its high removal efficiency, which attained 90\% owing to the higher electron efficiency. Its sensitivity for CR was also examined, and acceptable degradation activity was observed. These Pd/TiO@BC proved to be beneficial in various fields, including electrochemistry, catalysis sensors, wastewater treatment, and nano-devices, and in the transformation of hazardous particles into less harmful substances. Its great potential for use as a supercapacitor is promised by its feature, including durability and compact stability. Significant guidelines could be extracted from the results, which are helpful in material size, synthesis, selection, and configuration design for various energy storage gadgets. The synthesis of high performance and economical materials through green chemistry is a novel approach towards effective energy storage and alteration procedure operation.

}, keywords = {Electro catalytic, Energy storage, Oryza sativa L biochar, Pd, PdNPs and TiONPs, TiO@BC}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2023.01.182}, author = {Khasim, Syed and Dastager, Syed G. and Alahmdi, Mohammed Issa and Hamdalla, Taymour A. and Panneerselvam, Chellasamy and Makandar, Mohammad Basha} } @article {48817, title = {Opaque cell-specific proteome of Candida albicans ATCC 10231}, journal = {Medical Mycology}, volume = {61}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {myad062}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Candida albicans, a polymorphic opportunistic pathogen of humans, can exist in different morphological forms like yeast, hyphae, pseudohyphae, chlamydospores, and white and opaque cells. Proteomic analysis of opaque form of C. albicans ATCC 10231 is carried out in the present study using microflow liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and validated using expression analysis of selected genes using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR and mitochondrial membrane potential assay. This is the first report identifying opaque cell-specific proteins of C. albicans. A total of 188 proteins were significantly modulated under opaque form compared to white cells, of which 110 were upregulated, and 78 were downregulated. It was observed that oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) and oxidative stress are enhanced in C. albicans cells growing under opaque form as proteins involved in OxPhos (Atp1, Atp3, Atp16, Atp7, Cox6, Nuc2, Qcr7, and Sdh12) and oxidative stress response (Gcs1, Gtt11, Gpx2, Sod1, Ccp1, and Lys7) were significantly upregulated. The maximum upregulation of 23.16- and 13.93-fold is observed in the cases of Ccp1 and Nuc2, respectively. The downregulation of proteins, namely Als1, Csh1, Sap9, and Rho1, determining cell surface chemistry indicates modulation in cell wall integrity and reduced adhesion of opaque cells compared to white cells. This study is significant as it is the first draft of the proteomic profile of opaque cells that suggests enhanced OxPhos, oxidative stress, and modulation in cell surface chemistry indicating reduced adhesion and cell wall integrity, which could be associated with reduced virulence in opaque form. However, a deeper investigation is needed to explore it further. Lay Summary Opaque form is one of the least studied morphological forms of Candida albicans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report providing opaque cell-specific proteome. It suggests enhanced oxidative phosphorylation, oxidative stress, and modulation in cell surface chemistry, which could be associated with reduced virulence in opaque form.

}, keywords = {albicans, C, LC-MS, MS, opaque, Oxidative stress, OxPhos, protein}, issn = {1369-3786}, doi = {10.1093/mmy/myad062}, author = {Abdulghani, Mazen and Telang, Saraswati and Desai, Manisha and Kadam, Shivdas and Kazi, Rubina and Shelar, Amruta and Patil, Rajendra and Maurya, Radheshyam and Zore, Gajanan} } @article {48681, title = {Organocatalysed one-pot three component synthesis of 3,3'-disubstituted oxindoles featuring an all-carbon quaternary center and [spiro 2H-pyran-3,4'-indoline]}, journal = {RSC Advances}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {13206-13212}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and efficient methodology for the one-pot synthesis of 3,3 {\textquoteleft}-disubstituted oxindoles featuring an all-carbon quaternary center has been demonstrated through l-proline catalysed three-component reaction based on sequential Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition and also one-pot synthesis of spiro[2H-pyran-3,4 {\textquoteleft}-indoline] through consecutive Knoevenagel condensation/Michael addition/reduction/cyclization reactions from readily available isatin derivatives, malononitrile, and ketones. The present methodology presents several advantages, including simple reaction set-up, short reaction times, and easy to work-up. Also, this strategy offers broad substrate scope with excellent yields and high atom economy, under mild reaction conditions.

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ra00510k}, author = {Nichinde, Chandrakant B. and Patil, Baliram R. and Chaudhari, Suryakant S. and Mali, Bhupendra P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. and Kinage, Anil K.} } @article {48260, title = {Organophosphites: an addition to the arsenal of organocatalysts}, journal = {European Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {26}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Organophosphites are nucleophilic in nature and can act as a good leaving group owing to the stability of the phosphite anion. This dual reactivity makes them good candidates for nucleophilic organocatalysis. However, phosphites were introduced only in 2004 as the umpolung catalyst for acylsilane substrates utilizing sequential Brook rearrangements. Very recently, phosphites have been reported to catalyze aza-rearrangements and radical reactions. In this review, we discuss the reactivity parameters to understand its lack of use, as well as the potential for catalysis.

}, keywords = {acylradical, azaacyl equivalent, cylanion, organocatalysis, phosphite}, issn = {1434-193X}, doi = {10.1002/ejoc.202201238}, author = {Baral, Nilofar and Rani, Soniya and Saikia, Pinku and Maity, Pradip} } @article {48811, title = {Origin of optoelectronic contradictions in 3,4-cycloalkyl[c]-chalcogenophenes: a computational study}, journal = {Polymers}, volume = {15}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV}, pages = {4240}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The planar morphology of the backbone significantly contributes to the subtle optoelectronic features of pi-conjugated polymers. On the other hand, the atomistic tuning of an otherwise identical pi-backbone could also impact optoelectronic properties systematically. In this manuscript, we compare a series of 3,4-cycloalkylchalcogenophenes by tuning them atomistically using group-16 elements. Additionally, the effect of systematically extending these building blocks in the form of oligomers and polymers is studied. The size of the 3,4-substitution affected the morphology of the oligomers. In addition, the heteroatoms contributed to a further alteration in their geometry and resultant optoelectronic properties. The chalcogenophenes, containing smaller 3,4-cycloalkanes, resulted in lower bandgap oligomers or polymers compared to those with larger 3,4-cycloalkanes. Natural bonding orbital (NBO) calculations were performed to understand the disparity alongside the contour maps of frontier molecular orbitals (FMO).

}, keywords = {chalcogenophene, DFT calculation, Morphology, optoelectronic properties, steric effect}, doi = {10.3390/polym15214240}, author = {Masilamani, Ganesh and Krishna, Gamidi Rama and Debnath, Sashi and Bedi, Anjan} } @article {48460, title = {Palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of ?-allenols in the presence of TBN: access to 3(2H)-furanones}, journal = {Journal of Organic Chemistry}, volume = {88}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {4112-4122}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A new palladium-catalyzed oxidative cyclization of alpha-allenols is described. The readily accessible alpha-allenols participate in intra-molecular oxidative cyclization in the presence of TBN to grant access to multisubstituted 3(2H)-furanones, which are common motifs in several biologically important natural products and pharmaceuticals.

}, keywords = {Alternatively, conditions, cumbersome workup, intramolecular electrophilic, multiple reaction steps, noted examples}, issn = {0022-3263}, doi = {10.1021/acs.joc.2c024574112}, author = {Ghotekar, Ganesh S. and Shinde, Ravi A. and Saswade, Sagar S. and Muthukrishnan, M.} } @article {48476, title = {Parallel evolution of cannabinoid biosynthesis}, journal = {Nature Plants}, volume = {9}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {817+}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This study reveals a cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway in Helichrysum umbraculigerum, a plant genetically distant from Cannabis, providing a potential source of new cannabinoids and metabolic engineering tools. Modulation of the endocannabinoid system is projected to have therapeutic potential in almost all human diseases. Accordingly, the high demand for novel cannabinoids stimulates the discovery of untapped sources and efficient manufacturing technologies. Here we explored Helichrysum umbraculigerum, an Asteraceae species unrelated to Cannabis sativa that produces Cannabis-type cannabinoids (for example, 4.3\% cannabigerolic acid). In contrast to Cannabis, cannabinoids in H. umbraculigerum accumulate in leaves{\textquoteright} glandular trichomes rather than in flowers. The integration of de novo whole-genome sequencing data with unambiguous chemical structure annotation, enzymatic assays and pathway reconstitution in Nicotiana benthamiana and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has uncovered the molecular and chemical features of this plant. Apart from core biosynthetic enzymes, we reveal tailoring ones producing previously unknown cannabinoid metabolites. Orthology analyses demonstrate that cannabinoid synthesis evolved in parallel in H. umbraculigerum and Cannabis. Our discovery provides a currently unexploited source of cannabinoids and tools for engineering in heterologous hosts.

}, issn = {2055-026X}, doi = {10.1038/s41477-023-01402-3}, author = {Berman, Paula and de Haro, Luis Alejandro and Jozwiak, Adam and Panda, Sayantan and Pinkas, Zoe and Dong, Younghui and Cveticanin, Jelena and Barbole, Ranjit and Livne, Rotem and Scherf, Tali and Shimoni, Eyal and Levin-Zaidman, Smadar and Dezorella, Nili and Petrovich-Kopitman, Ekaterina and Meir, Sagit and Rogachev, Ilana and Sonawane, Prashant D. and Aharoni, Asaph} } @article {48308, title = {Pd loaded bismuth ferrite: a versatile perovskite for dual applications as acetone gas sensor and photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green}, journal = {Ceramics International}, volume = {49}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, pages = {5738-5747}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Herein we report the palladium loaded bismuth ferrite for its bidirectional application as acetone gas sensor and photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green. The motivation for loading Pd on bismuth ferrite (BFO) is due to its fascinating catalytic redox reactions causing faster adsorption and desorption of the oxygen molecules over the metal oxide. The planned perovskites were developed via surfactant assisted sol-gel auto-combustion route, and characterized their physico-chemical properties using XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, EDAX, XPS and BET. The developed BFO showed the best selectivity towards acetone, whose response was 69\% at 300 degrees C operating temperature for 500 ppm gas concentration. By tuning the surface area and catalytic behavior using CTAB and Pd loading, respectively, the enhancement in the gas response properties of BFO was achieved to 95\% with the response and recovery time of 75 s and 104 s. The 1 wt\% Pd loaded BFO showed the highest response (95\%) in comparison to rest of the Pd loadings (0.5, 1.5 and 2.0 wt\%). Moreover, the sunlight driven photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green is carried out at 1 h exposure time. Here as well, 1 wt\% Pd loaded BFO exhibited the maximum dye degradation efficiency of 51\%. The results of this study demonstrate the developed perovskites have a significant potential for the use in dual applications such as acetone gas sensor and MG photocatalysis.

}, keywords = {Acetone sensor, Bismuth ferrite, Palladium loading, Photo dye -degradation}, issn = {0272-8842}, doi = {10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.10.153}, author = {Ghadage, Pandurang and Kodam, Pavan and Nadargi, Digambar and Patil, Suraj and Tamboli, Mohaseen and Bhandari, Nagesh and Mulla, Imtiaz and Park, Chinho and Suryavanshi, Sharad} } @article {48700, title = {PIDA-mediated N-N bond formation to access pyrazolidine-3,5-diones: a novel process for uricosuric agents G-25671 and sulfinpyrazone}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {8242-8245}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Traditionally, toxic and expensive hydrazine building blocks are required to construct pharmaceutically important pyrazolidine-3,5-diones. Herein, we have described a novel method for their synthesis based on metal-free oxidative dehydrogenative N-N bond formation by PIDA-mediated reaction of easily accessible dianilide precursors. The developed mild reaction protocol features a good functional group tolerance and scalability. The application of this method is demonstrated by offering a unique route for the synthesis of uricosuric agents G-25671 and sulfinpyrazone from inexpensive starting material aniline via smooth functionalization of the well-designed diversity-oriented cyclopropyl key intermediate.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d3cc02078a}, author = {Halder, Priyanka and Mhaske, Santosh B.} } @article {48805, title = {Polymerized stimuli-responsive microgels for the removal of organic dye from water}, journal = {Journal of Molecular Liquids}, volume = {375}, year = {2023}, month = {APR }, pages = {121267}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Polymerized hydrogel materials (PGM) containing uniform-sized stimuli-responsive microgel particles could be promising alternatives for solution-based microgels to remove organic dyes from water. In the current work, PGM is prepared using Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) based anionic microgels and their ability for uptake and release studies with an oppositely charged dye, methylene blue (MB) is carried out using UV-vis spectroscopy. The mechanism of dye adsorption is understood at a single particle level using light scattering, and zeta potential and the contributions from different molecular interactions among dye molecules and constituting entities of microgels are obtained from molecular docking studies. The maximum dye uptake by PGM is around 80 \% in the swollen state (at pH 7 and 20 degrees C). In contrast, the dye release studies in the deswollen state (at pH 3 and 50 degrees C) show a decrease in the release efficiency from 87 \% to 63 \% of the total dye adsorbed in 4-repeated cycles. The adsorption isotherm follows a sigmoidal (S) model that has been majorly used in different multi-layer adsorption systems. Extensive dynamic and static light scattering studies demonstrate a deswelling of hydrody-namic radius and core-shell radius of microgels at low temperatures (20 degrees C) induced by dye adsorption. At higher temperatures, the dye-adsorbed microgels have a higher hydrodynamic radius than the pure microgels due to the remaining dye molecules within the microgel that do not release even in the deswollen state. Molecular docking studies show that electrostatic interaction dominates between COO- and MB and van der Waals/hydrophobic dominates for MB-NIPAM and MB-COOH docking complex respectively. Our work covering adsorption/desorption properties of the material to the single-particle level can provide a better understanding in formulating reusable smart materials for the remediation of different water pollutants.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {dynamic light scattering, Molecular docking, PNIPAM microgels, Removal of organic pollutants, Stimuli -responsive microgels}, issn = {0167-7322}, doi = {10.1016/j.molliq.2023.121267}, author = {Pany, Biswajit and Majundar, Amrito Ghosh and Mohanty, Madhuchhanda and Fyis, K. P. and Dey, Tanima and Tripathy, Gautam and Bhat, Suresh and Yamanaka, Junpei and Mohanty, Priti S.} } @article {48800, title = {Possible handle for broadening the catalysis regime towards low temperatures: proof of concept and mechanistic studies with CO oxidation on surface modified Pd-TiO2}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG }, pages = {22040-22054}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present work demonstrates the effect of temperature-dependent surface modification (SM) treatment and its influence in broadening the catalysis regime with Pd-TiO2 catalysts prepared by various methods. Due to SM induced changes, a shift in the onset of CO oxidation activity as well as broadening of the oxidation catalysis regime by 30 to 65 K to lower temperatures is observed compared to the temperature required for virgin counterparts. SM carried out at 523 K for Pd-Photo-TiO2 exhibits the lowest onset (10\% CO2 production - T-10) and T-100 for CO oxidation at 360 and 392 K, respectively, while its virgin counterpart shows T-10 and T-100 at 393 and 433 K, respectively. The SMd Pd-TiO2 catalysts were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It is observed that diffusion of atomic oxygen into Pd-subsurfaces leads to SM and changes the nature of the surface significantly. These changes are demonstrated by work function (\& phi;), surface potential, catalytic activity, and correlation among them. UPS results demonstrate the maximum increase in \& phi; by 0.5 eV for Pd-Photo-TiO2 after SM, compared to all other catalysts. XPS study shows a moderate to severe change in the oxidation states of Pd due to atomic oxygen diffusion into the subsurface layers of Pd. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) study also reveals corroborating evidence that the surface potential increases linearly with increasing temperature deployed for SM up to 523 K, followed by a marginal decrease at 573 K. The \& phi; measured by KPFM and UPS shows a similar trend and correlates well with the changes in catalysis observed. Our results indicate that there is a strong correlation between surface physical and chemical properties, and \& phi; changes could be considered as a global marker for chemical reactivity.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d3cp01122d}, author = {Mhamane, Nitin B. B. and Panchal, Suresh and Kolekar, Sadhu K. K. and Ranjan, Ravi and Salgaonkar, Kranti N. N. and Burange, Anand S. S. and Nalajala, Naresh and Datar, Suwarna and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. S.} } @article {48789, title = {Promoting effect of titanium on C-O hydrogenolysis of erythritol to 1,4-butanediol over Pt/W/Ti-SBA-15 catalysts}, journal = {Applied Catalysis A-General}, volume = {666}, year = {2023}, month = {SEP }, pages = {119425}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The C-O hydrogenolysis of erythritol was investigated using Pt/W/Ti-SBA-15 catalysts (4 wt\% Pt, 1 wt\% W and Si/Ti molar ratio = 50, 33, 20 and 10). Ti-incorporation enhanced the hydrogenolysis activity and the yield of 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO). A catalyst with Si/Ti = 20 afforded erythritol conversion of 94 mol\% with 1,4-BDO yield of 32.6 mol\% and total BDOs yield of 51.7 mol\% at 190 degrees C, 50 bar H2 and 12 h. For the catalyst with no titanium (Pt/W/SBA-15), a double the time was required to achieve such yield. There observed electronic connectivity amongst Ti, Pt and W. For the catalyst with Si/Ti = 20, a greater amount of interfacial Pt-O-W(Ti) sites with Pt in + 2 oxidation state was present. The enhanced catalytic performance of these catalysts was corresponded to dispersed Pt (that facilitate hydrogen activation and spillover) and acidic interfacial Pt-O-W sites (that promote the adsorption and hydrogenolysis of erythritol to diols).

}, keywords = {Biomass conversion, Erythritol, Hydrogenolysis, Polyols, Promotional effect of Ti, Terminal diol, Ti-SBA-15-supported Pt/W catalysts}, issn = {0926-860X}, doi = {10.1016/j.apcata.2023.119425}, author = {Bhowmik, Susmita and Akula, Venugopal and Sethia, Govind and Marimuthu, Banu and Darbha, Srinivas} } @article {48740, title = {Quantum dot (Aun/Agn, n=3-8) capped single lipids: interactions and physicochemical properties}, journal = {Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {22294-22303}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Realizing the potential of nano-hybrid biomaterials in various applications (nanoprobes to drug delivery), special attention has been devoted towards their synthesis and development. Nonetheless, several questions pertaining to the interface chemistry between the constituent entities (biomolecules and organic/inorganic part) of these hybrids, still remain unresolved. Keeping these unsolved issues in mind, the present theoretical investigation focuses on determining the electronic/physicochemical properties and interactions within gold and silver quantum dot-capped single lipid molecules. Quantum dots of varying sizes and shapes have been chosen and then coupled with lipid molecules (1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DMPE), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol, sodium salt (DMPG)), at the choline/glycerol, carboxylate and phosphate site. It has been identified that Au Qds interact strongly as compared to Ag clusters. In addition to the type, the shape and size of the Qd also influences their attachment with lipids. Among various sites, the phosphate site provides a considerably stronger platform for the coupling of Qds. On the other hand, attachment at the choline site leads to significantly lower interaction energies. The trend noted in interaction energies coincides with the structure-electronic property analysis (interatomic bond distances, charge transfer, PO2- stretching frequencies), which further helps in deducing the nature of interactions. The molecular dynamics simulations performed on selected Qd-lipid complexes established that the Qd interacting with lipids at the phosphate site remains fairly stable at room temperature without undergoing fragmentation into individual components. On the other hand, at the choline site, the Qd-to-lipid coupling is unstable and therefore they experience disintegration at 300 K temperature. Additionally, a unique glycerol-to-phosphate site crossover is evidenced, which reaffirms that the phosphate site is selectively preferred by Qds for binding with lipid molecules.

}, issn = {1463-9076}, doi = {10.1039/d3cp01131c}, author = {Maneri, Asma H. H. and Varode, Shruti Suhas and Maibam, Ashakiran and Ranjan, Priyatosh and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Joshi, Krati} } @article {48814, title = {Response of cardiac pulse parameters in humans at various inclinations via 360{\textdegree} rotating platform for simulated microgravity perspective}, journal = {NPJ Microgravity}, volume = {9}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {54}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

On the Earth, the human body is designed and adapted to function under uniform gravitational acceleration. However, exposure to microgravity or weightlessness as experienced by astronauts in space causes significant alterations in the functioning of the human cardiovascular system. Due to limitations in using real microgravity platforms, researchers opted for various ground-based microgravity analogs including head-down tilt (HDT) at fixed inclination. However, in the present study, an investigation of response of various cardiac parameters and their circulatory adaptation in 18 healthy male subjects was undertaken by using an indigenously developed 360 \& DEG; rotating platform. Cardiac pulse was recorded from 0 \& DEG; to 360 \& DEG; in steps of 30 \& DEG; inclination using piezoelectric pulse sensor (MLT1010) and associated cardiac parameters were analyzed. The results showed significant changes in the pulse shape while an interesting oscillating pattern was observed in associated cardiac parameters when rotated from 0 \& DEG; to 360 \& DEG;. The response of cardiac parameters became normal after returning to supine posture indicating the ability of the cardiovascular system to reversibly adapt to the postural changes. The observed changes in cardiac parameters at an inclination of 270 \& DEG;, in particular, were found to be comparable with spaceflight studies. Based on the obtained results and the proposed extended version of fluid redistribution mechanism, we herewith hypothesize that the rotation of a subject to head down tilt inclination (270 \& DEG;) along with other inclinations could represent a better microgravity analog for understanding the cumulative cardiac response of astronauts in space, particularly for short duration space missions.

}, doi = {10.1038/s41526-023-00301-3}, author = {Jagtap, Sagar and Kumar, Ajay and Mahale, Bhoopesh and Dixit, Jyotsana and Kalange, Ashok E. and Kanawade, Rajesh and Gangal, Shashikala and Vidyasagar, Pandit} } @article {48751, title = {Review on catalytic hydrogenation of biomass-derived furfural to furfuryl alcohol: recent advances and future trends}, journal = {Energy \& Fuels}, volume = {37}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {11475-11496}, type = {Review}, abstract = {

Biomass is one of the highly abundantrenewable resourcesavailablethat can be converted into several high-value-added products, includingchemicals, biofuels, and advanced materials. To achieve net-zero emissionsand improve biomass application, researchers around the world haverecently focused on expanding biomass processing techniques to value-addedproducts with the eventual goal of industrializing some of the products.In this review, we summarize lignocellulosic biomass derived furfural(FA) and its subsequent hydrogenation to furfuryl alcohol (FAL). Thiswork reviews the various types of hydrogenation catalysts and theirutility in the production of value-added products from FA. There willbe an increase in the demand for selective catalysts and process technologies,as well as an increase in the challenges during valorization, as theusage of biomass to achieve carbon neutrality increases. The reviewaims to provide a concise overview of the advancements in this fieldand the potential for sustainable FAL production. In this paper, wepresent a simple strategy for selecting catalyst systems and associatedprocess parameters that facilitate the highly efficient and selectivevalorization of FA to chemicals or fuel (bioadditives) for industrialuse.

}, issn = {0887-0624}, doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.3c01174}, author = {Racha, Arundhathi and Samanta, Chanchal and Sreekantan, Sreejith and Marimuthu, Banu} } @article {48472, title = {Rivaroxaban eutectics with improved solubility, dissolution rates, bioavailability and stability}, journal = {Crystengcomm}, volume = {25}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN }, pages = {3253-3263}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Rivaroxaban (RXB) is a direct factor Xa inhibitor used for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a blood clot in the leg) and pulmonary embolism (PE, a blood clot in the lung) and to prevent blood clots in atrial fibrillation following hip or knee surgery. However, RXB suffers from poor solubility that hinders its broader application. Although its cocrystals are reported for solubility enhancement, the methodology used to prepare multi-component crystals is complex. Also, it uses hazardous solvents to develop cocrystals. We have prepared eutectics of RXB with caffeic acid (CAA), coumaric acid (CA), fumaric acid (FA), succinic acid (SA), mandelic acid (MA) and trimesic acid (TA) and analyzed them using hot stage microscopy (HSM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The saturation solubility and dissolution rate profiles were also obtained to investigate the effect of eutectics on these parameters. Amongst all the coformers tested, coformers CAA, CA, and FA showed significant enhancement in the solubility of RXB. The powder dissolution rate of the eutectics showed considerable enhancement compared to that of RXB. In vivo pharmacokinetic study was carried out for RXB-CAA, RXB-CA and RXB-FA in rats and compared with RXB, which showed 1.5 and 1.4 times enhancement in relative bioavailability for RXB-CAA and RXB-CA, respectively. Stability studies were carried out as per ICH guidelines for all the eutectics, which revealed excellent stability over six months under accelerated (40 degrees C and 75\%) conditions and twelve months under long-term (30 degrees C and 60\% RH) conditions. The DFT studies carried out using the B3LYP/TZVP level of theory revealed higher Gibbs free interaction energy (Delta G(int)) for homosynthons (drugMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISdrug and coformerMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIScoformer) than heterosynthons (drugMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIScoformer).

}, doi = {10.1039/d3ce00261f}, author = {Shaligram, Parth S. and George, Christy P. and Sharma, Himanshu and Mahadik, Kakasaheb R. and Patil, Sharvil and Vanka, Kumar and Arulmozhi, S. and Gonnade, Rajesh G.} } @article {48333, title = {Salicylaldehydate coordinated two-dimensional-conjugated metal-organic frameworks}, journal = {Chemical Communications}, volume = {59}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB }, pages = {2608-2611}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A novel class of copper-based 2D-c-MOF was synthesized from 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol using green mechano-chemistry. Herein, metal coordination with the salicylaldehyde functional moiety was explored for the first time in MOFs. Moreover, an intrinsic semiconductive copper-based SA-MOF thin film was fabricated using an in situ salt-free method at room temperature.

}, issn = {1359-7345}, doi = {10.1039/d2cc06283f}, author = {Mohammed, Abdul Khayum and Pena-Sanchez, Pilar and Pandikassala, Ajmal and Gaber, Safa and AlKhoori, Ayesha A. and Skorjanc, Tina and Polychronopoulou, Kyriaki and Kurungot, Sreekumar and Gandara, Felipe and Shetty, Dinesh} } @article {48273, title = {Selective and generic photocatalytic oxidation of alcohol with Pd-TiO2 thin films: butanols to butanal/butanone with different morphologies of Pd and 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd counterparts}, journal = {Chemistry-An Asian Journal}, volume = {18}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The present study reports on the photocatalytic oxidation of butanols to butanal/butanone using thin film form of facet-dependent nano-Pd supported on commercial TiO2 under one-sun condition and demonstrates the generic nature. Pd-nanocube (Pd-NC(100)), Pd-truncated octahedron (Pd-TO (100) and (111)), polycrystalline (Pd-PC), and their counterparts with half-a-monolayer Pt-coated on Pd (0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd)) have been used as co-catalyst. A potentially scalable thin film form of Pd/TiO2 photocatalyst, prepared by drop-casting method, has been employed to study oxidation of n-butanol, 2-butanol, and iso-butanol to corresponding aldehyde/ketone. 100\% selectivity is demonstrated to respective aldehyde/ketone with any catalyst used in the present study with varying degree of butanols conversion by NMR. 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/TiO2 shows the highest conversion of 2-butanol to butanone (13.6\% in 4 h). Continuous 10 h of reaction with the most active 0.5 theta(Pt)-Pd-TO/P25 catalyst demonstrates 31\% conversion of 2-butanol to butanone, and catalyst recyclability has been demonstrated. The present protocol can be scalable to large scales to maximize the conversion in direct sunlight. Due to its generic nature, the current method can also be applied to many other alcohols and substrate molecules.

}, keywords = {energy conversion, Nanomaterials, Oxidation, Photocatalysis, Sustainability}, issn = {1861-4728}, doi = {10.1002/asia.202201239}, author = {Salgaonkar, Kranti N. and Kale, Sandip R. and Nalajala, Naresh and Mansuri, Sayana and Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.} } @article {48466, title = {Selective one pot multicomponent green synthesis of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole derivatives utilizing enhanced Lewis acidic sites of Surfactant-assisted ZnO catalyst}, journal = {ChemistrySelect}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {e202300736}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Five different ZnO nanocrystallites (ZnO-1 to ZnO-5) were successfully synthesized by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal technique using various surfactants. All the ZnO nanocrystallites are thoroughly characterized by XRD, IR, UV-DRS spectroscopy and FESEM-EDS analysis. Among the synthesized ZnO nanocrystallites, the CTAB-assisted synthesized ZnO-4 exhibited a fine disc-like morphology with a minimum crystallite size (23 nm). Subsequent to reaction optimization studies, the ZnO-4 is utilized as an efficient catalyst for one pot-three component green synthesis of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indoles (4a-4p) via. condensation of a variety of indoles, aromatic aldehydes and aromatic thiols at room temperature in water. The single-crystal X-ray structure of 3-[(phenyl)(phenylthio)methyl]-1H-indole (4a) is also been reported (CCDC 2170437). The Lewis acidic property of the catalyst-supported probable mechanism is well proposed subsequent to pyridine-IR studies of the ZnO catalysts. Indeed, CTAB-assisted synthesized ZnO-4 was found to be most effective and selective Lewis acid catalyst for the synthesis of a variety of 3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole derivatives in water at ambient temperature with merits like higher yields, lower reaction time, catalyst recovery and reuse.

}, keywords = {3-[(aryl)(arylthio)methyl]-1H-indole, green synthesis, Lewis acidity, Single crystal, ZnO}, issn = {2365-6549}, doi = {10.1002/slct.202300736}, author = {Sangale, Vijay B. B. and Jagtap, Rohidas M. M. and Mali, Bhupendra P. P. and Gonnade, Rajesh G. G. and Pardeshi, Satish K. K.} } @article {48826, title = {Synthesis, biological evaluation and docking studies of silicon incorporated diarylpyrroles as MmpL3 inhibitors: an effective strategy towards development of potent anti-tubercular agents}, journal = {European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry}, volume = {259}, year = {2023}, month = {NOV }, pages = {115633}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Growing global demand for new molecules to treat tuberculosis has created an urgent need to develop novel strategies to combat the menace. BM212 related compounds were found to be potent anti-TB agents and they inhibit mycolic acid transporter, MmpL3, a known potent drug target from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In order to enhance their inhibitory potency, several silicon analogues of diarylpyrroles related to BM212 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anti-tubercular activities. In Alamar blue assay, most of the silicon-incorporated compounds were found to be more potent than the parent compound (BM212), against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MIC = 1.7 \& mu;M, H37Rv). Docking results from the crystal structure of MmpL3 and silicon analogues as pharmacophore model also strongly correlate with the biological assays and suggest that the incorporation of silicon in the inhibitor scaffold could enhance their potency by stabilizing the hydrophobic residues at the binding pocket. The best docking hit, compound 12 showed an MIC of 0.1 \& mu;M against H37Rv with an acceptable in vitro ADME profile and excellent selectivity index. Overall, the present study indicates that, the designed silicon analogues, especially compound 12 could be a good inhibitor for an intrinsically flexible drug-binding pocket of MmpL3 and has potential for further development as anti-tubercular agents.

}, keywords = {antibiotic, BM212, docking studies, MmpL3 inhibitor, Silicon analogue, tuberculosis}, issn = {0223-5234}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115633}, author = {Vasudevan, N. and Motiwala, Zenia and Ramesh, Remya and Wagh, Sachin B. and Shingare, Rahul D. and Katte, Revansiddha and Anand, Amitesh and Choudhary, Sushil and Kumar, Ajay and Gokhale, Rajesh S. and Kulkarni, Kiran A. and Reddy, D. Srinivasa} } @article {48304, title = {Synthesis of 3 alkyl and 1,3-Bis(alkyl)indolizine amides from a-bromohydroxamates}, journal = {Tetrahedron Letters}, volume = {118}, year = {2023}, month = {MAR}, pages = {154386}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

A simple and catalyst-free method has been developed for the synthesis of hindered indolizine amide derivatives from functionalized alkyl bromides. The reaction of a variety of indolizine derivatives with azaoxyallyl cations generated in situ from a-bromoamides afforded a wide range of synthetically important mono- and di-alkylated indolizine amide derivatives in good to excellent yields.@2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {a -Bromohydroxamates, Amides, HFIP, Indolizine}, issn = {0040-4039}, doi = {10.1016/j.tetlet.2023.154386}, author = {Mane, Kishor D. and Bagwe, Sagar S. and More, Satish G. and Suryavanshi, Gurunath} } @article {48819, title = {Tale of two waves: Delineating diverse genomic and transmission landscapes driving the COVID-19 pandemic in Pune, India}, journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health}, volume = {16}, year = {2023}, month = {AUG}, pages = {1290-1300}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Background: Modern response to pandemics, critical for effective public health measures, is shaped by the availability and integration of diverse epidemiological outbreak data. Tracking variants of concern (VOC) is integral to understanding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in space and time, both at the local level and global context. This potentially generates actionable information when integrated with epidemiological outbreak data.Methods: A city-wide network of researchers, clinicians, and pathology diagnostic laboratories was formed for genome surveillance of COVID-19 in Pune, India. The genomic landscapes of 10,496 sequenced samples of SARS-CoV-2 driving peaks of infection in Pune between December-2020 to March-2022, were determined. As a modern response to the pandemic, a {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}band of five{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} outbreak data analytics approach was used. This integrated the genomic data (Band 1) of the virus through molecular phylogenetics with key outbreak data including sample collection dates and case numbers (Band 2), demographics like age and gender (Band 3-4), and geospatial mapping (Band 5).Results: The transmission dynamics of VOCs in 10,496 sequenced samples identified B.1.617.2 (Delta) and BA(x) (Omicron formerly known as B.1.1.529) variants as drivers of the second and third peaks of infection in Pune. Spike Protein mutational profiling during pre and post-Omicron VOCs indicated differential rank ordering of high-frequency mutations in specific domains that increased the charge and binding properties of the protein. Time-resolved phylogenetic analysis of Omicron sub-lineages identified a highly divergent BA.1 from Pune in addition to recombinant X lineages, XZ, XQ, and XM. Conclusions: The band of five outbreak data analytics approach, which integrates five different types of data, highlights the importance of a strong surveillance system with high-quality meta-data for understanding the spatiotemporal evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 genome in Pune. These findings have important implica-tions for pandemic preparedness and could be critical tools for understanding and responding to future outbreaks.\& COPY; 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

}, keywords = {COVID-19, Delta, Omicron, SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance, Variant of concern, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS)}, issn = {1876-0341}, doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2023.06.004}, author = {Niveditha, Divya and Khan, Soumen and Khilari, Ajinkya and Nadkarni, Sanica and Bhalerao, Unnati and Kadam, Pradnya and Yadav, Ritu and Kanekar, Jugal B. and Shah, Nikita and Likhitkar, Bhagyashree and Sawant, Rutuja and Thakur, Shikha and Tupekar, Manisha and Nagar, Dhriti and Rao, Anjani G. and Jagtap, Rutuja and Jogi, Shraddha and Belekar, Madhuri and Pathak, Maitreyee and Shah, Priyanki and Ranade, Shatakshi and Phadke, Nikhil and Das, Rashmita and Joshi, Suvarna and Karyakarte, Rajesh and Ghose, Aurnab and Kadoo, Narendra and Shashidhara, L. S. and Monteiro, Joy Merwin and Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran and Raghunathan, Anu and Karmodiya, Krishanpal} } @article {48737, title = {Tetraalkylammonium-based dicationic ionic liquids (ILs) for CO2 capture}, journal = {New Journal of Chemistry}, volume = {47}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL }, pages = {12944-12954}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

This investigation includes the synthesis and characterization of a new series of ionic liquids (ILs) based on the tetraalkylammonium dication for the absorption of CO2, a step towards the development of more efficient and sustainable technologies. It was possible to synthesize amine-substituted PEG diacrylate by modifying poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which was then quaternized with 1-bromopentane to produce the IL PDBr. The other IL products, PDNTf2, PDBF4 and PDPF6, were synthesized via the metathesis of PDBr with the appropriate salt. The synthesized products were characterized using various techniques, such as FTIR, H-1 and C-13 NMR, elemental analysis, and density and viscosity meters, and evaluated as potential sorbents for CO2 capture. DSC and TGA were used to examine the thermal properties of the ILs. As observed from their thermal degradation behavior, the ILs exhibited two-stage disintegration with thermal stability up to 150 \& DEG;C. The pressure drop method was used to study the sorption capacity of the ILs towards CO2. The sorption investigation showed that when the pressure is increased, the CO2 absorption increases. Equilibrium is reached in 40 minutes, demonstrating a rapid absorption rate. The IL with the [BF4](-) anion (PDBF4) demonstrated a maximum sorption capacity of 0.577 mole fraction of CO2, and can be regenerated and reused efficiently with less than 0.5\% variation from its original absorption capacity. The CO2 absorption capacity for the ILs with other anions follows the trend: Br \& AP; NTf2 \< PF6 \< BF4. This work shows that tetraalkylammonium-based dicationic ILs are adaptable, making them a suitable material for many applications, including sustainable CO2 capture technology.

}, issn = {1144-0546}, doi = {10.1039/d3nj01552a}, author = {Kulkarni, Prashant S. and Ranjane, Prathamesh and Mishra, Karun and Sundararajan, Swati and Kamble, Sanjay} } @article {48809, title = {Theory-directed designing of an intrinsic-activity-modulated metal-doped copper oxide electrode for nitrate to ammonia synthesis}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, month = {MAY}, pages = {6111-6119}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Synthesis of ammonia via electrochemical reduction ofnitrate isone of the most sustainable routes both for environmental protectionas well as energy saving initiatives. However, this process is limitedto the development of high-performance free-standing catalytic electrodeswith improved selectivity and Faradaic efficiency. Herein, we reporttheory-guided designing and fabrication of free-standing non-noblemetal (Mn, Fe, and Co)-doped copper oxide (CuO) electrodes by usinga simple and scalable electrode preparation method. The density functionaltheory (DFT)-based calculations show that the doped-Co sites in theCu surface facilitate the generation and supply of H+ tothe adsorbed NO3 (-) during the reductionprocess; as a result, the Co-CuO catalyst displays higher selectivitytoward nitrate reduction. The Co-doped Cu electrode (Co-CuO)delivers a higher NH3 yield (5492 mu g cm(-2)) at a reduction potential of -0.91 V vs RHE while maintaininga Faradaic efficiency of \>95\%. The alloying of Co to the coppermetalnot only facilitates the proton donation to the adsorbed reactant(NO3 (-)) but also tunes the Cu d-center,resulting in the active site modulation responsible for the activationof catalysts.

}, keywords = {Active sites, ammonia synthesis, electrocatalysis, Faradaic efficiency, High selectivity, metal-doped electrode}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.3c00617}, author = {Tyagi, Nitin Kumar and Mahapatra, Bikash K. and Ghimire, Suvash and Manna, Narugopal and Kumar, Deepak and Kumar, Vijay and Mukhopadhyay, Kausik and Singh, Santosh K.} } @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.} } @article {48668, title = {Total synthesis, structure elucidation and expanded bioactivity of icosalide A: effect of lipophilicity and ester to amide substitution on its bioactivity}, journal = {Organic \& Biomolecular Chemistry}, volume = {21}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {5725-5731}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The first total synthesis of icosalide A, an antibacterial depsipeptide that is unique in that it contains two lipophilic beta-hydroxy acids, has been achieved by following Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis in combination with solution-phase synthesis. The ambiguity in the absolute stereochemistry of icosalide A has been resolved by synthesizing the reported structures and other relevant diastereomers of icosalides and comparing their NMR data. NMR-based structure elucidation of icosalide A revealed a well-folded structure with cross-strand hydrogen bonds similar to the anti-parallel beta-sheet conformation in peptides and displayed a synergistic juxtaposition of the aliphatic sidechains. 12 analogues of icosalide A were synthesized by varying the constituent lipophilic beta-hydroxy acid residues, and their biological activities against Bacillus thuringiensis and Paenibacillus dendritiformis were explored. Most of these icosalide analogues showed an MIC of 12.5 \& mu;g mL(-1) against both bacteria. Swarming inhibition by icosalides was least in B. thuringiensis (8.3\%) compared to that in P. dendritiformis (33\%). Furthermore, this is the first report of icosalides showing assured inhibitory action (MIC between 2 and 10 \& mu;g mL(-1)) against the active stage of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cancer cell lines such as HeLa and ThP1. This study could help optimize icosalides for anti-TB, antibacterial, and anti-cancer activities.

}, issn = {1477-0520}, doi = {10.1039/d3ob00809f}, author = {Dangi, Abha and Pande, Bharat and Agrawal, Sonia and Sarkar, Dhiman and Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao and Marelli, Udaya Kiran} } @article {48274, title = {Ultra-fast electro-reduction and activation of graphene for high energy density wearable supercapacitor asymmetrically designed with MXene}, journal = {Carbon}, volume = {203}, year = {2023}, month = {JAN}, pages = {191-201}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Controlled perforation of graphene is vital to surpass the performance of supercapacitors that rely on their pristine form. However, their practical utilization has been halted by energy-inefficient and lengthy processing. Here, we are reporting a pulse Joule heating strategy for on-site reduction and activation to realize a multimodal porous framework made of perforated graphene using millisecond current pulses. The multimodal porosity and surface functionalities of graphene were regulated at an ultrafast rate by passing a transient current. Asdeveloped ready-to-use electrode composed of nano-to-macro multimodal porosity displays high areal capacitance of 380.2 mF cm-2 in symmetric two-electrode configuration, which is nearly 1.6 times higher than the nonelectro activated counterpart. Furthermore, a high-performance wearable asymmetric supercapacitor with an areal energy density of 107.8 mu Wh cm-2 was realized using this multimodal porous graphene in combination with suitable negative electrodes made of MXene. High energy density, together with stable and repeatable performance of the wearable device for 10000 cycles of charge-discharge and 5000 cycles of bending, signifies the importance of the as-developed device for practical wearable applications. Direct, simple processing of electrodes and orders of magnitude lower cost-and-processing-time can make the process appealing for practical wearable and other energy storage applications.

}, keywords = {asymmetric supercapacitor, Graphene activation, Joule heating, Solid-state supercapacitor, Wearable device}, issn = {0008-6223}, doi = {10.1016/j.carbon.2022.11.054}, author = {Karim, Golam Masud and Dutta, Pronoy and Majumdar, Abhisek and Patra, Amalika and Deb, Sujit Kumar and Das, Snehasish and Dambhare, Neha V. and Rath, Arup K. and Maiti, Uday Narayan} } @article {48455, title = {Ultrafast spectroscopy of plasmons and free carriers in 2D MXenes}, journal = {Advanced Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2023}, month = {FEB}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

2D MXenes have diverse and chemically tunable optical properties that arise from an interplay between free carriers, interband transitions, and plasmon resonances. The nature of photoexcitations and their dynamics in three different members of the MXene family, Ti3C2, Mo2Ti2C3, and Nb2C, are investigated using two complementary pump-probe techniques, transient optical absorption, and time-resolved terahertz (THz) spectroscopy. Measurements reveal pronounced plasmonic effects in the visible and near-IR in all three. Optical excitation, with either 400 or 800 nm pulses, results in a rapid increase in lattice temperature, evidenced by a pronounced broadening of the plasmon mode that presents as a plasmon bleach in transient absorption measurements. Observed kinetics of plasmon bleach recovery provide a means to monitor lattice cooling. Remarkably slow cooling, proceeding over hundreds of picoseconds to nanoseconds time scales, implies MXenes have low thermal conductivities. The slowest recovery kinetics are observed in the MXene with the highest free carrier density, viz. Ti3C2, that supports phonon scattering by free carriers as a possible mechanism limiting thermal conductivity. These new insights into photoexcitation dynamics can facilitate their applications in photothermal solar energy conversion, plasmonic devices, and even photothermal therapy and drug delivery.

}, keywords = {2D properties, MXenes, Optical properties, plasmons, ultrafast spectroscopy}, issn = {0935-9648}, doi = {10.1002/adma.202208659}, author = {Colin-Ulloa, Erika and Fitzgerald, Andrew and Montazeri, Kiana and Mann, Javery and Natu, Varun and Ngo, Ken and Uzarski, Joshua and Barsoum, Michel W. and Titova, Lyubov V.} } @article {48286, title = {Understanding the stability of an unprecedented Si-Be bond within quantum confinement}, journal = {ACS Omega}, volume = {8}, year = {2023}, month = {APR}, pages = {14814-14822}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

As of today, the Si-Be bond remains underexplored in the literature, and therefore its anomalous behavior continues to be an unsolved puzzle to date. Therefore, the present study aims at evaluating the integrity of an unprecedented Si-Be bond within quantum confinement. To accomplish this, first-principles-based calculation are performed on Be-doped silicon clusters with atomic sizes 6, 7, and 10. Silicon clusters are sequentially doped with one, two, and three Be atoms, and their thermal response is registered in the temperature range of 200-1500 K, which discloses several research findings. During the course of the simulations, the clusters face various thermal events such as solid cluster phase, rapid structural metamorphosis, and fragmentation. Si-Be nanoalloy clusters are noted to be thermally stable at lower temperatures (200-700 K); however, they begins to disintegrate earlier at a temperature as low as 800 K. This lower stability is attributed to the weak nature of Si and Be heteroatomic interactions, which is corroborated from the structural and electronic property analysis of the doped clusters. In addition to this, the performance of Be-doped clusters at finite temperatures is also compared with the thermal response of two other popular systems, viz., C-and B-doped silicon clusters.

}, issn = {2470-1343}, doi = {10.1021/acsomega.3c01133}, author = {Maneri, Asma Harun and Krishnamurty, Sailaja and Joshi, Krati} } @article {48802, title = {Unleashing methylammonium-guanidinium lead iodide hybrid perovskite spherulitic microstructures: a structural and morphological investigation}, journal = {MRS Communications}, volume = {13}, year = {2023}, month = {JUN}, pages = {406-415}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Perovskites can offer an attractive replacement option for existing commercial solar technologies. Herein microstructure plays an important role in improving the efficiency and stability of solar cells. Previously unidentified spherulitic microstructures of self-assembled polycrystalline perovskites are explored in this report. For this an intermediate phase of a promising guanidinium (GUAI)-rich perovskite has been investigated for its structural and morphological properties. This study infuses new insight into the evolution of perovskite microstructure from heterogeneity to homogeneity, as a result unravels the structure of perovskite embryonic spherulites, lamellar arrangements, transcrystalline nature, novel spherulites bridging, hole nucleation, impingement, and defects.

}, keywords = {Microstructure, Morphology, Nucleation \& growth, Perovskites, Phase transformation, X-ray diffraction (XRD)}, issn = {2159-6859}, doi = {10.1557/s43579-023-00375-w}, author = {Mukul, Monika and Kaliaperumal, Selvaraj and Rani, Mamta and Tripathi, Surya Kant} } @article {48673, title = {Wavelet coherence phase analysis decodes the universal switching mechanism of Ras GTPase superfamily}, journal = {iScience}, volume = {26}, year = {2023}, month = {JUL}, pages = {107031}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The Ras superfamily of GTPases regulate critical cellular processes by shuttling between GTP-bound ON and GDP-bound OFF states. This switching mechanism is attributed to the conformational changes in two loops, SWI and SWII, upon GTP binding and hydrolysis. Since these conformational changes vary across the Ras superfamily, there is no generic parameter to define their functional states. A unique wavelet coherence (WC) analysis-based approach developed here shows that the structural changes in switch regions could be mapped onto the wavelet coherence phase couplings (WPCs). Thus, WPCs could serve as unique parameters to define their functional states. Disentanglement of WPCs in oncogenic GTPases shows how breakdown of structural allostery leads to their aberrant function. These observations stand out even for simulated ensemble of switch region conformers. Overall, for the first time, we show that WPCs could unravel the latent structural deviations in Ras proteins to decode their universal switching mechanism.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.isci.2023.107031}, author = {Motiwala, Zenia and Sandholu, Anand S. and Sengupta, Durba and Kulkarni, Kiran} }