Porous covalent organic nanotubes and their assembly in loops and toroids - Koner, Kalipada; Karak, Shayan; Kandambeth, Sharath; Karak, Suvendu; Thomas, Neethu; Leanza, Luigi; Perego, Claudio; Pesce, Luca; Capelli, Riccardo; Moun, Monika; Bhakar, Monika; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; et al. (Nature Chemistry, 2022)
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.

Potential- and time-dependent dynamic nature of an oxide-derived pdin nanocatalyst during electrochemical CO2 reduction - Bagchi, Debabrata; Sarkar, Shreya; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (ACS Nano, 2022)
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 into valuable fuels and chemicals is a promising route of replacing fossil fuels by reducing CO2 emissions and minimizing its adverse effects on the climate. Tremendous efforts have been carried out for designing efficient catalyst materials to selectively produce the desired product in high yield from CO2 by the electrochemical process. In this work, a strategy is reported to enhance the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (ECO2RR) by constructing an interface between a metal-based alloy (PdIn) nanoparticle and an oxide (In2O3), which was synthesized by a facile solution method. The oxide-derived PdIn surface has shown excellent eCO(2)RR activity and enhanced CO selectivity with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 92.13% at -0.9 V (vs RHE). On the other hand, surface PdO formation due to charge transfer on the bare PdIn alloy reduces the CO2RR activity. With the support of in situ (EXAFS and IR) and ex situ (XPS, Raman) spectroscopic techniques, the optimum presence of the Pd-In-O interface has been identified as a crucial parameter for enhancing eCO(2)RR toward CO in a reducing atmosphere. The influence of eCO(2)RR duration is reported to affect the overall performance by switching the product selectivity from H-2 (from water reduction) to CO (from eCO(2)RR) on the oxide-derived alloy surface. This work also succeeded in the multifold enhancement of the current density by employing the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) and optimizing its process parameters in a flow cell configuration.
Keywords: CO2 reduction; Electrochemistry; heterostructure interface; in situ mechanism; nanocatalyst

Predicting the redox potentials of phenazine derivatives using DFT-assisted machine learning - Ghule, Siddharth; Dash, Soumya Ranjan; Bagchi, Sayan; Joshi, Kavita; Vanka, Kumar (ACS Omega, 2022)
This study investigates four machine-learning (ML) models to predict the redox potentials of phenazine derivatives in dimethoxyethane using density functional theory (DFT). A small data set of 151 phenazine derivatives having only one type of functional group per molecule (20 unique groups) was used for the training. Prediction accuracy was improved by a combined strategy of feature selection and hyperparameter optimization, using the external validation set. Models were evaluated on the external test set containing new functional groups and diverse molecular structures. High prediction accuracies of R2 > 0.74 were obtained on the external test set. Despite being trained on the molecules with a single type of functional group, models were able to predict the redox potentials of derivatives containing multiple and different types of functional groups with good accuracies (R2 > 0.7). This type of performance for predicting redox potential from such a small and simple data set of phenazine derivatives has never been reported before. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are emerging as promising candidates for energy storage systems. However, new green and efficient materials are required for their widespread usage. We believe that the hybrid DFT-ML approach demonstrated in this report would help in accelerating the virtual screening of phenazine derivatives, thus saving computational and experimental costs. Using this approach, we have identified promising phenazine derivatives for green energy storage systems such as RFBs.

Probing the site-specific reactivity and catalytic activity of Ag-n (n=15-20) silver clusters - Anis, Insha; Dar, Mohd Saleem; Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad; Rather, Ghulam Mohammad; Dar, Manzoor Ahmad (ACS Omega, 2022)
Density functional theory calculations within the framework of generalized gradient approximation (GGA), meta-GGA, and local functionals were carried out to investigate the reactivity and catalytic activity of Ag-n (n = 15-20) clusters. Our results reveal that all the Ag-n dusters in this size range, except Ag-20, adsorb O-2 preferably in the bridged mode with enhanced binding energy as compared to the atop mode. The O-2 binding energies range from 0.77 to 0.29 in the bridged mode and from 0.36 to 0.15 eV in the atop mode of O-2 adsorption. The strong binding in the case of the bridged mode of O-2 adsorption is also reflected in the increase in O-O bond distance. Natural bond orbital charge analysis and vibrational frequency calculations reveal that enhanced charge transfer occurs to the O-2 molecule and there is significant red shift in the stretching frequency of O-O bond in the case of the bridged mode of O-2 adsorption on the clusters, thereby confirming the above results. Moreover, the simulated CO oxidation reaction pathways show that the oxidation of the CO molecule is highly facile on Ag-16 and Ag-18 clusters involving small kinetic barriers and higher heats toward CO2 formation.

Process development for crystalline xylitol production from corncob biomass by Pichia caribbica - Dasgupta, Diptarka; Sidana, Arushdeep; Sarkar, Bipul; More, Snehal; Ghosh, Debashish; Bhaskar, Thallada; Ray, Anjan (Food and Bioproducts Processing, 2022)
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

Process optimization for biodiesel production using agro-waste substrate - RaviKumar, Ameeta; Bed, Rashmi; Kumar, V. Ravi (Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 2022)

Proteomic profile of candida albicans biofilm - Abdulghani, Mazen; Iram, Rasiqua; Chidrawar, Priti; Bhosle, Kajal; Kazi, Rubina; Patil, Rajendra; Kharat, Kiran; Zore, Gajanan (Journal of Proteomics, 2022)
Candida albicans biofilms are characterized by structural and cellular heterogeneity that confers antifungal resistance and immune evasion. Despite this, biofilm formation remains poorly understood. In this study, we used proteomic analysis to understand biofilm formation in C. albicans related to morphophysiological and architectural features. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 64 proteins were significantly modulated, of which 31 were upregulated and 33 were downregulated. The results indicate that metabolism (25 proteins), gene expression (13 proteins), stress response (7 proteins), and cell wall (5 proteins) composition are modulated. The rate of oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) and biosynthesis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, vitamin B6, and thiamine increased, while the rate of methionine biosynthesis decreased. There was a significant modification of the cell wall architecture due to higher levels of Sun41, Pir1 and Csh1 and increased glycosylation of proteins. It was observed that C. albicans induces hyphal growth by upregulating the expression of genes involved in cAMP-PKA and MAPK pathways. This study is significant in that it suggests an increase in OxPhos and alteration of cell wall architecture that could be contributing to the recalcitrance of C. albicans cells growing in biofilms. Nevertheless, a deeper investigation is needed to explore it further.Significance: Candida sps is included in the list of pathogens with potential drug resistance threat due to the increased frequency especially colonization of medical devices, and tissues among the patients, in recent years. Significance of our study is that we are reporting traits like modulation in cell wall composition, amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis and importantly energy generation (OxPhos) etc. These traits could be conferring antifungal resistance, host immune evasion etc. and thus survival, in addition to facilitating biofilm formation. These findings are expected to prime the further studies on devising potent strategy against biofilm growth among the patients.
Keywords: Biofilm; Candida albicans; Cell wall; LC-MS; Metabolism; MS; proteomics

Reactive extraction of gluconic acid using trioctylamine in different diluents - Kakku, Sivasankar; Gaikwad, Shripal M.; Gaikwad, Shashank; Taralkar, Suyogkumar V.; Billa, Sarath Babu; Chakinala, Anand Gupta; Chakinala, Nandana (Chemical Engineering & Technology, 2022)
Reactive extraction of gluconic acid (GA) from aqueous solutions was investigated using trioctylamine (TOA) as extractant in the presence of benzyl alcohol (BA) and 1-decanol (DE) as diluents. Physical extraction of GA with pure diluents in the absence of TOA was found to be poor. Reactive extraction with an amine-diluent mixture enhanced the separation process. Higher extraction efficiencies and distribution coefficients were achieved in the presence of BA as compared to DE. Further optimization studies were carried out to determine the synergistic effect of amine/diluent ratio. Loading ratios higher than 0.5 suggested 3:1 complex formation of GA with the amine. A reactive extraction mechanism of GA in TOA was proposed, and the equilibrium complexation constant was determined.
Keywords: 1-Decanol; Benzyl alcohol; Gluconic acid; reactive extraction; Trioctylamine

Reference quality genome sequence of Indian pomegranate cv. `Bhagawa' (Punica granatum L.) - Roopa Sowjanya, P.; Shilpa, Parashuram; Patil, Goudappa Prakash; Babu, Dhinesh Karuppannan; Sharma, Jyotsana; Sangnure, Vipul R.; Mundewadikar, Dhananjay M.; Natarajan, Purushothaman; Marathe, Arvind Rajiv; Reddy, Umesh K.; Singh, Vikram Nripendra (Frontiers in Plant Science, 2022)
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 `Bhagawa' 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 `Bhagawa' 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 `Bhagawa' genome up to 95% significant matches, indicating the high quality of the assembled genome. We have compared the `Bhagawa' genome with the genomes of the pomegranate cultivars `Dabenzi' and `Taishanhong.' 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 `Bhagawa' genome were classified into 32 domains. In all, 314 copies of miRNA belonging to 26 different families were identified in the `Bhagawa' genome. The reference-quality genome assembly of `Bhagawa' is certainly a significant genomic resource for accelerated pomegranate improvement.
Keywords: genome sequencing; hybrid genome assembly; Long Terminal Repeats Assembly Index (LAI); PacBio; pomegranate

Regioselective synthesis of 1,4,5-trisubstituted 1,2,3-triazole derivatives from alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyls - Verma, Naimish K.; Bera, Smritilekha; Gonnade, Rajesh; Mondal, Dhananjoy (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
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

Reusable and efficient polystyrene immobilized ionic liquid catalyst for batch and flow methylation of hydroquinone - Bhongale, V. Priyanka; Joshi, Sunil S.; Mali, Nilesh A. (Catalysis Letters, 2022)
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'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

Review on computational analysis of big data in breast cancer for predicting potential biomarkers - Shaikh, Nilofer; Bapat, Sanket; Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Vyas, Renu (Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2022)
Breast cancer is the most predominantly occurring cancer in the world. Several genes and proteins have been recently studied to predict biomarkers that enable early disease identification and monitor its recurrence. In the era of high-throughput technology, studies show several applications of big data for identifying potential biomarkers. The review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of big data analysis in breast cancer towards the prediction of biomarkers with emphasis on computational methods like text mining, network analysis, next-generation sequencing technology (NGS), machine learning (ML), deep learning (DL), and precision medicine. Integrating data from various computational approaches enables the stratification of cancer patients and the identification of molecular signatures in cancer and their subtypes. The computational methods and statistical analysis help expedite cancer prognosis and develop precision cancer medicine (PCM). As a part of case study in the present work, we constructed a large gene-drug interaction network to predict new biomarkers genes. The gene-drug network helped us to identify eight genes that could serve as novel potential biomarkers.
Keywords: Big data; Biomarkers; Breast cancer; Driver genes; Network analysis; text mining

Room temperature chemoselective hydrogenation of C=C, C=O and C=N bonds by using a well-defined mixed donor Mn(I) pincer catalyst - Shabade, Anand B.; Sharma, Dipesh M.; Bajpai, Priyam; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Vanka, Kumar; Punji, Benudhar (Chemical Science, 2022)
Chemoselective hydrogenation of C=C, C=O and C=N bonds in alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, aldehydes and imines is accomplished at room temperature (27 degrees C) using a well-defined Mn(I) catalyst and 5.0 bar H-2. Amongst the three mixed-donor Mn(I) complexes developed, kappa(3)-((PNNPyz)-P-R2-N-3)Mn(CO)(2)Br (R = Ph, Pr-i, Bu-t); the Bu-t -substituted complex ((PNNPyz)-P-tBu2-N-3)Mn(CO)(2)Br shows exceptional chemoselective catalytic reduction of unsaturated bonds. This hydrogenation protocol tolerates a range of highly susceptible functionalities, such as halides (-F, -Cl, -Br, and -I), alkoxy and hydroxy, including hydrogen-sensitive moieties like acetyl, nitrile, nitro, epoxide, and unconjugated alkenyl and alkynyl groups. Additionally, the disclosed method applies to indole, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, and pyridine-containing unsaturated ketones leading to the corresponding saturated ketones. The C=C bond is chemoselectively hydrogenated in alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones, while the aldehyde's C=O bond and imine's C=N bond are preferentially reduced over the C=C bond. A detailed mechanistic study highlighted the non-innocent behavior of the ligand in the ((PNNPyz)-P-tBu2-N-3) Mn(I) complex and indicated a metal-ligand cooperative catalytic pathway. The molecular hydrogen (H-2) acts as a hydride source, whereas MeOH provides a proton for hydrogenation. DFT energy calculations supported the facile progress of most catalytic steps, involving a crucial turnover-limiting H-2 activation.

Scan-find-scan-model: discrete site-targeted suppressor design strategy for amyloid-beta - Bhagavatula, Hasathi; Sarkar, Archishman; Santra, Binit; Das, Atanu (ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 2022)
Alzheimer's disease is undoubtedly the most well-studied ranks at the top in terms of getting attention from the scientific community for structural property-based characterization. Even after decades of extensive research, there is existing volatility in terms of understanding and hence the effective tackling procedures against the disease that arises due to the lack of knowledge of both specific targetand site-specific drugs. Here, we develop a multidimensional approach based on the characterization of the common static-dynamic-thermodynamic trait of the monomeric protein, which efficiently identifies a small target sequence that contains an inherent tendency to misfold and consequently aggregate. The robustness of the identification of the target sequence comes with an abundance of a priori knowledge about the length and sequence of the target and hence guides toward effective designing of the target-specific drug with a very low probability of bottleneck and failure. Based on the target sequence information, we further identified a specific mutant that showed the maximum potential to act as a destabilizer of the monomeric protein as well as enormous success as an aggregation suppressor. We eventually tested the drug efficacy by estimating the extent of modulation of binding affinity existing within the fibrillar form of the A beta protein due to a single-point mutation and hence provided a proof of concept of the entire protocol.
Keywords: configurational misfoldability; drug developability; inherent frustration; potential aggregability; sequence-based mutability; target specificity

Selective electro-oxidation of phenol to 1,4-hydroquinone employing carbonaceous electrodes: surface modification is the key - Baravkar, Mayur D.; Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. (New Journal of Chemistry, 2022)
The oxidation of phenol leading to 1,4-hydroquinone with high conversion, remarkable selectivity and an excellent yield (87% isolated) has been accomplished under electrolytic conditions in an aqueous medium employing carbon-based electrodes. To achieve this, various factors such as electrode stability, repeatability, and the type of product formed by the electrochemical oxidation of phenol have been investigated using cyclic voltammetry first and then organic transformations under optimized conditions were accomplished by constant current electrolysis. The voltammetric data clearly show that electrochemically generated intermediates passivate the surface of the typically used electrodes, leading to a decrease in their activity, which is a major problem concerning the transformation of phenol electro-oxidation to an industrially adaptable process. In this work, it is established that such difficulties could be circumvented using surface modified carbonaceous electrodes having disordered graphene-like structures and oxygen functional groups. It is also demonstrated that surface modified reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) based electrodes could be used for electro-oxidation of phenol at a reasonably large scale. The electrolysis conditions have been optimized based on the mechanistic understanding leading to remarkable conversion of phenol with 87% selectivity to 1,4-hydroquinone.

`Self-activating' Bi3TaO7-Bi4TaO8Br photocatalyst and its use in the sustainable production of pro-fluorophoric rhodamine-110 - Banoo, Maqsuma; Chatterjee, Kaustav; Mondal, Sanjit; Vinod, C. P.; Gautam, Ujjal K. (Green Chemistry, 2022)
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 `self-activation' 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.

Single-step synthesis of exfoliated Ti3C2Tx MXene through NaBF4/HCl etching as electrode material for asymmetric supercapacitor - Ghosh, Meena; Szunerits, Sabine; Cao, Ning; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Boukherroub, Rabah (ChemistrySelect, 2022)
Two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene, derived from the parent Ti3AlC2 phase, is considered a promising electrode material for electrochemical energy storage applications. Ti3C2Tx MXene synthesis methods often employ concentrated hydrofluoric acid (HF), which is harsh, corrosive, and hazardous to the environment. Herein, we report the preparation of Ti3C2Tx MXene following a new synthetic route under a mild reaction condition comprising an aqueous solution of NaBF4 and HCl. This etching environment at a moderate temperature of 130 degrees C effectively removes the Al layer of the Ti3AlC2 precursor, assisted by the in situ formed HF in the reaction medium. Electron microscopy images of the as-prepared Ti3C2Tx (MX-130) reveal a partially exfoliated nanosheet-like morphology. The material displays a specific capacitance of 262 F g(-1) (three-electrode assembly, 1 A g(-1), -0.85 to -0.25 V vs. Hg/Hg2SO4) in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. The achieved specific capacitance is superior to that of Ti3C2Tx prepared via the common HF-treatment (25 F g(-1)). Additionally, the potential application of the optimized MXene as a negative electrode material is demonstrated in a quasi-solid-state RuO2|MX-130 asymmetric supercapacitor device.
Keywords: asymmetric supercapacitor; Electrochemistry; Fluoride salt etchant; Layered electrode materials; Transition metal carbides

Six-membered saturated NHC-stabilized borenium cations: isolation of a cationic analogue of borinic acid - Kundu, Gargi; Balayan, Kajal; Tothadi, Srinu; Sen, Sakya S. (Inorganic Chemistry, 2022)
The reaction of six-membered saturated NHC [1,3-di(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) tetrahydropyrimidine-2-ylidene; henceforth abbreviated as 6-SIDipp] with PhBCl2 yields a Lewis base adduct, 6-SIDipp.PhBCl2 (1), which readily undergoes nucleophilic substitution reaction with AgNO3, leading to the single (2) and double (3) substitution of both chlorides with ONO2 moieties at the boron atom. The reaction of 1 with 1 equiv of AlCl3 resulted in a borenium cation of composition [6-SIDipp.B(Ph)Cl]+ (4) with AlCl4- as the counteranion. Although borenium cations with different substituents on boron have been reported, a structurally characterized phenylchloroborenium cation remains unknown. Similarly, the reaction of 1 with triflic acid provides the first representative of a new class of borenium cations bearing one hydroxyl and one phenyl group on boron (5), a cationic analogue of borinic acid. Ph-BN H Diphenylborinic acid

SNP discovery and structural insights into OeFAD2 unravelling high oleic/linoleic ratio in olive oil - Ben Ayed, Rayda; Moreau, Fabienne; Ben Hlima, Hajer; Rebai, Ahmed; Ercisli, Sezai; Kadoo, Narendra; Hanana, Mohsen; Assouguem, Amine; Ullah, Riaz; Ali, Essam A. (Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 2022)
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

Solvent-assisted cavitation for enhanced removal of organic pollutants - degradation of 4-aminophenol - Patil, Pravin B.; Bhandari, Vinay M. (Journal of Environmental Management, 2022)
A new approach of solvent-assisted cavitation process was proposed for degradation of organic pollutants. The process envisages the use of suitable solvent as an additive, (1-5% v/V), in the conventional cavitation process to enhance the pollutant removal efficiency. A proof of concept was provided for the removal of ammoniacal nitrogen with significantly improved efficiency using solvent-assisted hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) compared to conventional HC. The efficacy of the process was studied on a pilot plant scale (1 m(3)/h) and using vortex flow based vortex diode as a cavitating device. Degradation studies were carried out using a model pollutant, 4-amino phenol and four different solvents as additives, 1-octanol, cyclohexanol, 1-octane and toluene. Relatively polar solvents were found to increase the efficiency of the pollutant removal (> 65%) and also increase the rates to an extent of more than 200%, compared to only HC. A very high removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, more than 90%, was obtained for solvents 1-octanol and cyclohexanol, indicating the importance of the selection of solvent. Per pass degradation model showed 3 to 4 times increase in the per pass degradation for polar solvents compared to cavitation alone. The results confirm no role of conventional solvent extraction and no specific contamination of wastewater due to the use of solvent as an additive in the process. Further, the cost was 2-3 times lower as compared to the conventional HC. The interesting observations in the proposed process can fuel further research to provide possible improvements in existing methodologies of wastewater treatment, in general, and for removal of ammoniacal nitrogen, in particular.
Keywords: Ammoniacal nitrogen; Hydrodynamic cavitation; Oxidation; Pollution Control; Wastewater treatment

Stacking herbicide detoxification and resistant genes improves glyphosate tolerance and reduces phytotoxicity in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) - Vennapusa, Amaranatha Reddy; Agarwal, Subham; Hm, Hanumanth Rao; Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam; Babitha, K. C.; Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu; Kulkarni, Mahesh J.; Melmaiee, Kalpalatha; Sudhakar, Chinta; Udayakumar, M.; Vemanna, Ramu S. (Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 2022)
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

Steroidal alkaloids defence metabolism and plant growth are modulated by the joint action of gibberellin and jasmonate signalling - Panda, Sayantan; Jozwiak, Adam; Sonawane, Prashant D.; Szymanski, Jedrzej; Kazachkova, Yana; Vainer, Andrii; Kilambi, Himabindu Vasuki; Almekias-Siegl, Efrat; Dikaya, Varvara; Bocobza, Samuel; Shohat, Hagai; Meir, Sagit; et al. (New Phytologist, 2022)
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

Strain-enhanced phase transformation of iron oxide for higher alcohol production from CO2 - Goud, Devender; Churipard, Sathyapal R.; Bagchi, Debabrata; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Riyaz, Mohd; Vinod, C. P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (ACS Catalysis, 2022)
Conversion of CO2 to higher alcohols (HAs) and higher hydrocarbons (HCs) has a greater advantage compared to C1 products because of their high energy density and wide range of applications in daily life. Despite the immense potential of these chemicals, not much of scientific research has been focused on the conversion of CO2 to HAs. In the present work, we have introduced the concept of strain in designing the material to enhance the CO(2 )to HA performance. We introduced strain in a traditional iron-based catalyst, Fe2O3, by the introduction of indium (In), which facilitates the selective conversion of CO2 to HA. An optimum strain favored a 36.7% CO2 conversion with a 42% HA selectivity, and a record yield of 15.42%. The strain has been tuned further with the introduction of K as a promoter. The introduced strain upon In substitution and K promotion favored the conversion of CO2, which is mapped by powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Further, the change in the mechanism upon In incorporation and K promotion has been probed by in situ diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy, and it is found that the OCHx intermediate, which produces HAs, is more prominent upon In substitution, which favored the enhancement of HA production compared to that of pristine Fe2O3.
Keywords: CO2 to HA; Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS); Phase transformation; reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction; strain

Structure-tailored surface oxide on Cu-Ga intermetallics enhances CO2 reduction selectivity to methanol at ultralow potential - Bagchi, Debabrata; Raj, Jithu; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Cherevotan, Arjun; Roy, Soumyabrata; Manoj, Kaja Sai; Vinod, C. P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (Advanced Materials, 2022)
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

Studies in instant water disinfection using natural oils - Dixit, Divya; Bhandari, Vinay M.; Mane, Maya B.; Balapure, Kshama (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2022)
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

Suitability of different supported Ru, Pt and Ni catalysts for the hydrogenolysis of sorbitol - Kandasamy, Thirunavukkarasu; Banu, Marimuthu; Shanthi, R. Vijaya; Sivasanker, S. (Results in Engineering, 2022)
<ul class="issue-navigation u-margin-s-bottom u-bg-grey1" id="issue-navigation" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; list-style: none; overflow: hidden; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSans, Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Arial Unicode MS", sans-serif; margin-bottom: 16px !important; background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245) !important;"> <div class="Abstracts u-font-gulliver text-s" id="abstracts" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; --sd-ui-line-height: calc(1em + 10px); font-size: 0.8rem; line-height: var(--sd-ui-line-height); color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: ElsevierGulliver, Georgia, "Times New Roman", STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", Arial, Helvetica, "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif !important;"> In this article, the results of sorbitol <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/hydrogenolysis" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; word-break: break-word; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-decoration-color: rgb(46, 46, 46); color: rgb(46, 46, 46); text-underline-offset: 1px;" title="Learn more about hydrogenolysis from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">hydrogenolysis (15% aq. solution), done in an autoclave reactor, over Ru, Pt and Ni loaded on SBA15, carbon coated SBA15 (SBA15C), activated carbon (AcC), Na–Y, Fly Ash (FA) and hydroxyapatite (HAP) catalysts by our group, were compared to find the best metal-support combinations. The metal loading was 1 wt% for Ru and Pt, 6 wt% for Ni and the catalysts' preparations were carried out by impregnation of respective salts. The catalysts were characterized with nitrogen and hydrogen adsorption measurements and X-ray diffraction. Addition of a base (Calcium hydroxide) to the reactants' mixture increased the overall conversion and selectivities of the glycols, ethylene glycol (EG) and 1,2-propylene glycol (PG). The catalysts’ performance at 60 bar and 220 °C with the presence of base (B), evaluated by the yield of glycols (PG + EG), showed the following order: Ni/Na–Y > Ru/AcC ∼ Ru/SBA15C > Ni/HAP ∼ Ru/SBA15 > Ni/SBA15 > Ru/Na–Y > Ni/FA ∼ Ni/AcC and the yields were 57, 40, 39, 33, 31, 29, 26, 22 and 21 wt%, respectively. Na–Y appeared to be the best support, especially for Ni metal; AcC and SBA15C were good supports for Ru and Pt respectively. <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/reusability" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-color: transparent; word-break: break-word; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-decoration-color: rgb(46, 46, 46); color: rgb(46, 46, 46); text-underline-offset: 1px;" title="Learn more about Reusability from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">Reusability studies revealed that Ni on HAP was the best catalyst and exhibited only a small deactivation during four runs of loading it.

Sulfur functionalization via epoxide ring opening on a reduced graphene oxide surface to form metal (II) Organo-bis-[1,2]-oxathiin - Kumar, Praveen; Bajpai, Himanshu; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.; Luwang, Meitram Niraj (Inorganic Chemistry, 2022)
The epoxide ring-opening reaction in graphene oxide (GO) by nucleophiles is a very fascinating and advanced methodology to develop novel functional material. Herewith, we report an advanced strategy for opening the epoxide ring on the rGO surface via easily an available nucleophile (Na2S), which is further functionalized with O atom to obtain four-membered rings (FMRs). The Cd coordination with the S atom puts extra stress on the FMR leading to the C-C bond cleavage of the four-membered heteroatomic rings on the rGO surface. This strategic approach leads to the fabrication of an innovative metal organo-bis-[1,2]-oxathiin (MOBOT) chemical moiety (M = Cd, Zn). The MOBOT compound further shows enhanced H-2 generation activity and hence is promising as a potential photocatalyst for solar hydrogen generation. This compound might also be a potential candidate for optoelectronic applications.

Superior processability of Antheraea mylitta silk with cryo-milling: performance in bone tissue regeneration - Parekh, Nimisha; Bijosh, C. K.; Kane, Kartiki; Panicker, Alaka; Nisal, Anuya; Wangikar, Pralhad; Agawane, Sachin (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022)
Non-mulberry silk polymers have a promising future in biomedical applications. However, the dissolution of nonmulberry silk fiber is a still challenge and this poor processability has limited the use of this material. Here, we report a unique protocol to process the Antheraea mylitta (AM) silk fiber. We have shown that the cryo-milling of silk fiber reduces the beta sheet content by more than 10% and results in an SF powder that completely dissolves in routine solvents like trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) within few hours to form highly concentrated solutions (\~20 wt %). Further, these solutions can be processed using conventional processing techniques such as electrospinning to form 3D scaffolds. Bombyx mori (BM) silk was used as a control sample in the study. In-vitro studies were also performed to monitor cell adhesion and proliferation and hMSCs differentiation into osteogenic lineage. Finally, the osteogenic potential of the scaffolds was also evaluated by a 4-week implantation study in rat calvarial model. The in-vitro and in-vivo results show that the processing techniques do not affect the biocompatibility of the material and the AM scaffolds support bone regeneration. Our results, thus, show that cryo-milling facilitates enhanced processability of non-mulberry silk and therefore expands its potential in biomedical applications.
Keywords: Bone tissue engineering; Calvarial defect; hMSCs; Non-mulberry silk fiber; Processing technique

Sustainable fabrication of copper nanoparticles: a potent and affordable candidate for water treatment, water disinfection, antioxidant activity and theranostic agent - Sinha, Tanur; Adhikari, Partha Pradip; Bhandari, Vinay M. (ChemistrySelect, 2022)
This study reports a simple, green, and large-scale biosynthetic fabrication of spherical copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs), approximate 28 nm, using the aqueous extracts of Diaplazium esulentum (Retz.) Sw. fern. Characterization was carried out for morphology, size, elemental analysis, crystallinity and for identification of functionalities responsible for reduction and stabilization. Extraordinary remediation efficiency was obtained for the developed Cu NPs for the elimination of two industrially important pollutants; Methyl Violet 6B and Methylene Blue (greater than 92 % within 150 mins). A mechanism was postulated for the process using the data on the identification of NPs and also spent NPs apart from degraded products. Furthermore, the Cu NPs revealed excellent antibacterial activity against gram positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia and Bacillus subtilis, as well as gram negative bacteria: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and potential action against fungal strains; Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. Additionally, the assay depicted that Cu NPs has fairly decent radical scavenging activity with IC50 value 2.11 mM. Moreover, the Cu NPs were found to exhibit profound anticancerous activity against two human cancer line cells. The present research work has implications for exploitation of DE fern extract for the development of Cu NPs and their numerous applications ranging from pollutants removal to antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant and anticancerous agents.
Keywords: Anticancer; antifungal; Antimicrobial; Antioxidant; Photodegradation and Phytosynthesis

Synergistic electronic effects in AuCo nanoparticles stabilized in a triazine-based covalent organic framework: a catalyst for methyl orange and methylene blue reduction - Devulapalli, Venkata Swaroopa Datta; Kushwaha, Rinku; Ovalle, Edwin; Singh, Himan Dev; Shekhar, Pragalbh; Chakraborty, Debanjan; Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran; Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan; Borguet, Eric (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2022)
Developing stable active catalysts for reducing water-soluble pollutants is a desirable target. In this pursuit, we have functionalized covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with gold (Au) and cobalt (Co) nanoparticles via a one-step aqueous synthesis process, and their catalytic activity in reducing methyl orange and methylene blue is examined. Operando absorbance measurements of methyl orange (anionic dye) reduction revealed AuCoCOF (1.3 Au/1.0 Co) to have superior kinetics over many other catalysts, which typically require additional external stimuli (e.g., photons) and higher catalyst loadings. After confirming the homogeneous dispersion of the nanoparticles on the COF support using three-dimensional (3D) tomography and material stability through powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), infrared (IR), and thermal studies, we investigated their redox activity. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) confirmed the involvement of both metals in the redox process, while spectroelectrochemical measurements show that their activity and kinetics remain unaltered by an applied potential. Solid-state UV measurements reveal that the neat COF is a semiconductor with a large band gap (2.8 eV), which is substantially lowered when loaded with cobalt nanoparticles (2.2 eV for CoCOF). The electronic synergy between Au and Co nanoparticles further reduces the band gap of AuCoCOF (1.9 eV). Thus, there is a definite advantage in doping non-noble metal nanoparticles into a noble metal lattice and nanoconfining them into a porous COF support. Our study highlights the significance of bimetallic COF-supported nanocatalysts, wherein one can engage each component toward targeted applications that demand redox activity with favorable kinetics.
Keywords: AuCoCOF; band gaps; Covalent organic framework; methyl orange reduction; Nanoparticles; UV-vis spectroscopy

Synthesis and antimycobacterial screening of a novel series of alpha-amino acids containing thiazole linker - Nalawade, Jitendra L.; Mhaske, Pravin C.; Shinde, Abhijit D.; Chavan, Abhijit P.; Abhale, Yogita K.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Bobade, Vivek D. (ARKIVOC, 2022)
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

Synthesis, characterization and single crystal x-ray structures of trifluroacetylacetonate copper(ii) complexes - Kumari, Neha; Bahadur, Vir; Butcher, Raymond J.; Kumbhar, Anupa A. (Journal of Chemical Crystallography, 2022)
{Three Cu(II) complexes of 1,1,1-trifluoroacetylacetonate, viz. [Cu(TFACAC)(2)(MeOH)] (1), [Cu(TFACAC)(2)(py)] (2) and [Cu(TFACAC)(2)(DABCO)] (3) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Structures of complexes 1-3 were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction wherein 1 and 2 adapt square pyramidal geometry. Complex 1 crystallizes in triclinic space group P-(1), with a = 8.5059(6) angstrom
Keywords: Copper(II) complexes; crystal structure; cyclic voltammetry; DABCO; Pyridine; Trifluoroacetylacetone

Synthesis of new thiazole and pyrazole clubbed 1,2,3-triazol derivatives as potential antimycobacterial and antibacterial agents - Jagadale, Shivaji M.; Abhale, Yogita K.; Pawar, Hari R.; Shinde, Abhijit; Bobade, Vivek D.; Chavan, Abhijit P.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Mhaske, Pravin C. (Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, 2022)
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

Tailored synthesis of ultra-stable Au@Pd nanoflowers with enhanced catalytic properties using cellulose nanocrystals - Hakkeem, Hasna M. Abdul; Babu, Aswathy; Shilpa, Nagaraju; Venugopal, Adithya A.; Mohamed, A. P.; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Pillai, Saju (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2022)
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

Temporal analysis of melanogenesis identifies fatty acid metabolism as key skin pigment regulator - Sultan, Farina; Basu, Reelina; Murthy, Divya; Kochar, Manisha; Attri, Kuldeep S.; Aggarwal, Ayush; Kumari, Pooja; Dnyane, Pooja; Tanwar, Jyoti; Motiani, Rajender K.; Singh, Archana; Gadgil, Chetan; et al. (Plos Biology, 2022)
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.

Thermodynamics and its correlation with dynamics in a mean-field model and pinned systems: a comparative study using two different methods of entropy calculation - Nandi, Ujjwal Kumar; Patel, Palak; Moid, Mohd; Nandi, Manoj Kumar; Sengupta, Shiladitya; Karmakar, Smarajit; Maiti, Prabal K.; Dasgupta, Chandan; Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2022)
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.

Transition metal- and oxidant-free regioselective synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles by means of [3+2] cycloaddition reactions - Allaka, Bhargava Sai; Basavoju, Srinivas; Gamidi, Rama Krishna (ChemistrySelect, 2022)
A highly efficient regioselective synthesis of 3,4,5-trisubstituted pyrazoles via transition metal- and oxidant-free, three component [3+2] cycloaddition with thiazolidinedione chalcones, benzaldehydes and N-tosylhydrazine is described. The reaction proceeds through C-C and C-N bond formations under mild reaction conditions to produce structurally diverse polysubstituted pyrazoles in moderate to good yields.
Keywords: 3; 4; 5-trisubstituted pyrazoles; Cycloaddition; Multicomponent reaction; Oxidant free; Regioselectivity; Transition metal free

Tuning the hybridization and charge polarization in metal nanoparticles dispersed over Schiff base functionalized SBA-15 enhances CO2 capture and conversion to formic acid - Cherevotan, Arjun; Ray, Bitan; Yadav, Anish; Bagchi, Debabrata; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Riyaz, Mohd; Churipard, Sathyapal R.; Naral, Vinay; Kaur, Komalpreet; Gautam, Ujjal K.; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2022)
Different Schiff base functionalized SBA-15 materials were synthesized through condensation reactions between 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and different aldehydes (glutaraldehyde and butyraldehyde) over a mesoporous silica, SBA-15 (APTES-GLU/SBA-15 and APTES-BUT/SBA-15). Both static and dynamic experiments have been used for testing the CO2 capture efficiency of these materials. The hybridization of the N atom in APTES has been tuned from sp(3) to sp(2) upon condensation facilitating optimum CO2 capture in the direct synthesis of APTES-GLU/SBA-15. The undesirable oxides of nitrogen have been removed during the synthesis process to improve the CO2 capture efficiency. These materials were employed as supports for Pd-Ag and Pd-Ni bimetallic systems for the selective conversion of the captured CO2 to formic acid (FA) in 0.5 M KHCO3 solution. The Pd-Ni catalyst system exhibited enhanced CO2 to FA conversion activity compared to other heterogeneous systems, which is similar to 4 times better than that of the Pd-Ag system in this study. The X-ray absorption studies over the catalyst material confirmed that the relatively electron-deficient Ni in Pd-Ni compared to Ag in Pd-Ag favoured higher charge polarization between the metals in the Pd-Ni system enhancing the CO2 to FA conversion. The experimental observations are well supported by the DFT calculations.

Ultrahigh capacitance of NiCo2O4/CeO2 mixed metal oxide material for supercapacitor applications - Santhosh, G.; Nayaka, G. P.; Bhatt, Aarti S. (Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2022)
Pertaining to research on energy consumption and energy storage systems, new and efficient mixed metal oxides of NiCo2O4/CeO2 as pseudo-capacitor materials have been successfully prepared by sol-gel combustion method. The synthesized unique spinel nanomaterials have been analyzed for structural and morphological characterization by FT-IR, XRD, XPS and electron microscopy techniques. The mesoporous structure and large specific surface area of the synthesized nanomaterials provide an easy channel for ion mobility rendering an effortless redox process at the electrode electrolyte interface. As a consequence, it is observed that NiCo2O4 mixed with 10% of CeO2 exhibits an excellent specific capacitance of 1355 Fg(-1) at 5 Ag-1 along with a high cycling stability with only 4.7% capacity loss at the end of 6000 cycles at a charge-discharge current density of 10 Ag-1. The results obtained are in par with some of the recent electrode materials used for supercapacitors suggesting the possible employment of NiCo2O4/CeO2 mixed metal oxides in energy storage applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Charge-discharge; cyclic voltammetry; NiCo2O4/CeO2; specific capacitance; supercapacitor

Understanding the effect of sodium polyphosphate on improving the chemical stability of Ti3C2Tz MXene in water - Huang, Shuohan; Natu, Varun; Tao, Jingyi; Xia, Yumin; Mochalin, Vadym N.; Barsoum, Michel W. (Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2022)
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.

Understanding unfolding and refolding of the antibody fragment (Fab) III: mapping covalent and non-covalent interactions during in-vitro refolding of light chain, heavy chain, and Fab. - Gani, Kayanat; Chirmade, Tejas; Ughade, Santosh; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu; Bhambure, Rahul (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2022)
In-vitro refolding of the antibody fragments from inclusion bodies is a critical manufacturing bottleneck. We have previously reported that Fab refolding involves the formation of an intermediate. To further decode the refolding pathway, we have mapped the covalent and non-covalent interactions during in-vitro refolding of individual light chain (LC), heavy chain (HC), and intact Fab. Intrinsic fluorescence analysis was performed to map the non -covalent interactions, whereas time-dependent disulfide mapping was performed using LC-MS/MS analysis under non-reducing and reducing atmospheres. Refolding of purified LC, HC, and intact Fab (Biosimilar rHu Ranibi-zumab) was investigated in the study. Under the reducing condition, LC, HC, and intact Fab required around 96, 30, and 70 h, respectively, whereas, under non-reducing conditions, they required only 48, 10, and 48 h, respectively, to acquire the native conformation. The disulfide bond mapping revealed that the bond between LC_Cys23/Cys88 is more unstable. The peptides mapped with the inter-chain disulfide bond were identified at 48 h during the refolding and can be considered as the rate-limiting step in (Fab) refolding. We have also studied a new refolding strategy involving assembly of separately refolded LC and HC into Fab molecule. In this case the Fab refolding yield was low (18.0 +/- 1.36%), indicating inefficient assembly of refolded LC and HC chain into native Fab molecule.
Keywords: Antibody fragment; Disulfide bond formation; In-vitro refolding; Light and heavy chain; rHu Ranibizumab

Understanding unfolding and refolding of the antibody fragments (Fab). II. Mapping intra and inter-chain disulfide bonds using mass spectrometry - Nainwal, Neeraj; Chirmade, Tejas; Gani, Kayanat; Rana, Sunil; Bhambure, Rahul (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2022)
Disulfide bond formation in recombinant protein therapeutics has a significant impact on the integrity and biological activity of the drug product. Formation of the disulfide linkage is the key rate-limiting step in in vitro refolding and overall manufacturing of the antibody fragments (Fab). This investigation is focused on mapping the intra, and inter-chain disulfide bonds in the in vitro refolded antibody fragments by using mass spectrometry (MS). Biosimilar rHu Ranibizumab and rHu Certolizumab expressed using E. coli were selected for the study. Both Fabs contain ten cysteine residues leading to two intra-chain disulfide bonds on each subunit and a single interchain disulfide linkage. rHu Certolizumab has an additional cysteine which is unpaired and used for pegylation. The amino acid sequence in the disulfide-bonded peptides was confirmed by Collision-induced dissociation (CID), Electron transfer dissociation (ETD) and High-energy collision dissociation (HCD). The light chain (LC) intra-chain disulfide is formed between Cys23-Cys88 and Cys134-Cys194 in both the Fabs. The heavy chain (HC) intra-chain disulfides are formed between Cys22-Cys96 and Cys150-Cys206 in rHu Ranibizumab. LC and HC subunits of rHu Ranibizumab are covalently linked by disulfide linkage formed between Cys214 of LC and Cys226 of HC. This study suggests that information from multiple MS platforms and orthogonal methods for peptide fragmentation can be effectively used to map disulfide linkages in biosimilar therapeutic proteins.
Keywords: Antibody fragments (Fab); Collision-induced dissociation; Electron transfer dissociation; High-energy collision dissociation; in vitro refolding; Ranibizumab

Viscoelastic covalent organic nanotube fabric via macroscopic entanglement - Koner, Kalipada; Das, Susobhan; Mohata, Shibani; Duong, Nghia Tuan; Nishiyama, Yusuke; Kandambeth, Sharath; Karak, Suvendu; Reddy, C. Malla; Banerjee, Rahul (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2022)
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'-bipyridine-5,5'-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%.

Vitrimers based on bio-derived chemicals: overview and future prospects - Balaji Krishnakumar; Andrea Pucci; Prakash P. Wadgaonkar; Indresh Kumar; Wolfgang H. Binder; Sravendra Rana (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022)
The perspective of using recyclable and biobased materials in the vitrimeric concept is attractive, in view of the regulatory guidelines and pressing need to reduce CO2-emissions. The expansion of viable bio-based polymeric materials is gaining increased attention to achieve sustainable development goals. Although durability, cost, and performance still limit their real life applications, these limitations can be overcome through state-of-the-art bio-vitrimeric materials displaying thermoset like mechanical and thermal properties as well as thermoplastic like malleable and thus recyclable properties. Bio-derived chemicals based vitrimers can be of advantage, where material design is made from scratch, allowing to plan material properties in line with their future life cycle from the very beginning. This article emphasizes the current needs of vitrimers based on bio-derived chemicals, including their recycling, reprocessing, and self-healing properties, along with their advantages and potential obstacles from todays’ perspective. The article also identifies potential bio-derivatives as attractive building blocks for vitrimers because of their potential for sustainability.
Keywords: Recycling; Self-healing; Sustainable materials; Vitrimers

Water-controlled keto-enol tautomerization of a prebiotic nucleobase - Datar, Avdhoot; Paithankar, Harshad; Deb, Pranab; Chugh, Jeetender; Bagchi, Sayan; Mukherjee, Arnab; Hazra, Anirban (Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2022)
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.

Well-defined hierarchical teddy bear sunflower-like NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst for superior water oxidation - Bodhankar, Pradnya M. M.; Dhawale, Dattatray S. S.; Giddey, Sarbjit; Kumar, Ravi; Sarawade, Pradip B. B. (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2022)
The development of a robust and efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation is challenging due to the large overpotential requirement to transfer four electrons. Herein, a novel spinel-type hierarchical teddy bear sunflower-like NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst was synthesized through the facile solvothermal process and evaluated for the challenging and demanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the water electrolysis process. The teddy bear sunflower-like NiCo2O4 supported on nickel foam (NF) delivers a current density of 50 mA cm(-2) at a small water oxidation overpotential (eta(50) = 319 mV) which is significantly lower than that of the corresponding spherical NiO/NF (eta(50) = 338 mV), and sea-urchin like Co3O4/NF (eta(50) = 357 mV). A large specific and electroactive surface area, as well as a high TOF value exhibited by the hierarchical teddy bear sunflower-like NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst, demonstrates the potential of NiCo2O4 to catalyze the water oxidation reaction efficiently. The impact of the near-Fermi-level d-orbital states in NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst for boosting OER activity was unveiled by the density functional theory calculation. The stable performance even after 16 h and high catalyst utilization of the hierarchical teddy bear sunflower-like NiCo2O4 through the OER indicates that the catalyst is highly suitable for the large-scale water oxidation process.

2D layered nanomaterials as fillers in polymer composite electrolytes for lithium batteries - Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Ghosh, Meena; Asokan, Kiran; Sukumaran, Santhosh Babu; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Mindemark, Jonas; Brandell, Daniel; Winter, Martin; Nair, Jijeesh Ravi (Advanced Energy Materials, 2023)
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

3D-printed polymer composite devices based on a ferroelectric chiral ammonium salt for high-performance piezoelectric energy harvesting - Sahoo, Supriya; Kothavade, Premkumar Anil; Naphade, Dipti R.; Torris, Arun; Praveenkumar, Balu; Zareba, Jan K.; Anthopoulos, Thomas D.; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy (Materials Horizons, 2023)
Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is an emerging technology to fabricate complex architectures, necessary to realize state-of-the-art flexible and wearable electronic devices. In this regard, top-performing devices containing organic ferro- and piezoelectric compounds are desired to circumvent significant shortcomings of conventional piezoceramics, e.g. toxicity and high-temperature device processibility. Herein, we report on a 3D-printed composite of a chiral ferroelectric organic salt {[Me3CCH(Me)NH3][BF4]} (1) with a biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer that serves as a highly efficient piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG). The ferroelectric property of 1 originates from its polar tetragonal space group P4(2), verified by P-E loop measurements. The ferroelectric domain characteristics of 1 were further probed by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), which gave characteristic `butterfly' and hysteresis loops. The PFM amplitude vs. drive voltage measurements gave a relatively high magnitude of the converse piezoelectric coefficient for 1. PCL polymer composites with various weight percentages (wt%) of 1 were prepared and subjected to piezoelectric energy harvesting tests, which gave a maximum open-circuit voltage of 36.2 V and a power density of 48.1 mu W cm(-2) for the 10 wt% 1-PCL champion device. Furthermore, a gyroid-shaped 3D-printed 10 wt% 1-PCL composite was fabricated to test its practical utility, which gave an excellent output voltage of 41 V and a power density of 56.8 mu W cm(-2). These studies promise the potential of simple organic compounds for building PENG devices using advanced manufacturing technologies.

Accelerated Rauhut-Currier dimerization enabled the synthesis of (+/-)-incarvilleatone and anticancer studies - Kotammagari, Tharun K.; Misra, Sweta; Paul, Sayantan; Kunte, Sunita; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Santra, Manas K.; Bhattacharya, Asish K. (Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023)
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

Active site engineering and theoretical aspects of ``Superhydrophilic'' nanostructure array enabling efficient overall water electrolysis - Barik, Sidharth; Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang; Illathvalappil, Rajith; Singh, Chandrodai Pratap; Kanheerampockil, Fayis; Walko, Priyanka S.; Bhat, Suresh K.; Devi, R. Nandini; Vinod, C. P.; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Small, 2023)
The rational design of noble metal-free electrocatalysts holds great promise for cost-effective green hydrogen generation through water electrolysis. In this context, here, the development of a superhydrophilic bifunctional electrocatalyst that facilitates both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline conditions is demonstrated. This is achieved through the in situ growth of hierarchical NiMoO4@CoMoO4 center dot xH(2)O nanostructure on nickel foam (NF) via a two-step hydrothermal synthesis method. NiMoO4@CoMoO4 center dot xH(2)O/NF facilitates OER and HER at the overpotentials of 180 and 220 mV, respectively, at the current density of 10 mA cm(-2). The NiMoO4@CoMoO4 center dot xH(2)O/NF parallel to NiMoO4@CoMoO4 center dot xH(2)O/NF cell can be operated at a potential of 1.60 V compared to 1.63 V displayed by the system based on the Pt/C@NF parallel to RuO2@NF standard electrode pair configuration at 10 mA cm(-2) for overall water splitting. The density functional theory calculations for the OER process elucidate that the lowest Delta G of NiMoO4@CoMoO4 compared to both Ni and NiMoO4 is due to the presence of Co in the OER catalytic site and its synergistic interaction with NiMoO4. The preparative strategy and mechanistic understanding make the windows open for the large-scale production of the robust and less expensive electrode material for the overall water electrolysis.
Keywords: density functional theory (DFT) study; hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); Hydrothermal synthesis; oxygen evolution reaction (OER); superhydrophilic nanostructures; synergistic interaction; water electrolysis

Amino acid abundance and composition in cell culture medium affects trace metal tolerance and cholesterol synthesis - Rawat, Jyoti; Bhambri, Aksheev; Pandey, Ujjiti; Banerjee, Sanchita; Pillai, Beena; Gadgil, Mugdha (Biotechnology Progress, 2023)
Amino acid compositions of cell culture media are empirically designed to enhance cell growth and productivity and vary both across media formulations and over the course of culture due to imbalance in supply and consumption. The interconnected nature of the amino acid transporters and metabolism suggests that changes in amino acid composition can affect cell physiology. In this study, we explore the effect of a step change in amino acid composition from a DMEM: F12-based medium to a formulation varying in relative abundances of all amino acids, evaluated at two amino acid concentrations (lean LAA vs. rich HAA). Cell growth was inhibited in LAA but not HAA. In addition to the expected effects on expression of the cell cycle, amino acid response and mTOR pathway genes in LAA, we observed an unanticipated effect on zinc uptake and efflux genes. This was accompanied by a lower tolerance to zinc supplementation in LAA but not in the other formulations. Histidine was sufficient but not necessary to prevent such zinc toxicity. Additionally, an unanticipated downregulation of genes in the cholesterol synthesis pathway was observed in HAA, accompanied by an increase in cellular cholesterol content, which may depend on the relative abundances of glutamine and other amino acids. This study shows that changes in the amino acid composition without any evident effect on growth may have profound effects on metabolism. Such analyses can help rationalize the designing of medium and feed formulations for bioprocess applications beyond replenishment of consumed components.
Keywords: Amino acids; cell culture medium; CHO cells; Cholesterol; zinc

Antiviral and ROS scavenging potential of Carica papaya Linn and Psidium guajava leaves extract against HIV-1 infection - Jadaun, Pratiksha; Shah, Prachibahen; Harshithkumar, R.; Said, Madhukar S.; Bhoite, Shubhangi P.; Bokuri, Sowmya; Ravindran, Selvan; Mishra, Neetu; Mukherjee, Anupam (BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2023)
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

Atomically dispersed manganese on graphene nanosheets as biocompatible nanozyme for glutathione detection in liver tissue lysate using microfluidic paper-based analytical devices - Baruah, Diksha J.; Thakur, Ashutosh; Roy, Esha; Roy, Kallol; Basak, Sumanjita; Neog, Dipankar; Bora, Himangsu K.; Konwar, Rituraj; Chaturvedi, Vikash; Shelke, Manjusha V.; Das, Manash R. (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2023)
Recently, single atom catalysts (SACs) featuring M-N-x (M = metal) active sites on carbon support have drawn considerable attention due to their promising enzyme-like catalytic properties. However, typical synthesis methods of SACs often involve energy-intensive carbonization processes. Herein, we report a facile one-pot, low-temperature, wet impregnation method to fully utilize M-N-4 sites of manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc) by decorating molecular MnPc over the sheets of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). The synthesized MnPc@GNP exhibits remarkable peroxidase-mimic catalytic activity toward the oxidation of chromogenic 3,3 `,5,5(')-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate owing to the efficient utilization of atomically dispersed Mn and the high surface-to-volume ratio of the porous catalyst. A nanozyme-based colorimetric sensing probe is developed to detect important biomarker glutathione (GSH) within only 5 min in solution phase based on the ability of GSH to effectively inhibit the TMB oxidation. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the developed colorimetric assay enable us to quantitatively determine GSH concentration in different biological fluids. This work, for the first time, reports a rapid MnPc@GNP nanozyme-based colorimetric assay in the solid substrate by fabricating microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (mu PADs). GSH is successfully detected on the fabricated mu PADs coated with only 6.0 mu g of nanozyme containing 1.6 nmol of Mn in the linear range of 0.5-10 mu M with a limit of detection of 1.23 mu M. This work also demonstrates the quantitative detection of GSH in mice liver tissue lysate using mu PADs, which paves the way to develop mu PADs for point-of-care testing.
Keywords: colorimetricsensing; Glutathione; mu PADs; nanozyme; single atom catalyst; tissue lysate

Baby step in assembling and integrating the components of an artificial photosynthesis device with forced heterojunctions towards improved efficiency - Salgaonkar, Kranti N.; Bajpai, Himanshu; Mhamane, Nitin B.; Nalajala, Naresh; Chauhan, Inderjeet; Thakkar, Kavita; Joshi, Kavita; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. (Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2023)
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.

Bacterial communities and diversity of western ghats soil: a study of a biodiversity hotspot - Ghare, Uma; Narvekar, Simran; Lodha, Tushar; Mallebhari, Rubiya; Dastager, Syed; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Dhotre, Dhiraj; Karmalkar, Nitin R.; Pable, Anupama A. (Current Microbiology, 2023)
The Western Ghats is one of India'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.

BAHD-type acyltransferase concludes the biosynthetic pathway of non-bitter glycoalkaloids in ripe tomato fruit - Sonawane, Prashant D.; Gharat, Sachin A.; Jozwiak, Adam; Barbole, Ranjit; Heinicke, Sarah; Almekias-Siegl, Efrat; Meir, Sagit; Rogachev, Ilana; O'Connor, Sarah E.; Giri, Ashok P.; Aharoni, Asaph (Nature Communications, 2023)
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.

Binder-free and flexible VOPO4/CNT film as cathode for aqueous rechargeable Zn-metal battery - Dilwale, Swati; Babu, Athira; Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare; Kurian, Maria; Ghosh, Meena; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Advanced Sustainable Systems, 2023)
Aqueous rechargeable Zn-metal batteries (AZMBs) are promising energy storage aids due to their inherent safety, low cost, and competent performance, with prospects in stationary and portable applications. In this regard, one of the critical requirements is developing electrodes that can adapt to mechanical deformation without compromising the charge storage performance. The current work demonstrates the development of a binder-free and mechanically flexible composite cathode film (VP/fCNT-F, where `F' stands for the film) based on VOPO4 (VP) and functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs). The VP/fCNT-F film processing involves simple vacuum filtration of the composite obtained from the in-situ reaction of the fCNTs and the VP precursor in an aqueous medium. The functionalization of carbon nanotube (CNT) is important for the homogenous dispersion of VP and fCNT. The VP/fCNT-F electrode is used as a monolithic electrode in AZMB cells in combination with both liquid and quasi-solid-state gel polymer electrolytes. Besides, the utility of the VP/fCNT-F electrode in a flexible battery configuration is also demonstrated. Interestingly, in both the coin-cell and flexible configurations, the VP/fCNT-F electrode delivers a comparable discharge capacity of 90 and 78 mAh g(-1), respectively (at 0.1 A g(-1)), validating the advantage of the binder-free VP/fCNT-F electrode for AZMBs.
Keywords: binder-free cathodes; flexible batteries; layered VOPO4; polymer gel electrolytes; self-standing flexible films

Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by Penicillium rubens and catalytic detoxification of ochratoxin A and organic dye pollutants - Bhandari, Yogesh; Varma, Sanjana; Sawant, Amol; Beemagani, Sreelatha; Jaiswal, Neha; Chaudhari, Bhushan P.; Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao (International Microbiology, 2023)
The environmental pollution caused by chemical dyes is a growing concern nowadays. Limitations of traditional methods opened the route for nanotechnology; owing to the versatile properties of nanomaterials, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) became a potential strategy for different applications. In the present study, biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (BioAuNPs) was carried out by reacting chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) with cell-free filtrate of Penicillium rubens sp. nov. NCIM 1937. The AuNPs were then characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, HR-TEM, FTIR, and DLS analysis to further examine their efficacious biosynthesis and morphological properties including size, shape, and stability. The biogenic AuNPs are polydisperse in nature, with a mean size of 14.92 +/- 5 nm. These AuNPs exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli NCIM-2065, Bacillus subtilis NCIM-2010, and Penicillium verrucosum MTCC 4935. In vitro quantitative HPLC results revealed that BioAuNPs significantly inhibited the biosynthesis of ochratoxin A (OTA). Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are intriguing for power generation and wastewater treatment since they can directly transform chemical energy stored in organic matter to electricity by extracellular electron transfer (EET) via membrane proteins. AuNPs also showed excellent potential for dye degradation of organic pollutants, viz., methylene blue (MB), phenol red (PR), bromothymol blue (BTB), Congo red (CR), and 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). All dye removal efficiencies were estimated and fitted to pseudo-first-order processes using kinetic rate constants (Ka).The present study reveals a simple, original, and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of multifunctional biogenic AuNPs that could be effective in OTA detoxification in food products and organic pollutant removal during wastewater treatment for a sustainable environment.
Keywords: Catalytic organic dye degradation; gold nanoparticles; Ochratoxin A; Penicillium rubens; Penicillium verrucosum

Cadmium (II) Organo Tetrakis-[1,2]-Oxathiin (CdOTOT): a 3D sandwiched frameworks with efficient hydrogen production - Kumar, Praveen; Bajpai, Himanshu; Luwang, Meitram Niraj (Journal of Catalysis, 2023)
For over a decade, the structure, reactivity, and mechanism of graphene based photocatalysts have been of great interest for hydrogen (H2) generation. Several studies have been done on the edge side groups (ESGs) of graphene oxide (GO), but the basal plane groups (BPGs)-epoxide and hydroxide have acquired far less attention. This is because the GO layers are strongly held with van der waals forces as well as H-bonding which prevents the foreign body from entering inside the layers. To overcome these problems, this study presents the successful synthesis and application of four coordinated sandwiched (FCS) Cadmium (II) Organo Tetrakis-[1,2]-Oxathiin (CdOTOT) in rGO-CdS composite (A 3D sandwiched frame-work). Additionally, experimental outcomes have been further supported using density functional theory (DFT), which suggest that CdOTOT is more stable than its precursors as well as thermodynamically favourable. The CdOTOT shows high H2 production activity -67.5 mmol/g or 13.5 mmol/g/h in presence of 1 % Pt cocatalyst and sacrificial reagents (Na2S/Na2SO3). It is around 33 times higher than pristine CdS, and stable up to around 15 hrs without adding any cocatalyst. This mesmerising outcome is over with reported various CdS-rGO based photocatalysts. The higher activity was further explained through the proposed mechanism and observed low electronic work function of CdOTOT. This innovative and extend-able (with other metals) approach provides a revolutionary impact on numerous cutting-edge research applications like photocatalysis, water splitting, solar cell, etc.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: 2]; 3D sandwiched frameworks; Basal Plane Groups (BPGs); Cadmium (II) Organo Tetrakis-[1; hydrogen production; Oxathiin (CdOTOT)

Carbon black and chitin nanofibers for green tyres: preparation and property evaluation - Mathew, Mariya; Dominic, C. D. Midhun; Neenu, K. V.; Begum, P. M. Sabura; Dileep, P.; Kumar, T. G. Ajith; Sabu, Akshay Alax; Nagane, Dhiraj; Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar; Badawi, Michael (Carbohydrate Polymers, 2023)
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

Cerebrospinal fluid protein profiles in alzheimer's dementia patients: a bioinformatic approach - Misra, Anamika; Chakrabarti, Sankha S.; Gambhir, Indrajeet S.; Baghel, Meghraj S.; Patil, Yugendra R. (Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 2023)

C-H functionalization of pyridines - Maity, Susmita; Bera, Asish; Bhattacharjya, Ayantika; Maity, Pradip (Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2023)
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.

Charge trapped CdS quantum dot embedded polymer matrix for a high speed and low power memristor - Betal, Atanu; Bera, Jayanta; Sharma, Ashish; Rath, Arup K. K.; Sahu, Satyajit (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2023)
The data storage requirement in the digital world is increasing day by day with the advancement of the internet of things. In this respect, nonvolatile resistive random-access memory is an option that provides high density and low power data storage capabilities. In this work, zero-dimensional colloidal CdS quantum dots and a polymer composite at an appropriate ratio were used to fabricate a memristive device. Comparison with a pristine CdS quantum dot-based device reveals that a surrounding matrix around the quantum dots is needed for observing memristive behavior. The quantum dots embedded in the polymer matrix device showed extremely stable electrical switching behavior that can be operated for more than 300 cycles and 60 000 seconds. Moreover, the device needs extremely low power to operate at a very high speed. The smooth surface morphology dictates a charge trapping mechanism for the switching phenomenon; however, an interplay between different charge transport mechanisms leads to the fast switching and high on-off ratio of the device.

Chemodivergent coupling of azoarenes with benzyl alcohols via a borrowing hydrogen strategy using a well-defined nickel catalyst - Bansal, Sadhna; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Punji, Benudhar (Catalysis Science & Technology, 2023)
Chemodivergent (de)hydrogenative coupling of azoarenes with benzyl alcohols is achieved via the N=N bond activation using an inexpensive and well-defined (6-OH-bpy)NiCl2 catalyst. This protocol highlights the construction of C-N bonds via a borrowing hydrogen strategy that offers substituted imines and amines. A range of azo compounds couple with various substituted benzyl alcohols in a tandem hydrogenation/dehydrogenation process. The nickel catalyst along with the K2CO3 or (KOBu)-Bu-t base governed the selectivity in imine and amine formation. A preliminary mechanistic study establishes the crucial role of metal-ligand cooperation (MLC) comprising the distinct radical pathways.

Chloroperoxidase applications in chemical synthesis of industrial relevance - Bhandari, Yogesh; Sajwan, Hemlata; Pandita, Parul; Koteswara Rao, Vamkudoth (Biocatalysis and Biotransformation, 2023)
Biocatalysts can accelerate the catalysis of a chemical reaction that is difficult to synthesize with typical chemical methods. The global enzyme market size is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2021 to 2028. Enzymatic reactions are highly chemo, regio, and stereoselective and produce various fine chemicals such as drugs, agrochemicals, and fragrance molecules. Peroxidases (PO) (EC 1.11.1.x) are a large class of enzymes that play an important role in various biological processes. Chloroperoxidase (CPO, EC 1.1.1.10) is a versatile fungal haem-thiolate protein that is useful in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral building blocks and has an important role in a number of biological processes. CPO's main biological role is chlorination, although it also catalyses haem PO, catalase (CAT), and reactions similar to cytochrome P450. However, CPO performs both oxidation and stereo-specific halogenation of chemical molecules. The haem and vanadium POs are produced by Caldariomyces fumago, and Curvularia inaequalis, respectively, and are capable of halogenating the flavanones, naringenin, and hesperetin, at C-6 and C-8 in the presence of either Cl- or Br-. In this review, we discussed the various applications of CPO including synthesis of epoxides, drugs, halogenation of thymol, nitriles, the Aza-Achmatowicz reaction, and biomedical applications such as cancer and biosensors. In light of these novel features, we have provided a detailed review of CPOs and their applications in various stereoselective chemical transformations of industrial relevance.
Keywords: active pharmaceutical ingredients; Biotransformation; Caldariomyces fumago; chemo; Chloroperoxidase; regio; stereoselectivity

Chromatography assisted in-vitro refolding and purification of recombinant peptibody: recombinant romiplostim a case study - Rana, Sunil; Ughade, Santosh; Kumthekar, Rupali; Bhambure, Rahul (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2023)
In-vitro protein refolding is one of the key rate-limiting unit operations in manufacturing of fusion proteins such as peptibodies expressed using E. coli. Dilution-assisted refolding is the most commonly used industrial practice to achieve the soluble, native functional form of the recombinant protein from the inclusion bodies. This study is focused on developing a chromatography-assisted in-vitro refolding platform to produce the biologically active, native form of recombinant peptibody. Recombinant Romiplostim was selected as a model protein for the study. A plug flow tubular reactor was connected in series with capture step affinity chromatography to achieve simultaneous in-vitro refolding and capture step purification of recombinant Romiplostim. Effect of various critical process parameters like fold dilution, temperature, residence time, and Cysteine: DTT ratio was studied using a central composite based design of experiment strategy to achieve a maximum refolding yield of selected peptibody. Under optimum refolding conditions, the maximum refolding yield of 57.0 & PLUSMN; 1.5 % and a purity of over 79.73 & PLUSMN; 3.4 % were achieved at 25-fold dilution, 15 degrees C temperature, 6 h residence time with 6 mM and 10 mM of cysteine and DTT, respectively. The formation of native peptibody structure was examined using various orthogonal analytical tools to study the protein's primary, secondary, and tertiary structure. The amino acid sequence for the disulfide-linked peptide was mapped using collision-induced dissociation (CID) to confirm the formation of interchain disulfide bonds between Cys7-Cys7 and Cys10-Cys10 similarly for intra-chain disulfide bonds between Cys42-Cys102, and Cys148-Cys206. The developed protocol here is a valuable tool to identify high-yield scalable refolding conditions for multi-domain proteins involving inter-domain disulfide bonds.
Keywords: CE-SDS; Disulfide bonds; In-vitro refolding; Peptibody; Romiplostim

Cloning and expression of antibody fragment (Fab) II: Effect of expression hosts on light and heavy chain gene expression - Mehta, Deepa; Chirmade, Tejas; Nainwal, Neeraj; Bhambure, Rahul (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2023)
Protein expression stoichiometry of individual subunits plays a critical role in the formation of multi-domain functional therapeutic proteins like antibody fragments. In this study, we have evaluated light to heavy chain ratio (LC: HC) of rHu Ranibizumab expressed using duet expression vector in six E. coli strains. The LC: HC ratio at the protein level was determined using RP-HPLC whereas transcript abundance of LC and HC at the mRNA level was determined using RTqPCR. Protein level study as well as the transcript abundance profiles of the LC and HC genes were observed to be differentially expressed across the E. coli strains. BL21 STAR (DE3) and Origami 2 strains resulted in a nearly equal expression ratio of LC and HC genes. Untargeted shotgun proteomics analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed proteins. Total 1083 proteins were identified in the spectral IDA library, while 244 and 149 proteins were differentially expressed in Origami 2 and BL21 STAR (DE3) respectively. These proteins are associated with translation and nucleotide biosynthesis pathways. Ob-tained results provide insights into the impact of different E.coli host strains on LC: HC ratio, the probable reasons behind the unbalanced gene ratio, and provide useful transcriptomic and proteomics analysis protocols.
Keywords: E.coli host strains; Expression stoichiometry; Proteome analysis; rHu biosimilar Ranibizumab; Transcript abundance

Cobalt-manganese modified theophrastite phase of nickel hydroxide nanoflower arrays on nickel foam as a self-standing bifunctional electrode for overall water electrolysis - Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang; Illathvalappil, Rajith; Barik, Sidharth; Kanheerampockil, Fayis; Walko, Priyanka S.; Bhat, Suresh K.; Devi, R. Nandini; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2023)
Designing and developing self-supported electrodes for water electrolysis is attractive as compared to conventional catalyst-coated electrodes. Herein, a (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF nanocomposite is prepared by anchoring (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)via simple one-pot hydrothermal synthesis on nickel foam. The presence of Mn induces the external electronic structure of Co(OH)(2), and this also improves the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). These favor better accessibility of active sites and increased intrinsic activity for the OER and HER. (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF has shown promising electrochemical activity toward the OER and HER in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, with an overpotential of 270 mV for the OER and 163 mV for the HER to deliver 10 mA cm(-2) current density. The overall water splitting was performed by employing (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF as both the cathode and anode by displaying a voltage of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm(-2), which is comparable to that extracted from a similar system based on the state-of-the-art Pt/C@NF cathode and RuO2@NF anode (1.60 V at 10 mA cm(-2)) standard electrode pair. Interestingly, at high current densities, the (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF//(Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF system displayed better overall water splitting performance (1.78 V at 100 mA cm(-2)) compared to its Pt/C@NF//RuO2@NF (1.89 V at 100 mA cm(-2)) counterpart while displaying a stable output during the evolution period that lasted for 24 h. The amounts of H-2 and O-2 produced are estimated to be 701.2 and 358.6 mmol, respectively, at a time interval of 1 h; these amounts correspond to an similar to 1 : 2 ratio of O-2 and H-2, respectively. This study confirms the capability for employing (Co0.3Mn0.1Ni0.6)(OH)(2)/NF as a bi-functional and self-standing electrode for the realistic demonstrations of overall water splitting applications.

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 - Mali, Bhupendra P.; Dash, Soumya Ranjan; Annadhasan, Mari; Biswas, Anupam; Manoj, Kochunnoonny; Vanka, Kumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G. (Crystal Growth & Design, 2023)
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.

COF-supported zirconium oxyhydroxide as a versatile heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation and nerve agent hydrolysis - Shekhar, Pragalbh; Devulapalli, Venkata Swaroopa Datta; Reji, Reshma; Singh, Himan Dev; Jose, Aleena; Singh, Piyush; Torris, Arun; Vinod, Chatakudath P.; Tokarz III, John A.; Mahle, John J.; Peterson, Gregory W.; Borguet, Eric; et al. (iScience, 2023)
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'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'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.

Comparative evaluation of advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral load from campus sewage water - Pramanik, Rinka; Bodawar, Narendra; Brahme, Aashay; Kamble, Sanjay; Dharne, Mahesh (Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 2023)
Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is a major concern as the wastewater meets rivers and other water bodies and is used by the population for various purposes. Hence it is very important to treat sewage water in an efficient manner in order to reduce the public health risk. In the present work, various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been evaluated for disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 from sewage water collected from STP inlet of academic institutional residential. The sewage water was subjected to ten AOPs, which include Ozone (O3), Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC), Ultraviolet radiation (UV), and their hybrid combinations like HC/O3, HC/O3/ H2O2, HC/H2O2, O3/UV, UV/H2O2, UV/H2O2/O3, and O3/H2O2 to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load. Further, AOP treated sewage water was subjected to total nucleic acid isolation followed by RT-qPCR for viral load estimation. The sewage water treatment techniques were evaluated based on their viral concentration-reducing efficiency. It was found that ozone and ozone-coupled hybrid AOPs showed the most promising result with more than 98 % SARS-CoV-2 viral load reducing efficiency from sewage water. Interestingly, the best six AOPs used in this study significantly reduced both the SARS-CoV-2 and PMMoV (faecal indicator) viral load and improved water quality in terms of increasing DO and decreasing TOC.
Keywords: AOPs and hybrid AOPs; Hydrodynamic cavitation; Ozonation; PMMoV; SARS-CoV-2; Sewage water treatment

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 - Shahabazuddin, Mohmmad; Banuvalli, Bhavana Karibasappa; Mulik, Nagesh; Pande, Ashwini; Bokade, Vijay; Mudliar, Sandeep Narayan (Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2023)
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

Comparative study of the correlation between the structure and the dynamics for systems interacting via attractive and repulsive potentials - Sharma, Mohit; Nandi, Manoj Kumar; Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2023)
We present the study of the structure-dynamics correlation for systems interacting via attractive Lennard-Jones (LJ) and its repulsive counterpart, the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) potentials. The structural order parameter (SOP) is related to the microscopic mean-field caging potential. At a particle level, the SOP shows a distribution. Although the two systems have similar pair structures, their average SOP differs. However, this difference alone is insufficient to explain the well known slowing down of the dynamics in the LJ system at low temperatures. The slowing down can be explained in terms of a stronger coupling between the SOP and the dynamics. To understand the origin of this system specific coupling, we study the difference in the microscopic structure between the hard and soft particles. We find that for the LJ system, the structural differences of the hard and soft particles are more significant and have a much stronger temperature dependence compared to the WCA system. Thus, the study suggests that attractive interaction creates more structurally different communities. This broader difference in the structural communities is probably responsible for stronger coupling between the structure and dynamics. Thus, the system specific structure-dynamics correlation, which also leads to a faster slowing down in the dynamics, appears to have a structural origin. A comparison of the predictive power of our SOP with the local energy and two body excess entropy in determining the dynamics shows that in the LJ system, the enthalpy plays a dominant role and in the WCA system, the entropy plays a dominant role, and our SOP can capture both these contributions.

On the competition between six-membered and five-membered NHC towards alane centered ring expansion - Balayan, Kajal; Sharma, Himanshu; Vanka, Kumar; Ravindranathan, Sapna; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Sen, Sakya S. (Chemical Communications, 2023)
The combination of 6-SIDipp center dot AlH3 (1) and 5-IDipp resulted in the ring expansion of 6-NHC, while the five-membered NHC remained unchanged, which was subsequently explained by DFT studies. Besides, the substitution chemistry of 1 was also studied with TMSOTf and I-2, which gave rise to the substitution of a hydride by triflate or iodide ligands.

Comprehensive analysis of physiological and metabolomic responses to drought reveals specific modulation of acquired tolerance mechanisms in rice - Doddaraju, Pushpa; Dharmappa, Prathibha M.; Thiagarayaselvam, Aarthy; Vijayaraghavareddy, Preethi; Bheemanahalli, Raju; Basavaraddi, Priyanka A.; Malagondanahalli, Mohan Kumar V.; Kambalimath, Sumanth; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V.; Sreeman, Sheshshayee M. (Physiologia Plantarum, 2023)
Mild stresses induce ``acquired tolerance traits'' (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 ``tolerance-related-induced'' 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.

Comprehensive molecular and clinical investigation of approved Anti-HCV drugs repurposing against SARS-CoV-2 infection: a glaring gap between benchside and bedside medicine - Bansode, Sneha; Singh, Pawan Kumar; Tellis, Meenakshi; Chugh, Anita; Deshmukh, Narendra; Gupta, Mahesh; Verma, Savita; Giri, Ashok; Kulkarni, Mahesh; Joshi, Rakesh; Chaudhary, Dhruva (Vaccines, 2023)
The limited availability of effective treatment against SARS-CoV-2 infection is a major challenge in managing COVID-19. This scenario has augmented the need for repurposing anti-virals for COVID-19 mitigation. In this report, the anti-SARS-CoV-2 potential of anti-HCV drugs such as daclatasvir (DCV) or ledipasvir (LDP) in combination with sofosbuvir (SOF) was evaluated. The binding mode and higher affinity of these molecules with RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 were apparent by computational analysis. In vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity depicted that SOF/DCV and SOF/LDP combination has IC50 of 1.8 and 2.0 mu M, respectively, comparable to remdesivir, an approved drug for COVID-19. Furthermore, the clinical trial was conducted in 183 mild COVID-19 patients for 14 days to check the efficacy and safety of SOF/DCV and SOF/LDP compared to standard of care (SOC) in a parallel-group, hybrid, individually randomized, controlled clinical study. The primary outcomes of the study suggested no significant difference in negativity after 3, 7 and 14 days in both treatments. None of the patients displayed any worsening in the disease severity, and no mortality was observed in the study. Although, the post hoc exploratory analysis indicated significant normalization of the pulse rate showed in SOF/DCV and SOF/LDP treatment vs. SOC. The current study highlights the limitations of bench side models in predicting the clinical efficacy of drugs that are planned for repurposing.
Keywords: antiviral; COVID-19; daclatasvir; ledipasvir; SARS-CoV-2; sofosbuvir

Comprehensive review on catalytic O-alkylation of phenol and hydroquinone - Bhongale, Priyanka; Joshi, Sunil; Mali, Nilesh (Catalysis Reviews-Science and Engineering, 2023)
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

Comprehensive study on solomonamides: total synthesis, stereochemical revision, and SAR studies toward identification of simplified lead - Jachak, Gorakhnath R.; Kashinath, K.; Vasudevan, N.; Athawale, Paresh R.; Choudhury, Rahul; Dange, Santoshkumar S.; Agarwal, Heena; Barthwal, Manoj Kumar; Reddy, D. Srinivasa (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023)
Solomonamides, a pair of macrocyclic peptide natural products originating from marine sources, have garnered significant attention within the synthetic community owing to their marked anti-inflammatory efficacy and intricate molecular architectures. In this paper, we present a very detailed investigation into solomonamides, including the challenges associated with the total synthesis, the evolution of our synthetic strategies, structural reassignment, synthesis of all possible stereoisomeric macrocycles, biological assessment, structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, etc. Within the ambit of this total synthesis, diverse strategies for macrocyclization were rigorously explored, encompassing the Friedel-Crafts acylation, cyclization involving the aniline NH2 moiety, macrolactamization utilizing Gly-NH2, and Heck macrocyclization methodologies. In addition, an array of intriguing chemical transformations were devised, including but not limited to photo-Fries rearrangement, Wacker oxidation, ligand-free Heck macrocyclization, oxidative cleavage of indole, synthesis of contiguous stereocenters via substrate/reagent-controlled protocols, and simultaneous making and breaking of olefinic moieties. The findings of this investigation revealed a structurally simplified lead compound. Remarkably, the lead compound, while possessing structural simplification in comparison to the intricate solomonamide counterparts, demonstrates equipotent in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy.

Controlled reduction of isocyanates to formamides using monomeric magnesium - Kumar, Rohit; Sharma, Vishal; Banerjee, Subhrashis; Vanka, Kumar; Sen, Sakya S. (Chemical Communications, 2023)
This work describes a transition metal-free methodology involving an efficient and controlled reduction of isocyanates to only formamide derivatives using pinacolborane (HBpin) as the hydrogenating agent and a bis(phosphino)carbazole ligand stabilized magnesium methyl complex (1) as the catalyst. A large number of substrates undergo selective hydroboration and give exclusively N-boryl formamides.

Covalent organic framework cladding on peptide-amphiphile-based biomimetic catalysts - Kumar Mahato, Ashok; Pal, Sumit; Dey, Kaushik; Reja, Antara; Paul, Satyadip; Shelke, Ankita; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; Das, Dibyendu; Banerjee, Rahul (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023)
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.

Covalent organic framework thin-film photodetectors from solution-processable porous nanospheres - Bag, Saikat; Sasmal, Himadri Sekhar; Chaudhary, Sonu Pratap; Dey, Kaushik; Blaette, Dominic; Guntermann, Roman; Zhang, Yingying; Poloz, Miroslav; Kuc, Agnieszka; Shelke, Ankita; Vijayaraghavan, Ratheesh K.; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; et al. (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2023)
The synthesis of homogeneous covalent organic framework (COF) thin films on a desired substrate with decent crystallinity, porosity, and uniform thickness has great potential for optoelectronic applications. We have used a solution-processable sphere transmutation process to synthesize 300 +/- 20 nm uniform COF thin films on a 2 x 2 cm2 TiO2-coated fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) surface. This process controls the nucleation of COF crystallites and molecular morphology that helps the nanospheres to arrange periodically to form homogeneous COF thin films. We have synthesized four COF thin films (TpDPP, TpEtBt, TpTab, and TpTta) with different functional backbones. In a close agreement between the experiment and density functional theory, the TpEtBr COF film showed the lowest optical band gap (2.26 eV) and highest excited-state lifetime (8.52 ns) among all four COF films. Hence, the TpEtBr COF film can participate in efficient charge generation and separation. We constructed optoelectronic devices having a glass/FTO/TiO2/COF-film/Au architecture, which serves as a model system to study the optoelectronic charge transport properties of COF thin films under dark and illuminated conditions. Visible light with a calibrated intensity of 100 mW cm-2 was used for the excitation of COF thin films. All of the COF thin films exhibit significant photocurrent after illumination with visible light in comparison to the dark. Hence, all of the COF films behave as good photoactive substrates with minimal pinhole defects. The fabricated out-of-plane photodetector device based on the TpEtBr COF thin film exhibits high photocurrent density (2.65 +/- 0.24 mA cm-2 at 0.5 V) and hole mobility (8.15 +/- 0.64 x10-3 cm2 V-1 S-1) compared to other as synthesized films, indicating the best photoactive characteristics.

Covalently interconnected layers in g-C3N4: toward high mechanical stability, catalytic efficiency and sustainability - Roy, Raj Sekhar; Mondal, Sanjit; Mishra, Samita; Banoo, Maqsuma; Sahoo, Lipipuspa; Kumar, Amit; Vinod, C. P.; De, Arijit K.; Gautam, Ujjal K. (Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2023)
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

Design and synthesis of 1,3-diynes as potent antifungal agents against aspergillus fumigatus - Goswami, Lakshmi; Gupta, Lovely; Paul, Sayantan; Vijayaraghavan, Pooja; Bhattacharya, Asish K. (ChemMedChem, 2023)
Eugenol and isoeugenol, secondary metabolites isolated from the plant Myristica fragrans have displayed antifungal activities against Aspergillus fumigatus (IC50 1900 mu M). Compounds having conjugated unsaturation have been of great use as antifungals i. e. amphotericin B, nystatin and terbinafine etc. Hence, in the present study, we have designed and synthesised 1,3-diynes by utilizing Glaser-Hay and Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling reactions to furnish possible antifungal agents. Synthesis of 1,6-diphenoxyhexa-2,4-diyne derivatives was achieved by Cu(I) catalysed coupling of propargylated eugenol, isoeugenol, guaiacol, vanillin and dihydrogenated eugenol or eugenol in good to excellent yields. All the synthesized compounds were evaluated against pathogenic fungus A. fumigatus. Among all the synthesized compounds, one of the compounds was found to be exhibiting promising antifungal activity with IC50 value of 7.75 mu M thereby suggesting that this type of scaffold could pave the way for developing new antifungal agents. The most active compound was found to be low cytotoxic when assayed against L-132 cancer cell line. Effect of the most active compound on ergosterol biosynthesis has also been studied. Also, the most active compound exhibited significant anti-biofilm activity although the concentration was found to be higher than its anti-fungal activity. Morphological changes in the biofilm were remarkable under confocal laser scanning microscopy.
Keywords: 1; 3-Diynes; Antifungal agents; Aspergillus fumigatus; Cadiot-Chodkiewicz; Glaser-Hay

Design and synthesis of novel quinazolinyl-bisspirooxindoles as potent anti-tubercular agents: an ultrasound-promoted methodology - Allaka, Bhargava Sai; Basavoju, Srinivas; Rekha, Estharla Madhu; Sriram, Dharmarajan; Krishna, Gamidi Rama (Molecular Diversity, 2023)
The essential need for the potent anti-tubercular (anti-TB) agents with high selectivity and safety profile prompted us to synthesize a new series of quinazolinyl-bisspirooxindoles. The title compounds were synthesized by one-pot multicomponent [3 +2] cycloaddition reaction under ultrasonication. Further, in vitro anti-TB activity was evaluated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv. Among the screened compounds, two compounds (4q and 4x) showed potent activity with MIC value 1.56 mu g/mL and four compounds exhibited significant activity (MIC =3.125 mu g/mL), and also cytotoxicity studies against RAW 264.7 cell lines reveal that most active compounds were less toxic to humans. In addition, in order to demonstrate the inhibitory properties, molecular docking studies were carried out and the results showed that the target compounds have good binding energy and better binding affinity within the active pocket, thus these compounds may consider to be as potent inhibitors toward selective targets.
Keywords: anti-tubercular activity; bisspirooxindoles; Cytotoxicity screening; Molecular docking studies; ultrasonication

Developing a mealybug pheromone monitoring tool to enhance IPM practices in New Zealand vineyards - Sullivan, Nicola J.; Bell, Vaughn A.; Butler, Ruth C.; Wallis, Roger; Ramesh, Remya; Reddy, D. Srinivasa; Twidle, Andrew M.; Bunn, Barry; Unelius, C. Rikard; Manning, Lee-Anne M.; Suckling, David M. (Journal of Pest Science, 2023)
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' 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' 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

Development of multipurpose biomass-derived adsorbents using Coccinia grandis for removal of contaminants - Raj, Surabhi S.; Mane, Maya B.; Thanekar, Pooja; Balapure, Kshama; Bhandari, Vinay M. (Clean Technologies and Environmental Policies, 2023)
The present study is an attempt to develop newer multipurpose biomass-derived adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment; biomass that are easily available, renewable and most importantly, sustainable. A model adsorbent was developed using Coccinia grandis (CG, Ivy gourd) and further modified by impregnating copper nanoparticles (CG-Cu). The adsorbent characterization was done for evaluating surface morphology, surface area and metal modification. The utility of the newer adsorbents was established for the removal of different contaminants such as dyes (cationic Malachite Green, anionic Congo Red and fluorescent cationic Rhodamine B), Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient pollutant (Ciprofloxacin) and also for the removal of pathogenic bacteria, Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Both CG and CG-Cu bio-nanocomposite were highly effective in removal of different contaminants, 99% dye removal for Malachite Green, with a high adsorption capacity of 49 mg/g, higher than that for commercial activated charcoal whereas for all other dyes, the performance of CG-Cu was similar. The isotherm studies indicated multilayer adsorption, in general. A good adsorption capacity of 10.8 mg/g was also observed for the removal of ciprofloxacin. The combined effect of the bio-nanocomposite, CG-Cu was impressive and 100% disinfection was achieved within 10 min, due to the antimicrobial activity of Cu and oxidation effect of reactive oxygen species enhancing the disinfection.Graphical abstractMultipurpose biomass derived adsorbents using Coccinia grandis for removal of contaminants
Keywords: Adsorption; Biomass; Disinfection; dye removal; nanomaterial; Separation

Direct conversion of N-acetyl-d-glucosamine to N-containing heterocyclic compounds 3-acetamidofuran and 3-acetamido-5-acetyl Furan - Shaikh, Samrin S.; Patil, Chetana R.; Lucas, Nishita; Bokade, Vijay V.; Rode, Chandrashekhar V. (Waste and Biomass Valorization, 2023)
Purpose Effectual waste utilization from plant as well as marine biomass has gained tremendous importance with reference to sustainability. The valorization of marine biomass produces value added compounds containing not only C, H, O but also renewable N atom in the skeleton which widens the scope for its exploration which may prove to be economically beneficial to the society. Heterogeneous catalytic transformation of marine biomass i.e. N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) to N-substituted aromatic heterocyclic furan derivatives is reported for the very first time. Cost effective and stable metal oxide catalysts were deployed for the transformation. Catalyst screening study showed that La2O3 was found to be an excellent catalyst for N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG) dehydration which mainly produced 3-acetamidofuran (3AF). Methods The physicochemical properties of the metal oxide catalyst were investigated by various techniques such as XRD, FTIR, MeOH-FTIR, TPD, SEM, N-2 sorption studies and HR-TEM analysis for structure activity relationship. Results The effect of various reaction parameters such as catalyst concentration, reaction temperature, reaction time and solvent effect on dehydration of N-acetyl glucosamine has been studied in detail for higher yields. The results revealed that the presence of weak basic sites which are Bronsted in nature and nano pores present on the surface were responsible for improved dehydration of the chitin biomass to selectively yield 3-acetamidofuran (3AF). La2O3 catalyst showed optimum 50% 3AF yield from N-acetyl glucosamine at 180 degrees C in 3 h. Conclusion Efficacious exploitation of marine biomass to value added chemicals using heterogeneous catalysts can be extensively exploited. Separation of N-substituted heterocyclic aromatics is the most innovative aspect of the current study. Thus, utilization of heterogeneous catalyst and renewable biomass as a raw material indicates a transition towards more sustainable and greener approach.{GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Keywords: 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran; 3-acetamidofuran; dehydration; heterogeneous catalysis; Lanthanum oxide; N-acetyl-D-glucosamine; renewable feedstock

Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors featuring novel histidine α-nitrile motif - Gone, Nilu Vijay; Enayathullah, Mohammed Ghalib; Thomas, Jessie; Rathee, Parth; Prabhakar, Rajeev; Bokara, Kiran Kumar; Sanjayan, Gangadhar J. (Chemistry and Biodiversity, 2023)
As COVID-19 infection caused severe public health concerns recently, the development of novel antivirals has become the need of the hour. Main protease (Mpro) has been an attractive target for antiviral drugs since it plays a vital role in polyprotein processing and virus maturation. Herein we report the discovery of a novel class of inhibitors against the SARS-CoV-2, bearing histidine alpha-nitrile motif embedded on a simple dipeptide framework. In-vitro and in-silico studies revealed that the histidine alpha-nitrile motif envisioned to target the Mpro contributes to the inhibitory activity. Among a series of dipeptides synthesized featuring this novel structural motif, some dipeptides displayed strong viral reduction (EC50=0.48 mu M) with a high selectivity index, SI>454.54. These compounds also exhibit strong binding energies in the range of -28.7 to -34.2 Kcal/mol. The simple dipeptide structural framework, amenable to quick structural variations, coupled with ease of synthesis from readily available commercial starting materials are the major attractive features of this novel class of SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. The histidine alpha-nitrile dipeptides raise the hope of discovering potent drug candidates based on this motif to fight the dreaded SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: dipeptide inhibitors; histidine alpha-nitrile; M-pro (main protease); molecular dynamics; SARS-CoV-2

Distortion-induced interfacial charge transfer at single cobalt atom secured on ordered intermetallic surface enhances pure oxygen production - Mondal, Soumi; Riyaz, Mohd; Bagchi, Debabrata; Dutta, Nilutpal; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (ACS Nano, 2023)
In this work, atomic cobalt (Co) incorporation into the Pd2Ge intermetallic lattice facilitates operando generation of a thin layer of CoO over Co-substituted Pd2Ge, with Co in the CoO surface layer functioning as single metal sites. Hence the catalyst has been titled Co-1-CoO-Pd2Ge. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirm the existence of CoO, with some of the Co bonded to Ge by substitution of Pd sites in the Pd2Ge lattice. The role of the CoO layer in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been verified by its selective removal using argon sputtering and conducting the OER on the etched catalyst. In situ X-ray absorption near-edge structure and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy demonstrate that CoO gets transformed to CoOOH (Co3+) in operando condition with faster charge transfer through Pd atoms in the core Pd2Ge lattice. In situ Raman spectroscopy depicts the emergence of a CoOOH phase on applying potential and shows that the phase is stable with increasing potential and time without getting converted to CoO2. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pd2Ge lattice induces distortion in the CoO phase and generates unpaired spins in a nonmagnetic CoOOH system resulting in an increase in the OER activity and durability. The existence of spin density even after electrocatalysis is verified from electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. We have thus successfully synthesized intermetallic supported CoO during synthesis and rigorously verified the role played by an intermetallic Pd2Ge core in enhancing charge transfer, generating spin density, improving electrochemical durability, and imparting mechanical stability to a thin CoOOH overlayer. Differential electrochemical mass spectrometry has been explored to visualize the instantaneous generation of oxygen gas during the onset of the reaction.
Keywords: DEMS; interfacial charge transfer; Intermetallic; long-termstability; operando spectroscopic techniques; Oxygen Evolution Reaction; structuraldistortion

Divergent synthesis of oxepino-phthalides and [5,5]-oxaspirolactones through [2+2+2]- and [2+3]-annulation of alkynyl alcohols with a-ynone-esters - Kambale, Digambar A.; Borade, Balasaheb R.; Vinodkumar, Ramavath; Kontham, Ravindar (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023)
Unmasking the synthetic potential of alkyne functional group of alkynyl alcohols as surrogates of carbonyl compounds, herein we present the first Bronsted acid (TfOH)-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 2]-annulation of 4-pentyn-1-ols (possessing terminal alkyne) with a-ynone-esters to access tricyclic tetrahydro-oxepino-phthalides. Besides, an unprecedented synthesis of a-acetoaryl or a-alkynyl [5,5]-oxaspirolactones has been demonstrated by employing 4-pentyn-1-ols (possessing an internal alkyne) as an annulation partner, which proceeds through a divergent [2 + 3]-annulation pathway.

Does variation in composition affect dynamics when approaching the eutectic composition? - Chatterjee, Srijan; Chowdhury, Tubai; Bagchi, Sayan (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2023)
Deep eutectic solvent is a mixture of two or more components, mixed in a certain molar ratio, such that the mixture melts at a temperature lower than individual substances. In this work, we have used a combination of ultrafast vibrational spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the microscopic structure and dynamics of a deep eutectic solvent (1:2 choline chloride: ethylene glycol) at and around the eutectic composition. In particular, we have compared the spectral diffusion and orientational relaxation dynamics of these systems with varying compositions. Our results show that although the time-averaged solvent structures around a dissolved solute are comparable across compositions, both the solvent fluctuations and solute reorientation dynamics show distinct differences. We show that these subtle changes in solute and solvent dynamics with changing compositions arise from the variations in the fluctuations of the different intercomponent hydrogen bonds.

Donor strapped perylene bisimide macrocycle and its lemniscate dimer with extended charge separation - Veer, Sairam Dnyaneshwar; Goswami, Tanmay; Ravindranathan, Sapna; Gonnade, Rajesh; Kharbanda, Nitika; Ghosh, Hirendra N.; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 2023)
Macrocyclic structures are fascinating due to their unique design and capability to place chromophores in specific orientations, resulting in exciting optoelectronic properties. However, the synthetic challenges limit the broad exploration of such systems. Herein, we report a thiophene-diacetylene-based ring strapped perylene bisimide macrocycle and its notably different electron transfer features. Single-crystal analysis of the macrocycle pointed to the nearly orthogonal placement of donor-acceptor units, facilitating better electronic communication between them. Interestingly, introduction of an alkyl substituent on the peripheral thiophene ring opened the possibility of forming a higher oligomer macrocycle consisting of two strapped perylene bisimide units. Diffusion and two-dimensional NMR experiments provided insight into the structure of the figure-eight-shaped lemniscate dimer. Transient absorption measurements showed faster electron transfer and extended stabilization of the charge-separated state. The thiophene-diacetylene-based ring is a better donor unit to facilitate rapid electron transfer and extended charge separation in the macrocycle and its lemniscate dimer. The new macrocycle design enables the formation of higher analogs equally capable of stabilizing the charge-separated state. Donor-acceptor (D-A) macrocycle designs position the respective units to achieve ultrafast electron transfer precisely and an extended charge-separated state. Here, we report a D-A macrocycle and its lemniscate dimer molecule with exciting electron transfer features.

Donor-acceptor-based two-dimensional polymer as a supercapacitor electrode with long cycling stability - Bhagyasree, T. M.; Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare; Kumar, Viksit; Asokan, Kiran; Sreekumar, K.; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (New Journal of Chemistry, 2023)
The high demand for energy and energy-storage devices urged organic 2D polymers as a potential candidate in this area. One of the major attractions of 2D polymers in electrochemical applications is their long cycling stability due to their rigid and porous structure. Herein, we developed a 2D polymer comprised of donor-acceptor units exhibiting reasonably good performance as a supercapacitor. The 2D polymer displayed a maximum specific capacitance of 218 F g-1 at a current rate of 0.1 A g-1, a higher power density of 4648.35 W kg-1, and an energy density of 7.05 W h kg-1. In a cycling stability test, it demonstrated a capacitance retention of 70% over 10 000 continuous charge-discharge cycles at a current rate of 2.5 A g-1. Such long cycling stability was attributed to the donor-acceptor units and the crystalline nature of the polymer. The sensible selection of the building blocks of the 2D polymers is crucial for the performance and hence provides scope for improvement. An organic donor-acceptor-based 2D polymer, a promising candidate for energy storage devices, displays a specific capacitance of 218 F g-1, a power density of 4648.35 W kg-1, an energy density of 7.05 W h kg-1, and a capacitance retention of 70% over 10 000 cycles.

Dual activity cavitation reactors for increased efficacy in degradation of refractory pollutants-A case study on cephalexin degradation - Dixit, Divya; Thanekar, Pooja; Bhandari, Vinay M. (Chemical Engineering Research & Design, 2023)
The present work discloses a new form of cavitation processes using reactors of dual activity for increased efficiency. A proof of concept is established for the degradation of a refractory pollutant-cephalexin using both conventional and dual function cavitation reactors for the first time using acoustic and hydrodynamic cavitation (HC). A vortex diode as a cavitating device was employed for HC using aluminium as a non-catalytic and copper as dual function device for providing additional catalytic effect. The process in-tensification using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) coupled with the dual function devices was highly effective. A negligible degradation with only HC and 81% for HC coupled with H2O2 in 60 min for Al-vortex diode compared to 100% degradation in only 5 min for the copper device clearly demonstrates the order of magnitude enhancements establishing dual function due to catalytic activity. Also, pH modification (pH 11) yields enhancement over 300% for Cu-vortex diode. The use of dual function reactors drastically reduces H2O2 do-sage. The overall enhancements in the per pass degradation and cavitation yields were huge, similar to 3000% and 1450% respectively, highlighting the potential of the dual function ca-vitation reactors in real-life applications, not just for increased efficiencies but also for significantly reduced costs.(c) 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Advanced oxidation; Degradation; pollution; Technology; Wastewater treatment

Dynamic heterogeneity in polydisperse systems: a comparative study of the role of local structural order parameter and particle size - Patel, Palak; Sharma, Mohit; Bhattacharyya, Sarika Maitra (Journal of Chemical Physics, 2023)
In polydisperse systems, describing the structure and any structural order parameter (SOP) is not trivial as it varies with the number of species we use to describe the system, M. Depending on the degree of polydispersity, there is an optimum value of M = M-0 where we show that the mutual information of the system increases. However, surprisingly, the correlation between a recently proposed SOP and the dynamics is highest for M = 1. This effect increases with polydispersity. We find that the SOP at M = 1 is coupled with the particle size, s, and this coupling increases with polydispersity and decreases with an increase in M. Careful analysis shows that at lower polydispersities, the SOP is a good predictor of the dynamics. However, at higher polydispersity, the dynamics is strongly dependent on s. Since the coupling between the SOP and s is higher for M = 1, it appears to be a better predictor of the dynamics. We also study the Vibrality, an order parameter independent of structural information. Compared to SOP, at high polydispersity, we find Vibrality to be a marginally better predictor of the dynamics. However, this high predictive power of Vibrality, which is not there at lower polydispersity, appears to be due to its stronger coupling with s. Therefore, our study suggests that for systems with high polydispersity, the correlation of any order parameter and s will affect the correlation between the order parameter and dynamics and need not project a generic predictive power of the order parameter.

Effect of acidity and mesoporosity in H-USY on conversion of wheat straw to ethyl levulinate (Biofuel additive) - Heda, Jidnyasa; Niphadkar, Prashant; Nandanwar, Sachin; Bokade, Vijay (Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, 2023)
Cold flow properties of biodiesel can be improved by addition of additives especially ethyl levulinate (EL up to 20%). There are very limited information on synthesis of EL from actual raw biomass like wheat straw over heterogeneous catalyst. The present article elaborated on optimization of Acidity to Mesoporosity ratio in H-USY, which is crucial for its application in conversion of raw wheat straw to selective formation of EL in one-step. The acidity and mesoporosity is monitor by systematic post treatment of desilication and dealumination. Optimum acidity/mesoporosity ratio of 3.6 in HUSY resulted in to maximum EL yield of 24.5%, which is probably the highest so far.
Keywords: Acidity; Biofuel additive; Dealumination; Desilication; ethyl levulinate; H-USY; Mesoporosity; Wheat straw

Efficient and convenient heterogeneous Cu/MCM-41 catalyst for the synthesis of 7,10,11,12-tetrahydrobenzo[c]acridin-8(9H)-one derivatives - Dhengale, Shankar D.; Bhosale, Tanaji R.; Shinde, Sachin B.; Rode, Chandrashekhar V.; Kolekar, Govind B.; Anbhule, Prashant V. (Research on Chemical Intermediates, 2023)
An efficient and convenient method for synthesis of 7,10,11,12-tetrahydrobenzo[c]acridin-8(9H)-one derivatives using Cu/MCM-41 (20 mg) as heterogeneous catalyst. The advantages have an excellent product yield within a short time and easy work-up procedure, and the products have directly recrystallized from hot methanol with cost-effective catalyst. One-pot three-component reaction from aromatic aldehydes, cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds, and 1-naphthyl amine has been carried under ethanol as a solvent with reflux condition. Moreover, the catalyst can be recovered conveniently and reused efficiently, and recyclable. [GRAPHICS] .
Keywords: Benzo[c]acridine; dimedone; Heterogeneous Cu/MCM-41 catalyst; Multicomponent one-pot reaction

Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution mediated by an organotelluroxane macrocycle stabilized through secondary interactions - Narsimhulu, Gujju; Samuel, Calvin; Palani, Sathishkumar; Dasari, Sai Hemant Kumar; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam; Baskar, Viswanathan (Dalton Transaction, 2023)
A discrete liphophilic organotelluroxane macrocycle has been found to catalyse the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by proton reduction efficiently. The macrocycle is synthesized via chloride abstraction from bis(p-methoxyphenyl) tellurium dichloride (p-MeOC6H5)2TeCl2 (1) by silver salts AgMX4 (MX4 = BF4-, and ClO4-) resulting in in situ generated di-cationic tetraorganoditelluroxane units; two such units are held together by two weak anions mu 2-MX4, bridging to form 12-membered di-cationic macrocycles [((p-MeO-C6H4)2Te)2(mu-O)(mu 2-F2BF2)2]2+ (2) and [((p-MeO-C6H4)2Te)2(mu-O)(mu 2-O2ClO2)2]2+ (3) stabilized via Te-(mu 2-BF4/ClO4), with secondary interactions. The charge is balanced by the presence of two more anions, one above and another below the plane of the macrocycle. Similar reaction at higher temperatures leads to the formation of telluronium salts R3TeX [X = BF4- (4), ClO4- (5)] as a major product. The BF4- anion containing macrocycle and telluronium salt were monitored using 19F NMR. HRMS confirmed the structural stability of all the compounds in the solution state. The organotelluroxane macrocycle 2 has been found to act as an efficient electrocatalyst for proton reduction in an organic medium in the presence of p-toluene sulfonic acid as a protic source. A discrete liphophilic organotelluroxane macrocycle has been found to catalyse hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by proton reduction efficiently.
Keywords: Anion Transport; Proton-Reduction

Electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction on defective graphene modulated from single atom catalyst to aluminium clusters - Maibam, Ashakiran; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; BabaRao, Ravichandar (Applied Surface Science, 2023)
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.

Electrode|electrolyte interface enhancement in quasi-solid-state zinc-air batteries through an anion conducting polymer electrolyte interlayer by in situ polymerization - Kurian, Maria; Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Manna, Narugopal; Kanheerampockil, Fayis; Bhat, Suresh; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2023)
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).

Elevated level of glycated KQTALVELVK peptide of albumin is associated with the risk of diabetic nephropathy - Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H.; Jaiswal, Meera R.; Bayatigeri, Santhakumari; Kahar, Shweta; Tiwari, Shalbha; Unnikrishnan, Ambika G.; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (ACS Omega, 2023)
Diabetic nephropathyis a leading cause of end-stagerenal disease.Hence, early detection of diabetic nephropathy is essential to mitigatethe disease burden. Microalbuminuria, the currently used diagnosticmarker of diabetic nephropathy, is not efficient in detecting it atan early stage. Therefore, we explored the utility of glycated humanserum albumin (HSA) peptides for risk prediction of diabetic nephropathy.Three glycation-sensitive HSA peptides, namely, FKDLG-EENFK,KQTAL-VELVK, and KVPQVST-PTLVEVSR, with deoxyfructosyllysine(DFL) modification were quantified by targeted mass spectrometry (MS)in a study population comprising healthy and type II diabetes subjectswith and without nephropathy. Mass spectrometry, receiver operatingcharacteristic (ROC) curve, and correlation analysis revealed thatthe DFL-modified KQTALVELVK peptide was better than other glycatedHSA peptides and HbA(1c) for identifying diabetic nephropathy.DFL-modified KQTALVELVK could be a potential marker for risk predictionof diabetic nephropathy.

Emergent stability in complex network dynamics - Meena, Chandrakala; Hens, Chittaranjan; Acharyya, Suman; Haber, Simcha; Boccaletti, Stefano; Barzel, Baruch (Nature Physics, 2023)
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'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.

Emerging trends in olefin polymerization: a perspective - Birajdar, Rajkumar S.; Bodkhe, Dnyaneshwar; Gupta, Poonam; Shaikh, Maulali H.; Ramekar, Rohan; Chikkali, Samir H. (Journal of macromolecular science part A- pure and applied chemistry, 2023)
The seemingly matured field of olefin polymerization still poses several challenges and holds enormous potential to meet contemporary material requirements. In this feature article, we examine the progress of olefin polymerization in the last two decades. Among the several emerging trends, we identify four most impactful discoveries, namely, (i) disentangled ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (dUHMWPE), (ii) disubstituted functional olefin copolymerization, (iii) incorporation of bioderived comonomers in polyolefins, and (iv) application of above (ii, iii) functional polyolefins as compatibilizers. The dUHMWPE has attracted significant attention and heterogeneous Ziegler-type catalysts, homogenous metallocene, and post-metallocene catalysts have been reported to produce disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene. Insertion copolymerization of difunctional disubstituted olefins has been reported only recently and ortho-phosphinobenzene sulfonate palladium catalyst outperforms the other catalysts. Interestingly, insertion copolymerization of bioderived olefins has witnessed a surge in the number of reports. Sugar and plant oil-derived olefins have been copolymerized with ethylene to obtain relatively hydrophilic polyethylene. The functional polyethylene is finding a new application as compatibilizer or displays better adhesion to surfaces. Thus, the feature article offers a succinct account of emerging trends in polyolefins, identifies the most impactful contributions, and debates the application potential of these new materials.
Keywords: compatibilizer; Functional polyethylene; Insertion (co)polymerization; renewable monomers; uHMWPE

Enantioselective synthesis of (+)-Sedridine, (-)-Allosedridine and their N-Methyl analogs via Maruoka-Keck allylation and CBS reduction - Bhoite, Shubhangi P.; Suryavanshi, Gurunath (Natural Product Research, 2023)
A simple synthetic approach has been developed for the enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-Sedridine, (-)-Allosedridine and their analogs such as (+)-N- Methyl Sedridine and (-)-N-Methylallosedridine. The synthesis was achieved by using commercially available starting materials via Maruoka-Keck allylation, Wacker oxidation, and CBS reduction. The synthetic root provides a good diastereomeric ratio and high yields.
Keywords: CBS reduction; Maruoka-Keck allylation; Piperidine; Wacker oxidation

Enhanced degradation of metformin using surface-coated vortex diodes - Dixit, Divya; Thanekar, Pooja; Bhandari, Vinay M. (Chemical engineering and processing-process intensification, 2023)
The present work successfully demonstrates, for the first time, complete degradation of metformin using newer surface-coated vortex diode (SCVD) with copper and nickel coating to provide catalytic activity in the conventional hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) for significantly enhanced degradation efficiency. The SCVDs have dual functionality and the efficacy of catalytic cavitation reactors get enhanced using process intensifications of the type H2O2 addition, pH modification, and combined approach of HC+ pH+ H2O2 apart from the advantage of low pressure drop for the vortex flow based cavitation in vortex diode (Delta P of 1 bar). Complete, 100%, degradation of metformin (MTF) was achieved within 5 min with integration of optimized H2O2 dose and exceptionally high synergistic index value over 300, indicating extraordinary synergy for both Cu and Ni-SCVD. Acidic condition promote degradation and a complete degradation with a high 43-48% mineralization was observed using HC+ pH 4+ (1:200) H2O2 with less intermediates formation. The SCVDs reveal remarkable enhancement of similar to 9800% in per-pass degradation and 1400-3400% in cavitational yield as compared to conventional cavitation process under similar conditions. The newer SCVDs with catalytic activity can provide more cost-effective solutions for industrial and real-life applications.
Keywords: Cavitation; Oxidation; pollution; Technology; Wastewater treatment

Equilibrium adsorption of nitrogen, oxygen, and argon on silver-exchanged hierarchical ETS-10 - Shrotri, Aadesh R.; Niphadkar, Prashant S.; Bokade, Vijay V.; Nandanwar, Sachin U. (Journal of Chemical and Engineering Data, 2023)
Silver-exchanged hierarchical ETS-10(Ag-H-ETS-10) was synthesizedusing Ag+ exchange with hierarchical Engelhard titanosilicate(H-ETS-10) using silver nitrate solution. The physical propertiesof the adsorbent were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), BETsurface area, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, pore volume,energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and high resolution-transmissionelectron microscopy (HR-TEM). N-2 physisorption data confirmedthat a micro-mesoporous (bimodal) structure was created in the Ag-H-ETS-10.The equilibrium adsorbent data of pure gases N-2, O-2, and Ar were investigated in the temperature range from 288to 318 K up to 10 bar. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of Ag-H-ETS-10was found to be 1.12 mmol g(-1) for N-2,0.87 mmol g(-1) for O-2, and 1.09 mmol g(-1) for Ar at 298 K and & SIM;10 bar. & SIM;20% higheradsorption capacity was found for N-2 and Ar in Ag-H-ETS-10compared to Ag-ETS-10. The higher sorption capacity was attributedto the formation of a bimodal structure and & pi;-complexation interactionby the Ag cation, which allows a multilayer of N-2 and Armolecules. The Sips isotherm model was well fitted for the Ag-H-ETS-10experimental data among Langmuir, Freundlich, Toth, and Temkin models.The measured equilibrium adsorption data for Ag-H-ETS-10 can be usefulfor the O-2 purification process.

Evaluation of Fe3O4 incorporated functionalized carbon nanotube self-standing buckypaper as electrodes for solid-state symmetric supercapacitor - Bhaviripudi, Vijayabhaskara Rao; Dwivedi, Pravin K.; Pabba, Durga Prasad; Aepuru, Radhamanohar; Nakate, Umesh T.; Espinoza-Gonzalez, Rodrigo; Shelke, V, Manjusha (Journal of Energy Storage, 2023)
Iron (II, III) oxide and carbonaceous materials drawn considerable attention in energy storage owing to their special features. In this study, simple reverse co-precipitation, acid functionalization and vacuum filtration methods adopted to synthesis Fe3O4 nanoparticles of size 11 nm and -COOH acid functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (FMWCNT). And further used them to prepare and optimize Fe3O4 in FMWCNT as 15 wt% and 25 wt% self-standing buckypapers of around 30-mu m thickness as electrodes for solid-state symmetric capacitor in the form of coin cell. The results show that 15 wt% and 25 wt% of Fe3O4-FMWCNT buckypapers hybrid nanostructures have Fe3O4 nanoparticles successfully incorporated in FMWCNT. The 25 wt% Fe3O4-FMWCNT electrodes with charge transfer resistance of 140 Ohm showed high areal specific capacitance (Cs) 78.5 mF/cm2 and retained 80 % of its Cs until 800 cycles even at high current density of 1 mA/cm2, scan rate of 100 mV/s whereas 15 wt% Fe3O4-FMWCNT showed low Cs of 47 mF/cm2 and retained 80 % of its Cs over 5000 cycles whereas only FMWCNT show Cs is 36 mF/cm2 with 54 Ohm. Finally, a solid-state symmetric supercapacitor coin cell with self-standing 25 wt% Fe3O4-FMWCNT buckypaper showed an excellent power density of 129.5 mW cm-3 and energy density of 3.6 mWh cm-3 is the innovation of the current work. This is mainly attributed to the combined effect of pseudocapacitive behavior from Fe3O4 by faradaic reaction with additional charge transfer resistance and electric double layer (EDLC) behavior from FMWCNTs by non-faradaic of electronic, ionic transport during charging-discharging. As-made solid-state symmetric supercapacitor appears as a high-performance storage device without extra support of current collectors for practical applications and for fabri-cation of planar capacitors.
Keywords: Buckypaper; Power density; specific capacitance; Symmetric supercapacitor

Exceptional cyclability of thermally stable PVdF-co-HFP/SiO2 nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for sodium ion batteries - Das, Akhila; Melepurakkal, Amrutha; Sreeram, Pranav; Gireesh, K. T.; Balakrishnan, Neethu T. M.; Fatima, M. J. Jabeen; Pullanchiyodan, Abhilash; Ahn, Jou-Hyeon; V. Shelke, Manjusha; Raghavan, Prasanth (Journal of Energy Storage, 2023)
Thermally stable composite polymer electrolyte (CPE) devising PVdF-co-HFP polymer with in-situ generated silica (SiO2) as filler is synthesised via non-solvent- induced phase inversion technique. The filler loading of in-situ synthesised silica in PVdF-co-HFP is varied from 0 to 9 wt% and its morphological, thermal and electrochemical characterization is carried out. Among the different composite electrolytes, the PVdF-co-HFP containing 6 wt% SiO2 shows the uniform microporous structure with a highest porosity (84 %), surface area (784.14 m(2) g(-1)), electrolyte uptake (262 %) and electrolyte retention value (0.48). The incorporation of in-situ SiO2 on CPE shows not only the enhancement in thermal stability but also reduced thermal shrinkage with an increase in the filler content. The electrochemical studies of PVdF-co-HFP containing 6 wt% SiO2 shows a higher ionic conductivity (0.71 mS cm(-1)) and potential stability >4.5 V verses Na/Na+. The Na-ion half-cells assembled with PVdF-co-HFP/SiO2 composite electrolyte show a specific capacity of similar to 120 mAh g(-1) at 0.3C rate in room temperature and a stable cycle performance with a Coulombic efficiency of around 100 % for 200 cycles.
Keywords: Composite electrolytes; Coulombic efficiency; polymer electrolytes; Sodium ion batteries; specific capacity; thermal stability

Ferroelectric aminophosphonium cyanoferrate with a large electrostrictive coefficient as a piezoelectric nanogenerator - Vijayakanth, Thangavel; Sahoo, Supriya; Kothavade, Premkumar; Sharma, Vijay Bhan; Kabra, Dinesh; Zareba, Jan K. K.; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy (Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2023)
Hybrid materials possessing piezo- and ferroelectric properties emerge as excellent alternatives to conventional piezoceramics due to their merits of facile synthesis, lightweight nature, ease of fabrication and mechanical flexibility. Inspired by the structural stability of aminophosphonium compounds, here we report the first A(3)BX(6) type cyanometallate [Ph-2((PrNH)-Pr-i)(2)P](3)[Fe(CN)(6)] (1), which shows a ferroelectric saturation polarization (P-s) of 3.71 mu C cm(-2). Compound 1 exhibits a high electrostrictive coefficient (Q(33)) of 0.73 m(4) C-2, far exceeding those of piezoceramics (0.034-0.096 m(4) C-2). Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) analysis demonstrates the polarization switching and domain structure of 1 further confirming its ferroelectric nature. Furthermore, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer composite films of 1 were prepared and employed as piezoelectric nanogenerators. Notably, the 15 wt % 1-TPU device gave a maximum output voltage of 13.57 V and a power density of 6.03 mu W cm(-2).
Keywords: Cyanometallates; energy conversion; H-bonding; hybrid composites; Phosphorus

Functionalized CNT-azobenzene-PVA-based self-healing aqueous gel as a conductive photo-responsive actuator - Narayanan, Aswini; Bhagyasree, T. M.; Torris, Arun; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (Journal of materials chemistry C, 2023)
Conductive gels have gained attention from researchers owing to potential applications in flexible displays, implantable medical devices, touch panels, wearable electronic skin, sensors, soft robotics, etc. Photo-responsive conductance switching gels can make their way into various applications, including contact-free remote-controlled manipulation of the materials, implantable synthetic organs, and optical switches. Herein, we report an aqueous gel with boronic acid containing azobenzene crosslinker as the light-responsive part that can undergo reversible cis-trans isomerization on irradiation with UV-vis light and catechol functionalized single-walled carbon nanotube as a conductive part producing a self-healing aqueous gel with PVA. The 3D crosslinked gel network formed through the formation of boronic ester and hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl and boronic acid groups was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray microtomography, and rheological experiments. Rheology results show that gel is a viscoelastic material with immediate self-healing properties. The presence of functionalized SWCNT in the gel matrix enhances the stability and results in a conductivity of up to 3.5 S cm-1 with a loading of 5 wt%. The gel network exhibits a photoresponsive conductance switching from 10 to 60 mu A with UV and visible light irradiation, respectively. The molecular level motions during the isomerization of azobenzene lead to macroscopic dynamic changes that can find applications in soft actuators. The photoresponsive conductivity switching and dynamic movements of the films make the present material suitable for contact-free switching applications. Responsive conductive gels have gained attention owing to potential applications in flexible displays, implantable medical devices, touch panels, wearable electronic skin, sensors, soft robotics, and related areas.
Keywords: Cyclodextrins; Supramolecular Hydrogels,

Gas sensors and factors influencing sensing mechanism with a special focus on MOS sensors - Nadargi, Digambar Y. Y.; Umar, Ahmad; Nadargi, Jyoti D. D.; Lokare, Smita A. A.; Akbar, Sheikh; Mulla, Imtiaz S. S.; Suryavanshi, Sharad S. S.; Bhandari, Nagesh L. L.; Chaskar, Manohar G. G. (Journal of Materials Science, 2023)
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.

Genomic surveillance reveals early detection and transition of delta to omicron lineages of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater treatment plants of Pune, India - Rajput, Vinay; Pramanik, Rinka; Malik, Vinita; Yadav, Rakeshkumar; Samson, Rachel; Kadam, Pradnya; Bhalerao, Unnati; Tupekar, Manisha; Deshpande, Dipti; Shah, Priyanki; Shashidhara, L. S.; Boargaonkar, Radhika; et al. (Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2023)
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the urgency for rapid public health surveillance methods to detect and monitor the transmission of infectious diseases. The wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a promising tool for proactive analysis and quantification of infectious pathogens within a population before clinical cases emerge. In the present study, we aimed to assess the trend and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants using a longitudinal approach. Our objective included early detection and monitoring of these variants to enhance our understanding of their prevalence and potential impact. To achieve our goals, we conducted real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Illumina sequencing on 442 wastewater (WW) samples collected from 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Pune city, India, spanning from November 2021 to April 2022. Our comprehensive analysis identified 426 distinct lineages representing 17 highly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, fragments of Omicron variant were detected in WW samples prior to its first clinical detection in Botswana. Furthermore, we observed highly contagious sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, including BA.1 (similar to 28%), BA.1.X (1.0-72%), BA.2 (1.0-18%), BA.2.X (1.0-97.4%) BA.2.12 (0.8-0.25%), BA.2.38 (0.8-1.0%), BA.2.75 (0.01-0.02%), BA.3 (0.09-6.3%), BA.4 (0.24-0.29%), and XBB (0.01-21.83%), with varying prevalence rates. Overall, the present study demonstrated the practicality of WBE in the early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants, which could help track future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2. Such approaches could be implicated in monitoring infectious agents before they appear in clinical cases.
Keywords: Bioinformatics pipeline; COVID-19; Early warning; India; Next-generation sequencing; Omicron; Public health; SARS-CoV-2; wastewater; Wastewater-based epidemiology

Green, practical & scalable approach towards the synthesis of valuable α-keto amides using a metal-free catalyst under solvent-free conditions - Bankar, Shubham R.; Ghadge, Sambhaji S.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (New Journal of Chemistry, 2023)
alpha-Ketoamides are very important motifs as they are present in many natural products, drugs & biologically important molecules. We synthesized a very simple, cheap, eco-friendly & reusable glucose-based carbonaceous material (GCM), which showed high performance as a catalyst in the oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) reaction of alpha-ketoaldehydes with amines for the synthesis of alpha-ketoamides. The GCM catalyst was also very efficient for one-pot two-step synthesis of alpha-ketoamides from alpha-ketoalcohols as well. The GCM catalyst was able to catalyze alcohol oxidation in alpha-ketoalcohols followed by CDC reaction with amines to form alpha-ketoalcohols. The reactions were found to proceed smoothly at a low temperature of 50 degrees C using a green & economical metal-free catalyst under base-free, ligand-free & solvent-free reaction conditions to get the corresponding alpha-ketoamides in good to excellent yields. The results demonstrated that the GCM catalyst showed acidic as well as superior oxidising catalytic activity due to the presence of a carboxylic acid (-COOH) and hydroxyl (-OH)-enriched carbonaceous framework, which enabled the synthesis of important alpha-ketoamide motifs. The applicability of the catalyst was also evaluated for the synthesis of an anti-HIV agent drug molecule. Greener, cheaper & eco-friendly GCM catalyst as well as catalytic process for synthesis of alpha-Keto Amides.

Hierarchical covalent organic framework-foam for multi-enzyme tandem catalysis - Paul, Satyadip; Gupta, Mani; Dey, Kaushik; Mahato, Ashok Kumar; Bag, Saikat; Torris, Arun; Gowd, E. Bhoje; Sajid, Hasnain; Addicoat, Matthew A.; Datta, Supratim; Banerjee, Rahul (Chemical Science, 2023)
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.

High open-circuit voltage in lead sulfide quantum dot solar cells via solution-phase ligand exchange with low electron affinity cadmium halides - Dambhare, Neha V.; Biswas, Arindam; Sharma, Anjali; Shinde, Dipak Dattatray; Mahajan, Chandan; Mitra, Anurag; Rath, Arup K. (JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, 2023)
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.

Highly interconnected porous monolithic and beaded polymers using high internal phase emulsion polymerization: tuning porous architecture through synthesis variables - Ponrathnam, Timothy; Behere, Isha; Ponrathnam, Surendra; Ingavle, Ganesh (Polymer International, 2023)
Open porous polymeric materials have gained popularity due to their exceptional properties and applications in tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization and catalysis support. This study developed a novel two-stage approach to create networked, crosslinked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide) HEMA-MBA beads. The first part involves producing an oil-in-water-in-oil high internal phase emulsion (HIPE). This is followed by suspension polymerization using a redox initiator pair. In this study, a mixed surfactant combination with low and high hydrophilicity-lipophilicity balance surfactants was identified and successfully utilized to prepare a stable oil-in-water-in-oil HIPE. The effect of crosslinker concentration (i.e. crosslink density), surfactant concentration and monomer-to-porogen ratio on pore architecture and surface area were successfully evaluated. In addition, a new protocol was developed to synthesize HEMA-MBA monoliths using an oil-in-water HIPE method at ambient temperature using a redox initiator pair. The effect of crosslink density and oil phase on pore architecture and surface area was evaluated. Key variables affecting the morphology of porous HEMA-MBA beads and monoliths were identified and quantified, allowing future development of porous HEMA-based polymer beads and monoliths with tunable morphologies which are suitable for numerous applications, especially in the biomedical field. (c) 2022 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Keywords: HIPE polymerization; porosity; porous polymers; redox polymerization; Suspension polymerization

Hydrogen from catalytic non-thermal plasma-assisted steam methane reforming reaction - Bajpai, Abhinav; Mehta, Shweta; Joshi, Kavita; Kumar, Sushant (International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2023)
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

Identification of potential microRNAs regulating metabolic plasticity and cellular phenotypes in glioblastoma - Bhowmick, Rupa; Sarkar, Ram Rup (Molecular Genetics and Genomics, 2023)
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important role in regulating cellular metabolism, and are currently being explored in cancer. As metabolic reprogramming in cancer is a major mediator of phenotypic plasticity, understanding miRNA-regulated metabolism will provide opportunities to identify miRNA targets that can regulate oncogenic phenotypes by taking control of cellular metabolism. In the present work, we studied the effect of differentially expressed miRNAs on metabolism, and associated oncogenic phenotypes in glioblastoma (GBM) using patient-derived data. Networks of differentially expressed miRNAs and metabolic genes were created and analyzed to identify important miRNAs that regulate major metabolism in GBM. Graph network-based approaches like network diffusion, backbone extraction, and different centrality measures were used to analyze these networks for identification of potential miRNA targets. Important metabolic processes and cellular phenotypes were annotated to trace the functional responses associated with these miRNA-regulated metabolic genes and associated phenotype networks. miRNA-regulated metabolic gene subnetworks of cellular phenotypes were extracted, and important miRNAs regulating these phenotypes were identified. The most important outcome of the study is the target miRNA combinations predicted for five different oncogenic phenotypes that can be tested experimentally for miRNA-based therapeutic design in GBM. Strategies implemented in the study can be used to generate testable hypotheses in other cancer types as well, and design context-specific miRNA-based therapy for individual patient. Their usability can be further extended to other gene regulatory networks in cancer and other genetic diseases.
Keywords: Cellular phenotypes; Functional analysis; Glioblastoma metabolism; microRNA; miRNA-based therapy; Network analysis; Transcriptome

Improving hydrodynamic cavitation using newer surface-coated cavitation reactors - Dixit, Divya; Thanekar, Pooja; Bhandari, Vinay M. (Chemical Engineering Research & Design, 2023)
Surface-coated cavitation devices, vortex diode (SCVD) have been reported for the first time for enhancing efficiency of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC). Two surface-coated cavitation reactors using coating of copper and nickel (-50 mu m) were evaluated, also comparing results with conventional reactor vortex diode. The proof of concept is successfully demonstrated for complete degradation of two model organic pollutants, antibioticscephalexin (CFX) and ciprofloxacin (CIP). The surface-coated reactors provide dual activity, and the catalytic effect is highly pronounced with process intensification using H2O2 and/ or pH alternations. Integration of SCVD, pH and H2O2 was the most effective strategy. Complete degradation of the antibiotics was achieved within minutes with H2O2 (-1000 molar ratio) for both Cu and Ni-surface-coated cavitation reactors compared to lower degradation of-19% for CFX and-37% for CIP using only HC. An excellent enhancement of over 300% for CFX degradation at pH 11 and-170% for CIP degradation at pH 4 was obtained. Huge enhancements in per-pass degradation and cavitational yields (up to 400 times) clearly highlight the utility of the surface-coated cavitation reactors in various applications and for cost-effectiveness.(c) 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Hydrodynamic cavitation; Oxidation; pollution; Reactor; Technology; Wastewater treatment

Insights into the synthesis and kinetics of silver-on-silica core-shell particles - Jundale, Rajashri B.; Bari, Atul H.; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Langmuir, 2023)
In this study, a heterogeneous nucleation and growthmodel hasbeen developed to explore the formation mechanism of silver-depositedsilica core-shell particles based on the reaction kinetics.To validate the core-shell model, the time-dependent experimentaldata were quantitatively examined and in situ reduction,nucleation, and growth rates were estimated by optimizing the concentrationprofiles of reactants and deposited silver particles. Using this model,we also attempted to predict the change in the surface area and diameterof core-shell particles. The concentration of the reducingagent, metal precursor, and reaction temperature were found to havea strong influence on the rate constants and morphology of core-shellparticles. Higher rates of nucleation and growth often produced thick,asymmetric patches that covered the entire surface, whereas lowerrates produced sparsely deposited silver particles with a sphericalshape. The result revealed that by simply tuning the process parametersand controlling the relative rates, the morphology of deposited silverparticles and the surface coverage can be controlled while retainingthe spherical shape of the core. The present study aims to offer comprehensivedata pertaining to the nucleation, growth, and coalescence processesof core-shell nanostructures which will aid in the developmentand understanding of the principles that govern the formation of nanoparticle-coatedmaterials.

Interactive study of Au-20 nanocluster and methyl substituted amide linked tyrosine/tryptophan to develop representative model for studying protein-nanoparticle interaction - Sen Banerjee, Nineesha; Ghosh, Deborin; Mitra, Ishani; Paul, Somnath; Show, Bibhutibhushan; Ganguly, Tapan; Chakraborty, Madhurima (Journal of Molecular Structure, 2023)
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

Intrinsic charge polarization in Bi19S27Cl3 nanorods promotes selective C-C coupling reaction during photoreduction of CO2 to ethanol - Das, Kousik; Das, Risov; Riyaz, Mohd; Parui, Arko; Bagchi, Debabrata; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Singh, Abhishek Kumar; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (Advanced Materials, 2023)
Obtaining multi-carbon products via CO2 photoreduction is a major catalytic challenge involving multielectron-mediated C-C bond formation. Complex design of multicomponent interfaces that are exploited to achieve this chemical transformation, often leads to untraceable deleterious changes in the interfacial chemical environment affecting CO2 conversion efficiency and product selectivity. Alternatively, robust metal centers having asymmetric charge distribution can effectuate C-C coupling reaction through the stabilization of intermediates, for desired product selectivity. However, generating inherent charge distribution in a single component catalyst is a difficult material design challenge. Here, a novel photocatalyst, Bi19S27Cl3, is presented which selectively converts CO2 to a C-2 product, ethanol, in high yield under visible light irradiation. Structural analysis through transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals the presence of charge polarized bismuth centers in Bi19S27Cl3. The intrinsic electric field induced by charge polarized bismuth centers renders better separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pair. Furthermore, charge polarized centers yield better adsorption of CO* intermediate and accelerate the rate determining C-C coupling step through the formation of OCCOH intermediate. Formation of these intermediates is experimentally mapped by in situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and further confirmed by theoretical calculation.
Keywords: C-C coupling; charge polarization; CO2 reduction; Ethanol; Photocatalysis

Investigation and analysis of structural and electrochemical properties of highly ionic conductive La2-xSrxSn2O7-delta electrolyte for SOFC applications - Melit, Fatima; Bounar, Nedjemeddine; Shaikh, Shabana P. S.; Deshpande, Manish; Steil, Marlu Cesar (Chemical Papers, 2023)
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

Isolation and biochemical characterization of acid phytase from aspergillus niger and its applications in dephytinization of phytic acid in poultry feed ingredients - Bhandari, Y.; Sonwane, B.; Vamkudoth, K. R. (Microbiology, 2023)
Acidic phytase (PHY-B) was isolated from Aspergillus niger BIONCL8 strain, and assessed its application for the dephytinization of poultry feed ingredients. Aspergillus niger BIONCL8 strain was identified by precise molecular methods by targeting internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the fungi and molecular detection of PHY gene in the strain was confirmed by sequence analysis with respect to PHY production. The enzyme was isolated and purified by DEAE Sephadex A-50 and Bio-Gel P-60 Gel ion-exchange chromatography. The estimated molecular weight of the protein was 65 kDa on SDS-PAGE, it had a specific activity of 21.18 U/mg. The molecular weight of the protein was confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The peptide sequence of PHY-B was identified using high resolution-mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS), and its physicochemical parameters were studied. The PHY was stable at acidic pH 2.1, most active at 40 degrees C and was stable up to 80 degrees C, retaining 30% residual activity after 1 h of incubation. The PHY activity was enhanced in the presence of Mg2+ and EDTA, and activity was inhibited in the presence of Hg2+ and K+. The K-m and V-max of PHY were recorded as 3.35 mM and 1.27 U/mg, respectively. The PHY was shown to play a significant role in decreasing PA content in various poultry feed ingredients, ranging from 48.14 to 82.14%. The novel features of the enzyme can be used to decrease the PA content in feed ingredients and increase the bioavailability of nutrients to non-ruminant animals.
Keywords: Aspergillus niger; dephytinization; high resolution-mass spectrometry; ion-exchange chromatography; matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry; Phytase

Isomer effect on energy storage of π-extended S-shaped double[6]heterohelicene - Kumar, Viksit; Bharathkumar, H. J.; Dongre, Sangram D.; Gonnade, Rajesh; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (Angewandte chemie-international edition, 2023)
Recently, chiral and nonplanar cutouts of graphene have been the favorites due to their unique optical, electronic, and redox properties and high solubility compared with their planar counterparts. Despite the remarkable progress in helicenes, pi-extended heterohelicenes have not been widely explored. As an anode in a lithium-ion battery, the racemic mixture of pi-extended double heterohelical nanographene containing thienothiophene core exhibited a high lithium storage capability, attaining a specific capacity of 424 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 with excellent rate capability and superior long-term cycling performance over 6000 cycles with negligible fade. As a first report, the pi-extended helicene isomer (PP and MM), with the more interlayer distance that helps faster diffusion of ions, has exhibited a high capacity of 300 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1 with long-term cycling performance over 1500 cycles compared to the less performing MP and PM isomer and racemic mixture (150 mAh g-1 at 2 A g-1). As supported by single-crystal X-ray analysis, a unique molecular design of nanographenes with a fixed (helical) molecular geometry, avoiding restacking of the layers, renders better performance as an anode in lithium-ion batteries. Interestingly, the recycled nanographene anode material displayed comparable performance. A pi-extended double heterohelical nanographene of thienothiophene core fused with two hexabenzocoronene units exhibits excellent performance as an anode in a lithium-ion battery. The isomer (PP and MM) with more interlayer distance exhibited a high lithium storage capability compared to the other isomer and racemic mixture. Helical nanographene anodes display excellent rate capability, superior long-term cycling performance, and recyclability.image
Keywords: Battery; graphene; Li-ion battery; nanographene; Organic Electrode Material

Late-stage C(sp(2))-H arylation of artemisinic acid and arteannuin B: effect of olefin migration towards synthesis of C-13 arylated artemisinin derivatives - Paul, Sayantan; Ghodake, Balaji M. M.; Bhattacharya, Asish K. K. (Chemistry-An Asian Journal, 2023)
In recent years, C-H bond functionalization has emerged as a pivotal tool for late-stage functionalization of complex natural products for the synthesis of potent biologically active derivatives. Artemisinin and its C-12 functionalized semi-synthetic derivatives are well-known clinically used anti-malarial drugs due to the presence of the essential 1,2,4-trioxane pharmacophore. However, in the wake of parasite developing resistance against artemisinin-based drugs, we conceptualized the synthesis of C-13 functionalized artemisinin derivatives as new antimalarials. In this regard, we envisaged that artemisinic acid could be a suitable precursor for the synthesis of C-13 functionalized artemisinin derivatives. Herein, we report C-13 arylation of artemisinic acid, a sesquiterpene acid and our attempts towards synthesis of C-13 arylated artemisinin derivatives. However, all our efforts resulted in the formation of a novel ring-contracted rearranged product. Additionally, we have extended our developed protocol for C-13 arylation of arteannuin B, a sesquiterpene lactone epoxide considered to be the biogenetic precursor of artemisinic acid. Indeed, the synthesis of C-13 arylated arteannuin B renders our developed protocol to be effective in sesquiterpene lactone as well.
Keywords: Arteannuin B; Artemisinic acid; artemisinin; C-H functionalization; Pd-catalysis

Low-temperature preferential CO oxidation in a hydrogen-rich stream over Pt-NaY and modified Pt-NaY catalysts for fuel cell application - Malwadkar, Sachin; Bera, Parthasarathi; Satyanarayana, Chilukuri V. V. (Fuel Cells, 2023)
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

Luminescent 3D printed poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties - Kothavade, Premkumar Anil; Yadav, Prashant; Nidhankar, Aakash D.; Torris, Arun; Pol, Harshawardhan; Kafi, Abdullah; Bateman, Stuart; Sukumaran, Santosh Babu; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan (Polymer Engineering and Science, 2023)
The three-dimensional (3D) printing of functional composite materials has gained tremendous interest in recent years. Nevertheless, research on 3D printing of luminescent composite materials is very limited, and the mechanical properties of such 3D-printed composites are poor. Herein, we report the preparation and characterization of a poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite that, when 3D printed, exhibits enhanced toughness and high solid-state fluorescence quantum yield. Incorporation of only 1 wt% pyrene butyric acid modified cellulose nanofibers (PBA-m-CNF) and l0 wt% thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) into PLA led to 223% increase in toughness and 21% increase in tensile modulus of PLA. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microcomputed tomography (mu-CT) analysis of the fractured cross-sections of 3D printed composites revealed a ductile failure mode. The PLA/PBA-m-CNF1/TPU10 3D printed composite also exhibited a high solid-state fluorescence quantum yield of 38.35%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to show both enhanced mechanical properties and high solid-state fluorescence emission for 3D printable PLA. Such functional PLA composites could have potential applications in the fabrication of complex-shaped sensors, optical light pipes, etc.
Keywords: 3D printing; Composite; fluorescence; Nanocellulose; poly(lactic acid); toughness

Mapping time dependent disulfide bond formation during in-vitro refolding of recombinant peptibody: a Fc-fusion protein - Kumthekar, Rupali; Rana, Sunil; Ughade, Santosh; Bhambure, Rahul (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2023)
Disulfide bonds are commonly found in covalent interactions, which play a vital role in establishing the three-dimensional structure of proteins and maintaining their biological activity. This investigation is focused on time dependant mapping of intra and inter-disulfide bonds during in-vitro refolding of recombinant peptibody using LC-ESI-MS/MS. The selected recombinant peptibody is a homodimeric, aglycosylated Fc-fusion protein expressed in E. coli. The amino acid sequence in the disulfide bond containing peptides was confirmed at MS/MS level using the CID-based fragmentation approach. During in-vitro refolding of peptibody, a peptide with inter -chain disulfide bond is observed post 4 h, with low area intensity, and it reached a maximum in 96 h. How-ever, maximum area intensity was reached for the intra-chain disulfide bond in 72 h. Since cysteine residues responsible for intra-chain disulfide bonds are present in complex part of the Fc domain, formation of intra-chain disulfide bonds may be an overall rate-limiting step in recombinant Romiplostim refolding. Proper folding and contributions by non-covalent interactions will be required to form intra-chain disulfide bond. Monitoring time -based formation of such non-covalent interactions was carried out using intrinsic fluorescence during protein refolding. Observations from intrinsic fluorescence show that 4-6 h is most crucial time for domain formation. Observations from this study will help characterize structural integrity and quality during process and product development for consistent product quality.
Keywords: Disulfide bond formation; In -vitro refolding; Intrinsic fluorescence; Mass spectroscopy; Peptibody; Time based mapping

Metabolites from lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis: isolation, structure elucidation, and antimicrobial activity - Navale, Vishwambar D.; Borade, Balasaheb R.; Rama Krishna, Gamidi; Vamkudoth, Koteswara Rao; Kontham, Ravindar (ACS Omega, 2023)
Herein, we disclose the identification of novel metabolites from a potential probiotic strain, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, obtained from traditional dairy milk samples collected in Maharashtra, India (in January 2021). Isolated metabolites include pyrazin-2-carboxamide [1, pyrazinamide, a potential antitubercular drug], 3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-4H-pyran-4-one (2, DDMP), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (3), and hexadecanoic acid (4, palmitic acid). The chemical structures of these metabolites were elucidated through extensive 1D NMR (H-1 and C-13) and 2D NMR (HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY) analyses, high-resolution mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, these novel metabolites exhibited potent inhibitory activities against various bacteria, fungi, and yeast strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging between 1.56 and 25 mu g/mL, and compounds 1 and 3 were found to be most active against a wide range of microbial strains tested.

Metal-catalyzed plastic depolymerization - Khopade, Kishor V.; Chikkali, Samir H.; Barsu, Nagaraju (Cell Reports Physical Science, 2023)
Polymers have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, and today we produce around 370 MT of plastic per year. Only about 20% of it is being recycled, and the rest, 80%, is unleashed into the environment without appropriate treatment. This calls forth the evaluation of strategies available for mitigating the menace of ``after-use''plastic waste. Various approaches have evolved over a decade and are at different levels of development. Plastic depolymerization and upcycling are considered some of the most prominent and long-term solutions. The metal-catalyzed depolymerization of plastic waste to chemical feedstocks has emerged as one of the promising ways to address global plastic pollution. Therefore, this review aims to examine the available metal-catalyzed depolymerization methods, notify recent progress, pinpoint current gaps, and gauge the potential of this strategy. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts have been reported to depolymerize various polymers over the last decade. Considerable advances have been reported in the metal-mediated depolymerization of polyolefins, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyamides, and polyethers. The depolymerization of the above polymers produces the monomers or intermediates, which can be used again for polymerization and thus brings the waste polymers back into circularity. The overview debates the usage of high temperaagents, etc., in metal-catalyzed depolymerization. Thus, this review summarizes the current understanding of the fundamental science of metal-catalyzed plastic depolymerization, the remaining scientific challenges, and the potential opportunities.

Metal-organic framework-derived mesoporous B-doped CoO/Co@N-doped carbon hybrid 3D heterostructured interfaces with modulated cobalt oxidation states for alkaline water splitting - Cha, Dun Chan; Singh, Thangjam Ibomcha; Maibam, Ashakiran; Kim, Tae Hyeong; Nam, Dong Hwan; BabaRao, Ravichandar; Lee, Seunghyun (Small, 2023)
Heteroatom-doped transition metal-oxides of high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities interfaced with metals of low hydrogen adsorption energy barrier for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) when uniformly embedded in a conductive nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) matrix, can mitigate the low-conductivity and high-agglomeration of metal-nanoparticles in carbon matrix and enhances their bifunctional activities. Thus, a 3D mesoporous heterostructure of boron (B)-doped cobalt-oxide/cobalt-metal nanohybrids embedded in NC and grown on a Ni foam substrate (B-CoO/Co@NC/NF) is developed as a binder-free bifunctional electrocatalyst for alkaline water-splitting via a post-synthetic modification of the metal-organic framework and subsequent annealing in different Ar/H-2 gas ratios. B-CoO/Co@NC/NF prepared using 10% H-2 gas (B-CoO/Co@NC/NF [10% H-2]) shows the lowest HER overpotential (196 mV) and B-CoO/Co@NC/NF (Ar), developed in Ar, shows an OER overpotential of 307 mV at 10 mA cm(-2) with excellent long-term durability for 100 h. The best anode and cathode electrocatalyst-based electrolyzer (B-CoO/Co@NC/NF (Ar)(+)//B-CoO/Co@NC/NF (10% H-2)(-)) generates a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) with only 1.62 V with long-term stability. Further, density functional theory investigations demonstrate the effect of B-doping on electronic structure and reaction mechanism of the electrocatalysts for optimal interaction with reaction intermediates for efficient alkaline water-splitting which corroborates the experimental results.
Keywords: 3D heterostructures; B-doped metal-oxides; electrocatalysts; hydrogen evolution reactions; metal-organic frameworks; oxygen evolution reactions

Mitigating dendrite formation on a Zn electrode in aqueous zinc chloride by the competitive surface chemistry of an imidazole additive - Rana, Ashutosh; Thakare, Anup; Kumar, Nikhil; Mukherjee, Buddhadev; Torris, Arun; Das, Bidisa; Ogale, Satishchandra; Banerjee, Abhik (ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2023)
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

MnXWO4 nanostructure-based catalysts for single-step oxidation of cyclohexane and methane to oxygenates - Prabu, Marimuthu; Manikandan, Marimuthu; Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Gurrala, Lakshmi Prasad; Mekala, Siva Prasad; Archana, Ramakrishnan; Nayak, Chandrani; Bhattacharyya, D.; Jha, S. N.; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Raja, Thirumalaiswamy (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2023)
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 ``MnOx'' 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

Modular TiO2-squaraine dyes/electrolyte interface for dye-sensitized solar cells with cobalt electrolyte - Singh, Ambarish Kumar; Sudhakar, Vediappan; Javaregowda, Bharathkumar H.; Bisht, Rajesh; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam; Nithyanandhan, Jayaraj (Chemphotochem, 2023)
Strategies to diminish both charge recombination and aggregation of dyes on the photoanode by functionalizing the sensitizer with alkyl groups is the best approach to achieve high dyesensitized solar cell (DSSC) efficiency. Development of such a photoanode with NIR-active dyes which is compatible with a cobalt electrolyte is important to enhance the photovoltaic performance. In this report, alkyl-group-wrapped donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) based unsymmetrical squaraine dyes have been used for DSSC device characterization with a cobalt electrolyte. Surface passivation of photoanode was varied systematically by the extent of functionalization with alkyl groups to avoid charge recombination. DSSC device performance of 5.92% was achieved for an alkyl-group-wrapped squaraine dye with a cobalt electrolyte. Hence, appending the alkyl groups on the donor unit of squaraine dyes helps passivating the photoanode, whereas introducing hydrophilic groups provides a leaky surface where oxidized electrolyte species reach the titanium-metal-oxide surface which promotes the charge recombination process.
Keywords: counter-electrode; DSSC device efficiency; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Electrolytes; unsymmetrical squaraine dye

Multi-bandgap quantum dots ensemble for near-infrared photovoltaics - Mahajan, Chandan; Dambhare, Neha V.; Biswas, Arindam; Sharma, Anjali; Shinde, Dipak Dattatray; Rath, Arup K. (Energy Technology, 2023)
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

MXene surface terminations: a perspective - Natu, Varun; Barsoum, Michel W. (Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2023)
Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides are among the newest, and probably largest, families of 2D materials that have been discovered. They have shown promise in many applications, such as electromagnetic shielding, energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors, transparent conductive electrodes, as catalysts for hydrogen production, and several others. Their general formula is Mn+1XnTz (n = 1-4) or M1.33XTz, where M is an early transition metal, X is carbon and/or nitrogen, and T-z represents various terminations present upon etching the Al layer. The first MXene discovered, Ti3C2Tz, was synthesized by etching aluminum (Al) from the nanolaminated MAX phase Ti3AlC2 using hydrofluoric acid (HF). Since the discovery of Ti3C2Tz in 2011, more than 30 other MXene chemistries have been reported with different M and X elements. It has been observed that, as expected, changing the MXene chemistry also influences the properties in the range of applications listed above, allowing us to tailor them according to what suits the application of interest the best. Unlike the success in tailoring the M and X elements over the years, attempts to engineer T-z was, until recently, a challenge. A series of recent discoveries and an improved understanding of MXene surface properties has now rendered the customization of T-z possible. This progress added a new ``knob'' that can be turned to further tune MXene properties. The majority of this Perspective is focused on surface terminations: their engineering, characterization, and effect on MXene properties.

Nanopore sequencing of RAGE gene polymorphisms and their association with type 2 diabetes - Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H.; Khilari, Ajinkya A.; Kazi, Rubina; Jaiswal, Meera R.; Bhoite, Gouri M.; Padwal, Meghana K.; Momin, Abdulrahaman A.; Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (ACS Omega, 2023)
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.

Nanosilica from Averrhoa bilimbi juice pre-treated rice husk: preparation and characterization - Dominic, C. D. Midhun; Neenu, K. V.; Begum, P. M. Sabura; Joseph, Rani; Rosa, Derval dos Santos; Duan, Yongxin; Balan, Aiswarya; Ajithkumar, T. G.; Soumya, Mary; Shelke, Ankita; Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar; Badawi, Michael (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2023)
The preparation of nanosilica from rice husk without using any concentrated mineral acids is a novel concept. This work proposes a bioleaching strategy to remove metallic impurities from rice husk for the preparation of nanosilica. Herein, nanosilica (BJRHS) was prepared by calcinating Averrhoa bilimbi juice pre-treated rice husks in a muffle furnace. The chemical and atomic structures of commercial precipitated silica (CS), rice husk ash (RHA), and BJRHS were analyzed using different analytical techniques. The optimal leaching time, calcination temperature, and calcination time were 1 h, 500 degrees C, and 6 h respectively. The particle size of BJRHS was found to be 6-12 nm, which is less than that of RHA and CS. The BET surface area of BJRHS (204 m2/g) was found to be greater than RHA (110.5 m2/g) and CS (172.1 m2/g). Mesoporous nanosilica with excellent surface area and purity was produced sustainably from rice husk which could be recommended to use in the field of catalysis, polymer technology, etc.
Keywords: Averrhoa bilimbi juice; Bioleaching; Nanosilica; rice husk

Nanostructured Co-doped BiVO4 for efficient and sustainable photoelectrochemical chlorine evolution from simulated sea-water - Chauhan, Inderjeet; Patra, Kshirodra Kumar; Bajpai, Himanshu; Mhamane, Nitin B.; Salgaonkar, Kranti N.; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. (Dalton Transactions, 2023)
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.

NHC-catalyzed enantioselective synthesis of tetracyclic δ-lactones by (4+2) annulation of ortho-quinodimethanes with activated ketones - Sarkar, Deeptanu; Barik, Shilpa; Shee, Sayan; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (Organic Letters, 2023)
The N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed generation of ortho-quinodimethanes (o-QDMs) from 9H-fluorene-1-carbaldehydes followed by the interception with activated ketones resulting in the enantioselective synthesis of tetracyclic delta-lactones is presented. High diastereoselectivity of products, remote C-(sp(3))-H functionalization, broad substrate scope, and mild reaction conditions are the notable features of the present (4 + 2) annulation.

N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of N-N axially chiral 3-amino quinazolinones - Balanna, Kuruva; Barik, Soumen; Barik, Shilpa; Shee, Sayan; Manoj, Niket; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Biju, Akkattu T. (ACS Catalysis, 2023)
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

Non-confined gamma monoclinic sulfur cathode in carbonate electrolyte based room temperature K-S batteries - Pai, Rahul; Cardoza, Neal Amadeus; Natu, Varun; Barsoum, Michel W.; Kalra, Vibha (JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, 2023)
Potassium-sulfur cells have garnered a lot of interest in grid storage chemistry due to the high abundance of both elements and hence their low cost. However, their development is hindered by the polysulfide shuttle effect and their dependency on electrolytes with limited commercial viability. The inability to use carbonate electrolytes is due to the irreversible reaction between it and PS, rendering the cell useless in the first few cycles. Here we expand our use of monoclinic & gamma;-sulfur in carbon nanofibers (& gamma;S-CNFs) to the potassium-sulfur, K-S, chemistry. Herein we show that using & gamma;-S enables the cells to run for 500 cycles at & SIM;900 mA h g(-1) in commercial carbonate electrolytes. We further attempt to understand the role of & gamma;S-CNFs in K-S cells with electrochemical characterization and postmortem spectroscopy. As far as we are aware this is the first application of & gamma;-S in K-S cells. Its outstanding performance should lead to new avenues for the development of this promising chemistry.

Oligothiophene-ring-strapped perylene bisimides: functionalizable coaxial donor-acceptor macrocycles - Dnyaneshwar Veer, Sairam; Chandrakant Wakchaure, Vivek; Asokan, Kiran; Dixit, Ruchi; Goswami, Tanmay; Saha, Ramchandra; Gonnade, Rajesh; Ghosh, Hirendra N.; Santhosh Babu, Sukumaran (Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2023)
Aesthetic designs from nature enable new knowledge to be gained and, at the same time, inspire scientific models. In this context, multicomponent macrocycles embody the advantage of precisely positioning the structural units to achieve efficient communication between them. However, the construction of a functionalizable macrocycle for ultrafast charge separation and stabilization has not been attempted. Herein, we report the synthesis, crystal structure, and transient absorption of a new functionalizable macrocycle consisting of an oligothiophene-ring-strapped perylene bisimide. Transient absorption results point to a sequential improvement in charge separation and stabilization from the macrocycle to the corresponding linear dimer and 2D polymer due to the unique design. Our macrocycle design with a supportive spatial arrangement of the donor and acceptor units will inspire the development of more complex synthetic systems with exciting electron-transfer and charge-separation features.
Keywords: Charge Separation; Donor-Acceptor Systems; Electron Transfer; Macrocycles; Perylene Bisimides

Organophosphites: an addition to the arsenal of organocatalysts - Baral, Nilofar; Rani, Soniya; Saikia, Pinku; Maity, Pradip (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2023)
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

Origin of optoelectronic contradictions in 3,4-cycloalkyl[c]-chalcogenophenes: a computational study - Masilamani, Ganesh; Krishna, Gamidi Rama; Debnath, Sashi; Bedi, Anjan (Polymers, 2023)
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

Palladium-catalyzed polar solvent empowered synthesis of hyper-branched ethylene oligomers and their applications - Birajdar, Rajkumar S.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Pol, Harshawardhan V.; Prabhu, M. Basava; Rokade, Dhammaraj; Nandimath, Sheetal; Chikkali, Samir H. (Polymer Chemistry, 2023)
In this contribution, we report the synthesis of two naphthoxy imine ligands, 2-(((2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-methoxyphenyl)imino)methyl)naphthalen-1-ol (L1) and 2-(((2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino)methyl)naphthalen-1-ol (L2), with different steric and electronic features. L1 and L2 were treated with [(TMEDA)PdMe2] to obtain the corresponding neutral palladium(ii) complexes Cat.1 and Cat.2 in excellent yields. The identity of Cat.1 and Cat.2 was unambiguously ascertained using a combination of spectroscopic and analytical methods, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction. When exposed to 5 bar ethylene pressure, Cat.1 produced hyperbranched ethylene oligomers. The microstructure analysis of ethylene oligomers confirmed the existence of methyl, ethyl, propyl, and sec-butyl branches, with a molecular weight (M-n) of 500-1400 g mol(-1), a PDI of 1.46-2.10, and 67-106 branches per 1000 carbon atoms. The use of a polar solvent, tetrahydrofuran, led to a remarkable 3-fold increase in oligomerization activity without compromising the branching and molecular weight. The resultant hyperbranched ethylene oligomers were selectively monofunctionalized using industrially practiced hydroformylation, ozonolysis, and epoxidation, almost quantitatively. The hydroxy functionalized ethylene oligomer (F4) (5 wt%) was melt-compounded with LLDPE and Nylon-6 to produce a tough yet flexible blend with a higher strain-to-failure as compared to an uncompatibilized blend.

Parallel evolution of cannabinoid biosynthesis - Berman, Paula; de Haro, Luis Alejandro; Jozwiak, Adam; Panda, Sayantan; Pinkas, Zoe; Dong, Younghui; Cveticanin, Jelena; Barbole, Ranjit; Livne, Rotem; Scherf, Tali; Shimoni, Eyal; Levin-Zaidman, Smadar; et al. (Nature Plants, 2023)
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' 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.

Pd loaded bismuth ferrite: a versatile perovskite for dual applications as acetone gas sensor and photocatalytic dye degradation of malachite green - Ghadage, Pandurang; Kodam, Pavan; Nadargi, Digambar; Patil, Suraj; Tamboli, Mohaseen; Bhandari, Nagesh; Mulla, Imtiaz; Park, Chinho; Suryavanshi, Sharad (Ceramics International, 2023)
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

Pd nanoparticles supported on N-incorporated hybrid organosilica as an active and selective low-temperature phenol hydrogenation catalyst - Betsy, K. J.; Bajpai, Priyam; Lazar, Anish; Vanka, Kumar; Vinod, C. P. (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2023)
A heterogeneous Pd-NPMO hybrid-silicacatalyst is synthesized andits application for aqueous phase selective hydrogenation of phenolto cyclohexanone at near ambient temperature (40 degrees C) and underatmospheric hydrogen pressure is demonstrated. The homogeneously distributedPd nanoparticles on N-bridged hybrid mesoporous organosilica showedremarkable activity and selectivity for cyclohexanone compared tothe unmodified Pd-SBA-15 catalyst. Control experiments strongly claimthe role of nitrogen domains in the organic framework of hybrid silicasupport in stabilizing small Pd nanoparticles and possibly modifyingthe Pd sites responsible for catalysis to activate the substrate moleculesin water. The hybrid silica catalyst was stable and reused severaltimes without any significant drop-in activity, proving the heterogeneityof the bifunctional Pd catalyst. Based on the density functional theorystudy and experimental interventions, a possible reaction mechanismfor the low-temperature phenol hydrogenation explaining the role oforganic domains in the hybrid-silica framework is proposed.
Keywords: cyclohexanone; Hybrid silica; palladium nanoparticles; Periodic mesoporous organosilica; phenol hydrogenation

Phased short-interfering RNA siRD29(-) regulates GIBBERELLIN 3-OXIDASE 3 during stolon-to-tuber transitions in potato - Malankar, Nilam; Kondhare, Kirtikumar; Saha, Kishan; Mantri, Mohit; Banerjee, Anjan (Plant Physiology, 2023)
Phased short-interfering RNAs (phasiRNAs) fine tune various stages of growth, development, and stress responses in plants. Potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuberization is a complex process, wherein a belowground modified stem (stolon) passes through developmental stages like swollen stolon and minituber before it matures to a potato. Previously, we identified several phasiRNA-producing loci (PHAS) from stolon-to-tuber transition stages. However, whether phasiRNAs mediate tuber development remains unknown. Here, we show that a gene encoding NB-ARC DOMAIN-CONTAINING DISEASE RESISTANCE PROTEIN (StRGA4; a PHAS locus) is targeted by Stu-microRNA482c to generate phasiRNAs. Interestingly, we observed that one of the phasiRNAs, referred as short-interfering RNA D29(-), i.e. siRD29(-), targets the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis gene GIBBERELLIN 3-OXIDASE 3 (StGA3ox3). Since regulation of bioactive GA levels in stolons controls tuber development, we hypothesized that a gene regulatory module, Stu-miR482c-StRGA4-siRD29(-)-StGA3ox3, could govern tuber development. Through transient expression assays and small RNA sequencing, generation of siRD29(-) and its phase was confirmed in planta. Notably, the expression of StGA3ox3 was higher in swollen stolon compared to stolon, whereas siRD29(-) showed a negative association with StGA3ox3 expression. Antisense (AS) lines of StGA3ox3 produced more tubers compared to wild type. As expected, StRGA4 overexpression (OE) lines had high levels of siRD29(-) and mimicked the phenotypes of StGA3ox3-AS lines, indicating the functionality of this module in potato. In vitro tuberization assays (with or without a GA inhibitor) using StGA3ox3 antisense lines and overexpression lines of StGA3ox3 or StRGA4 revealed that StGA3ox3 controls the tuber stalk development. Taken together, our findings suggest that a phasiRNA, siRD29(-), mediates the regulation of StGA3ox3 during stolon-to-tuber transitions in potato. A phasiRNA module, Stu-miR482c-StRGA4-siRD29(-), regulates the expression of a gibberellin biosynthesis gene StGA3ox3 during stolon-to-tuber transitions in potato.

Photoinduced CO2 and N2 reductions on plasmonically enabled gallium oxide - Ojha, Niwesh; Thakkar, Kavita; Bajpai, Abhinav; Joshi, Kavita; Kumar, Sushant (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2023)
Ag-containing ZnO/ b-Ga2O3 semiconductor, which exhibit reduced bandgap, increased light absorption, and hydrophilicity, have been found to be useful for photocatalytic CO2 reduction and N2 fixation by water. The charge-separation is facilitated by the new interfaces and inherent vacancies. The Ag@GaZn demonstrated the highest photocurrent response, about 20-and 2.27-folds that of the Ga and GaZn sam-ples, respectively. CO, CH4, and H2 formed as products for photo-reduction of CO2. Ag@GaZn catalyst exhibited the highest AQY of 0.121 % at 400 nm (31.2 W/m2). Also, Ag@GaZn generated 740 lmolg-1 of NH4+ ions, which was about 18-folds higher than Ga sample. In situ DRIFTS for isotopic-labelled 13CO2 and 15N2 reaffirmed the photo-activity of as-synthesized catalysts. Density functional theory pro-vided insight into the relative affinity of different planes of heterostructures towards H2O, CO2 and N2 molecules. The structure-photoactivity rationale behind the intriguing Ag@GaZn sample offers a funda-mental insight into the role of plasmonic Ag and design principle of heterostructure with improved pho-toactivity and stability.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords: CO2 reduction; DRIFTS density functional theory; hydrophilicity; Photocurrent response

Photo-stable, 1D-nanofilaments TiO2-based lepidocrocite for photocatalytic hydrogen production in water-methanol mixtures - Badr, Hussein O.; Natu, Varun; Neatu, Stefan; Neatu, Florentina; Kuncser, Andrei; Rostas, Arpad M.; Racey, Matthew; Barsoum, Michel W.; Florea, Mihaela (Matter, 2023)
Water and sunlight are the cleanest, most renewable, and abundant resources on Earth. Developing inexpensive, scalable photocatalysts that are highly stable for hydrogen (H-2) production has long been a cherished dream of humanity. Herein, we report on one-dimensional lepidocrocite-based sub-nanofilaments (NFs), approximate to 5 x 7 & Aring;(2) in cross-section, that generate H-2 from 80:20 v/v water/methanol mixtures when illuminated by simulated sunlight. The NFs were stable in the mixtures for times >4,300 h, 300 h of which were under irradiation. Apparent quantum yields as high as 11.7% were obtained. Based on deuterated water results, we conclude that water is the H-2 source. Further, no carbon dioxide (CO2) due to photocatalytic degradation of methanol was detected. Therefore, the NFs have strong green credentials and lucrative economic prospects for large scale up. We expect these NFs will lead to new lines for developing cheap and ultra-stable materials to produce H-2 photochemically for a long time.

Polyethylene-grafted sheet-like silsesquioxane nanocomposites with unprecedented adhesion to polar substrates - Sharma, Vivek; Paulbudhe, Uday; Bachhar, Nirmalya; Chikkali, Samir H.; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy (ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2023)
Polyethylene is a highly apolar polymer with very pooradhesionto most substrates, necessitating the use of tie layers. Therefore,the synthesis of functional polyethylene is a long-standing challengein catalytic ethylene polymerization. Here, we report the preparationof a nanocomposite comprising polyethylene covalently grafted ontosheet-like silsesquioxanes, with unprecedented adhesion to metal andglass. A norbornene-grafted, layered Mg-silsesquioxane is treatedwith Grubbs second-generation catalyst (G-II), and the identity ofcovalently tethered G-II is unambiguously ascertained. Covalentlytethered G-II catalyzes the ring opening metathesis polymerizationof cyclooctene to poly(cyclooctene). The resulting poly(cyclooctene)is catalytically hydrogenated to yield polyethylene. This polyethylenenanocomposite exhibited a bonding strength of the order of 100 MPaon stainless steel and aluminum, 10-fold higher than reported forengineered polyethylene copolymers. The nanocomposite exhibits anincrease in the polar component of surface energy, yet remains compatibleand cocrystallizes with a polyethylene matrix.
Keywords: adhesion; clay; Nanocomposite; Polyethylene; silsesquioxane

Polymerizable solvent-free organic liquids: a new approach for large area flexible and foldable luminescent films - Wakchaure, Vivek Chandrakant; Veer, Sairam Dnyaneshwar; Nidhankar, Aakash D.; Kumar, Viksit; Narayanan, Aswini; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (Angewandte chemie-international editon, 2023)
The high demand for light-emitting and display devices made luminescent organic materials as attractive candidates. Solvent-free organic liquids are one of the promising emitters among them due to the salient features. However, the inherent limitations of forming sticky and noncurable surfaces must be addressed to become an alternate emitter for large-area device applications. Herein, we functionalized solvent-free organic liquids having monomeric emission in bulk with polymerizable groups to improve the processability. The polymerizable group on carbazole, naphthalene monoimide, and diketopyrrolopyrrole-based solvent-free liquid emitters enabled on-surface polymerization. These emitters alone and in combinations can be directly coated on a glass substrate without the help of solvents. Subsequent photo or thermal polymerization leads to stable, non-sticky, flexible, foldable, and free-standing large-area films with reasonably high quantum yield. Our demonstration of the tunable and white light-emitting films using polymerizable solvent-free liquids might be a potential candidate in flexible/foldable/stretchable electronics. The new concept of polymerizable liquid can be extended to other functional features suitable for futuristic applications.
Keywords: Energy Transfer; polymerization; Solvent-Free Organic Liquids; Thin-Film; White Light

Polymerized stimuli-responsive microgels for the removal of organic dye from water - Pany, Biswajit; Majundar, Amrito Ghosh; Mohanty, Madhuchhanda; Fyis, K. P.; Dey, Tanima; Tripathy, Gautam; Bhat, Suresh; Yamanaka, Junpei; Mohanty, Priti S. (Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2023)
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

Possible handle for broadening the catalysis regime towards low temperatures: proof of concept and mechanistic studies with CO oxidation on surface modified Pd-TiO2 - Mhamane, Nitin B. B.; Panchal, Suresh; Kolekar, Sadhu K. K.; Ranjan, Ravi; Salgaonkar, Kranti N. N.; Burange, Anand S. S.; Nalajala, Naresh; Datar, Suwarna; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. S. (Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 2023)
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.

Post-refolding stability considerations for optimization of in-vitro refolding: L-asparaginase as a case study - Mihooliya, Kanti Nandan; Nitika, Nitika; Bhambure, Rahul; Rathore, Anurag S. S. (Biotechnology Journal, 2023)
BackgroundL-Asparaginase is an essential enzyme for the food and biopharmaceutical industry. The stability, however, of L-asparaginase is widely known to be an issue. Commercial manufacturing of any biopharmaceutical involves hold-ups during processing, and can result in product loss if stability is an issue, as is the case with L-asparaginase. This interplay of product intermediate stability and process design is the focus of this investigation. Methods and ResultsIn this study, we propose a strategy to simultaneously increase the refolding yield and stability of refolded L-asparaginase so as to improve overall process yield. Using one variable at a time (OVAT) experiments, urea (6 M), solubilized inclusion bodies (15 mg/ml), refolding method (step dilution), and pH (8.6) were identified as significant process parameters. A design of experiment (DOE)-based optimization was then performed for the refolding step. The net outcome was more than a three-fold increase in enzyme recovery (i.e., 4.90 IU/ml) compared to unoptimized conditions (i.e., 1.26 IU/ml). Further, the L-asparaginase process intermediate was found to be stable for more than a week at room temperature and 2-8 degrees C, while the unoptimized sample was stable at 2-8 degrees C but did not show any activity at room temperature after 72 h. ConclusionsThe current study elucidates how process intermediate stability needs to be given due consideration during process optimization, particularly for products such as L-asparaginase which are labile.
Keywords: design of experiment; L-asparaginase; refolding; stability

Promoting effect of titanium on C-O hydrogenolysis of erythritol to 1,4-butanediol over Pt/W/Ti-SBA-15 catalysts - Bhowmik, Susmita; Akula, Venugopal; Sethia, Govind; Marimuthu, Banu; Darbha, Srinivas (Applied Catalysis A-General, 2023)
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

Relativistic coupled-cluster study of SrF for low-energy precision tests of fundamental physics - Talukdar, Kaushik; Buragohain, Haimyapriya; Nayak, Malaya K. K.; Vaval, Nayana; Pal, Sourav (Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, 2023)
SrF, being a laser-coolable molecule, can be an interesting system for spectroscopic tests of fundamental physics. We present an electronic structure study of this molecule within the four-component relativistic coupled-cluster singles and doubles (RCCSD) framework and employ the RCCSD-based methods to compute its molecular-frame dipole moment and core properties such as hyperfine structure coupling constant and molecular P, T-odd electronic structure parameters that are of great importance for the high-precision tests of fundamental physics. The impact of basis set size, Hamiltonian and nuclear model on the property calculation of SrF is also investigated. The computed results are in good agreement with the available experimental values. The present study shows that the SrF molecule could be useful for high-precision molecular experiments to explore physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particles.
Keywords: Coupled cluster theory; CP violation; Hyperfine structure; Molecular spectroscopy; Relativistic effects

Repurposing small molecules of Tephrosia purpurea against SARS-CoV-2 main protease - Sahoo, Rosaleen; Sahu, Parameswar; Swargam, Sandeep; Kumari, Indu; Behera, Banshidhar (Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, 2023)
Coronavirus infection is a communicable disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged as a global pandemic with deteriorating effect on the world's population. Main protease (M-pro) of SARS-CoV-2 plays a significant role in the viral replication, transcription and disease propagation as well as a potential candidate for drug discovery and development for COVID-19 infection. The current study employed state of art structure-based drug discovery to decipher the role of phytochemicals of Tephrosia purpurea against M-pro. Tephrosia purpurea is being used as a traditional medicinal plant for the treatment of cough, breathlessness and fever as per the Indian Materia Medica. Screening of the phytochemicals of Tephrosia purpurea against M-pro was performed using molecular docking approach to identify the top 5 hits (+)-tephrorin B, deguelin, vitamin p, lanceolarin and 3beta-hydroxy-20(29)-lupene with binding energy of -8.4, -8.1, -8.0, -7.8, and -7.8 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, identified top 5 hits were subjected to drug-likeness and toxicity prediction as well as MM-GBSA calculation. Out of the five molecules four molecules were predicted not to comprise any mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. Top two molecules based on the drug-likeness properties for oral bio-availability were further analysed by molecular dynamics simulation at 100 ns timescale. It was observed from the dynamic behaviour of the two complexes that the addition of these molecules changed the conformation and stability of the apo protein; thus may act as inhibitors for M-pro. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Keywords: molecular dynamics; SARS-CoV-2; Tephrosia purpurea

Rhizospheric bacillus spp. exhibit miticidal efficacy against oligonychus coffeae (Acari: Tetranychidae) of tea - Bora, Popy; Gogoi, Sukanya; Deshpande, Mukund Vinayak; Garg, Pankaj; Bhuyan, Rana P.; Altaf, Nilofar; Saha, Nikita; Borah, Sapna Mayuri; Phukon, Mousumi; Tanti, Nabajit; Saikia, Bishal; Ahmed, Shenaz Sultana; et al. (Microorganisms, 2023)
Oligonychus coffeae (Acari: Tetranychidae), popularly known as red spider mite (RSM) is one of the major pests of commercial tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) plantation world over. Many attempts have been made in the past to control this devastating pest using a variety of microbial bioagents, however, area-wise field success is very limited. We carried out an in vitro study to explore the potential of rhizospheric Bacillus spp. (B. amyloliquefaciens BAC1, B. subtilis LB22, and B. velezensis AB22) against O. coffeae through adulticidal and ovicidal activity. The 100% adult and egg mortality was observed with bacterial suspension (1 x 10(9 )CFU/mL) by B. velezensis AB22, showing the lowest LC50 values for both adults and eggs of O. coffeae, i.e., 0.28 x 10(5) and 0.29 x 10(5), respectively. The study also throws some insights into the underlying mechanism through electron microscopy study and identification of some putative pesticidal metabolites from all the species. The three Bacillus species were observed to have four commonly secreted putative bioactive secondary metabolites, brevianamide A, heptadecanoic acid, thiolutin, and versimide responsible for their bio-efficacy against O. coffeae. The outcome of our study provides a strong possibility of introducing Bacillus spp. as a biological miticide and developing synthetic metabolites mimicking the mechanistic pathway involved in microbial bioefficacy.
Keywords: Bacillus spp.; Biocontrol; organic tea; Secondary metabolites

Robust zeolitic tetrazole framework for electrocatalytic dopamine detection with high selectivity - Sarfudeen, Shafeeq; Sruthi, Vadakke Purakkal; Maibam, Ashakiran; Panda, Premchand; Jhariat, Pampa; Senthilkumar, Sellappan; BabaRao, Ravichandar; Panda, Tamas (Inorganic Chemistry, 2023)
A novel zeolitic tetrazolate framework (ZTF-8) has been synthesized by solvent-free heat-assisted (70 C-degrees) mechanochemical grinding of zinc acetate and 5-methyl tetrazole in the presence of NaOH powder. The structure of ZTF-8 adopts the zeolitic sodalite (SOD) topology with uncoordinated N-heteroatom sites and resembles the structure of the well-known zeolitic imidazole framework ZIF-8. ZTF-8 is exceptionally stable in 0.1 M aqueous acid and base solutions for 60 days at 25 C-degrees. The unique structure with uncoordinated N-heteroatom active sites and exceptional stability of ZTF-8 facilitated the electrocatalytic oxidation of dopamine to dopamine quinone at neutral pH. Without any postsynthetic modification, ZTF-8 is directly used for the facile electrochemical detection of dopamine over a wide range of concentrations (5-550 mu M) with a high sensitivity (2410.8 mu A mM-1 cm-2). It also demonstrated promising selectivity over other interferents of similar oxidation potential, such as ascorbic acid and uric acid. The DFT study revealed that the ZTF-8 framework has a higher binding energy (-145.07 kJ/mol) and stronger interaction with dopamine than its isostructural ZIF-8 structure (-130.42 kJ/mol).

Role of ions and their transporters in combating salt stress in Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze - Rashmi, Deo; Ansari, Waquar A.; Kadoo, Narendra Y.; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Deshmukh, Rupesh; Nadaf, Altafhusain B. (Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 2023)
Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint causing huge losses in crop production. Pandanus odorifer (Forssk.) Kuntze is an aromatic monocot plant species belonging to the family Pandanaceae, which grows naturally on the saline soils along the coasts of Asia, Southeast Asia, and Polynesia. The plants are dioecious and highly fertile, and the consistent saline sprays, strong winds, and severe soil salinity hardly affect their growth and fertility. Hence, understanding the mechanism of high salinity tolerance in P. odorifer could provide major advances in overcoming salinity stress in crop plants. In the present study, we analyzed control (0 M NaCl) and treated (1 M NaCl treatment for 3 weeks) plants of P. odorifer to understand the role of ion distribution, ion transport, and related mechanisms under salt stress. Using a combination of ionomics and transcriptomics approaches, we identified the molecular mechanisms contributing to the high salinity stress in P. odorifer. Under NaCl stress, there was a significant increase in Na, Cl, and other ions in leaves, while the concentrations of Si, Fe, Ni, and Ti decreased. Similarly, in roots, the levels of Na, Mg, Cd, and Cr were significantly high, while the levels of other ions decreased. Most of the genes related to ion transport and homeostasis, such as NHX1, CLC-C, SOS1, HAK, and ABC transporters, were upregulated in 1 M NaCl stress conditions. This study revealed that vacuolar sequestration of Na+ and the distribution of ions in the roots and shoots play significant roles in the salt-stress tolerance mechanism of P. odorifer.
Keywords: Ion transport; Ionomics; Pandanus; Salinity tolerance; Transcriptomics; Vacuolar sequestration

Self-powered wearable breath sensor cum nanogenerator using AuNR-rGO-PVDF nanocomposite - Bang, Amruta D.; Ghalawat, Monika; Poddar, Pankaj; Kulkarni, Sulabha K.; Adhyapak, Parag V. (IEEE Sensors Journal, 2023)
Breathing is the most important function of living being. It is well known that breath contains 90% humidity along with various gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These gases are released during various metabolic activities in the body. These gases present in the breath can act as biomarkers to showcase healthiness or abnormalities in the body. Therefore, breath sensors are the need of time to detect diseases at early stages and in noninvasive way. Herein, we report, simple breath sensor using Au nanorods (AuNRs) and its nanocomposite with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The nanocomposites system is designed in such a way that each component has its advantages for breath sensing. Here, AuNR being a good humidity sensitive material detects the breath efficiently. The ss phased PVDF being a very good ferroelectric material, contributes for voltage generation during sensing and enables the device to be self powered. The highly conducting rGO increases the sensitivity and voltage generation by facilitating the electron transport in the nanocomposite system. The nanocomposite was optimized with respect to PVDF, rGO and Au concentration. The as-synthesized materials were characterized by physiochemical characterization techniques such as field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), UV-Visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The ss phase formation of the PVDF was confirmed from the XRD peak at 20.41 degrees. SEM results revealed that AuNR have length 15-20 nm and aspect ratio similar to 3-4. Breath sensing tests were carried out for as synthesized nanocomposite material. The nanocomposite exhibited high sensitivity towards breath and generated the voltage of similar to 0.7 V within 0.8 s.
Keywords: Au nanorods (AuNRs); breath analyzer; breath sensor; nanogenerator

Shape-controlled MoO3/MnO x nanocatalyst for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline drug motifs - Singh, Nittan; Putla, Suresh Babu; Pratap Singh, Chandrodai; Kalbande, Pavan Narayan; Choudhary, Priyanka; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Krishnan, Venkata; Bhatte, Kushal; Sudarsanam, Putla (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2023)
We have developed a highly effective shape-controlled MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline drug motifs at room temperature without any external oxidant. Electron microscopy images reveal that the MnOx material contains rod-shaped particles (length: 500-1000 nm and width: 150-200 nm) and the MoO3 species are uniformly dispersed in the MoO3/MnOx material. The MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst calcined at 500 degrees C (MoO3/MnOx-5) contains abundant strong acid sites and an optimum ratio of Mn4+/Mn3+, which are responsible for the C-N cross-coupling reaction between 2-phenylethylamine and o-phenylenediamine, giving higher yields (>96%) of 2-phenylquinoxaline at mild conditions. The broad scope of this catalytic strategy at room temperature and without an external oxidant was confirmed by achieving >90% yields of functional 2-phenylquinoxalines from C-N cross-coupling of various o-phenylenediamines and 2-phenylethylamines. The outstanding reusability efficiency of the MoO3/MnOx-5 nanocatalyst up to five cycles without the need for a regeneration step as well as the effective scalability highlighted the practicability of the MoO3/MnOx-based catalytic protocol for carbon-heteroatom coupling reactions at room temperature and without an external oxidant. Using computational studies, the possible reasons for the selective synthesis of 2-phenylquinoxaline over the MoO3/MnOx-5 nanocatalyst were elucidated.
Keywords: cascade C-N cross-coupling; DFT studies; room temperature andopen air; shape-controlled MoO3/MnOx nanocatalyst; structure-activity correlation

Short review on recent advances in porous adsorbents for separation of oxygen from atmospheric air - Shrotri, Aadesh R. R.; Niphadkar, Prashant S. S.; Bokade, Vijay V. V.; Utgikar, Vivek P. P.; Nandanwar, Sachin U. U. (Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2023)
Pure oxygen demand is continuously increasing worldwide due to wide applications including medical and industrial. Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is one of the promising techniques to separate O-2 from atmospheric air. The porous solid adsorbent is a key element in the PSA to trap nitrogen (N-2) and release O-2. Several adsorbents including low silica X (LSX), zeolite 5A, ion-exchanged LSX (Li-LSX, AgLi-LSX, Ca-LSX), Engelhard titanosilicate (Na-ETS-10, Ag-ETS-10), and SSZ-13 have been investigated for adsorption of N-2 from the air. This review article is a summarization of recent research work published on O-2 separation using different porous adsorbents via PSA. This review also emphasizes on the best porous sorbent for purification of O-2 by sorption of N-2 and Ar. The adsorption capacities with experimental conditions are also rigorously discussed. The review also proposed future trends and prospects for O-2 separation. This review will be helpful to choose remarkable adsorbent for the generation pure O-2.
Keywords: 13X zeolite; adsorbent; ETS-10; oxygen; Separation

Solvation structure and dynamics of a small ion in an organic electrolyte - Kore, Shivshankar; Sahoo, Rudhi Ranjan; Santra, Binit; Sarkar, Archishman; Chowdhury, Tubai; Deshmukh, Samadhan H.; Hazarika, Sulagna; Chatterjee, Srijan; Bagchi, Sayan (Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry, 2023)
Organic carbonates are commonly used as electrolytes in commercial lithium-ion batteries. A detailed interpretation of the solvation structure and dynamics of the electrolyte around ions is necessary to understand the charge/discharge process in batteries. This work combines infrared absorption spectroscopy with quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to decipher the solvation structure of propylene carbonate, a cyclic carbonate, around the dissolved thiocyanate ion. Two dimensional infrared spectroscopy and polarization-selective pump probe spectroscopies have been utilized to extract the timescales of solvent fluctuation and the solute reorientational dynamics. The similarity in the slow timescales for the solute and the solvent dynamics signifies that similar processes control both dynamics.

Speed breeding opportunities and challenges for crop improvement - Sharma, Shivani; Kumar, Amit; Dhakte, Priyanka; Raturi, Gaurav; Vishwakarma, Gautam; Barbadikar, Kalyani M.; Das, B. K.; Shivaraj, S. M.; Sonah, Humira; Deshmukh, Rupesh (Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 2023)
Crop improvement in light of the rapidly changing climate and the increasing human population continues to be one of the primary concerns for researchers across the globe. The rate at which current crop improvement programs are progressing is essentially inadequate to meet the food demand. There is an urgent need for redesigning the crops for climate resilience and sustainable yield and nutrition. The rate of crop improvement is largely impeded owing to the long generation time taken by crop plants during the breeding process. As a solution in this direction, speed breeding is now being practiced at a large scale to reduce generation time to accommodate multiple generations of crops per year. To enhance the efficiency of breeding, researchers are now adopting an integrated approach where speed breeding is used along with modern plant breeding and genetic engineering technologies. In the present review, we have summarized the technological aspects, opportunities, and limitations associated with speed breeding. The application of speed breeding such as mapping population development, haplotype-based breeding, transgenic breeding, and genome-edited line advancement has also been discussed. Speed breeding is a promising technology that expedites the goals of food and industrial crop improvement by reducing the breeding cycles for establishing nutritional security and sustainable agriculture.
Keywords: Genome editing; Genomic selection; Haplotype breeding; Speed breeding; Transgenic breeding

Squarate-tethered enantiomeric Imido-Pd(II) cages for recognition and separation of chiral organic molecules - Jose, Cavya; Sarkar, Meghamala; Rajasekar, Prabhakaran; Tewari, Tanuja; Boomishankar, Ramamoorthy (Inorganic Chemistry, 2023)
Chiral coordination cages have emerged as an efficient platform for enantioselective processes via host-guest interactions. Here, we report an enantiomeric pair of tetrahedral cages of formula [(Pd-3[PO(N(*CH(CH3)Ph)(3)])(4)(C4O4)(6)] supported by chiral tris(imido)phosphate trianions and squarate (C4O4)(2-) linkers. These cages exhibit unusual coordination isomerism for Pd(II)-linker bonds compared with the other Pd(II) cages of this family. Further, they were employed for the recognition and separation of small chiral molecules containing various functionalities. High enantioselectivities of 67 and 41 were found in the case of R-4-hydroxydihydrofuran-2(3H)-one and S-epichlorohydrin, recognized by the R-isomer of the cage. Chiral separation studies showed remarkable enantiomeric excess values of 93 and 85% for S-epichlorohydrin and R-4-benzyl-2-oxazolidinone, respectively, from their racemic mixtures. These studies showcase the potential of coordination cages for enantioselective applications.

Surface functionalization of inorganic nanoparticles with ligands: a necessary step for their utility - Bhattacharjee, Kaustav; Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. (Chemical Society Reviews, 2023)
The importance of organic ligands in protecting inorganic nanoparticles and thus imparting the needed stabilization as colloidal dispersions was realised many years ago. Currently, the rational preparation of such nanoparticles with designed organic molecules/ligands resulting in the formation of functional nanoparticles (FNPs) that are tuned for a specific application is an area of immense research interest. The preparation of such FNPs for a desired application requires a clear understanding of the interactions at the nanoparticle (NP)-ligand and ligand-solvent interfaces, and demands a deep appreciation of the surface science and coordination chemistry. In this tutorial review, we briefly explore the evolution of surface-ligand chemistry and inform the readers that, apart from protecting the surface, ligands can modulate the physico-chemical properties of the underlying inorganic NPs as well. This review further presents the design principles for the rational preparation of such FNPs, where one or more ligand shells can be added to the nanoparticle surface, thereby improving the adaptability and amenability of the NP exterior towards the environment in which they are present, as required for a specific application.

Synthesis, characterization, crystal structure, in silico and computational studies on a novel Schiff base derived from α-chlorocinnamaldehyde and 4-aminoantipyrine - Adimudo, Hillary Chijioke; Agu, Chidike Justus; Okenyeka, Obinna U.; Eddy, Nnabuk O.; Dim, Ebubechukwu Nnamdi; Dege, Necmi; Bonardd, Sebastian; Vanka, Kumar; Ibezim, Akachukwu; Idika, Digbo Iku; Diaz, David Diaz; Obasi, Nnamdi Lawrence (Journal of Molecular Structure, 2023)
Schiff base, 4-(((1E,2Z)-2-chloro-3-phenylallylidene)amino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,2 -dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (1) was synthesized by condensation reaction of 4-aminoantipyrine and & alpha;-chlorocinnamaldehyde. The compound was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H/13C NMR) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis (SC-XRD). Density functional theory (DFT) was used to compute molecular parameters and also compared them with experimental data. The X-ray diffraction data revealed that the compound crys-tallizes as a monoclinic crystal system with a space group of C2/c and Z = 8, and is stabilized by C12-H12MIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISO1, and C8-H8AMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISO1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The presence of a distinctive azomethine C = N bond length N3-C12 of 1.283(3) & ANGS;, and 1640 cm-1 stretching vibration in the FT-IR spectrum are evidence of the formation of a Schiff base. The computational result indicates that the ionization energy (IE), and electron affinity (EA) values for the molecule are 4.025 and 2.110 eV, respectively. The positive value of EA suggests that the addition of an electron to the molecule would be an exothermic process. The evaluated energy is relatively low and is an expression of the ease of electron transfer from the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). Hirsfeld surface map over dnorm and curvedness surface indicated the presence of 7C-7C stacking while the shape factor index suggests donor and acceptor intermolecular C-H-7C. Analysis of Hirsfeld surfaces concerning the fingerprint indicated a minimal contribution from the de -di pair and reveals H–H as a major contribution to the Hirsfeld surface. However, the molecular packing did not confirm H–H as a significant contributor the packing. Docking calculations on the compound showed average theoretical binding energies toward aromatase (-5.99 & PLUSMN; 0.34 kcal/mol) and fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) (-17.57 & PLUSMN; 6.85 kcal/mol), indicating binding interactions with both protein targets.
Keywords: Computational studies; molecular modeling; Schiff base; X-ray crystallography

Synthesis of 3 alkyl and 1,3-Bis(alkyl)indolizine amides from a-bromohydroxamates - Mane, Kishor D.; Bagwe, Sagar S.; More, Satish G.; Suryavanshi, Gurunath (Tetrahedron Letters, 2023)
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

Synthesis of advanced asbestos-free material using rice husk ash and marble waste for thermal insulation applications - Verma, Sarika; Bajpai, Harsh; Suresh, S.; Mili, Medha; Gupta, Ritesh Kumar; Shetty, Rohit; Kamble, Sanjay; Khan, Mohd. Akram; Hashmi, S. A. R.; Srivastava, A. K. (Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2023)
The importance and utilization of advanced thermal insulating materials increase due to their broad and irreplaceable energy conservation role. This paper describes the novel way of achieving insulating material. In two waste by-products, namely rice husk ash (RHA), agriculture waste, and marble waste powder (MWP), industrial waste has been utilized to make asbestos-free advanced material for thermal insulation. A novel method for making asbestos-free advanced material for thermal insulation using RHA and marble waste's inherent characteristics has developed mechano-chemical for appropriate physico-chemical consolidation, densification, and ceramic processing route. The Si and Ca sources undergo a series of chemical transformations accompanied by mass transfer and thermal reactions during the synthesis process. The formation of this silicate compound occurs due to the presence of higher contents of CaO in marble waste powder (MWP) and silica in rice husk ash (RHA), resulting in thermal insulating characteristics in the advanced thermal insulation material (ATIM). Raman spectra of ATIM after heating at 1100 degrees C were mainly amorphous, which had a broad peak at 1072 cm(-1). This shows thermal transformation occurs after the heating process, the admixture of tailored powder, and fly ash (FA). The density of the ATIM is found to be 1150 kg/m(3). The phase transformation (glass transition temperature) was found in all the samples between 600 and 800 degrees C. The mechanical properties, namely the compressive strength and impact strength evaluation test, showed that the material meets the standard specifications for ceramic tiles. The thermal conductivity (W/mK) was calculated from different temperature 30, 50, 100,150, and 200 degrees C and found to be 0.571, 0.541, 0.516, 0.498, and 0.477, respectively. According to the test results, it is concluded that ATIM from MWP, RHA, and FA were excellent insulating components. The novel feature of the reported process is the development of non-toxic and asbestos-free thermal insulating low-cost material wherein chemically designed and mineralogically formulating desired phases lead to the homogeneous and effective thermal insulating matrix. The process is feasible, simple, cheap, and highly energy-efficient, increases production efficiency, and is environmentally friendly. The widespread use of advanced material for a broad application spectrum ranges from aerospace, automobile, electronics, transportation, construction, to other industries.
Keywords: Asbestos; Fly ash; Marble waste; Material; Rice husk ash; Thermal insulation

Synthesis of novel rhodamine type anthrone Spiro-lactam (ASL) analogues and evaluation of antiviral activity against dengue and chikungunya viruses - Darole, Ratanamala S.; Bagad, Pooja K.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Alagarasu, Kalichamy; Punekar, Madhura; Shukla, Shridhar; Parashar, Deepti; Senthilkumar, Beeran (European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2023)
A series of Rhodamine type Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL) derivatives Benzylimin-Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL-1 to ASL-10) and Benzamide-Anthrone-Spirolactam (ASL-11 and ASL-12) were synthesized via a simple condensation reaction between Anthrone Spiro-lactamine (2) and various aromatic aldehyde and acyl chlorides respectively. Since rhodamine-based compounds were reported to have antiviral activity, the ASL derivatives were examined for in vitro antiviral activity against dengue and chikungunya viruses. Among all the analogues, ASL-3, ASL-6, ASL-7, ASL-8, ASL-9 and ASL-10 were the most potent against dengue virus (DENV) and exerted around one log reduction in virus titre under post -treatment conditions. At the same time ASL-3 was effective under cotreatment conditions. Two analogues ASL-6 and ASL-12 exerted anti-chikungunya virus (CHIKV) activity under post -treatment conditions. In silico docking studies revealed that the ASL derivatives interacted with the proteins of DENV and CHIKV. Together, the results suggest the anti-DENV and CHIKV activity of ASL derivatives which may be exploited further for therapeutic purposes.
Keywords: Anthrone Spiro-lactam; Chikungunya virus; dengue virus; Rhodamine

Tale of two waves: Delineating diverse genomic and transmission landscapes driving the COVID-19 pandemic in Pune, India - Niveditha, Divya; Khan, Soumen; Khilari, Ajinkya; Nadkarni, Sanica; Bhalerao, Unnati; Kadam, Pradnya; Yadav, Ritu; Kanekar, Jugal B.; Shah, Nikita; Likhitkar, Bhagyashree; Sawant, Rutuja; Thakur, Shikha; et al. (Journal of Infection and Public Health, 2023)
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 ``band of five'' 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)

Thermally activated delayed fluorescent solvent-free organic liquid hybrids for tunable emission applications - Nidhankar, Aakash D. D.; Goudappagouda; Kothavade, Premkumar D.; Dongre, Sangram D.; Veer, Sairam Dnyaneshwar; Dash, Soumya Ranjan; Rajeev, Kavya; Unni, K. N. Narayanan; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Babu, Sukumaran Santhosh (Chemistry-An Asian Journal, 2023)
The synthetic feasibility and excellent luminescence features of organic molecules attracted much attention and were eventually found useful in lighting applications. In this context, a solvent-free organic liquid having attractive thermally activated delayed fluorescence features in bulk along with high processability has prime importance. Herein, we report a series of naphthalene monoimide-based solvent-free organic liquids exhibiting cyan to red thermally activated delayed fluorescence with luminescence quantum yields up to 80% and lifetimes between 10 to 45 mu s. An effective approach explored energy transfer between liquid donors with various emitters exhibiting tunable emission colors, including white. The high processability of liquid emitters improved the compatibility with polylactic acid and was used for developing multicolor emissive objects using 3D printing. Our demonstration of the thermally activated delayed fluorescence liquid will be much appreciated as a processable alternate emissive material suitable for large-area lighting, display, and related applications.
Keywords: 3D printing; Energy Transfer; OLED; Organic Liquids; TADF

Ti-iminocarboxylate catalyzed polymerization of ethylene to highly crystalline, disentangled, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene - Bodkhe, Dnyaneshwar V.; Chikkali, Samir H. (European Polymer Journal, 2023)
Disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (d-UHMWPE) is a niche, highly sought-after, and an emerging class of polyethylene. However, the synthesis of d-UHMWPE is uncommon and is equally challenging. Here, we report a Ti-iminocarboxylate complex that produces d-UHMWPE under ambient polymerization conditions. Treatment of tetrakis(dimethylamido-titanium) [Ti(NMe2)4] with 2-((4-methoxybenylidene)amino)benzoic acid produced a novel titanium complex Cat.1 [bis-dimethylamido-Ti-(bis-iminocarboxylate)]. The identity of Cat.1 was unambiguously ascertained using a combination of 1-2D NMR spectroscopy and mass analysis. Cat.1 was activated using various cocatalysts, and MMAO (modified methylaluminoxane) outperformed the others. Screening of polymerization parameters suggested an Al/Ti ratio of 1000, 4 bar ethylene pressure, 35 degrees C temperature, and a polymerization time of 30 min as the optimal condition. Under the optimized polymerization conditions, Cat.1 polymerizes ethylene to ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene with a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 2.5 x 106 g/mol. The thermal behavior of the thus prepared material disclosed a highly crystalline [crystallinity chi (DSC) 96 %], strictly linear polyethylene. Detailed thermal analysis of the nascent polyethylene using a specifically designed DSC method revealed the existence of a high melting peak at 139-140 degrees C, which is a hallmark of disen-tangled UHMWPE. Thus, a homogeneous, single-site ethylene polymerization catalyst has been developed, which upon activation with MMAO produced highly crystalline d-UHMWPE.

Topological phases in nanoparticle monolayers: can crystalline, hexatic, and isotropic-fluid phases coexist in the same monolayer? - Bhattacharjee, Kaustav; Vaidya, Salil S.; Pathak, Tushar; Shimpi, Jayesh R.; Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V. (Soft Matter, 2023)
Topological phases are stable configurations of matter in 2-dimensions (2D) formed via spontaneous symmetry breaking. These play a crucial role in determining the system properties. Though a number of fundamental studies on topological phase transitions and topological defect dynamics have been conducted with model colloidal systems (typically microns in size), the same is lacking on nanoparticle monolayers (NPMLs, typically made of ligand-coated sub-ten nanometer particles). Here, we show that in an evaporation-driven self-assembly process, the three topological phases, namely crystalline, hexatic, and isotropic-fluid phases, can coexist within the same NPML. We associate this coexistence with the local variation in particle size, which can be described by a unique frequency parameter (p(25)), quantifying the fraction of NPs that has size deviation greater than or equal to 25% of the mean size (where the deviation,f is defined as f = ((|Size-mean|)/mean)). The p(25)-values for the three phases are distinctly different: crystalline arrangement occurs when p(25) < similar to 0.02, while a hexatic phase exists for 0.02 <= p(25) <= 0.1. For p(25) Z 0.1, the isotropic-fluid phase occurs. Following KTHNY-theory, we further numerically extrapolate the occurrence of each phase to the accumulated excess planar strain in the NPML due to the presence of various topological defects in the structures.

Transient response to perturbations in flow synthesis of citrate capped gold nanoparticles - Bari, Atul H.; Shukla, Neerja; Gavriilidis, Asterios; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Biochemical Engineering Journal, 2023)
This work reports the transient behavior of continuous flow synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) when subjected to perturbations in operating conditions using controlled experiments. The intricacies are captured through a detailed mathematical model. Reversed Turkevich protocol was used for synthesis of Au NPs. The synthesis was first studied in batch mode to investigate the reaction kinetics and reproducibility of the process. The optimal set of operating conditions viz., residence time, flow rate, temperature was then used for flow synthesis in a 2 m, 1/16 & DPRIME;Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) reactor with micromixer. Reactor clogging was avoided by using segmented flow. Inline UV measurement was used for real time monitoring of the process. Transient experiments were performed by abruptly changing the operating conditions. A mathematical model was found to be accurate in predicting the transient behavior of the exit precursor concentration and the particle size for unsteady state synthesis. Even a small change in process variables for short duration was found to disturb the quality of Au NPs for a significantly longer duration. Of the three operating parameters, the effect of temperature variation was seen to have a prolonged effect where the system remained in unsteady state for long time.
Keywords: continuous flow synthesis; gold nanoparticles; Particle size; segmented flow; Unsteady behavior

Trehalose transporter-like gene diversity and dynamics enhances stress response and recovery in Helicoverpa armigera - Tellis, Meenakshi B.; Chaudhari, Bhagyashri Y.; Deshpande, Shweta V.; Nikam, Sanika V.; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Kotkar, Hemlata M.; Joshi, Rakesh S. (Gene, 2023)
Trehalose is a primary sugar and its distribution across the insect body, regulated by trehalose transporters (TRETs), is essential for sugar metabolism and energy homeostasis. The large diversity of Tret-like sugar trans-porters (ST), belonging to SLC2A transporter family, in polyphagous insects probably contributes to their extremely adaptive nature. We aim to study spatio-temporal expression dynamics and functional relevance of ST transcript variants in the lepidopteran model organism, Helicoverpa armigera. Identification of 69 putative Tret-like HaST transcript variants from databases and their digital gene expression analysis indicated tissue and development-specific expression patterns. Phylogenetic and sequence similarity network analysis of HaSTs signify evolutionary divergence, while motif and structure analysis depicted conserved signatures. In vitro gene expression validation for selected genes depicts that HaST09 and 69 are fat body and haemolymph-specific. While, HaST06, 30, 36 and 57 are developmental stage or sex-specific. HaST69 has high expression in the haemolymph of fifth instar larvae. In the presence of trehalose metabolism inhibitors and abiotic stress, HaSTs expression show dysregulation, indicating their possible association with trehalose metabolism and stress re-covery. In vivo gene silencing of HaST69 resulted in reduced trehalose accumulation in the insect body, sug-gesting its plausible role in sugar metabolism. The overall understanding of HaST diversity and expression dynamics highlights their putative roles in sugar transport during adaptation and stress recovery of insects.
Keywords: Gene expression; Helicoverpa armigera; Stress; Transporter-like; trehalose

Ultrafast spectroscopy of plasmons and free carriers in 2D MXenes - Colin-Ulloa, Erika; Fitzgerald, Andrew; Montazeri, Kiana; Mann, Javery; Natu, Varun; Ngo, Ken; Uzarski, Joshua; Barsoum, Michel W.; Titova, Lyubov V. (Advanced Materials, 2023)
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

Ultrasound assisted green protocol for the synthesis of quinoxaline based bisspirooxindoles: crystal structure analysis, enone umpolung, DFT calculations, anti-cancer activity, and molecular docking studies - Baddepuri, Sravanthi; Allaka, Bhargava Sai; Gamidi, Rama Krishna; Faizan, Mohmmad; Pawar, Ravinder; Basavoju, Srinivas (Synthetic Communications, 2023)
A series of novel quinoxaline based bisspirooxindolo-pyrrolizidines were synthesized through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition under ultrasonication with shorter reaction time and good yields. The compounds were well characterized by various spectroscopic methods and finally single crystal X-ray diffraction method (4c, 4d). DFT energy calculations confirm the regioselectivity due to enone umpolung effect. The in vitro anti-cancer activity of the synthesized compounds (4a-s) shows that the compounds 4g and 4q exhibited good anti-cancer activity with IC50 values14.51 +/- 1.1 and 11.36 +/- 0.23 mu M against DU-145 prostate cancer cell line; and 16.78 +/- 0.95 and 14.28 +/- 0.64 mu M against Hela cervical cancer cell lines when compared to the standard anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (1.75 +/- 0.06 and 1.35 +/- 0.09 mu M). In silico molecular docking studies indicated that the synthesized compounds may serve as a potential lead for the further development of novel anti-cancer agents.
Keywords: Anti-cancer activity; bisspirooxindoles; DFT calculations; Hirshfeld surface; ultrasonication

Ultrasound assisted synthesis of spirooxindolo-1,2,4-oxadiazoles via [3+2] cycloaddition reaction and their anti-cancer activity - Kanchrana, Madhu; Allaka, Bhargava Sai; Krishna, Gamidi Rama; Basavoju, Srinivas (ARKIVOC, 2023)

Unprecedented energy storage in metal-organic complexes via constitutional isomerism - Kottaichamy, Alagar Raja; Deebansok, Siraprapha; Deng, Jie; Nazrulla, Mohammed Azeezulla; Zhu, Yachao; Bhat, Zahid Manzoor; Devendrachari, Mruthyunjayachari Chattanahalli; Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran; Kotresh, Harish Makri Nimbegondi; Fontaine, Olivier; Thotiyl, Musthafa Ottakam (Chemical Science, 2023)
The essence of any electrochemical system is engraved in its electrical double layer (EDL), and we report its unprecedented reorganization by the structural isomerism of molecules, with a direct consequence on their energy storage capability. Electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses in combination with computational and modelling studies demonstrate that an attractive field-effect due to the molecule's structural-isomerism, in contrast to a repulsive field-effect, spatially screens the ion-ion coulombic repulsions in the EDL and reconfigures the local density of anions. In a laboratory-level prototype supercapacitor, those with beta-structural isomerism exhibit nearly 6-times elevated energy storage compared to the state-of-the-art electrodes, by delivering similar to 535 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) while maintaining high performance metrics even at a rate as high as 50 A g(-1). The elucidation of the decisive role of structural isomerism in reconfiguring the electrified interface represents a major step forward in understanding the electrodics of molecular platforms.

"Weak" C-H•••S interaction drives enantioselectivity in cinchona alkaloid complex catalyzed thiocyanation - Banerjee, Subhrashis; Vanka, Kumar (Chemistry-An Asian Journal, 2023)
The great success of asymmetric organocatalysis has made it one of the most important advancements made in chemistry in the past two decades. A significant achievement in this context is the asymmetric organocatalysis of the thiocyanation reaction. In the current study, computational studies with density functional theory have been done in order to understand an interesting experimental finding: the reversal of enantioselectivity from R to S when the electrophile is changed from beta-keto ester to oxindole for the thiocyanation reaction with the cinchona alkaloid complex catalyst. The calculations reveal an unusual fact - the principal reason for the reversal is the presence of the C-H center dot center dot center dot S noncovalent interaction, which is present only in the major transition states in each of the two nucleophile cases. Only recently has it been realized that the supposedly weak C-H center dot center dot center dot S noncovalent interaction has the properties of a hydrogen bond, and the fact that this interaction is the cause of enantioselectivity has relevance, because of the large number of asymmetric transformations involving the sulphur heteroatom.
Keywords: Density functional calculations; Enantioselectivity; noncovalent interactions; organocatalysis; reaction mechanisms

Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics of Indian isolates of wheat spot blotch pathogen bipolaris sorokiniana reveals expansion of pathogenicity gene clusters - Yadav, Sagar; Raazi, Zarrine; Shivaraj, Sheelavanta Matha; Somani, Deepika; Prashant, Ramya; Kulkarni, Abhijeet; Kumar, Rajeev; Biradar, Suma; Desai, Shreenivas; Kadoo, Narendra (Pathogens, 2023)
Spot blotch is a highly destructive disease in wheat caused by the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana (teleomorph, Cochliobolus sativus). It is prevalent in warm and humid areas, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the USA. In the present study, twelve isolates of B. sorokiniana were collected from wheat fields in three different geographical locations in India. The pathogenicity of seven sporulating isolates was assessed on `DDK 1025', a spot blotch-susceptible wheat variety under greenhouse conditions. The isolate `D2' illustrated the highest virulence, followed by `SI' and `BS52'. These three isolates were sequenced using the Illumina HiSeq1000 platform. The estimated genome sizes of the isolates BS52, D2, and SI were 35.19 MB, 39.32 MB, and 32.76 MB, with GC contents of 48.48%, 50.43%, and 49.42%, respectively. The numbers of pathogenicity genes identified in BS52, D2, and SI isolates were 2015, 2476, and 2018, respectively. Notably, the isolate D2 exhibited a relatively larger genome with expanded arsenals of Biosynthetic Gene Clusters (BGCs), CAZymes, secretome, and pathogenicity genes, which could have contributed to its higher virulence among the tested isolates. This study provides the first comparative genome analysis of the Indian isolates of B. sorokiniana using whole genome sequencing.
Keywords: Bipolaris sorokiniana; CAZyme; comparative genomics; spot blotch; whole genome sequencing

Wurtzite CuGaS2 with an in-situ-formed CuO layer photocatalyzes CO2 conversion to ethylene with high selectivity - Chakraborty, Subhajit; Das, Risov; Riyaz, Mohd; Das, Kousik; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Bagchi, Debabrata; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (Angewandte chemie-international edition, 2023)
We present surface reconstruction-induced C-C coupling whereby CO2 is converted into ethylene. The wurtzite phase of CuGaS2. undergoes in situ surface reconstruction, leading to the formation of a thin CuO layer over the pristine catalyst, which facilitates selective conversion of CO2 to ethylene (C2H4). Upon illumination, the catalyst efficiently converts CO2 to C2H4 with 75.1 % selectivity (92.7 % selectivity in terms of R-electron) and a 20.6 mu mol g(-1) h(-1) evolution rate. Subsequent spectroscopic and microscopic studies supported by theoretical analysis revealed operando-generated Cu2+, with the assistance of existing Cu+, functioning as an anchor for the generated *CO and thereby facilitating C-C coupling. This study demonstrates strain-induced in situ surface reconstruction leading to heterojunction formation, which finetunes the oxidation state of Cu and modulates the CO2 reduction reaction pathway to selective formation of ethylene.
Keywords: C-C coupling; charge polarization; CO2 reduction; Photocatalysis

Zwitterionic disilanylium from an unsymmetrical disilene - Bisai, Milan Kumar; Ajithkumar, V. S.; Raj, K. Vipin; Vanka, Kumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Sen, Sakya S. (Chemical Communications, 2023)
The reaction of PhC(NtBu)2SiSi(SiMe3)(3) (1) with Me3SiCH(2)Cl afforded an unsymmetrical sp(2)-sp(3) disilene, 2, with concomitant elimination of Me3SiCl. The analogous reaction with PhC(NtBu)2SiCl resulted in the oxidative addition of the C-Cl bond at the Si(II) atom (3). The reactions of 2 with sulfur and selenium led to compounds with Si=E (E=S (4) and Se (5)) double bonds. Tellurium reacted differently with 2 and furnished a zwitterionic compound, 6.

Zwitterionic tetrastanna(II) cyclic crown - Sahoo, Padmini; Chibde, Purva; Das, Satyabrata; Banerjee, Subhrashis; Mali, Bhupendra P.; Vanka, Kumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Yildiz, Cem. B.; Majumdar, Moumita (European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2023)
A 12-membered zwitterionic tetrastanna(II) cycle 1 having a crown ether-like topology has been isolated from the deprotonation of 1,1 & PRIME;-methylenediimidazole (B) with two equivalents of Sn[N(SiMe3)(2)](2) (A). The solid-state structure and NMR analysis confirms the tetrastanna(II) cycle 1 to be comprised of two stannate(II) and two stannyliumylidene ion pairs in alternating positions of the heterocycle. Computational analysis shows greater nucleophilicity at the proximally located stannate(II) centers. Nonetheless, the tetrastanna(II) cycle 1 remains poorly reactive due to engagement of Sn-II lone pair electrons in intramolecular donor-acceptor interactions. Simple deprotonation reaction between Sn[N(SiMe3)(2)](2) (A) and N-(diisopropylphenyl)imidazole (C) in equimolar ratio has led to a stannylene 2, involving the formation of a Sn-C covalent bond with the anionic imidazol-2-yl carbon center along with the release of NH(SiMe3)(2). Compound 2 exists as a dimer, where the unsubstituted ring nitrogen atom coordinated intermolecularly to the other stannylene center.
Keywords: Deprotonation; Imidazole; Macrocycle; Sn-II cation; stannylene

1,6-Conjugate addition of in situ generated aryldiazenes to p-quinone methides - Mamale, Ajay G.; Paul, Sayantan; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Bhattacharya, Asish K. (Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2024)
Herein we report a transition-metal free, base-mediated 1,6-conjugate addition of aryldiazenes to para-quinone methides (p-QMs). Arylhydrazines were used for the in situ generation of aryldiazenes using a base-mediated protocol in the presence of air as the oxidant. The 1,6-conjugate addition of aryldiazenes to para-quinone methides via a radical mechanism is followed by an oxidative rearrangement to furnish the desired product, arylhydrazones. Interestingly, our synthetic protocol results in the formation of an aryldiazene radical, which undergoes 1,6-conjugate addition with p-QMs to furnish the arylhydrazones.

Alternative synthetic route for the pharmacophore of anticancer agent: triazolopyridazine derivative - Karche, Ranjit S.; Bankar, Shubham R.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Tetrahedron Letters, 2024)
ATAD2 has received attention as one of the potential oncogene with tumor-promoting aspects in many malignancies. ATAD2 is a highly conserved bromodomain family protein that exerts its biological functions by mainly AAA ATPase and bromodomain. Several small molecule inhibitors have been described in the literature. AZ13824374 (1) recently reported by Holt and co-workers showed promising in vitro (bio-chemical, cellular) and antiproliferative activity in range of breast cancer models. In this work, we described scalable synthetic route for triazolopyridazine derivative (2), a key intermediate of AZ13824374 (1) without using CO in the process. Triazolopyridazine helps to attain the bioactive conformation for AZ13824374 (1) through its crucial interaction with Tyr 1021 of ATAD2. Additionally, triazolopyridazine is extensively used as an intermediate for anticancer agents. This encouraged us to develop cost-effective and scalable process for it.
Keywords: Alternative process; Anticancer; Triazolopyridazine

Aluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide Co-existing with cobalt-encapsulated graphitic carbon nanotube as an activity modulated electrocatalyst for oxygen electrocatalyst for oxygen electrochemistry applications - Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang; Barik, Sidharth; Veeranmaril, Sudheesh Kumar; Nair, Aathira; Illathvalappil, Rajith; Yoyakki, Athira; Joshi, Kavita; Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Small, 2024)
There is a rising need to create high-performing, affordable electrocatalysts in the new field of oxygen electrochemistry. Here, a cost-effective, activity-modulated electrocatalyst with the capacity to trigger both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline environment is presented. The catalyst (Al, Co/N-rGCNT) is made up of aluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide sheets co-existing with cobalt-encapsulated carbon nanotube units. Based on X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) studies, it is established that the superior reaction kinetics in Al, Co/N-rGCNT over their bulk counterparts can be attributed to their electronic regulation. The Al, Co/N-rGCNT performs as a versatile bifunctional electrocatalyst for zinc-air battery (ZAB), delivering an open circuit potential approximate to 1.35 V and peak power density of 106.3 mW cm-2, which are comparable to the system based on Pt/C. The Al, Co/N-rGCNT-based system showed a specific capacity of 737 mAh gZn-1 compared to 696 mAh gZn-1 delivered by the system based on Pt/C. The DFT calculations indicate that the adsorption of Co in the presence of Al doping in NGr improves the electronic properties favoring ORR. Thus, the Al, Co/N-rGCNT-based rechargeable ZAB (RZAB) emerges as a highly viable and affordable option for the development of RZAB for practical applications. This manuscript reports the development of a new bifunctional catalyst that exhibits high activity and stability under practical operating conditions. The catalyst (Al, Co/N-rGCNT) is made up of aluminium, nitrogen-dual-doped reduced graphene oxide sheets co-existing with the in situ formed cobalt-encapsulated CNT units is synthesized by a scalable pyrolysis method in an inert Ar atmosphere. The developed electrocatalyst achieved enhanced the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction OER activity as a result of the favorable synergistic modulations and the system can serve as a process-friendly air-electrode for rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB). image
Keywords: Al; Bifunctional catalyst; DFT study; encapsulated structure; N-dual doping; Oxygen Evolution Reaction; oxygen reduction reaction; rechargeable zinc-air battery; X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Aminoacylase efficiently hydrolyses fatty acid amino acid conjugates of Helicoverpa armigera potentially to increase the pool of glutamine - Kallure, Gopal S.; Sahoo, Shubhranshu Shekhar; Kale, Rutuja S.; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Kontham, Ravindar; Giri, Ashok P. (Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2024)
One of the most prevalent bioactive molecules present in the oral secretion (OS) of lepidopteran insects is fatty acid amino acid conjugates (FACs). Insect dietary components have influence on the synthesis and retaining the pool of FACs in the OS. We noted differential and diet-specific accumulation of FACs in the OS of Helicoverpa armigera by using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. Interestingly, we identified FACs hydrolyzing enzyme aminoacylase (HaACY) in the OS of H. armigera through proteomic analysis. Next, we have cloned, expressed, and purified active recombinant HaACY in the bacterial system. Recombinant HaACY hydrolyzes all the six identified FACs in the OS of H. armigera larvae fed on host and non-host plants and releases respective fatty acid and glutamine. In these six FACs, fatty acid moieties vary while amino acid glutamine was common. Glutamine obtained upon hydrolysis of FACs by HaACY might serve as an amino acid pool for insect growth and development. To understand the substrate choices of HaACY, we chemically synthesized, purified, and characterized all the six FACs. Interestingly, rHaACY also shows hydrolysis of synthetic FACs into respective fatty acid and glutamine. Our results underline the importance of diet on accumulation of FACs and role of aminoacylase(s) in regulating the level of FACs and glutamine.
Keywords: Aminoacylase; Fatty acid amino acid conjugates; Glutamine; Helicoverpa armigera; Oral secretion

Aqueous glycerol to glyceric acid and green hydrogen by visible-light-driven photocatalysis with Ni/Co(PO4)2-TiO2: parallel utilization of holes and electrons - Nivedhitha, Thazhath R.; Bajpai, Himanshu; Oommen, Jiffin Varghese; Abraham, Athira; Chauhan, Inderjeet; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2024)
Replacing the kinetically sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the oxidation of an abundantly available organic molecule to value-added product(s) (VAPs) at low voltage along with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a big challenge in water splitting, either by electrolysis or sunlight-driven photocatalysis. Glycerol oxidation to a VAP is kinetically fast, compared to an OER, and offers hope to enhance sunlight-driven water splitting to hydrogen by the concurrent utilization of holes and electrons. Mixed bimetal phosphates of Co and Ni (CoxNiy(PO4)(2) (CoNiP)) with different Co:Ni ratios (10:0, 7:3, 5:5, 3:7, and 0:10) were integrated with TiO2 to generate final photocatalyst composites (x wt % CoNiP with TiO2) and employed for concurrent photocatalytic HER and glycerol oxidation. Irrespective of the weight ratios of CoNiP and TiO2, any TiO2-CoNiP composite showed better photocatalytic activity for the HER and glycerol oxidation compared to virgin TiO2. The highest HER as well as selectively generated glyceric acid yield was observed to be 54 and 67 mmol/g, respectively, after 25 h of reaction under 1 sun conditions with TiO2-CoNiP-5:5. An increase in catalytic activity can be attributed to the formation of p-n heterojunctions of the constituent component along with uniform distribution of CoNiP to effectively utilize the charge carriers for redox reactions. Highly selective oxidation of glycerol to glyceric acid (85%), along with other minor products, is also demonstrated, which offers further scope to use solar light to generate VAPs in a sustainable manner. A simple comparison of H-2 yield and all oxidized products together indicates the better utilization of holes for the latter, and hence, there is scope to increase HER and possibly the whole photocatalytic activity.
Keywords: biomass component; earth-abundantmaterial; energy conversion; organicvalorisation; water splitting

architecturally rational hemostat for rapid stopping of massive bleeding on anticoagulation therapy - Lee, Vivian K.; Lee, Taewoo; Ghosh, Amrit; Saha, Tanmoy; Bais, V. Manish; Bharani, Kala Kumar; Chag, Milan; Parikh, Keyur; Bhatt, Parloop; Namgung, Bumseok; Venkataramanan, Geethapriya; Agrawal, Animesh; et al. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024)
Hemostatic devices are critical for managing emergent severe bleeding. With the increased use of anticoagulant therapy, there is a need for next- generation hemostats. We rationalized that a hemostat with an architecture designed to increase contact with blood, and engineered from a material that activates a distinct and undrugged coagulation pathway can address the emerging need. Inspired by lung alveolar architecture, here, we describe the engineering of a next- generation single - phase chitosan hemostat with a tortuous spherical microporous design that enables rapid blood absorption and concentrated platelets and fibrin microthrombi in localized regions, a phenomenon less observed with other classical hemostats without structural optimization. The interaction between blood components and the porous hemostat was further amplified based on the charged surface of chitosan. Contrary to the dogma that chitosan does not directly affect physiological clotting mechanism, the hemostat induced coagulation via a direct activation of platelet Toll - like receptor 2. Our engineered porous hemostat effectively stopped the bleeding from murine liver wounds, swine liver and carotid artery injuries, and the human radial artery puncture site within a few minutes with significantly reduced blood loss, even under the anticoagulant treatment. The integration of engineering design principles with an understanding of the molecular mechanisms can lead to hemostats with improved functions to address emerging medical needs.
Keywords: biomaterial; clotting; hemostasis; hemostat; trauma

Article chitinase inhibition induces transcriptional dysregulation altering ecdysteroid-mediated control of spodoptera frugiperda development - Barbole, Ranjit S.; Sharma, Shivani; Patil, Yogita; Giri, Ashok P.; Joshi, Rakesh S. (Iscience, 2024)
Chitinases and ecdysteroid hormones are vital for insect development. Crosstalk between chitin and ecdysteroid metabolism regulation is enigmatic. Here, we examined chitinase inhibition effect on Spodopsilencing and overexpression resulted in ecdysone receptor deregulation. Transcription factors, like Neverland, and other ecdysteroid biosynthesis genes might lead to their upregulation in berberine-fed chitinase activity's impact on ecdysone biosynthesis and its transcriptional crosstalk.

Atmospheric-pressure continuous-flow methane oxidation to methanol and acetic acid using H2O2 over the Au-Fe catalyst - Jagtap, Anuradha V.; Kumar, Pawan; Gupta, Sharad; Nagendra, Abharana; Jha, Shambhu Nath; Bhattacharyya, D.; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; Vinod, C. P. (ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING, 2024)
Keywords: CO oxidation; HIGHLY SELECTIVE OXIDATION; metal-organic frameworks

Bi(OTf)3-promoted cascade annulation of hydroxy-pyranones and unsaturated γ-ketoesters for the construction of polycyclic bridged pyrano-furopyranones - Rathod, Akshay B.; Borade, Balasaheb R.; Sambherao, Pooja I.; Kontham, Ravindar (Organic and biomolecular chemistry, 2024)
An efficient protocol for constructing complex three dimensional polycyclic bridged chromano-furopyranones and pyrano-furopyranones (closely related to bioactive natural products) via bismuth(III)-catalyzed cascade annulation of hydroxy-pyranones and unsaturated gamma-ketoesters is presented. This process involves intermolecular Michael addition, intramolecular hemiketalization, lactonization, formation of one C-C bond and two C-O bonds, rings, and contiguous stereocenters.
Keywords: 1 3-Dicarbonyl Compounds; alkynols; Coumarins; Fungus

Boron- and oxygen-doped π-extended helical nanographene with circularly polarised thermally activated delayed fluorescence - Venugopal, Geethu; Kumar, Viksit; Jadhav, Ashok Badrinarayan; Dongre, Sangram D.; Khan, Abujunaid; Gonnade, Rajesh; Kumar, Jatish; Santhosh Babu, Sukumaran (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2024)
Helical nanographenes have garnered substantial attention owing to their finely adjustable optical and semiconducting properties. The strategic integration of both helicity and heteroatoms into the nanographene structure, facilitated by a boron-oxygen-based multiple resonance (MR) thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), elevates its photophysical and chiroptical features. This signifies the introduction of an elegant category of helical nanographene that combines optical (TADF) and chiroptical (CPL) features. In this direction, we report the synthesis, optical, and chiroptical properties of boron, oxygen-doped pi-extended helical nanographene. The pi-extension induces distortion in the DOBNA-incorporated nanographene, endowing a pair of helicenes, (P)-B2NG, and (M)-B2NG exhibiting circularly polarized luminescence with glum of -2.3x10-3 and +2.5x10-3, respectively. B2NG exhibited MR-TADF with a lifetime below 5 mu s, and a reasonably high fluorescence quantum yield (50 %). Our molecular design enriches the optical and chiroptical properties of nanographenes and opens up new opportunities in multidisciplinary fields. B, O-doped pi-extended helical nanographene has been explored for its optical and chiroptical properties. The presence of helical and nanographene segments stabilize the helicity and imparts tunable optical properties. Helical nanographene display circularly polarized thermally activated delayed fluorescence. image
Keywords: circularly polarized luminescence; DOBNA; dual emission; nanographene; TADF