Ionic conductivity of Na3Al2P3O12 glass electrolytes role of charge compensators - Keshri, Shweta R.; Ganisetti, Sudheer; Kumar, Rajesh; Gaddam, Anuraag; Illath, Kavya; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; Balaji, Sathravada; Annapurna, K.; Nasani, Narendar; Krishnan, N. M. Anoop; Allu, Amarnath R. (Inorganic Chemistry, 2021)
In glasses, a sodium ion (Na+) is a significant mobile cation that takes up a dual role, that is, as a charge compensator and also as a network modifier. As a network modifier, Na+ cations modify the structural distributions and create nonbridging oxygens. As a charge compensator, Na+ cations provide imbalanced charge for oxygen that is linked between two network-forming tetrahedra. However, the factors controlling the mobility of Na+ ions in glasses, which in turn affects the ionic conductivity, remain unclear. In the current work, using high-fidelity experiments and atomistic simulations, we demonstrate that the ionic conductivity of the Na3Al2P3O12 (Si0) glass material is dependent not only on the concentration of Na+ charge carriers but also on the number of charge-compensated oxygens within its first coordination sphere. To investigate, we chose a series of glasses formulated by the substitution of Si for P in Si0 glass based on the hypothesis that Si substitution in the presence of Na+ cations increases the number of SiOAl bonds, which enhances the role of Na as a charge compensator. The structural and conductivity properties of bulk glass materials are evaluated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. We observe that the increasing number of charge-imbalanced bridging oxygens (BOs) with the substitution of Si for P in Si0 glass enhances the ionic conductivity by an order of magnitudefrom 3.7 x 10(-8) S.cm(-1) to 3.3 x 10(7) S.cm(-1) at 100 degrees C. By rigorously quantifying the channel regions in the glass structure, using MD simulations, we demonstrate that the enhanced ionic conductivity can be attributed to the increased connectivity of Na-rich channels because of the increased charge-compensated BOs around the Na atoms. Overall, this study provides new insights for designing next-generation glass-based electrolytes with superior ionic conductivity for Na-ion batteries

Lamellar bimetallic thiolates: synthesis, characterization, and their utilization for the preparation of bimetallic chalcogenide nanocrystals through mechanochemical grinding - Bera, Abhijit; Pathak, Sushil S.; Kotha, Vishal; Prasad, V, Bhagavatula L. (Advanced Materials Interfaces, 2021)
Thiolates of single metal ions are known to exist as lamellar structures in the neat state and some of these metal thiolates can be delaminated into individual molecular sheets simply by adding a nonpolar organic solvent. It is established here that even bimetallic thiolates such as copper-indium thiolate and silver-indium thiolate exist as lamellar sheets. Each of these sheets consists of both metal ions arranged in a random fashion. It is also demonstrated that these bimetallic thiolates can be employed as single source precursors to prepare phase pure bimetallic chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) through mechanochemical routes by grinding them with an appropriate chalcogenide source. Notably, these bimetallic chalcogenide NCs, though synthesized in the absence of any solvent, get easily dispersed in nonpolar solvents as their surface is protected by the thiolate molecules released during the grinding process. These ternary NCs display a strong and tunable photoluminescence in the visible to near-infrared region. Based on detailed systematic studies it is concluded that to obtain phase pure bimetallic sulfide/selenide NCs bimetallic thiolates, consisting of both metal ions in each sheet, must be used as single source precursors and physical mixtures of individual thiolates do not afford such phase pure materials.
Keywords: bimetallic chalcogenide nanocrystals; bimetallic thiolate; mechanochemical grinding

Laser patterning of boron carbon nitride electrodes for flexible micro-supercapacitor with remarkable electrochemical stability/capacity - Karbhal, Indrapal; Basu, Aniruddha; Patrike, Apurva; Shelke, Manjusha V. (Carbon, 2021)
High performance, all solid-state planar micro-supercapacitor (MSC) with interdigitated Boron carbon Nitride (BCN) electrodes are fabricated via fast, scalable laser patterning technique. Heteroatom doping desirably enhances the electrochemical activity of carbon electrodes. This BCN based micro-supercapacitor showed comparatively very high specific capacitance of 72 mFcm(-2) at a current density of 0.15 mAcm(-2). Even at a high current density of 1 mAcm(-2) device showed specific capacitance as high as 17 mFcm(-2). It has demonstrated excellent electrochemical stability when tested up to 80000 cycles without any sign of further decay in capacity/efficiency. This device showed stable capacity even after bending at 150 degrees angle, for 1500 times during cycling showing remarkable flexibility. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: BCN; Co-doping; Energy storage; Flexible; Laser patterning; Micro-supercapacitor

Lead-free zero dimensional tellurium(iv) chloride-organic hybrid with strong room temperature emission as a luminescent material - Biswas, Anupam; Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan; Bahadur, Vir; Biswas, Chinmoy; Mali, Bhupendra P.; Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Kundu, Janardan (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2021)
Despite the current progress in `Pb-free' low dimensional main group metal halide based luminescent materials, it is challenging to synthesize Te(iv) halide hybrids with strong ambient emission with excitation features in the visible range as efficient and stable phosphors for potential lighting applications. Reported here is a (benzyltriethylammonium)(2)TeCl6 zero dimensional hybrid material with excitation features in the visible range and strong room temperature, broadband, intrinsic luminescence (PLQY similar to 15%) arising due to self-trapped excitons (STEs). Furthermore, a proof-of-concept LED architecture demonstrates successful optical down-conversion with a visible light excitation source. Here, exclusive adoption of a `regular' octahedral Te(iv)-halide unit structure with minimal static distortion provides a unique opportunity to unmask the role played by 5s(2) lone pair electrons in shaping the emissive properties. This effort may open up new avenues towards unravelling the role of lone pair stereoactivity in controlling the PLQY in low dimensional hybrids that has proven to be challenging for the reported (Sb, Sn) based low dimensional 5s(2) metal halide hybrid materials.

L-Histidine-derived smart antifouling biohybrid with multistimuli responsivity - Mohammad, Sk Arif; Dolui, Subrata; Kumar, Devendra; Mane, Shivshankar R.; Banerjee, Sanjib (Biomacromolecules, 2021)
A novel dual pH/thermoresponsive amphiphilic poly(histidine methacrylamide)-block-hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene-block-poly(histidine methacrylamide) (PHisMAM-b-PB-b-PHisMAM) triblock copolymer biohybrid, composed of hydrophobic PB and ampholytic PHisMAM segments, is developed via direct switching from living anionic polymerization to recyclable nanoparticle catalyst-mediated reversible-deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP). The transformation involved in situ postpolymerization modification of living polybutadiene-based carbanionic species, end-capped with ethylene oxide, into dihydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene and a subsequent reaction with 2-bromo-2-methylpropionyl bromide resulting in a telechelic ATRP macroinitiator (Br-PB-Br). Br-PB-Br was used to mediate RDRP of an L-histidine-derived monomer, HisMAM, yielding a series of PHisMAM-b-PB-b-PHisMAM triblock copolymers. The copolymer's stimuli response was assessed against pH and temperature changes. The copolymer is capable of switching among its zwitterionic, anionic, and cationic forms and exhibited unique antifouling properties in its zwitterionic form. These novel triblock copolymers are expected to be show promising potential in biomedical applications.

Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis - Pandreka, Avinash; Chaya, Patil S.; Kumar, Ashish; Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Bhagyashree, Date D.; Shilpashree, H. B.; Jennifer, Cheruvathur; Ponnusamy, Sudha; Nagegowda, Dinesh; Thulasiram, V. Hirekodathakallu (Phytochemistry, 2021)
Neem (Azadirachta indica L.) is well known for its medicinal, agricultural, and pesticidal applications since ages. The secondary metabolites, limonoids, confer these biological properties, wherein over 150 different limonoids have been reported from neem. To understand limonoid biosynthesis, we analyzed tissue-specific (kernel, pericarp, leaves, and flower) transcriptome that resulted in the identification of one farnesyl diphosphate synthase (AiFDS), one squalene synthase (AiSQS), three squalene epoxidases (AiSQE1, AiSQE2, and AiSQE3), two triterpene synthases (AiTTS1 and AiTTS2), cycloartenol synthase (AiCAS), two cytochrome P450 reductases, and ten cytochrome P450 systems. Comparative tissue-expression analysis indicated that AiFDS, AiSQS, AiSQE3, and AiTTS1 are expressed higher in the kernel than in the other tissues. Heterologously expressed recombinant AiTTS1 produced tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol as the sole product. Expression profile data, phylogeny with triterpene synthases from Meliaceae and Rutaceae families, real-time PCR of different tissues, and transient transformation revealed the involvement of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol synthase (AiTTS1) in limonoid biosynthesis. Further, mutagenesis studies of AiTTS1 indicated that Y125 and F260 are probably involved in stabilization of dammarenyl cation. A 2.6-fold increase in production of tirucalla-7,24-dien-3 beta-ol was observed when AiSQE1 was coexpressed with mutant AiTTS1 in a yeast system. Furthermore, we functionally characterized the highly expressed cytochrome P450 reductases and cycloartenol synthase. This study helps in further analysis and identification of genes involved in limonoid biosynthesis in Meliaceae/Rutaceae and their production in a metabolically tractable heterologous system.
Keywords: 24-dien-3 beta-ol; Azadirachta indica A. Juss.; Cytochrome P450 system; Limonoids; Meliaceae; Tirucalla-7; Transcriptome

Limonoid biosynthesis 3: functional characterization of crucial genes involved in neem limonoid biosynthesis (vol 184, 112669, 2021) - Pandreka, Avinash; Chaya, Patil S.; Kumar, Ashish; Aarthy, Thiagarayaselvam; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Bhagyashree, Date D.; Shilpashree, H. B.; Jennifer, Cheruvathur; Ponnusamy, Sudha; Nagegowda, Dinesh; Thulasiram, Hirekodathakallu V. (Phytochemistry, 2021)

Machine learning classifiers aid virtual screening for efficient design of mini-protein therapeutics - Gaur, Neeraj K.; Goyal, Venuka Durani; Kulkarni, Kiran; Makde, Ravindra D. (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2021)
De novo design of mini-proteins (4-12 kDa) has recently been shown to produce new candidates for protein therapeutics. They are temperature stable molecules that bind to the drug target with high affinity for inhibiting its interactions. The development of mini-protein binders requires laboratory screening of tens of thousands of molecules for effective target binding. In this study we trained machine learning classifiers which can distinguish, with 90% accuracy and 80% precision, mini-protein binders from non-binding molecules designed for a particular target; this significantly reduces the number of mini protein candidates for experimental screening. Further, on the basis of our results we propose a multi-stage protocol where a small dataset (few hundred experimentally verified target-specific mini-proteins) can be used to train classifiers for improving the efficiency of mini-protein design for any specific target.
Keywords: Drug design; machine learning; Mini-proteins; Protein therapeutics; virtual screening

Manipulating hydrophobicity of polyester nanofiber mats with egg albumin to enhance cell interactions - Patel, Pratikshkumar R.; Pandey, Komal; Killi, Naresh; Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga (Polymer Engineering and Science, 2021)
A hybrid of poly-l-lactic acid (PLA) and poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL) system was designed using hydrophilic generally regarded as safe (GRAS) protein, egg albumin (EA), and fabricated as nanofiber mats (NM) to facilitate improved cell interactions and functionality. Our studies include, preparation and analysis of physicochemical properties of NM. Surface morphology of NM was smooth with the diameter ranging from 250 to 400 nm. The contact angle of NM decreased from 80 to 45 degrees with the increase in EA concentration. The rate and extent of swelling was increased 3-folds with the addition of EA. Release studies of NM showed maximum amount of MTz was released with the increase in MTz concentration (>85%). The MTz interaction with EA and structure stability of EA was confirmed from fluorescence and circular dichroism studies. NM showed increase in inhibition of bacterial growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli with the increase in MTz concentration. Cell viability of the NM was >80% and also, the cell proliferation increased as EA content increased. NM hemolytic activity was less than 5% suggesting compatibility. Hence, results concluded that EA had regulated hydrophobicity, promoted cell interactions, and proliferation and therefore, NM is considered safe for tissue regeneration.
Keywords: Biocompatibility; Biomaterials; drug delivery systems; egg albumin; electrospinning; nanofibers; polyesters

Mechanical properties of anodic titanium dioxide nanostructures - Kulkarni, Mukta; Sepitka, Josef; Junkar, Ita; Bencina, Metka; Rawat, Niharika; Mazare, Anca; Rode, Chandrashekhar; Gokhale, Suresh; Schmuki, Patrik; Daniel, Matej; Iglic, Ales (Materiali in Tehnologije, 2021)
Highly ordered and uniform titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) with different morphologies (15 nm, 50 nm and 100 nm in diameter) were prepared by the electrochemical anodization of Ti substrates. The TiO2 NTs' surface properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The elastic modulus (E) and the Vickers hardness (HV) of the Ti foil and of the different-morphology TiO2 NTs were evaluated with the nano-indentation technique. E and HV increase with the decreasing length/diameter of the NTs, meaning that NTs with smaller diameters are more resistant to mechanical wear. The elastic modulus of the TiO2 NTs with 15-nm and 50-nm diameters is similar to that of the human bone.
Keywords: Elastic modulus; mechanical properties; titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes; Vickers hardness

Mechanistic investigations on the catalytic transfer hydrogenation of lignin-derived monomers over Ru catalysts: theoretical and kinetic studies - Khan, Tufeil Sartaj; Singh, Dheerendra; Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Dhepe, Paresh Laxmikant (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2021)
The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction of oxygenated compounds such as lignin-derived phenolics is well studied using molecular H-2 as a hydrogen source, yet the use of high pressures discourages its use on an industrial scale. As an alternative, the catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) pathway provides in situ hydrogenation species, which reduces the need for the high-pressure infrastructure required when molecular hydrogen is used. Nevertheless, this strategy is scantly studied, and in lieu with this, herein we report the kinetic and mechanistic investigations of the CTH strategy for the HDO of guaiacol, phenol, anisole veratrole, and eugenol to their respective products. For potential commercialization purposes, low loading of metal, milder reaction conditions, and high selectivity toward desired products with a high H/C ratio were considered while designing catalysts (0.5 wt % Ru on SiO2-Al2O3, SiO2, Al2O3-acidic, Al2O3-basic, and Al2O3-neutral) for these reactions. As high as 74% cyclohexanol yield from guaiacol was achieved at 225 degrees C in the presence of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) as the hydrogen source and over the Ru/Al2O3-acidic catalyst reduced at 150 degrees C. A detailed kinetic study is carried out to understand the interaction of the substrate and intermediates with the catalyst and the influence of reaction parameters on the product formation. It was observed that the cisisomer of 2-methoxycyclohexanol rapidly undergoes further conversion than the trans-isomer. The experimental observations are substantiated through density functional theory (DFT) studies on Ru(0001) and guaiacol molecule complexes. DFT studies indicate that the adsorption of the cis-isomer is more exothermic as compared to that of the trans counterpart, and the underlying electronic factors are elucidated using charge density difference and density of states plots.
Keywords: catalytic transfer hydrogenation; Cyclohexanol; DFT; Hydrodeoxygenation; kinetics; lignin monomers; Supported metal catalysts

Metal halide structure and the extent of distortion control the photo-physical properties of luminescent zero dimensional organic-antimony(iii) halide hybrids - Biswas, Anupam; Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan; Mali, Bhupendra P.; Bahadur, Vir; Biswas, Chinmoy; Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Kundu, Janardan (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2021)
Antimony(iii) halide based zero dimensional hybrids have gained attention as broadband emitters. Until now, quadrangular pyramidal SbX5 based and octahedral SbX6 based 0D hybrids have been reported utilizing different organic ligands demonstrating some structural tunability affecting their emissive properties. Utilizing a common organic ligand, here we demonstrate the structural tunability (quadrangular pyramidal, octahedral, or a combination thereof) of the metal halide unit in Sb(iii)Cl 0D hybrids with contrasting photo-physical properties (broadband, Stokes shift, strong/weak colored emission). The structure-property-mechanism correlation of the synthesized compounds [1 (C12H52Cl18N8O4Sb3; tris Sb green); 2 (C12H50Cl14N8O3Sb2; tris Sb red); 3 (C24H88Cl25N16O4Sb3; tris Sb yellow)] identifies crucial factors that control their emissive properties. The X-ray analysis reveals the structure (1-octahedral; 2-quadrangular pyramidal; 3-combination thereof) and the order of the extent of structural distortion as 1-3 MUCH LESS-THAN 2. The metal halide coordination environment asymmetry and its structure are observed to dictate PL emission energy (1-green; 2-red; 3-yellow) as supported by a qualitative Molecular Orbital scheme. The extent of structural distortion guides the observed Stokes shifts (1-165 nm; 2-290 nm; 3-200 nm; 1-3 < 2). Interestingly, the extent of distortion is found to be well correlated with the observed PLQY (1-45%; 2-6%; 3-43%; 1-3 >> 2). This report clearly demonstrates the structural tunability and the effect of the metal halide unit structure/distortion in shaping the emissive properties of 0D organic Sb(iii) halide hybrids.

Metal-free, Tf2NH-catalyzed 1, 6-conjugate addition of imidazopyridine to para-quinone methides: easy access to C3-functionalized triarylmethane imidazopyridine - Khonde, Nilesh S.; Said, Madhukar S.; Sabane, Jagjivan K.; Gajbhiye, Jayant M.; Kumar, Pradeep (Tetrahedron, 2021)
An inexpensive and commercially available Tf2NH-catalyzed 1,6-conjugate addition of imidazopyridine (IMPY) heterocycles to para-quinone methides (p-QMs) is reported. The present transformation provides a diverse class of C3-functionalized triarylmethanes heterocyclic derivatives of imidazopyridine. These metal-free transformations provided a very broad substrate scope of conjugate addition product with a high yield up to 97% within a short duration. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: 1; 6-Conjugate addition; Bronsted acid; C3-functionalization; Imidazopyridine; para-Quinone methide

Methyl esters of fungal biomass-derived lipids produced via solid-state fermentation of sugarcane bagasse and assessment as a blend component in diesel fuel. - Khot, Mahesh; RaviKumar, Ameeta; Kumar, V. Ravi (Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 2021)

Micro-computed tomographic analysis of the marginal adaptation of a calcium silicate-based cement to radicular dentin after removal of three different intracanal medicaments - an in vitro study - Jain, Ruchika Nirmal; Abraham, Sathish; Karad, Rohini Ramesh; Najan, Harshal Balasaheb; Vaswani, Sneha Dhruvkumar; Torris, Arun (Journal of Conservative Dentistry, 2021)
<p style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Context: This study focuses on the marginal adaptation of a calcium silicate-based cement to the root dentin after retrieval of different intracanal medicaments. <p style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Aim: This study compared the marginal adaptation of a calcium silicate-based cement to radicular dentin in the apical third of the root canal following the use of three different intracanal medicaments. <p style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 1.2rem; margin-bottom: 1.2rem; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Materials and methods: Forty single-rooted premolar teeth (n = 40) were decoronated 13 mm above the root apices; then, 3 mm of the root tips were resected to standardize the root length. Orthograde cleaning and shaping were done using the rotary files and apical enlargement using peeso reamers. Depending on the intracanal medicament used, the samples were equally divided into four groups: Group 1 - control, Group 2 - Metapex, Group 3 - triple antibiotic paste (TAP), and Group 4 - calcium hydroxide with Propolis. Subsequently, the medicament was removed and a 3 mm apical barrier of BiodentineTM was placed and later scanned using an ex vivo micro-computed tomography scanner.

Molecular interplay at the membrane and impact on cellular physiology - Pucadyil, Thomas; Kulkarni, Kiran; Sengupta, Durba (Journal of Membrane Biology, 2021)

Molecular investigation of glycated insulin-induced insulin resistance via insulin signaling and AGE-RAGE axis - Walke, Prachi B.; Bansode, Sneha B.; More, Nikita P.; Chaurasiya, Arvindkumar H.; Joshi, Rakesh S.; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (Biochimica ET Biophysica Acta-Molecular Basis of Disease, 2021)
Hyperglycemic condition in diabetes promotes glycation of various plasma proteins including insulin. Glycation of insulin has been reported to reduce its biological activity. Reduced biological activity of glycated insulin could be either due to reduced affinity for the insulin receptor and impaired insulin signaling, or it can act as a ligand for the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and activates oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory pathways leading to insulin resistance. This study investigates the effect of glycated insulin on both insulin and RAGE signaling. Glycated insulin treatment to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-IR-GLUT4) cells stably expressing insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter fused with a green fluorescent protein (GLUT4-GFP) resulted in the impairment of insulin signaling, as the phosphorylation of IR and AKT significantly reduced, which affected GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake. Moreover, it also activated RAGE signaling as observed by increased expression of NADPH oxidase accompanied by an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). Immunofluorescence study indicated the translocation of NF-kappa B to the nucleus upon treatment of glycated insulin. This was associated with increased RAGE expression, Caspase 3, and cell death. Downregulation of RAGE with the losartan treatment restored the impaired insulin signaling and glucose uptake. Additionally, in silico study demonstrated that glycated insulin has reduced binding affinity to insulin receptor and increased binding affinity to RAGE. Overall, this study demonstrates the role of glycated insulin in exacerbating insulin resistance by impairing insulin signaling as well as stimulating AGE-RAGE signaling.
Keywords: AGE; Diabetes; Glycation; Hyperglycemia; insulin; RAGE

MoS2 and CdMoS4 nanostructure-based UV light photodetectors - Pawar, Mahendra S.; Kadam, Sunil R.; Kale, Bharat B.; Late, Dattatray J. (Nanoscale Advances, 2021)
We have developed MoS2 nanosheets and CdMoS4 hierarchical nanostructures based on a UV light photodetector. The surface morphologies of the as-prepared samples were investigated via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The performance parameters for the present photodetectors are investigated under the illumination of UV light having a wavelength of similar to 385 nm. Upon the illumination of UV light, the CdMoS4-based photodetector device showed a better response to UV light compared to the MoS2 device in terms of photoresponsivity, response time (similar to 72 s) and recovery time (similar to 94 s). Our results reveal that CdMoS4 hierarchical nanostructures are practical for enhancing the device performance.

MoSx surface-modified, hybrid core-shell structured LiFePO4 cathode for superior Li-ion battery applications - Hu, Lung-Hao; Kumar, Pushpendra (Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2021)
A hybrid core-shell cathode, composed of MoSx shell and carbon-coated lithium iron phosphate core (MoSx@cLiFePO(4) or MoSx@c-LFP) is obtained by the post-annealing of a thermally decomposable ammonium thiomolybdate and commercial carbon-coated LiFePO4 (c-LFP) powder. The specific capacity of the commercially available amorphous carbon-coated LFP (c-LFP) is typically around 120-160 mAhg(-1), which is usually lower than the theoretical values similar to 170 mAhg(-1) due to the limited Li+ phase-boundary diffusion and low electrical conductivity. In the present investigation, we report that the specific capacity of surfacemodified (similar to 1.2 wt% of layered MoSx) c-LFP (MoSx@c-LFP) material can reach as high as similar to 228 mAhg(-1) delivering high gravimetric energy density similar to 750-770 Whkg(-1). The excess capacity can be attributed to the partial Li-ions intercalated/de-intercalated through the MoSx layers within a specific potential range (2.0-3.8 V). MoSx coating helps increase the c-LFP surface's stability by forming strong covalent bonding and is believed to enhance the electronic conduction by reducing the interparticle contact. During charge and discharge the hysteresis is substantially reduced by MoSx coating. The approach may open up a universal route to increase the cathode capacity, potentially attractive for further Li-ion battery research and industrial applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Ammonium thiomolybdate; Coulombic efficiency; Hybrid core-shell cathode; hysteresis; MoSx

Multiple-parallel-protease digestion coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry: an approach towards comprehensive peptide mapping of therapeutic mAbs - Pradhan, Gauri; Sneha, J. M.; Sonwane, Babasaheb P.; Santhakumari, B.; Rao, Alka; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (Journal of Proteomics, 2021)
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are structurally large and complex molecules. To be safe and efficacious, a biosimilar mAb must show high similarity to its reference product in Critical Quality Attributes (CQA). mAbs are highly sensitive to protein expression, production, manufacturing, supply chain, and storage conditions. All these factors make biosimilar mAbs intrinsically susceptible for variability during production. Accordingly, several lots of references and tests are required to establish the biosimilarity of a test mAb. The primary structure is a CQA of a mAb affecting its safety and efficacy. Here, we apply peptide mapping as an analytical method to decipher the primary structure and associated modifications for a quick quality assessment of TrastuzumAb and RituximAb innovator and biosimilar. A multiple-parallel-protease digestion strategy followed by high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis consistently achieved 100% sequence coverage along with reliable detection of post-translational modifications. Additionally, the use of supporting methods such as intact mass analysis and circular dichroism helped us to decipher the primary and higher order structures of these mAbs. We identify discernible variations in the profile of the innovator and biosimilar mAbs and validate the method for quick yet deep comparability analysis of the primary structure of biosimilar mAbs sold in the market. Significance: Peptide mapping using bottom-up approach is one of the most common methods for the characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Herein, we describe a multi-parallel-protease digestion strategy using a combination of five different proteases followed by high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis with TrastuzumAb and RituximAb as an example. This resulted in a comprehensive identification of peptides with increased reliability and identification of different PTMs. Additional supporting orthogonal methods like intact mass and higher-order structure analysis helped evaluate broader conformational properties.
Keywords: LC-MS/MS; PTM; RituximAb; Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies; TrastuzumAb

Multi-step synthesis of miltefosine: integration of flow chemistry with continuous mechanochemistry - Patil, Niteen B.; Atapalkar, Ranjit S.; Chavan, Subhash P.; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2021)
Herein we report for the first time, an advanced continuous flow synthesis of the blockbuster Leishmaniasis drug miltefosine from simple starting materials by a sequence involving four steps of chemical transformation including a continuous mechanochemical step. First three reaction steps were performed in simple tubular reactors in a telescopic mode, while in the last step the product precipitated from the 3(rd) step was used for a continuous mechanochemical synthesis of miltefosine. When compared to a typical batch protocol that takes 15 h, miltefosine was obtained in 58 % overall yield in flow synthesis mode at the laboratory scale in a total residence time 34 min at synthesis rate of 10 g/hr, which is sufficient to treat 4800 patients per day.
Keywords: continuous flow; continuous mechanochemistry; miltefosine; multistep synthesis; reactive intermediates

Naphthalene dianhydride organic anode for a `rocking-chair' zinc-proton hybrid ion battery - Ghosh, Meena; Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Kurian, Maria; Dilwale, Swati; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Dalton Transactions, 2021)
Rechargeable batteries consisting of a Zn metal anode and a suitable cathode coupled with a Zn2+ ion-conducting electrolyte are recently emerging as promising energy storage devices for stationary applications. However, the formation of high surface area Zn (HSAZ) architectures on the metallic Zn anode deteriorates their performance upon prolonged cycling. In this work, we demonstrate the application of 1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA), an organic compound, as a replacement for the Zn-metal anode enabling the design of a `rocking-chair' zinc-proton hybrid ion battery. The NTCDA electrode material displays a multi-plateau redox behaviour, delivering a specific discharge capacity of 143 mA h g(-1) in the potential window of 1.4 V to 0.3 V vs. Zn|Zn2+. The detailed electrochemical characterization of NTCDA in various electrolytes (an aqueous solution of 1 M ZnOTF, an aqueous solution of 0.01 M H2SO4, and an organic electrolyte of 0.5 M ZnOTF/acetonitrile) reveals that the redox processes leading to charge storage involve a contribution from both H+ and Zn2+. The performance of NTCDA as an anode is further demonstrated by pairing it with a MnO2 cathode, and the resulting MnO2||NTCDA full-cell (zinc-proton hybrid ion battery) delivers a specific discharge capacity of 41 mA h g(total)(-1) (normalized with the total mass-loading of both anode and cathode active materials) with an average operating voltage of 0.80 V.

New 1,2,3-triazole-appended bis-pyrazoles: synthesis, bioevaluation, and molecular docking - Danne, Ashruba B.; Deshpande, V, Mukund; Sangshetti, Jaiprakash N.; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Shingate, Bapurao B. (ACS Omega, 2021)
The present work describes design of a small library of new 1,2,3-triazole-appended bis-pyrazoles by using a molecular hybridization approach, and the synthesized hybrids were evaluated for their antifungal activity against different fungal strains, namely, Candida albicans, Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus fumigatus. All the compounds exhibited broad-spectrum activity against the tested fungal strains with excellent minimum inhibitory concentration values. The molecular docking study against sterol 14 alpha-demethylase (CYP51) could provide valuable insights into the binding modes and affinity of these compounds. Furthermore, these compounds were also evaluated for their antioxidant activity, which also resulted in promising data.

Ni-catalyzed highly enantioselective synthesis of sulfur protected P-stereogenic supramolecular phosphine - Koshti(S), Vijay S.; Chandanshive, Amol C.; Mote, Nilesh R.; Chikkali, Samir H. (Journal of Chemical Sciences, 2021)
As phosphines readily invert, the synthesis of P-chiral phosphines is a challenging task and has been rarely investigated. We report the synthesis of a nickel complex [Ni-((S,S)Me-FerroLANE)(phenyl)(I)] (Ni-Cat.1) and its performance in a P-C coupling reaction to generate P-chiral phosphine. The Ni-Cat.1 was synthesized by mixing ligand (S,S) Me-FerroLANE with the metal precursor [(diphenylphosphanyl)nickel(phenyl)(I)] in good yield. Ni-Cat.1 was characterized using different spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Treatment of racemic methyl(phenyl)phosphine (1) with 1-(3-iodophenyl)urea (2) produced the corresponding P-chiral supramolecular phosphine (3). Optimization of reaction parameters produced sulfur protected phosphine N-(3-(methyl(phenyl)phosphorothioyl)phenyl)formamide (3') with excellent enantiomeric excess (99% ee) and moderate conversion (51%).
Keywords: Asymmetric synthesis; Nickel catalyst; P-C coupling; P-Stereogenic phosphine; supramolecular ligands

Nickel-catalyzed difunctionalization of alkynyl bromides with thiosulfonates and N-arylthio succinimides: a convenient synthesis of 1,2-thiosulfonylethenes and 1,1-dithioethenes - Kumari, Arram Haritha; Kumar, Jangam Jagadesh; Krishna, Gamidi Rama; Reddy, Raju Jannapu (Synthesis-Stuttgart, 2021)
An efficient nickel-catalyzed vicinal thiosulfonylation of 1bromoalkynes with thiosulfonates in the presence of cesium carbonate is described. An operationally simple and highly regioselective atom transfer radical addition (ATRA) of alkynyl bromides provides a wide range of (E)-1,2-thiosulfonylethenes (alpha-aryl-beta-thioarylvinyl sulfones) in moderate to high yields. The extensive substrate scope of both alkynyl bromides and thiosulfonates is explored with a broad range of functional groups. Indole-derived 1,1- bromoalkenes were also successfully explored in this 1,2-thiosulfonylation process. Moreover, the nickel-catalyzed geminal- dithiolation of alkynyl bromides with N-arylthio succinimides provides 1,1-dithioalkenes in high yields. The present protocol is reliable on gram scale, and a sequential one-pot bromination and thiosulfonylation of phenylacetylene is achieved in a scale-up synthesis. Following control experiments, a plausible mechanism is proposed to rationalize the experimental outcome and the vicinal thiosulfonylation.
Keywords: alkynyl bromides; atom transfer radical addition (ATRA); thiosulfonates; thiosulfonylation; vinyl thiosulfones

Ni(II)-catalyzed intramolecular C-H/C-H oxidative coupling: an efficient route to functionalized cycloindolones and indenoindolones - Ankade, Shidheshwar B.; Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Soni, Vineeta; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Punji, Benudhar (ACS Catalysis, 2021)
Nickel(II)-catalyzed intramolecular C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(3))-H and C(sp(2))-H/C(sp(2))-H oxidative couplings in indoles are achieved via chelation assistance. These reactions provide access to biologically relevant five- and six-membered substituted cyclopentaindolones, carbazolones, and indenoindolones in high yields and good chemoselectivity employing an air-stable and defined nickel catalyst, (bpy)Ni(OAc)(2). The oxidative cyclizations proceeded either through a six-membered or an unconventional seven-membered nickelacycle. An extensive mechanistic investigation by experiments and theoretical calculations revealed a facile indole's C(2)-H nickelation and a rate-limiting reductive elimination process. This intramolecular oxidative cyclization operates via a probable Ni(II)/Ni(III) pathway involving single-electron oxidation of nickel without the participation of a carbon-based radical.
Keywords: C-H activation; cycloindolones; indenoindolones; indoles; Mechanism; Nickel; oxidative coupling

Nitrogen activation to reduction on a recyclable V-SAC/BN-graphene heterocatalyst sifted through dual and multiphilic descriptors - Maibam, Ashakiran; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2021)
<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Efficient reduction of nitrogen to ammonia at a minimal cost would require a recherche catalyst tailored by assimilating the inherent electronic and reactive nature of Single Atom Catalysts (SACs) on heteroatom doped-graphene. A full-scale DFT study accounting for disparate descriptions of atomic orbitals and representation of support, has been carried out to identify the most active and recyclable SAC/B-graphene composite as catalyst for Nitrogen Reduction Reaction (NRR). Dual and Multiphilic descriptors derived reactivity pattern of six different metal SACs V, Fe, Ni, Ru, W and Re on periodic and non-periodic paradigms of pristine and BN-pair doped graphene supports, align with the calculated chemisorption efficacy and activation of N<span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">. The enzymatic route of nitrogen reduction on three most ideal metal SACs (V, W and Re) culminates Vanadium SAC, a relatively cheaper metal, anchored on BNring-graphene with an energy barrier of ⩽1.24 eV as a highly active and recyclable catalyst for NRR.

One-dimensional multichannel g-C3N4.7 nanostructure realizing an efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and its theoretical investigations - Antil, Bindu; Kumar, Lakshya; Ranjan, Ravi; Shenoy, Sulakshana; Tarafder, Kartick; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S.; Deka, Sasanka (ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2021)
The emerging metal-free carbon nitride (C3N4) offers prominent possibilities for realizing the highly effective hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, its poor surface conductivity and insufficient catalytic sites hinder the HER performance. Herein, a one-dimensional vermicular rope-like graphitic carbon nitride nanostructure is demonstrated that consists of multichannel tubular pores and high nitrogen content, which is fabricated through a cost-effective approach having the final stoichiometry g-C3N4.7 for HER application. The present g-C3N4.7 is unique owing to the presence of abundant channels for the diffusion process, modulated surface chemistry with rich- electroactive sites from N-electron lone pairs, greatly reduced recombination rate of photoexcited exciton pairs, and a high donor concentration (4.26 x 10(17) cm(3)). The catalyst offers a visible-light-driven photocatalytic H-2 evolution rate as high as 4910 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) with an apparent quantum yield of 14.07% at band gap absorption (2.59 eV, 479 nm) under 7.68 mW cm(-2) illumination. The number of hydrogen gas molecules produced is 1.307 x 10(15) s(-1) cm(-2), which remained constant for a minimum of 18 h of repeated cycling in the HER without any degradation of the catalyst. In density functional theory calculations, a significant change in the band offset is observed due to N doping into the system in favor of electron catalysis. The theoretical band gap of a monolayer of g-C3N4.7 was enormously reduced because of the presence of additional densities of states from the doped N atom inside the band gap. These impurity or donor bands are formed inside the band gap region, which ultimately enhance the hydrogen ion reduction reaction enormously.
Keywords: carbon nitride; Density functional theory; hydrogen evolution reaction; nitrogen-rich; Photocatalyst

One-pot bioconversion of tomato waste into poly-gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA) biopolymer by a novel biocatalyst - Nair, Pranav G.; Joseph, Emmanuel; Killi, Naresh; Konchada, Sravanya; Nisal, Anuya; Gundloori, Rathna Venkata Naga; Dharne, Mahesh S. (ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2021)
Landfilling of rotten tomatoes can lead to environmental instability and a huge economic loss to the producers. This letter reports an effective valorization of tomato waste into a promising biopolymer, i.e., poly-gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA) by a novel biocatalyst Bacillus paralicheniformis NCIM 5769. The gamma-PGA is one of the most expensive biopolymers with multifarious applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine fields. However, its adoption into various applications is finite due to its exorbitant production cost. Herein, rotten tomatoes (without additional nutrient supplementation) served as the chassis for the fermentative production of 40 g/L of highly pure gamma-PGA within 48 h at ambient temperature. Further, NMR, DSC, and TGA confirmed the purity of synthesized gamma-PGA identical to standard gamma-PGA. This process has potential in the commercialization of.-PGA by significantly reducing the production cost, followed by the effective utilization of tomato waste leading to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 (i.e., ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns).
Keywords: Commercialization; Poly-gamma-glutamic acid; Rotten tomatoes; United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; Waste utilization

One-pot oxidation of secondary alcohols to alpha-hydroxy ketones: application to synthesis of oxoaplysinopsin D, E, F, & G - Kulkarni, Akshay S.; Ramesh, Eagala; Reddy, D. Srinivasa (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2021)
A simple one-pot transformation of secondary alcohols to alpha-hydroxy ketones using pyridinium dichromate (PDC) in DMF has been developed and substrate scope tested with 25 compounds of hydantoin derivatives. Using this method, we have devised a common dihydroxy intermediate and synthesized four natural products oxoaplysinopsins D, E, F, and G for the first time.
Keywords: alpha-Hydroxylation; Hydantoin; Natural product; Oxoaplysinopsin; Retro-aldol

Orc4 spatiotemporally stabilizes centromeric chromatin - Sreekumar, Lakshmi; Kumari, Kiran; Guin, Krishnendu; Bakshi, Asif; Varshney, Neha; Thimmappa, Bhagya C.; Narlikar, Leelavati; Padinhateeri, Ranjith; Siddharthan, Rahul; Sanyal, Kaustuv (Genome Research, 2021)
The establishment of centromeric chromatin and its propagation by the centromere-specific histone CENPA is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms in most eukaryotes. DNA replication origins, origin binding proteins, and replication timing of centromere DNA are important determinants of centromere function. The epigenetically regulated regional centromeres in the budding yeast Candida albicans have unique DNA sequences that replicate earliest in every chromosome and are clustered throughout the cell cycle. In this study, the genome-wide occupancy of the replication initiation protein Orc4 reveals its abundance at all centromeres in C. albicans. Orc4 is associated with four different DNA sequence motifs, one of which coincides with tRNA genes (tDNA) that replicate early and cluster together in space. Hi-C combined with genome-wide replication timing analyses identify that early replicating Orc4-bound regions interact with themselves stronger than with late replicating Orc4-bound regions. We simulate a polymer model of chromosomes of C. albicans and propose that the early replicating and highly enriched Orc4-bound sites preferentially localize around the clustered kinetochores. We also observe that Orc4 is constitutively localized to centromeres, and both Orc4 and the helicase Mcm2 are essential for cell viability and CENPA stability in C. albicans. Finally, we show that new molecules of CENPA are recruited to centromeres during late anaphase/telophase, which coincides with the stage at which the CENPA-specific chaperone Scm3 localizes to the kinetochore. We propose that the spatiotemporal localization of Orc4 within the nucleus, in collaboration with Mcm2 and Scm3, maintains centromeric chromatin stability and CENPA recruitment in C. albicans.

Organic-inorganic perovskitoid with zwitterion cysteamine linker and its crystal-crystal transformation to ruddlesden-popper phase - Kour, Prachi; Reddy, Mallu Chenna; Pal, Shiv; Sidhik, Siraj; Das, Tisita; Pandey, Padmini; Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel; Chakraborty, Sudip; Mohite, Aditya D.; Ogale, Satishchandra (Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2021)
We demonstrate synthesis of a new low-D hybrid perovskitoid (a perovskite-like hybrid halide structure, yellow crystals, P21/n space group) using zwitterion cysteamine (2-aminoethanethiol) linker, and its remarkable molecular diffusion-controlled crystal-to-crystal transformation to Ruddlesden-Popper phase (Red crystals, Pnma space group). Our stable intermediate perovskitoid distinctly differs from all previous reports by way of a unique staggered arrangement of holes in the puckered 2D configuration with a face-sharing connection between the corrugated-1D double chains. The PL intensity for the yellow phase is 5 orders higher as compared to the red phase and the corresponding average lifetime is also fairly long (143 ns). First principles DFT calculations conform very well with the experimental band gap data. We demonstrate applicability of the new perovskitoid yellow phase as an excellent active layer in a self-powered photodetector and for selective detection of Ni2+ via On-Off-On photoluminescence (PL) based on its composite with few-layer black phosphorous.
Keywords: Crystal growth; organic-inorganic hybrid composites; perovskite phases; photodetectors; zwitterions

Organoruthenium (II) complexes featuring pyrazole-linked thiosemicarbazone ligands: synthesis, DNA/BSA interactions, molecular docking, and cytotoxicity studies - Khanvilkar, Priyanka; Dash, Soumya R.; Banerjee, Devjani; Vohra, Aliasgar; Devkar, Ranjitsinh; Chakraborty, Debjani (Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 2021)
A series of pyrazol-derived thiosemicarbazone ligands (L1-L4) were synthesized and reacted with [Ru(p-cymene)(mu-Cl)Cl](2) to yield a series of ``piano-stool''-type binuclear ruthenium (II)-arene-thiosemicarbazone complexes (C1-C8) of the general type [(Ru(eta(6)-p-cym)L)(2)(mu-im/azpy)] Cl1-2 (L = diphenylpyrazole thiosemicarbazone; cym = p-cymene; im = imidazole; azpy = 4,4 `-azopyridine). The thiosemicarbazone ligands act as N and S donors binding to the Ru(II) center via the imine nitrogen and the thione sulfur atoms. The complexes were characterized by NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and ESI+ mass spectrometry. The binding of the complexes to calf thymus deoxyribonucleic acid (CT-DNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was evaluated, and it has been established that the binuclear complexes have good binding efficacies with DNA (K-b = 10(4)-10(5) M-1) and BSA (K-a = 10(5)-10(6) M-1). This is attributed to the arene moieties present in the ligands of the complexes that can have hydrophobic interactions with DNA/BSA. Ethidium bromide (EB) displacement studies and DNA viscosity measurements revealed intercalative interaction of the complexes with DNA. Static interaction of the complexes with BSA was revealed by fluorescence quenching studies. Molecular docking studies confirmed base stacking, H-bonding, and hydrophobic interactions with the biomolecules. In vitro antiproliferative studies of the complexes affirmed that the complexes are cytotoxic towards the HeLa (human cervical cancer) cell line with IC50 values in range of 17.3-41.3 mu M.
Keywords: Binuclear ruthenium (II) complexes; BSA binding interactions; DNA; HeLa human cervical carcinoma; pyrazole-derived thiosemicarbazone

Oxidative radical-mediated addition of ethers to quinone imine ketals: an access to hemiaminals - More, Satish G.; Kamble, Rohit B.; Suryavanshi, Gurunath (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2021)
The highly regioselective synthesis of substituted hemiaminal via addition of ethers to quinone imine ketals (QIKs) has been developed under metal-free conditions. In the presence of tetrabutylammonium chloride and potassium persulfate (K2S2O8), QIKs couple efficiently with cyclic and acyclic ethers to give hemiaminals. This strategy offers an easy access to substituted hemiaminal ethers with high functional group tolerance in good to excellent yields.

Oxidative stress induced by piperine leads to apoptosis in Candida albicans - Thakre, Archana; Jadhav, Vyankatesh; Kazi, Rubina; Shelar, Amruta; Patil, Rajendra; Kharat, Kiran; Zore, Gajanan; Karuppayil, S. Mohan (Medical Mycology, 2021)
Candida albicans is a member of pathogens with potential drug resistance threat that needs novel chemotherapeutic strategies. Considering the multifarious biological activities including bioenhancer activity, anti-Candida potential of piperine was evaluated against planktonic/biofilm and hyphal growth of C. albicans alone or in combination as a synergistic agent with fluconazole. Piperine inhibits planktonic growth at or less than 15 mu g/ml, hyphae induction at 5 mu g/ml concentration, and exhibits stage-dependent activity against biofilm growth of a fluconazole-resistant strain of C. albicans (ATCC10231). Though piperine couldn't kill inoculum completely at minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), it is fungicidal at higher concentrations, as shown in apoptosis assay. FIC index values indicate that piperine exhibits excellent synergistic activity with fluconazole against planktonic (0.123) and biofilm (0.215) growth of an FLC resistant strain. Mode of anti-Candida activity was studied by identifying piperine responsive proteins wherein the abundance of 25 proteins involved in stress response, signal transduction and cell cycle were modulated (22 up and 3 downregulated) significantly in response to piperine (MIC50). Modulation of the proteins involved suggests that piperine affectsmembrane integrity leading to oxidative stress followed by cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in C. albicans. Flow cytometry-basedmitochondrialmembrane potential (MMP), cell cycle and apoptosis assay, as well as real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of selected genes, confirms piperine induced oxidative stress (TRR1), cell cycle arrest and apoptosis (CaMCA1). Based on our results, we conclude that piperine inhibits planktonic and difficult-to treat-biofilm growth of C. albicans by affecting membrane integrity thereby inducing oxidative stress and apoptosis. Lay Abstract Piperine inhibit Candida albicans growth (planktonic and biofilm) significantly in our study. Piperine exhibits excellent synergistic potential with fluconazole The proteome analysis suggests that piperine induced membrane damage leads to oxidative stress followed by cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
Keywords: Apoptosis; C. albicans; drug resistance; piperine; proteomics; synergy

Palladium supported on magnesium hydroxyl fluoride: an effective acid catalyst for the hydrogenation of imines and N-heterocycles - Kokane, Reshma; Corre, Yann; Kemnitz, Erhard; Dongare, Mohan K.; Agbossou-Niedercorn, Francine; Michon, Christophe; Umbarkar, Shubhangi B. (New Journal of Chemistry, 2021)
Palladium catalysts supported on acidic fluorinated magnesium hydroxide Pd/MgF2-x(OH)(x) were prepared through precipitation or impregnation methods. Applications to the hydrogenation of various aldimines and ketimines resulted in good catalytic activities at mild temperatures using one atmosphere of hydrogen. Quinolines, pyridines and other N-heterocycles were successfully hydrogenated at higher temperature and hydrogen pressure using low palladium loadings and without the use of any acid additive. Such reactivity trend confirmed the positive effect of the Bronsted and Lewis acid sites from the fluorinated magnesium hydroxide support resulting in the effective pre-activation of N-heterocycle substrates and therefore in the good catalytic activity of the palladium nanoparticles during the hydrogenations. As demonstrated in the hydrogenation of imines, the catalyst was recycled up to 10 times without either loss of activity or palladium leaching.

Partially bio-based furyl-functionalized organosoluble poly(ether ether ketone)s - Kuhire, Sachin S.; Talanikar, Aniket A.; Tawade, V, Bhausaheb; Nagane, Samadhan S.; Wadgaonkar, Prakash P. (Polymer International, 2021)
A new series of partially bio-based (co)poly(ether ether ketone)s bearing pendent furyl groups was synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation of varying molar proportions of 4,4 `-(furan-2-ylmethylene)bis(2-methoxyphenol) and bisphenol-A with 4,4 `-difluorobenzophenone. The chemical structures, compositions and random nature of (co)poly(ether ether ketone)s were confirmed by NMR spectroscopy. Inherent viscosities and number-average molecular weights of the (co)poly(ether ether ketone)s were in the range 0.74-2.90 dL g(-1) and 33 500-46 300 g mol(-1), respectively, indicating the formation of reasonably high molecular weight polymers. (Co)poly(ether ether ketone)s were readily soluble in common organic solvents and could be cast into tough, transparent and flexible films from chloroform solutions. (Co)poly(ether ether ketone)s exhibited 10% weight loss and glass transition temperatures in the range 429-464 and 152-156 degrees C, respectively. A representative copoly(ether ether ketone) was crosslinked with 1,1 `-(methylenedi-1,4-phenylene)bismaleimide via Diels-Alder reaction to form a crosslinked polymer which showed improved mechanical properties and was recycled twice without significant loss of mechanical properties. Diels-Alder/retro Diels-Alder reaction was demonstrated by studies of sol-gel transformation, solubility tests, DSC and stress-strain measurements. (c) 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Keywords: aromatic poly(ether ether ketone)s; bio-based; crosslinking; Diels-Alder reaction; pendent furyl groups

PdP/WO3 multi-functional catalyst with high activity and stability for direct liquid fuel cells (DLFCs) - Kumar, Sachin; Soni, Roby; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2021)
Direct liquid fuel cells are energy conversion devices which utilize formate and methanol as fuels. These systems are relieved of the problem of H-2 transport and storage, making them highly desirable for various practical applications. However, the low stability and activity of carbon supported catalysts such as Pt/C both in the anode and cathode is a critical hindering factor towards their further development. As a practical solution to overcome this issue, in this work, we report on the development of phosphorus-doped palladium (PdP) nanoparticle-supported tungsten oxide (WO3) nanorods (PdP/WO3) as a versatile multifunctional catalyst for facilitating the oxidation of formate and methanol in the anode and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the cathode. Strong metal-support interactions and electronic modifications incurred by the doped phosphorus help this system to achieve desirable properties to enable it to effectively function both for the anode and cathode applications. PdP/WO3 showed 16-times higher mass activity compared to Pt/C even after 3000 start/stop cycles for the ORR. For formate and methanol oxidation, PdP/WO3 exhibited current densities of 0.50 and 0.734 A mg(Pd)(-1), respectively, outperforming the state-of-the-art catalysts. With these bifunctional features, PdP/WO3 stands out as a potential system to be used as an anode and cathode catalyst in direct liquid fuel cells, all the while offering an opportunity for the development of carbon-free electrocatalysts.

PEGylated ethyl cellulose micelles as a nanocarrier for drug delivery - Singam, Amarnath; Killi, Naresh; Patel, Pratikshkumar R.; Gundloori, Rathna V. N. (RSC Advances, 2021)
Natural polymers provide a better alternative to synthetic polymers in the domain of drug delivery systems (DDSs) because of their renewability, biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity; therefore, they are being studied for the development of bulk/nanoformulations. Likewise, current methods for engineering natural polymers into micelles are in their infancy, and in-depth studies are required using natural polymers as controlled DDSs. Accordingly, in our present study, a new micellar DDS was synthesized using ethyl cellulose (EC) grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG); it was characterized, its properties, cell toxicity, and hemocompatibility were evaluated, and its drug release kinetics were demonstrated using doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug. Briefly, EC was grafted with PEG to form the amphiphilic copolymers EC-PEG1 and EC-PEG2 with varying PEG concentrations, and nano-micelles were prepared with and without the drug (DOX) via a dialysis method; the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were recorded to be 0.03 mg mL(-1) and 0.00193 mg mL(-1) for EC-PEG1 and EC-PEG2, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the respective nano-micelles were evaluated via various characterization techniques. The morphologies of the nano-micelles were analyzed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the average size of the nano-micelles was recorded to be similar to 80 nm. In vitro, drug release studies were done for 48 h, where 100% DOX release was recorded at pH 5.5 and 52% DOX release was recorded at pH 7.4 from the micelles. In addition, cytotoxicity studies suggested that DOX-loaded micelles were potent in killing MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells, and the blank micelles were non-toxic toward cancerous and normal cells. A cellular uptake study via fluorescence microscopy indicated the internalization of DOX-loaded micelles by cancer cells, delivering the DOX into the cellular compartments. Based on these studies, we concluded that the developed material should be studied further via in vivo studies to understand its potential as a controlled DDS to treat cancer.

Performance of Aspergillus niger (NCIM 563) phytase based feed supplement for broiler growth and phosphorus excretion - Puppala, Kumar Raja; Buddhiwant, Priyanka G.; Agawane, Sachin B.; Kadam, Avinash S.; Mote, Chandrashekhar S.; Lonkar, Vijaysinh D.; Khire, Jayant M.; Dharne, Mahesh S. (Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 2021)
Despite availability of commercial enzymes, the phytase produced from relatively inexpensive systems with high yields are gaining global attention in the feed industries in post-antibiotic era. We studied A. niger NCIM 563 Phytase produced in solid state fermentation (SSF) derived Koji powder and evaluated its utility in the poultry feed for broiler growth performance and phosphorous (P) excretion. The ability of phytase in the dried powder was estimated to dephytinize the poultry feed under simulated gastric conditions. Poultry feed was formulated using A. niger NCIM 563 phytase followed by a 42 days feed trial on broilers. After supplementation of phytase to the diet, there was a reduction of dietary P, maintained growth performance, skeletal development of broilers and reduced levels of phytic acid and available P in the litter. Extracellular phytase was able to replace up to 0.1% P in poultry feed. Minimal downstream processing a low-cost feed supplement with significant phytase activity could provide added advantage for anti-nutrition free poultry feed.
Keywords: Phosphorus; Phytase; Poultry feed; Solid state fermentation

Pharmacore maping based on docking, ADME/toxicity, virtual screening on 3,5-dimethyl-1,3,4-hexanetriol and dodecanoic acid derivates for anticancer inhibitors - Prakash, Palanisamy; Vijayasarathi, Durairaj; Selvam, Kuppusamy; Karthi, Sengodan; Manivasagaperumal, Rengarajan (Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, 2021)
Plants produced natural generating products play a significant role in drug discovery of new bioactive compounds and these are used for advancement of innovative curative drugs for specific target health diseases. In this study Docking and ADME/T virtual screening method are apply for in drug discovery and can be divided into ligand- and target structure-based. The aim of this study was to analyze theDecalepis hamiltoniiisolated compounds by using the evaluation of molecular docking and virtual screening of anticancer drugs. MOE docking ADME/Toxicity and virtual screening approaches. A docking energy -12.97 kcal/mol; -9.93- kcal/mol on cancer responsible protein was targeted. Further, the compounds were filtered through the rule of five, ADME/Toxicity risk and synthetic accessibility. The active compound were then docked to recognize the possible target binding pocket to obtain a set of a ligand poses and to prioritize the predicted active compounds. The scrutinize compounds, as well as their metabolites were evaluated for different pharmacokinetics parameter such as ADME/Toxicity. Therefore, the result shows that a large number of compounds were found to be ADME/toxicity positive to be a positive drug molecule against cancer, selected compounds under study satisfies parameters for ADME and Toxicity properties. The present study demonstrate to identifying the novel structures which are having similar structural feature with like activity with respect to the compounds 3,5-Dimethyl-1,3,4-Hexanetriol and Dodecanoic acid that are shown best binding energy with the receptors 4igk and 4b3z respectively. This study may provide significant clues for discovery novel drug inhibitors for cancer properties.
Keywords: ADME; Decalepis hamiltonii; docking; drug discovery; Toxicity; virtual screening

Phosphorus ligands in hydroformylation and hydrogenation: a personal account - Tewari, Tanuja; Kumar, Rohit; Chandanshive, Amol C.; Chikkali, Samir H. (Chemical Record, 2021)
Metal-catalyzed hydroformylation and hydrogenation heavily rely on ligands, among which phosphorous ligands play a pivotal role. This personal account presents a selection of three distinct classes of phosphorous ligands, namely, monodentate meta-substituted phosphinites, bis-phosphites, and P-chiral supramolecular phosphines, developed in our group. The synthesis of these ligands, isolation, characterization, and their performance in transition metal-catalyzed hydroformylation, isomerizing hydroformylation, and asymmetric hydrogenation of olefins is summarized. The state of the art development in iron-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes and our contributions to the field is discussed. Use of phosphines enabled iron-catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes under mild conditions. Thus, this account demonstrates the central role of phosphorus ligands in industrially relevant transformations such as hydrogenation and hydroformylation. The seemingly matured field of ligand discovery still holds significant potential and will steer the field of homogeneous catalysis.
Keywords: Homogeneous catalysis; Hydroformylation; Hydrogenation; Olefins; Phosphorus ligands

Photoinduced multicomponent regioselective synthesis of 1,4,5-trisubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles: transition metal-, azide- and oxidant-free protocol - Sai Allaka, Bhargava; Basavoju, Srinivas; Rama Krishna, Gamidi (Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 2021)
A transition metal- and azide-free approach is explored to synthesize 1,4,5-trisubstituted-1,2,3-triazoles under sunlight. The reaction proceeds via C-N and N-N bond formations. These regioselective 1,2,3-triazoles are obtained from isatin Schiff bases, benzaldehydes and tosylhydrazine in the presence of base. This protocol offers the structurally diverse 1,2,3-triazole derivatives with 75-90% yields.
Keywords: 1; 2; 3-triazoles; 4; 5-trisubstituted-1; azide- and oxidant free protocol; Cycloaddition; milder reaction conditions; molecular diversity; Multicomponent reaction; Regioselectivity; transition metal-

Plasma-derived extracellular vesicles reveal galectin-3 binding protein as potential biomarker for early detection of glioma - Rana, Rashmi; Chauhan, Kirti; Gautam, Poonam; Kulkarni, Mahesh; Banarjee, Reema; Chugh, Parul; Chhabra, Satnam Singh; Acharya, Rajesh; Kalra, Samir Kumar; Gupta, Anshul; Jain, Sunila; Ganguly, Nirmal Kumar (Frontiers in Oncology, 2021)
{Gliomas are the most common type of the malignant brain tumor, which arise from glial cells. They make up about 40% of all primary brain tumors and around 70% of all primary malignant brain tumors. They can occur anywhere in the central nervous system (CNS) and have a poor prognosis. The average survival of glioma patients is approximately 6-15 months with poor aspects of life. In this edge, identification of proteins secreted by cancer cells is of special interest because it may provide a better understanding of tumor progression and provide early diagnosis of the diseases. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from pooled plasma of healthy controls (n=03) and patients with different grades of glioma (Grade I or II or III
Keywords: blood-based biomarker; early detection; galectin-3 binding protein; plasma-derived extracellular vesicles; proteomics

Polycomb group methyltransferase StE(z)2 and deposition of H3K27me3 and H3K4me3 regulate the expression of tuberization genes in potato - Kumar, Amit; Kondhare, Kirtikumar R.; Malankar, Nilam N.; Banerjee, Anjan K. (Journal of Experimental Botany, 2021)
Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) group proteins regulate various developmental processes in plants by repressing target genes via H3K27 trimethylation, and they function antagonistically with H3K4 trimethylation mediated by Trithorax group proteins. Tuberization in potato has been widely studied, but the role of histone modifications in this process is unknown. Recently, we showed that overexpression of StMSI1, a PRC2 member, alters the expression of tuberization genes in potato. As MSI1 lacks histone-modification activity, we hypothesized that this altered expression could be caused by another PRC2 member, StE(z)2, a potential H3K27 methyltransferase in potato. Here, we demonstrate that a short-day photoperiod influences StE(z)2 expression in the leaves and stolons. StE(z)2 overexpression alters plant architecture and reduces tuber yield, whereas its knockdown enhances yield. ChIP-sequencing using stolons induced by short-days indicated that several genes related to tuberization and phytohormones, such as StBEL5/11/29, StSWEET11B, StGA2OX1, and StPIN1 carry H3K4me3 or H3K27me3 marks and/or are StE(z)2 targets. Interestingly, we observed that another important tuberization gene, StSP6A, is targeted by StE(z)2 in leaves and that it has increased deposition of H3K27me3 under long-day (non-induced) conditions compared to short days. Overall, our results show that StE(z)2 and deposition of H3K27me3 and/or H3K4me3 marks might regulate the expression of key tuberization genes in potato.
Keywords: ChIP-sequencing; Epigenetics; PcG; photoperiod; polycomb repressive complex; potato tuberization; short-day; Solanum tuberosum; StE(z)2

Practical synthesis of 5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone from furan - Subhash P. Chavan; Appasaheb L. Kadam (Results in Chemistry, 2021)
A simple, efficient and scalable method for the synthesis of 5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone from furan has been developed on a multigram scale. Oxidation of furan has been performed using oxone as the sole oxidant and water as a solvent, which makes this protocol practical and thus industrially applicable.
Keywords: 5-Hydroxy-2(5)-furanone; Furan oxidation; On-water reaction; Oxone; scalable synthesis

Process-induced microstructure in viscose and lyocell regenerated cellulose fibers revealed by SAXS and SEM of acid-etched samples - Sharma, Aakash; Wankhede, Parnashri; Samant, Roopali; Nagarkar, Shailesh; Thakre, Shirish; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy (ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2021)
Regenerated cellulose fibers represent an important class of bioderived commercial fibers. The traditional viscose process requires the use of environmentally harmful carbon disulfide solvent to produce fibers. Lyocell fibers, produced using a more sustainable recent process, exhibit differences in properties from viscose. These differences arise from their semicrystalline microstructure, formed during fiber spinning. It is widely believed that regenerated cellulose fibers predominantly form fringed fibrillar crystals. We optimize acid etching, followed by SEM as an experimental tool to visualize this fibrillar structure. Acid etching provides sufficient topological contrast to directly visualize similar to O(10 nm) fibrils using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We combine SEM with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to reveal other microstructural details. We observe a Bragg peak, indicating the coexistence of stacked lamellar structure with crystalline fibrils for viscose fibers, but not for lyocell. Viscose and lyocell fibers are characterized by partially oriented semicrystalline microstructure. We present a methodology to calculate the Lorentz correction for such microstructure and employ this to analyze the lamellar scattering from viscose fibers using a 1D correlation function approach. We characterize the lamellar microstructure after swelling viscose fibers with water and observe expansion of the Bragg spacing due to water absorption in the amorphous regions. Our data suggest that the water-induced plasticization of amorphous regions is inhomogeneous. Lamellar stacks that are more misoriented from the fiber direction exhibit lower swelling than those along the fiber direction. The experimental methods described in this work reveal interesting details of semicrystalline microstructure in regenerated cellulose fibers, with important implications for the mechanical response of dry and wet fibers. The methods developed here might find use in investigations of other polymer fibers as well.
Keywords: acid etching; crystalline lamellae; fibers; fibrils; Lorentz correction; Regenerated cellulose; SAXS

Promoted mesoporous Fe-alumina catalysts for the non-oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane - Venugopalan, Aswathy Thareparambil; Kandasamy, Prabu; Gupta, Nikitra Nihalchand; Thirumalaiswamy, Raja (Catalysis Communications, 2021)
Production of isobutene is commercially consequential and highly demanding from the end-use industries being a key platform molecule as well as an intermediate for a variety of value-added chemicals. Traditionally, isobutene is prepared via steam cracking and fluid catalytic cracking methods. However, the catalysts used in these conventional methods have disadvantages like coke formation, sintering, etc. In this study, the catalytic non-oxidative dehydrogenation of isobutane over acidic, alkaline, and noble metal promoted mesoporous iron-doped catalysts was investigated. Iron doping has a significant function in controlling isobutene selectivity. The synthesis method is crucial to achieve successful metal doping in the mesoporous alumina matrix. Promoted catalysts exhibited a notable difference in isobutane conversion with a marginal change in dehydrogenation selectivity. Silver promoted catalyst showed slightly higher isobutene yield due to the optimal catalytic properties. This catalyst was stable for a considerable duration, and coke deposition, as well as particle agglomeration, were observed to faintly inhibit the catalytic activity.
Keywords: iron; Isobutane; Isobutene; Mesoporous alumina; Non-oxidative dehydrogenation

Protriptyline improves spatial memory and reduces oxidative damage by regulating NF kappa B-BDNF/CREB signaling axis in streptozotocin-induced rat model of Alzheimer's disease - Tiwari, Virendra; Mishra, Akanksha; Singh, Sonu; Mishra, Sandeep Kumar; Sahu, Kiran Kumari; Parul; Kulkarni, Mahesh J.; Shukla, Rakesh; Shukla, Shubha (Brain Research, 2021)
Antidepressants are well known to exert their role via upregulation of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has been reported to exerts its neuroprotective effect in rodent and primate models as well as in patients of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of protriptyline (PRT), a tricyclic antidepressant, in streptozotocin (STZ)- induced rat model of AD. Total 10 mu l of STZ was injected into each ventricle (1 mg/kg). PRT (10 mg/kg, i.p.) treatment was started 3-day post STZ administration and continued till 21 days. We found that STZ treatment significantly increased pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 expression, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in hippocampus and cortex of adult rats. STZ induced impairment in spatial learning and retention memory was associated with increased WO and reduced CREB and BDNF expression in cortex and hippocampus. Interestingly, PRT treatment significantly reduced pTau, A beta 42 and BACE-1 levels, neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and glial activation, contributing to the improved spatial learning and retention memory in STZ treated rats. Moreover, PRT treatment significantly improved p-ERK/ERK ratio and enhanced BDNF and CREB levels by reducing NFXB and GFAP expression in STZ treated rats. Our data suggest that impaired NFXB and CREB signaling potentially contribute in AD pathogenesis by elevating oxidative stress and neuroinflammation mediated neurodegeneration. Our study has established protriptyline as a multi target molecule in pre-clinical model of AD and further investigations on PRT like molecules could pave way for further development of effective new treatments in neurodegenerative disorders.
Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; antidepressant; BDNF; Memory; Oxidative stress; Protriptyline

Quantitative understanding of nucleation and growth kinetics of silver nanowires - Patil, Suneha; Kate, Prachi R.; Deshpande, Jaydeep B.; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021)
We have demonstrated that using polyol synthesis, it is possible to prepare high aspect ratio silver nanowires by controlling the experiments for process related issues which are usually ignored, viz. the overhead space in the batch reactor. It is found that by controlling the presence/absence of NOx gases with refluxing of nitric acid in the batch reactor with an overhead space of 80% volume, near complete conversion (-99%) of high aspect ratio NWs (-1000) can be attained. We provide a detailed understanding of other factors assisting in rapid polyol synthesis like temperature, stirring rate, Chloride ion concentration, optimal PVP weight ratios and PVP/AgNO3 ratio that can lead to high aspect ratio NWs. Besides the process parameters and reagent concentration effects, kinetic studies based on our nucleation and R-C Model evaluate the overall reaction rate constants for silver nanowires and the JMAK approach is used to theoretically validate our experimental results of the reactor headspace having strongest effect on the aspect ratios. Our study highlights the importance of various complications in the polyol synthesis, through detailed kinetic modelling and affixes values of temperature, reactor headspace, stirring rate and residence time in order to achieve reproducible synthesis of nanowires with complete conversion along with a method to separate these nanowires.
Keywords: Conducting inks; growth; Nucleation; Reaction kinetics; Redox-crystallization; Silver Nanowires

Rapid and accurate nucleobase detection using FnCas9 and its application in COVID-19 diagnosis - Azhar, Mohd; Phutela, Rhythm; Kumar, Manoj; Ansari, Asgar Hussain; Rauthan, Riya; Gulati, Sneha; Sharma, Namrata; Sinha, Dipanjali; Sharma, Saumya; Singh, Sunaina; Acharya, Sundaram; Sarkar, Sajal; et al. (Biosensors & Bioelectronics, 2021)
Rapid detection of DNA/RNA pathogenic sequences or variants through point-of-care diagnostics is valuable for accelerated clinical prognosis, as witnessed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional methods relying on qPCR or sequencing are tough to implement with limited resources, necessitating the development of accurate and robust alternative strategies. Here, we report FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) that utilizes a direct Cas9 based enzymatic readout for detecting nucleobase and nucleotide sequences without transcleavage of reporter molecules. We also demonstrate that FELUDA is 100% accurate in detecting single nucleotide variants (SNVs), including heterozygous carriers, and present a simple web-tool JATAYU to aid end-users. FELUDA is semi-quantitative, can adapt to multiple signal detection platforms, and deploy for versatile applications such as molecular diagnosis during infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. Employing a lateral flow readout, FELUDA shows 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity across all ranges of viral loads in clinical samples within 1hr. In combination with RT-RPA and a smartphone application True Outcome Predicted via Strip Evaluation (TOPSE), we present a prototype for FELUDA for CoV-2 detection closer to home.
Keywords: CRISPRDx; FELUDA; FnCas9; LFA; SARS-CoV2; SNV detection

Reactivity of (TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Cp*)Si=Si(eta(1)-Cp*)N(TMS)(2) toward the Halides of Groups 13-15 - Sen, Nilanjana; Parvin, Nasrina; Tothadi, Srinu; Khan, Shabana (Organometallics, 2021)
In this paper, we have demonstrated the unique reactivity of a previously reported disilene [(TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Me5C5)Si=Si(eta(1)-Me5C5)N(TMS)(2)] (1) with the halides of groups 13-15, which resulted in the formation of silicon-E (E = B, Al, Ge, P) bonds. Treatment of 1 with Lewis acidic BCl3 led to the formation of a cationic boron species [Cp*BSi(Cl)(2)N(TMS)(2))][BCl3SiCl3] (2). In contrast, the reaction of 1 with BCy2Cl afforded an oxidative addition product [(TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Me5C5)Si(BCy2)(Cl)] (3) via the insertion of a Si(II) atom into the B-Cl bond. Extending the reaction with its higher congener led to classical Lewis acid-base adducts, (TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Me5C5)Si -> AlCl3 (4) and (TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Me5C5)Si -> AlBr3 (5), respectively. The reaction of GeCl2 with 1 proceeded in a completely different manner and resulted in a hybrid dendrimeric compound [HGe(Si(Cl)(2)N(TMS)(2))(3)] (6), whereas, with SnCl2, it led to Cp*SnCl (7). Lastly, the reaction of Ph2PCl followed the same pattern like Cy2BCl and led to the formation of an oxidative addition product [(TMS)(2)N(eta(1)-Me5C5)Si(PPh2)(Cl)] (9) with a Si-P bond.

Review on liquid chromatographic analysis of colchicine in the forensic and medical perspective - Krishna, Rohith; Shivankar, Bhavana (Toxicologie Analytique et Clinique, 2021)
Colchicine is a tricyclic alkaloid extracted from the family of plants called Colchicaceae. Colchicine is pharmacologically active and works as an anti-mitotic agent. The alkaloid has a narrow therapeutic index, and a slight increase in colchicine concentration can lead to toxicity, and an overdose can be fatal to the individual. This nature of the alkaloid has made the scientific community interested in the analysis of colchicine. This critical review mainly comprises an analytical overview of the extraction and the liquid chromatographic (LC) analysis of colchicine in the field of forensic and medical toxicology. The prominent extraction techniques, detectors, and liquid chromatographic parameters favorable for colchicine estimation have been discussed in this paper. This review has covered the relevant research works within a timeline of two decades based on the scope of the literature and the scientific importance.

Rhamonolipids produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa promotes methane hydrates formation in fixed bed silica gel medium - Arora, Amit; Cameotra, Swaranjit Singh; Balomajumder, Chandrajit; Kumar, Rajnish; Singh, Anil Kumar; Santhakumari, B.; Kumar, Pushpendra; Laik, Sukumar (Marine Geophysical Research, 2021)
Natural gas hydrates are seen as an alternative future energy source. They have also been valued for their carbon dioxide capturing capability, gas separation, desalination, natural gas storage and transportation. Developing economical and viable gas hydrate based technology is one of the most promising research areas of present decade. Successful commercialization of gas hydrate based technology is often curtailed due to slow formation rate. The present study evaluates biosurfactant as a kinetic promoter of methane hydrates formation in a fixed bed C type silica gel medium. Biosurfactant was produced by growing Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain A11 in glycerol supplemented mineral salt medium. Biosurfactant characterization with FTIR, NMR and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy reveled it to be a glycolipids type biosurfactant namely rhamnolipids. Saturating C type silica gel with of 100 ppm rhamnolipids solution enhanced the rate of methane hydrates formation by reducing the induction time. Mole of methane consumed and percentage of water to hydrate conversion was observed to be more in 1000 ppm rhamnolipids saturated C type silica gel as compared to quiescent water system and water saturated silica gel system. Overall results suggest that rhamonolipids produced by strain A11 in combination with silica gel can be utilized as environmentally safe kinetic promoter for methane hydrate formation.
Keywords: Biosurfactant; Energy; Glycolipids; Induction time; Kinetic promoter

Rigidity dictates spontaneous helix formation of thermoresponsive colloidal chains in poor solvent - Biswas, Bipul; Mitra, Debarshi; KP, Fayis; Bhat, Suresh; Chatterji, Apratim; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy (ACS Nano, 2021)
The formation of helical motifs typically requires specific directional interactions. Here, we demonstrate that isotropic interparticle attraction can drive self-assembly of colloidal chains into thermo-reversible helices, for chains with a critical level of backbone rigidity. We prepare thermoresponsive colloidal chains by cross-linking PNIPAM microgel-coated polystyrene colloids (“monomers”), aligned in an AC electric field. We control the chain rigidity by varying cross-linking time. Above the LCST of PNIPAM, there is an effective attraction between monomers so that the colloidal chains are in a bad solvent. On heating, the chains decrease in size. For the most rigid chains, the decrease is modest and is not accompanied by a change in shape. Much less rigid chains form relatively compact structures, resulting in a large increase in the local monomer density. Unusually, chains with intermediate rigidity spontaneously assemble into helical structures. The chain helicity increases with temperature and plateaus above the collapse transition temperature of the microgel particles. We simulate a minimal model that captures the spontaneous emergence of the helical conformations of the polymeric chain and provides insight into this shape transition. Our work suggests that a purely mechanical instability for semiflexible filaments can drive helix formation, without the need to invoke directional interactions.

Role of chemical structure of support in enhancing the catalytic activity of a single atom catalyst toward NRR: a computational study - Senthamaraikannan, Thillai Govindaraja; Kaliaperumal, Selvaraj; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (Frontiers in Chemistry, 2021)
Using the periodic density functional theory–based methodology, we propose a potential catalytic system for dinitrogen activation, viz., single metal atoms (Mo, Fe, and V) supported on graphene-based sheets. Graphene-based sheets show an excellent potential toward the anchoring of single atoms on them (Mo, Fe, and V) with adsorption energies ranging between 1.048 and 10.893 eV. Factors such as defects and BN doping are noted to enhance the adsorption energies of single metal atoms on the support. The adsorption of a dinitrogen molecule on metal atom–anchored graphene-based supports is seen to be highly favorable, ranging between 0.620 and 2.278 eV. The adsorption is driven through a direct hybridization between the d orbitals of the metal atom (Mo, Fe, and V) on the support and the p orbital of the molecular nitrogen. Noticeably, BN-doped graphene supporting a single metal atom (Mo, Fe, and V) activates the N2 molecule with a red shift in the N–N stretching frequency (1,597 cm−1 as compared to 2,330 cm−1 in the free N2 molecule). This red shift is corroborated by an increase in the N–N bond length (1.23 Å from 1.09 Å) and charge transfer to an N2 molecule from the catalyst.

Role of preparation parameters of Cu-Zn mixed oxide catalyst in solvent free glycerol carbonylation with urea - Charate, Shrinivas; Shinde, Suhas; Kondawar, Sharda; Desai, Uday; Wadgaonkar, Prakash; Rode, Chandrashekhar (Journal of the Indian Chemical Society, 2021)
Solvent-free carbonylation of glycerol with urea to glycerol carbonate (GC) was achieved over heterogeneous Cu-Zn mixed oxide catalyst. Cu-Zn catalysts with different ratios of Cu:Zn were prepared using co-precipitation (CP) and oxalate gel (OG) methods. As compared to CuO-ZnO(2:1) catalyst prepared by oxalate gel (OG) method, much higher conversion of glycerol and highest selectivity towards glycerol carbonate (GC) was achieved with CuO-ZnO_CP(2:1) catalyst. Physicochemical properties of prepared catalysts were investigated by using XRD, FT-IR, BET, TPD of CO2 and NH3 and TEM techniques. The effect of stoichiometric ratio of Cu/Zn, calcination temperature of CuO-ZnO catalysts and effect of reaction parameters such as molar ratio of substrates, time and temperature on glycerol conversion to GC were critically studied. Cu/Zn of 2:1 ratio, glycerol-urea 1:1 molar ratio, 145 degrees C reaction temperatures were found to be optimized reaction conditions to achieve highest glycerol conversion of 86% and complete selectivity towards GC. The continuous expel of NH 3 from reaction the mixture avoided formation of ammonia complex with CuO-ZnO catalyst. As a result of this, CuO-ZnO catalyst could be recycled up to three times without losing its initial activity.
Keywords: Co-precipitation (CP); Glycerol; Glycerol carbonate; Oxalate gel (OG)

Ru-catalyzed asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of alpha-acyl butyrolactone via dynamic kinetic resolution: asymmetric synthesis of bis-THF alcohol intermediate of darunavir - More, V. Ganesh; Malekar, V. Pushpa; Kalshetti, Rupali G.; Shinde, Mahesh H.; Ramana, V. Chepuri (Tetrahedron Letters, 2021)
The Ru-catalyzed enantio- and diastereoselective dynamic kinetic resolution of alpha-(benzyloxy/benzoyloxy)acyl-gamma-butyrolactones has been examined via transfer hydrogenation. Employing the in situ prepared (R,R)-Ru-FsDPEN catalyst, the transfer hydrogenation of using formic acid/triethylamine at rt gave the corresponding (S)-3-((S)-2-(benzyloxy/benzoyloxy)-1-hydroxyethyl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-on e with good to excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity. One of the resulting hydrogenation product prepared on gram scales was utilized for the synthesis of (3R,3aS,6aR)-hexahydrofuro[2,3-b]furan-3-ol (1), a key synthetic intermediate of various HIV protease inhibitors such as darunavir with excellent enantio-(95% ee) and diastereoselectivities (dr 95:5). (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Bis-THF-OH intermediate; Darunavir; Dynamic kinetic resolution; Ru-catalysis; transfer hydrogenation

Scalable, sustainable and catalyst-free continuous flow ozonolysis of fatty acids - Atapalkar, Ranjit S.; Athawale, Paresh R.; Reddy, D. Srinivasa; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Green Chemistry, 2021)
A simple and efficient catalyst-free protocol for continuous flow synthesis of azelaic acid is developed from the renewable feedstock oleic acid. An ozone and oxygen mixture was used as the reagent for oxidative cleavage of double bond without using any metal catalyst or terminal oxidant. The target product was scaled up to more than 100 g with 86% yield in a white powder form. Complete recycling and reuse of the solvent were established making it a green method. The approach is significantly energy efficient and also has a very small chemical footprint. The methodology has been successfully tested with four fatty acids making it a versatile platform that gives value addition from renewable resources.

Seed-mediated growth of Pt on high-index faceted Au nanocrystals: the ag lining and implications for electrocatalysis - Roy, Debashree; Rajendra, Ranguwar; Gangadharan, Pranav K.; Pandikassala, Ajmal; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Ballav, Nirmalya (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2021)
Bimetallic Au@Pt nanocrystals (NCs) offer a unique combination of plasmonic and catalytic properties and are a growing field of research. Herein, we report an unusual observation in the behavior of silver ions (Ag+) which was found to play a dominant role in dictating the Pt deposition in a seed-mediated growth method. `While the literature is replete with various instances of Ag-assisted Pt deposition whereby higher concentration of Ag+ translates into a thicker Pt shell, in the present study, contradictory observations were made. In the presence of lower amounts of Ag+, thick Pt shells were visualized, while at higher concentrations of Ag+, the extent of Pt deposition via the galvanic replacement reaction was reduced. Additionally, the presence of Ag was deemed necessary for the Pt deposition to take place, either in the form of an underpotential deposition layer on the Au NCs or by introducing Ag+ in the growth solution. We have demonstrated our findings on two different Au NCs enclosed with high-index facets, concave cuboid, and elongated tetrahexahedra, which mirror similar observations and provide generality to our claim. To the best of our knowledge, the time required for Pt deposition on the Au core in the present work is the least among the reported seed-mediated routes. Furthermore, this work, besides presenting a facile and general route for the amalgamation of catalytic and plasmonic properties in hybrid Pt-Au NCs, sheds light on the mechanistic aspects of Ag-assisted wet-chemical generation of bimetallic Au@Pt NCs. The overall electrocatalytic performance of our Au@Pt NCs toward the oxygen reduction reaction was realized to be impressive.
Keywords: bimetallic nanostructure; galvanic replacement reaction; high-index facet; oxygen reduction reaction; seed-mediated growth; underpotential deposition

Short enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-tofacitinib - Mane, Kishor D.; Kamble, Rohit B.; Suryavanshi, Gurunath (Tetrahedron Letters, 2021)
An enantioselective total synthesis of Tofacitinib (CP-690,550), a Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK3) specific inhibitor has been achieved from the readily available 4-piperidone. Proline catalysed hydroxylation is the key step for the synthesis of enantiopure 1-benzyl-4-methylpiperidin-3-ol. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: aminohydroxylation; Hydrogenation; L-proline; piperidone

Significance of secondary forces toward improving the charge carrier mobility of Isoindigo based conjugated small molecules - Dharmapurikar, Satej S.; Kashmir, Arulraj Arul; Kumari, Tanya; Kalalawe, Virbhadra; Kanetkar, Maruti; Chini, Mrinmoy Kumar (Chemical Physics Letters, 2021)
The charge carrier mobility of conjugated small molecules (CSMs) depends on the intermolecular interactions and morphology. Herein, we report the synthesis of CSMs having different side chains. Hydrogen bonding, lipophilic imbalance and van der Waals interactions are imparted through the asymmetric substitution of Isoindigo. The secondary forces impact thin film morphology, and charge carrier mobility. The CSMs having van der Waals interaction further shows higher charge carrier mobility as a function of improved morphology, and increased temperature. The highest mobility of 0.15 cm2/Vs has been achieved for CSMs with van der Waals interaction.
Keywords: Conjugated small molecules; Isoindigo; mobility; OFET; Secondary force

Single-pot alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol to alkyl levulinates using heterogenized p-TSA catalyst** - Patil, Chetana R.; Kamble, Sanjay P.; Rode, Chandrashekhar V. (ChemistrySelect, 2021)
Synthesis of levulinate esters which are known to be excellent sustainable fuel additives, was achieved by alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol over strong solid acid catalyst, prepared by copolymerization of p-toluenesulfonic acid with paraformaldehyde. Our catalyst possessed Bronsted acidity (3 mmol/g) with an excellent stability up to 220 degrees C. XPS, FT-IR and Pyridine-IR along with microanalysis studies confirmed the presence of terminal -SO3H functional groups responsible for Bronsted acidity in the catalyst. The catalyst was found to efficiently catalyze the alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol to give alkyl levulinates under mild reaction conditions. The complete conversion of furfuryl alcohol with 96 % and 97 % selectivities to ethyl and butyl levulinates could be achieved using ethanol and butanol, respectively. Detailed study on effect of various reaction parameters like catalyst loading, reaction time and reaction temperature on conversion and product distribution was also carried out for the ethanolysis of furfuryl alcohol to ethyl levulinate. The catalyst could be easily recovered and recycled for five times successfully, with no loss in its original activity.
Keywords: Biomass; ethyl levulinate; Fuel additive; Furfuryl alcohol; heterogeneous catalysis

Slip behavior during pressure driven flow of Laponite suspension - Kamdi, Prophesar M.; Orpe, Ashish V.; Kumaraswamy, Guruswamy (Physics of Fluids, 2021)
We investigate pressure driven pipe flow of Laponite suspension, as a model thixotropic fluid. The tendency of the suspension to age is controlled by addition of sodium chloride salt to vary the ionic strength. We use a syringe pump to prescribe the flow and observe that a steady state flow is obtained. Unusually, the steady state pressure drop required to maintain a constant flow rate decreases with an increase in the flow rate, in qualitative contrast to the expectation for Poiseuille flow. We demonstrate that experimental results obtained by varying the flow rate, salt concentration, and flow geometry (pipe diameter and length) can be collapsed onto a single universal curve that can be rationalized by invoking slip of the suspension at the tube walls. The Laponite suspension exhibits plug-like flow, yielding at the tube walls. Our results suggest that the slip length varies linearly with the flow rate and inversely with the tube diameter.

Solvent extraction of copper enhanced by mixing cavities in micromixer - Sheik, Abdul Rauf; Kulkarni, Amol A.; Sanjay, Kali (Solvent Extraction Research and Development-Japan, 2021)
A Y micromixer with a macroscopic mixing cavity at the inlet junction was developed. The effects of the mixing cavity on the improvement of extraction of copper by LIX 841 were investigated. The investigated parameters and their ranges were: overall flow rate: 10 - 200 mL/min; microchannel size: 0.5 - 1 mm and mixing cavity diameter: 5 - 20 mm. Extraction efficiency, volumetric mass transfer coefficient, kinetics and pressure drop were investigated. The extraction efficiency and the volumetric mass transfer coefficient in the cavity micromixer were significantly higher than the Y micromixer. The volumetric mass transfer coefficient ranged between 1 - 93 s(-1), and the pressure drop between 50 - 500 kPa. The residence time required in the micromixers was two orders of magnitude lesser than that of an agitated batch reactor.

Solvent free, environment benign synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines and polyhydroquinolines by using heterogeneous Zn/MCM-41 catalyst - Dhengale, Shankar D.; Naik, Vaibhav M.; Kolekar, Govind B.; Rode, Chandrashekhar V.; Anbhule, Prashant V. (Research on Chemical Intermediates, 2021)
Heterogeneous catalysis has been utilized in number of efficient reactions with higher selectivity of the product, more stable, reusable and easy for separation as compared to homogeneous catalysts. Generally, heterogeneous catalysts are prepared by using mesoporous materials, microporous materials, metal oxides and metal organic framework. The mesoporous materials have small particle size and high surface area as compared to the microporous materials. The adsorbent mesoporous materials have highly efficient for the therapeutic applications in chemistry hence it has best as compared to other heterogeneous materials. Herein, we have reported synthesis of 1,4-dihydropyridines and polyhydroquinolines at solvent free and environmental benign condition in the presence of Zn/MCM-41 catalyst. The present protocol gives excellent yield (89-96%) of the product within short reaction time by easy work up procedure and no need of further purification of product. The catalyst was characterized by XRD diffractometer, SEM, EDAX, TGA-DTA, BET surface area analysis and FT-IR Spectroscopy. The synthesized organic compounds were characterized by FT-IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, LC-MS spectrometry.
Keywords: High activity; High selectivity; mesoporous materials; microporous materials; Reusability of catalyst

Spatio-temporal resolution of taxonomic and functional microbiome of Lonar soda lake of India reveals metabolic potential for bioremediation - Chakraborty, Jaya; Rajput, Vinay; Sapkale, Vibhavari; Kamble, Sanjay; Dharne, Mahesh (Chemosphere, 2021)
<span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Lonar Lake, India; a hypersaline and hyperalkaline extremophilic ecosystem having a unique microbial population has been rarely explored for bioremediation aspects. MinION-based shotgun sequencing was used to comprehensively compare the microbial diversity and functional potential of xenobiotic degradation pathways with seasonal changes. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were prevalent bacterial phyla in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon samples. Functional analysis from SEED-subsystem and KEGG database revealed 28 subsystems and 18 metabolic pathways for the metabolism of aromatic compounds and xenobiotic biodegradation respectively. Occurrence of N-phenyl alkanoic, benzoate, biphenyl, chloroaromatic, naphthalene, and phenol degradation genes depicted varied abundance in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon samples. Further, KEGG analysis indicated nitrotoluene degradation pathway (ko00633) abundant in post-monsoon samples, and the benzoate degradation pathway (ko00362) predominant in 19LN4S (pre-monsoon) than 18LN7S (post-monsoon) samples. The abundant genes for benzoate degradation were pcaI: 3-oxoadipate CoA-transferase, alpha subunit, pcaH: protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase, beta subunit, and pcaB: 3-carboxy-cis, cis-muconate cycloisomerase, and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase. This metagenomic study provides a unique blueprint of hitherto unexplored xenobiotic biodegradation genes/pathways in terms of seasonal variations in the Lonar Lake, and warrants active exploitation of microbes for bioremediation purposes.

Stabilization of the elusive antimony(I) cation and its coordination complexes with transition metals - Kumar, Vikas; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Yildiz, Cem B.; Majumdar, Moumita (Angewandte Chemie-International Edition, 2021)
Upon stabilization by 5,6-bis(diisopropylphosphino)acenaphthene to form compound 1, the fugitive antimony (I) cation exhibited nucleophilic behavior towards coinage metals. Compound 1 was strategically synthesized at room temperature from SbCl3, the bis(phosphine), and trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate taken in a 1:2:3 ratio, whereby the bis(phosphine) plays the dual role of a reductant and a supporting ligand. The generation of 1 involves two-electron oxidation of the ligand to form a P-P bonded diphosphonium dication. Compound 1 was separated from this dication to give both products in pure form in moderate yields. Despite the overall positive charge, the Sb-I site in 1 was found to bind to metal centers, forming complexes with Au-I, Ag-I and Cu-I. Compound 1 reduced Cu-II to Cu-I and formed a coordination complex with the resulting Cu-I species. The effects of the electron-rich bis(phosphine) and the constrained peri geometry in stabilizing and enhancing the nucleophilicity of 1 have been rationalized through computational studies.
Keywords: antimony(I) cation; coordination modes; nucleophilicity; phosphine ligands; reduction

Stereoselective total synthesis of (+/-)-pleurospiroketals A and B - Thorat, Sagar S.; Krishna, Gamidi Rama; Kontham, Ravindar (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2021)
A full account of our efforts toward the stereoselective total synthesis of sesquiterpenoid-derived natural products (+/-)-pleurospiroketals A and B is described. Commercially available 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone and 2,2-dimethyloxirane were used as key building blocks, and the substrate-controlled stereoselection was exploited to access the entire stereochemistry of these natural products. Initially, a planned synthetic route involving a [6,5]-bicyclic lactone intermediate was found to be insurmountable, and the later strategy comprising OsO4-NMO-mediated dihydroxylation of 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenone, followed by Luche reduction, Eschenmoser methylenation, and Bronsted acid-induced spiroketalization steps, was ultimately identified as the reliable strategy.

Strategies for the synthesis of furo-pyranones and their application in the total synthesis of related natural products - Thorat, Sagar S.; Kontham, Ravindar (Organic Chemistry Frontiers, 2021)
The furo-pyranone framework is widely present in the molecular structure of various biologically potent natural products and un-natural small molecules, and it represents a valuable target in synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry. In the last five decades, numerous innovative synthetic methodologies have been disclosed for these bis-oxacyclic fused heterocycles, expanding the scope of accessible building blocks, efficient and affordable catalysis, facile reaction conditions, and overall practicality of the process. In this comprehensive review article, we focus on showcasing the complete spectrum (from the first report in the 1970s to the latest disclosure in 2020) of efforts devoted towards the synthesis of diverse classes of furo-pyranones through systematization and critical analysis of the accumulated experimental knowledge and their elegant applications in total syntheses of biologically interesting related natural products.

Substrate augmented catalytic activity towards NRR: a case study of Li doped Al clusters on defective graphene - Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Poonam; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (2021)
Density Functional Theory (DFT) based methods are applied to examine the potential of lithium doped aluminium clusters consisting of 3-13 atoms for dinitmgen molecule activation in terms of N N bond length, redshift in N N bond stretching frequency, nitrogen interaction energy and frontier molecular orbitals analysis. The present work highlights the role of monovacant C-3 defective graphene as a support in fine tuning the catalytic activity of Li doped Al clusters for reduction of N-2. Fundamental insights to synergic binding of clusters with defective graphene is brought out and its role in enhancing activation of dinitmgen molecule is explained. Supported Aln-1Li clusters with six or more atoms are noted to be more active towards N-2 molecule activation as compared to the clusters without support. Dinitrogen molecule undergoes a maximum bond elongation of 1.56 angstrom corresponding to redshift of 1690 cm(-1) on Al7Li@graphene and Al12Li@graphene. This is maximum value reported in context of activation for N-2 molecule till date.
Keywords: Al clusters; Al12Li; C-3 defective graphene; DFT; Li Doping; N-2 activation; Red-shift

Sulfonated polyvinyl alcohol ionomer membrane favoring smooth electrodeposition of zinc for aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries - Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Torris, Arun; Kurian, Maria; Mathew, Megha Mary; Ghosh, Meena; Khairnar, Ajay B.; Badiger, Manohar V.; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2021)
One of the failure mechanisms of aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) involves high surface area zinc (HSAZ)/dendrite-like deposits over the Zn-metal anode during long-term cycling. Negatively charged (anionic) polymeric ionomer electrolyte membranes and separators are known for suppressing the dendrite-/HSAZ-induced failure of AZMBs. However, the preparation of cost-effective and non-fluorinated ionomers from cheap and environmentally friendly polymers is essential to leverage the feasibility of AZMBs. The current work demonstrates the potential of an ionomer electrolyte membrane (P-AS-C-Zn) made by the crystallization-induced physical cross-linking of sulfonated poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVS) and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a dendrite-/HSAZ-inhibiting separator for AZMBs. The P-AS-C-Zn membranes exhibited excellent Zn plating/stripping behavior with a stable voltage vs. time profile beyond 1100 h, compared to their neutral PVA-C-Zn counterpart without any ionomer character (cell failure at close to 280 h). Applying the optimized P-AS-C-Zn membrane in a MnO2||Zn full cell helps retain about 50% of the initial capacity close to 600 cycles in the absence of extra manganese salt in the electrolyte, which is indeed promising.

Supported MoOx and WOx solid acids for biomass valorization: interplay of coordination chemistry, acidity, and catalysis - Sudarsanam, Putla; Gupta, Navneet Kumar; Mallesham, Baithy; Singh, Nittan; Kalbande, Pavan Narayan; Reddy, Benjaram M.; Sels, Bert F. (ACS Catalysis, 2021)
Supported molybdenum oxide (MoOx) and tungsten oxide (WOx) materials are a vital class of solid acid catalysts for the chemical industry because of their nontoxic nature, strong acidity, remarkable stability in water, hydrogen, and oxygen atmospheres, and excellent reusability performance. These fascinating solid acids play a pivotal role in developing sustainable catalytic routes for renewable biomass processing to produce value-added fuels, chemicals, and platform molecules. The coordination chemistry of MoOx and WOx on the support materials (oxides, carbons, or zeolites) controls their acidic strength, active site accessibility, and catalytic activity. Hence, significant efforts have been made toward optimizing the conditions used for catalyst synthesis and biomass processing to tune the coordination chemistry of MoOx and WOx with the substrate molecules and, thus, their acid-activity/selectivity performance. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of supported MoOx and WOx solid acids for biomass valorization. The importance of the biomass and the role of solid acids for biomass valorization were emphasized, followed by a brief discussion of supported MoOx and WO(x )solid acids. Afterward, the interplay of coordination chemistry, acidic strength, and catalytic activity of supported MoOx and WOx solid acids was discussed. Finally, their catalytic applications for the valorization of several biomass substrates and their derivatives were summarized. This Review will provide valuable insights for developing advanced supported WOx and MoOx solid acids for catalytic biomass valorization and other challenging acid-catalyzed processes.
Keywords: Acidity; biomass valorization; catalysis; Coordination chemistry; molybdenum oxide; tungsten oxide

SWATH-MS based quantitative proteomics analysis to evaluate the antileishmanial effect of Commiphora wightii- Guggul and amphotericin B on a clinical isolate of Leishmania donovani (vol 223, 103800, 2020) - Routaray, Chinmayee Bar; Bhor, Renuka; Bai, Shakuntala; Kadam, Nitin Suryakant; Jagtap, Surabhi; Doshi, Pooja Jignesh; Sundar, Shyam; Sawant, Sangeeta; Kulkarni, Mahesh J.; Pai, Kalpana (Journal of Proteomics, 2021)
Drug resistance and relapse after treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) with the chemotherapeutic drugs has impeded the VL elimination programme especially, in the endemic region of Bihar, India. Currently, Antimonials (Sbv) have been rendered obsolete (Bihar) as frequent treatment failure and relapse in Sbv treated patient's warrants greater vigilance and attention to the limited drugs. A clinical isolate of L.donovani obtained from an Amphotericin B (AmB) relapse patient was evaluated for its susceptibility to AmB and a hyperlipidemic drug Guggul. The evaluation of susceptibility or resistance to any drug still relies on in vitro assay on promastigote and amastigote stages of Leishmania spp. as there are no validated markers which can ascertain drug resistance in Leishmania. The anti-promastigote effect of AmB and Guggul were demonstrated by significant cellular and morphological changes exhibiting apoptosis-mediated cell death. To further illustrate the molecular mechanism of the parasite's response upon exposure to either AmB and Guggul, sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS) for quantitative proteomics analysis was performed along with computational data analysis; revealing considerable differences in the proteome profiles which could be regarded as putative markers for resistance or drug targets for development of therapeutic antileishmanials.

Synergistic effect of B site co-doping with Co and Ce in bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis by oxygen deficient brownmillerite Ba2In2O5 - Thundiyil, Shibin; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Devi, R. Nandini (Catalysis Today, 2021)
<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">Specificity in oxygen reduction and evolution reactions is pivotal in bifunctional catalysts in advanced energy devices which are expected to be active in a wide potential window and stable in both electrochemically reducing and oxidising atmospheres. State of the art noble metal catalysts for these reactions are fraught with issues whereas, metal oxides are expected to be stable in large potential window and can be tuned to have better bifunctional activity. Catalytically active metals, redox centres, oxygen vacancies etc. are some of the features of structured oxides which can be exploited in oxygen electrocatalysis. Brownmillerite family of compounds with general formula, A<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">B<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">O<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">5<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;"> has high concentrations of ordered oxygen vacancy in a layer and can be promising bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts, by appropriate B site doping. Ba<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">In<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">O<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">5<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;"> is a well-studied system for its oxide ion conductivity and proximity of active B sites to O vacancies provide good O adsorption sites which are catalytically active. Here, cobalt and cerium are co-doped in Ba<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">In<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">2<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">O<span style="font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 0; position: relative; bottom: -0.25em; color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">5<span style="color: rgb(46, 46, 46); font-family: NexusSerif, Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, STIXGeneral, "Cambria Math", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Microsoft Sans Serif", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Arial Unicode MS", serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400;">, anticipating a synergistic effect of Ce(III)/Ce(IV) redox centre in ORR and Co activity in OER along with O vacancies providing adsorption sites. We have studied the structural changes associated with the doping by Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns and correlated the structure to bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic activity which is found to enhance on increasing the Co and Ce content.

Synergistic electronic coupling/cross-talk between the isolated metal halide units of zero dimensional heterometallic (Sb, Mn) halide hybrid with enhanced emission - Biswas, Anupam; Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan; Das, Deep K.; Sam, Jisvin; Mali, Bhupendra P.; Biswas, Chinmoy; Maana, Narugopal; Thomson, Stuart; Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Dutta, Sudipta; et al. (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2021)
Heterometallic 0D metal halide hybrids, consisting of more than one kind of metal halide units, are anticipated to manifest synergistic effects on the photo-physical properties of the constituent metal halide units. Such architectures hold great promise for design and development of function-targeted materials. However, heterometallic 0D hybrids, featuring isolated metal halide units, typically do not show any synergistic effects due to large inter-unit spatial separations that inhibit interactions/coupling between the constituent metal halide units. It remains challenging to design synthetic strategies that would support structural modifications to allow synergistic electronic coupling between the metal halide units in heterometallic 0D hybrids. Here, we report synthesis and characterization of heterometallic (Sb, Mn) 0D hybrid, namely Tris SbMnCl, with isolated MnCl5 units, (Sb/Mn)Cl-6 units, dispersed in the organic ligand matrix and layer of dynamic and networked water molecules. Steady state and time resolved emission spectra (TRES) analysis suggests strong synergistic interaction between the isolated metal halide units. Efficient energy transfer from the strongly absorbing Sb centres to emissive Mn centres results in the observed enhanced emission. Proton conductivity measurements together with first-principles calculations suggest the unique role of the networked water molecules in mediating the electronic coupling/energy transfer between the separated metal halide units in Tris SbMnCl hybrid. This report highlights the role of structure/composition of the synthesized heterometallic 0D hybrid in attaining electronic dimensionality higher than 0D through synergistic electronic interaction between the isolated metal halide units.

Synergistic nanostructured MnOx/TiO2 catalyst for highly selective synthesis of aromatic imines - Sudarsanam, Putla; Kockritz, Angela; Atia, Hanan; Amin, Mohamad Hassan; Bruckner, Angelika (ChemCatChem, 2021)
This work reports the development of a synergistic nanostructured MnOx/TiO2 catalyst, with highly dispersed MnOx nanoparticles (4.5 +/- 1 nm) on shape-controlled TiO2 nanotubes (8-11 nm width and 120-280 nm length), for selective synthesis of valuable aromatic imines at industrially important conditions. Pristine TiO2 nanotubes exhibited 97 % imine selectivity at a 38.3 % benzylamine conversion, whereas very low imine selectivity was obtained over commercial TiO2 materials, indicating the catalytic significance of shape-controlled TiO2 nanotubes. The MnOx nanoparticle/TiO2 nanotube (10 wt% Mn) catalyst calcined at 400 degrees C showed the best activity with 95.6 % benzylamine conversion and 99.9 % imine selectivity. This catalyst exhibited good recyclability for four times and is effective for converting numerous benzylamines into higher yields of imines. The high catalytic performance of MnOx/TiO2 nanotubes was attributed to higher number of redox sites (Mn3+), high dispersion of Mn species, and shape-controlled structure of TiO2, indicating that this catalyst could be a promising candidate for selective oxidation reactions.
Keywords: Acid-redox properties; aerobic oxidation; Nanostructured catalyst; Selective catalysis; Synergistic metal-oxide interaction

Synthesis and application of silylene-stabilized low-coordinate Ag(I)-arene cationic complexes - Parvin, Nasrina; Sen, Nilanjana; Tothadi, Srinu; Muhammed, Shahila; Parameswaran, Pattiyil; Khan, Shabana (Organometallics, 2021)
We report the first examples of N-heterocyclic silylene-stabilized monocoordinate Ag(I) cationic complexes weakly bound to the free arene rings (C6H6, C6Me6, and C7H8). Further, the application of these electrophilic Ag(I) complexes as catalysts has been investigated toward A(3)-coupling reactions, which afforded a series of propargylamines in good to excellent yields with low catalyst loading under a solvent-free condition (19 examples).

Synthesis and cell imaging applications of fluorescent mono/di/tri-heterocyclyl-2,6-dicyanoanilines (vol 27, pg 979, 2017) - Pisal, Mahesh M.; Annadate, Ritesh A.; Athalye, Meghana C.; Kumar, Deepak; Chavan, Subhash P.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Borate, Hanumant B. (Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2021)

Synthesis and characterization of LAGP-glass-ceramics-based composite solid polymer electrolyte for solid-state Li-ion battery application - Das, Anurup; Goswami, Madhumita; Illath, Kavya; Ajithkumar, T. G.; Arya, A.; Krishnan, M. (Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 2021)
Solid State Electrolytes (SSEs) are the future alternatives of the present conventional liquid electrolytes in terms of safety, high temperature stability and also good electrochemical performance. Glass (G), based on Lithium Aluminium Germanium Phosphate (LAGP) was prepared and converted into glass-ceramics (GC) by optimized heating schedule. The crystalline LAGP has Na Super Ionic CONductor (NASICON) type unit cell where the lithium ions hop between two different positions providing long range ionic motion. To improve the inter electrode surface resistance and cell performance, Composite Solid Electrolyte (CSE) was prepared with poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexaflurophoaphate) (P(VDF-HFP)), 20wt% LAGP, Lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) and 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis-(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-imide (EMITFSI). X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the formation of the NASICON phase in LAGP GC and the amorphous nature of the CSE. NMR studies confirm formation of the Ge/AlO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra inside the crystal. 7Li NMR also confirmed two different Lithium sites in LAGP crystal. The ionic conductivity values of CSE and LAGP GC are (4.49 +/- 0.31) x 10(-3)Scm(-1) and (2.70 +/- 0.04) x 10(-4)Scm(-1), respectively. The thermal stability of the prepared CSE is tested upto 315 degrees C without any degradation. Two cells (Cell-I & Cell-II) were fabricated using the LAGP GC and CSE respectively. Cell-II shows the specific discharge capacity of 151mAhg1 at 50th cycle which is higher as compared to Cell-I (129mAhg(-1)) when tested at the C-rate of 0.05 degrees C.
Keywords: Lithium germanium phosphate; NASICON; Solid state electrolyte; Solid state NMR

Synthesis, crystal structures, dielectric and magnetic properties of manganese sulfonyldibenzoates - Balendra; Singh, Bharti; Banday, Azeem; Tewari, Shailabh; Kumar, Vineet; Murugavel, Sevi; Joy, P. A.; Ramanan, Arunachalam (Crystengcomm, 2021)
{A systematic investigation of the system manganese(II) salt-H(2)SBA-auxiliary ligand-solvent successfully led to the isolation of six new multidimensional coordination polymers: [Mn-5(2-pic)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (1), [Mn-3(pyzc)(2)(DMF)(H2O)(SBA)(2)]center dot DMF center dot H2O (2), [Mn-5(pyzc)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (3), [Mn-5(mpyzc)(2)(DMA)(4)(SBA)(4)]center dot 4DMA (4), [Mn-2(phen)(2)(H2O)(SBA)(2)]center dot 2DMA (5) and [Mn-3(phen)(2)(SBA)(3)]center dot 5DMF (6), where SBA = 4,4'-sulfonyldibenzoate 2-pic = 2-picolinate

Synthetic heparan sulfate ligands for vascular endothelial growth factor to modulate angiogenesis - Jain, Prashant; Shanthamurthy, Chethan D.; Leviatan Ben-Arye, Shani; Yehuda, Sharon; Nandikol, Sharvani S.; Thulasiram, V, Hirekodathakallu; Padler-Karavani, Vered; Kikkeri, Raghavendra (Chemical Communications, 2021)
We report the discovery of a potential heparan sulfate (HS) ligand to target several growth factors using 13 unique HS tetrasaccharide ligands. By employing an HS microarray and SPR, we deciphered the crucial structure-binding relationship of these glycans with the growth factors BMP2, VEGF(165), HB-EGF, and FGF2. Notably, GlcNHAc(6-O-SO3-)-IdoA(2-O-SO3-) (HT-2,6S-NAc) tetrasaccharide showed strong binding with the VEGF(165) growth factor. In vitro vascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis was inhibited in the presence of VEGF(165) and HT-2,6S-NAc or HT-6S-NAc, revealing the potential therapeutic role of these synthetic HS ligands.

Thermal stability of an endohedrally doped aluminum nanoclusters: a BOMD study - Singh, Chandrodai Pratap; Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (Theoretical Chemistry Accounts, 2021)
In this article, thermal stability of doped Al-13 nanoclusters has been systematically investigated within the framework of density functional theory (DFT). To explain thermal stability, simulations have been carried out over a temperature range from 300 to 1100 K using Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BOMD). The atomic displacements have been quantified by calculating delta(rms,) MSD and epsilon(pro.) The thermal stability of different clusters is explained using underlined electronic properties such as HOMO-LUMO, charges and bond length.
Keywords: BOMD; Bond length fluctuations; Endohedral doping; Mean squared ionic displacements (MSD); Nanoclusters; Root mean squared

Toward pH independent oxygen reduction reaction by polydopamine derived 3D interconnected, iron carbide embedded graphitic carbon - Gangadharan, Pranav K.; Pandikassala, Ajmal; Kurungot, Sreekumar (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021)
Recent advancements on the development of nonprecious electrocatalysts with iron (Fe) incorporated active centers have generated confidence on realizing cost-effective proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, most of these catalysts that emerged as a substitution for the platinum supported on carbon (Pt/C) catalysts in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are active under basic conditions, and their feasibility in PEMFCs remains as a challenge. In this scenario, this work reports the synthesis of a Pt-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst prepared by the annealing of polydopamine grown melamine foam. The prepared catalyst has a three-dimensional (3D) interconnected bilayer network structure possessing the carbon nitride backbone wrapped by graphitic carbon layer bearing iron carbides and nitrides as the active centers (3DFePDC). Interestingly, the 3D-FePDC catalyst displayed an ORR activity both under acidic and basic conditions. Whereas the ORR performance of 3D-FePDC closely matches that of the commercial Pt/C in the basic medium, it displays only a low overpotential value of 60 mV under acidic conditions compared to its Pt counterpart. The kinetics of ORR on 3DFePDC is found to be similar to the four-electron (4e) reduction pathway displayed by Pt/C. Testing of a PEMFC in a single cell mode by using 3D-FePDC as the cathode catalyst and Nafion membrane delivered a maximum power density of 278 mW cm(-2), which is a promising value expected from a system based on the nonprecious metal cathode. Ultimately, as a cost-effective catalyst that can effectively perform irrespective of the pH conditions, 3D-FePDC offers significant prospects in the areas like fuel cells and metal-air batteries which work in acidic and/or basic conditions.
Keywords: acidic medium; electrocatalyst; fuel cell; graphitic carbon; Iron carbide; nitrogen doping; nonprecious metal; oxygen reduction reaction

Towards sustainable continuous production of azo dyes: possibilities and techno-economic analysis - Shukla, Chinmay A.; Kute, Mahesh S.; Kulkarni, Amol A. (Green Chemistry, 2021)
A novel continuous process for synthesizing azo dyes using a bubble column reactor is reported. Continuous experiments were successfully performed for Sudan-I dye and Solvent Yellow 16 dye with a yield [and productivity] of 92.04 +/- 3.50% [1.68 +/- 0.13 kg day(-1)] and 96.60 +/- 2.18% [1.92 +/- 0.04 kg day(-1)], respectively. Experiments were performed at a higher slurry concentration similar to 5% (w/w) without any clogging. The results were extended for performing a detailed techno-economic analysis for 5 TPD Sudan-I azo dye production as a case study. The results indicate that the cost of the continuous process is almost 4.68 times lower than that of the corresponding batch process. Furthermore, the footprint for a continuous plant can be lowered by 2.4 to 4.5 times when compared to the batch process depending on different refilling strategies for feed storage tanks. A continuous process may require 39-42% less water than the industrial batch process.

Triazine-based janus G-C nucleobase as a building block for self-assembly, peptide nucleic acids, and smart polymers - Meena, Chhuttan L.; Singh, Dharmendra; Kizhakeetil, Bhavya; Prasad, Manasa; George, Malini; Tothadi, Srinu; Sanjayan, Gangadhar J. (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2021)
This communication reports on the utility of a triazine-based self-assembling system, reminiscent of a Janus G-C nucleobase, as a building block for developing (1) supramolecular polymers, (2) peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), and (3) smart polymers. The strategically positioned self-complementary triple H-bonding arrays DDA and AAD facilitate efficient self-assembly, leading to a linear supramolecular polymer.

Tuning of alpha-silyl carbocation reactivity into enone transposition: application to the synthesis of peribysin D, E-volkendousin, and E-guggulsterone - Athawale, Paresh R.; Zade, Vishal M.; Krishna, Gamidi Rama; Reddy, D. Srinivasa (Organic Letters, 2021)
A reliable method for enone transposition has been developed with the help of silyl group masking. Enantio-switching, substituent shuffling, and Z-selectivity are the highlights of the method. The developed method was applied for the first total synthesis of peribysin D along with its structural revision. Formal synthesis of E-guggulsterone and E-volkendousin was also claimed using a short sequence.

Tuning the selectivity of CO2 hydrogenation using ceramic hollow fiber catalytic modules - Jogdand, Shunottara M.; Bedadur, Prachiti R.; Torris, Arun; Kharul, Ulhas K.; Naidu, V. Satyam; Devi, R. Nandini (Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2021)
The unique structural features and advantageous pore distributions of alumina hollow fibers can be exploited to tune the selectivity in heterogeneous catalysis. Formation of a finger-like cavity structure is the unique characteristic of the phase inversion method, which provides a larger surface area to volume ratio desirable for catalytic reactions. This feature, along with a highly porous sandwiched skin layer, makes this architecture superior to conventional powder catalysts or other structured catalyst forms like monoliths. Alumina hollow fibers are prepared by the modified phase inversion method and characterized for their pore size and distribution. Ni metal nanoparticles are uniformly deposited in the Al2O3 hollow fibers to prepare a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst and tested for the CO2 methanation reaction. Suitable reactor and catalyst loading methods are designed and optimized to achieve higher CO2 to methane conversion in a temperature range of 225 to 400 degrees C. The alpha-alumina phase, which is usually reported to be a poor support for Ni in CO2 methanation in the conventional fixed bed configuration, showed high activity when modulated as hollow fibers. Also, the selectivity to CH4 is enhanced and minimal CO formation is observed. The kinetic rate expressions are simulated for the prediction of methane and CO gas evolution at the outlet with temperature. The experimental results for the gas composition are in good agreement with the model predictions. The advantage of such a module reactor is explained based on the mass transfer limitations and consequently the reaction time constants arrived at from the predicted gas compositions.

On the use of electronegativity and electron affinity based pseudo-molecular field descriptors in developing correlations for quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling of drug activities - Kunde, Pushkar D.; Ramkumar, Sudha; Kamble, Sanjay P.; RaviKumar, Ameeta; Kulkarni, Bhaskar D.; Kumar, V. Ravi (Chemical Biology & Drug Design, 2021)
For quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling in ligand-based drug discovery programs, pseudo-molecular field (PMF) descriptors using intrinsic atomic properties, namely, electronegativity and electron affinity are studied. In combination with partial least squares analysis and Procrustes transformation, these PMF descriptors were employed successfully to develop correlations that predict the activities of target protein inhibitors involved in various diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, HIV, and malaria). The results show that the present QSAR approach is competitive to existing QSAR models. In order to demonstrate the use of this algorithm, we present results of screening naturally occurring molecules with unknown bioactivities. The pIC(50) predictions can screen molecules that have desirable activity before assessment by docking studies.
Keywords: drug discovery; electron affinity; Electronegativity; molecular field descriptors; partial least squares; QSAR

Utilizing the oxygen carrier property of cerium iron oxide for the low-temperature synthesis of 1,3-butadiene from 1-butene - Venugopalan, Aswathy T.; Kandasamy, Prabu; Gogoi, Pranjal; Ratneshkumar, Jha; Thirumalaiswamy, Raja (Catalysis Letters, 2021)
Low-temperature oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of 1-butene to 1,3-butadiene is one of the challenging reactions in the polymer industry. Towards this a highly dispersed cerium iron oxide was synthesized by citrate gel combustion method and employed for the synthesis of 1,3-butadiene (BD) from 1-butene. The reaction was carried out at low temperature under an oxygen-free atmosphere in a continuous flow mode fixed bed reactor. A decrease in the lattice parameters observed from PXRD and high-resolution TEM analysis proved that iron occupies cerium sites in the crystal lattice. XPS, TPR, and oxygen uptake studies quantified the nature and abundance of different oxygen species. ODH was observed through consuming lattice oxygens. The vacancies generated could be filled by re-oxidation with an external supply of oxygen which will restore the catalytic activity demonstrating the Mars van Krevelen mechanism. [GRAPHICS] .
Keywords: 1; 1-butene; 3-butadiene; Cerium; iron; Lattice oxygen; oxidative dehydrogenation

Web-gLV: a web based platform for lotka-volterra based modeling and simulation of microbial populations (vol 10, 288, 2019) - Kuntal, Bhusan K.; Gadgil, Chetan; Mande, Sharmila S. (Frontiers in Microbiology, 2021)
Keywords: lotka-volterra; microbial population; Microbiome; Modeling; numerical-simulation; time-series; visualization; web-server

ZCTs knockdown using antisense LNA GapmeR in specialized photomixotrophic cell suspensions of Catharanthus roseus: Rerouting the flux towards mono and dimeric indole alkaloids - Verma, Priyanka; Khan, Shamshad Ahmad; Parasharami, Varsha; Mathur, Ajay Kumar (Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants, 2021)
The present study was carried out to silence the transcription factor genes ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 via lipofectamine based antisense LNA GapmeRs transfection into the protoplasts of established photomixotrophic cell suspensions. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions with a threshold of 0.5% sucrose were raised and established using two-tiered CO2 providing flasks kept under high light intensity. The photomixotrophic cell suspensions showed morphologically different thick-walled cells under scanning electron microscopic analysis in comparison to the simple thin-walled parenchymatous control cell suspensions. The LC-MS analysis registered the vindoline production (0.0004 +/- 0.0001 mg/g dry wt.) in photomixotrophic cell suspensions which was found to be absent in control cell suspensions. The protoplasts were isolated from the photomixotrophic cell suspensions and subjected to antisense LNA GapmeRs silencing. Three lines, viz. Z1A, Z2C and Z3G were obtained where complete silencing of ZCT1, ZCT2 and ZCT3 genes, respectively, was observed. The Z3G line was found to show maximum production of vindoline (0.038 +/- 0.001 mg/g dry wt.), catharanthine (0.165 +/- 0.008 mg/g dry wt.) and vinblastine (0.0036 +/- 0.0003 mg/g dry wt.). This was supported by the multifold increment in the gene expression of TDC, SLS, STR, SGD, d4h, dat, CrT16H and Crprx. The present work indicates the master regulation of ZCT3 knockdown among all three ZCTs transcription factors in C. roseus to enhance the terpenoid indole alkaloids production. The successful silencing of transcription repressor genes has been achieved in C. roseus plant system by using photomixotrophic cell cultures through GapmeR based silencing. The present study is a step towards metabolic engineering of the TIAs pathway using protoplast transformation in C. roseus.
Keywords: Catharanthine; LC-MS; Protoplast; TIAs; Vinblastine; Vindoline

Zinc-air batteries catalyzed using Co3O4 nanorod-supported N-doped entangled graphene for oxygen reduction reaction - Manna, Narugopal; Singh, Santosh K.; Kharabe, Geeta Pandurang; Torris, Arun; Kurungot, Sreekumar (ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2021)
The work reported here deals with the development of an efficient non-platinum electrocatalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) through a sequential pathway involving hydrothermal treatment followed by freeze-drying to build the desired structural architecture of the catalyst. The designed catalyst (Co3O4/nitrogen-doped entangled porous 3D graphene (NEGF)), which contains Co3O4 nanorods anchored on the surface of three-dimensional (3D)-structured N-doped graphene, was found to display higher ORR activity during single-electrode testing and demonstrate a Zn-air battery (ZAB) system. Under the hydrothermal treatment at 180 degrees C, in the presence of ammonia, nitrogen was doped into the carbon framework of graphene, which subsequently formed a self-assembled entangled 3D structure of graphene after freeze-drying. The hydrothermal treatment and freeze-drying processes were found to play vital roles in tuning the morphological and structural features of the catalyst. The doped nitrogen, apart from its favorable contribution toward ORR, helped facilitate efficient dispersion of oxide nanorods on graphene. Co3O4/NEGF displayed remarkable ORR activity in 0.1 M KOH solution, as evident from the 60 mV onset potential shift compared to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst and the Tafel slope value of 74 mV dec(-1) vs 68 mV dec(-1) for Pt/C. The ZAB fabricated by employing Co3O4/NEGF as the cathode catalyst was found to be an efficient competitor for the system based on the Pt/C cathode. This high performance has been credited to the controlled interplay of the governing factors such as the interfacial interactions leading to the efficient dispersion of metal oxide nanorods, increased catalyst surface area, the cooperative effect arising from the defects present in the N-doped porous 3D graphene, and the synergetic interactions operating in the system.
Keywords: cobalt-oxide nanorod; freeze-drying; hydrothermal; N-doped entangled graphene; oxygen reduction reaction; zinc-air battery

2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) purified from streptomyces sp. KCA1 from phyllanthus niruri: isolation, characterization, antibacterial and anticancer properties - Seenivasan, Ayswarya; Manikkam, Radhakrishnan; Kaari, Manigundan; Sahu, Amit Kumar; Said, Madhukar; Dastager, Syed G. (Journal of King Saud University Science, 2022)
Objectives: The present study reports the bioactivity of 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol (2,4-DTBP) purified from an endophytic Streptomyces species KCA1 isolated from the leaves of Phyllanthus niruri and its antibacterial and anticancer properties. Methods: The extracellular metabolites were produced from the strain KCA1 by submerged fermentation using ethyl acetate. The crude extract was further evaluated for antibacterial activity against set of pathogens. Active metabolite from the extract was purified using chromatography techniques and detected its antibacterial activity by disc diffusion assay. The molecular structure of the active molecule was identified through various spectral study. Moreover, the bioactive metabolite 2,4-DTBP was analyzed antibacterial and anti-proliferative activity. Results: Strain KCA1 was identified as Streptomyces sp. In the preliminary screening, the crude extract exhibited broad spectrum activity against various bacterial pathogens. Based on the spectral properties, the active metabolite was identified as 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol. The MIC of active compound 2,4-DTBP inhibited E. coli ATCC 25922 and S. aureus ATCC 29213 at 50 lg/ml and 0.78 lg/ml, respectively. The IC50 value of 2,4-DTBP was found to be 11.0 lg/ml and 116.8 lg/ml, against breast cancer cell line (MCF7) and normal VERO cell line, respectively. Conclusions: This study concluded that 2,4-DTBP, produced from the endophytic Streptomyces sp. KCA1, is the potential candidate to develop as promising antibacterial and anticancer agent. (C) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
Keywords: 2; 4-Di-tert-butylphenol; Antibacterial; antiproliferative activity; Endophytic Streptomyces

2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases drive expansion of steroidal alkaloid structural diversity in the genus Solanum - Sonawane, Prashant D.; Jozawiak, Adam; Barbole, Ranjit; Panda, Sayantan; Abebie, Bekele; Kazachkova, Yana; Gharat, Sachin A.; Ramot, Ofir; Unger, Tamar; Wizler, Guy; Meir, Sagit; Rogachev, Ilana; et al. (New Phytologist, 2022)
Solanum steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs) are renowned defence metabolites exhibiting spectacular structural diversity. Genes and enzymes generating the SGA precursor pathway, SGA scaffold and glycosylated forms have been largely identified. Yet, the majority of downstream metabolic steps creating the vast repertoire of SGAs remain untapped. Here, we discovered that members of the 2-OXOGLUTARATE-DEPENDENT DIOXYGENASE (2-ODD) family play a prominent role in SGA metabolism, carrying out three distinct backbone-modifying oxidative steps in addition to the three formerly reported pathway reactions. The GLYCOALKALOID METABOLISM34 (GAME34) enzyme catalyses the conversion of core SGAs to habrochaitosides in wild tomato S. habrochaites. Cultivated tomato plants overexpressing GAME34 ectopically accumulate habrochaitosides. These habrochaitoside enriched plants extracts potently inhibit Puccinia spp. spore germination, a significant Solanaceae crops fungal pathogen. Another 2-ODD enzyme, GAME33, acts as a desaturase (via hydroxylation and E/F ring rearrangement) forming unique, yet unreported SGAs. Conversion of bitter alpha-tomatine to ripe fruit, nonbitter SGAs (e.g. esculeoside A) requires two hydroxylations; while the known GAME31 2-ODD enzyme catalyses hydroxytomatine formation, we find that GAME40 catalyses the penultimate step in the pathway and generates acetoxy-hydroxytomatine towards esculeosides accumulation. Our results highlight the significant contribution of 2-ODD enzymes to the remarkable structural diversity found in plant steroidal specialized metabolism.
Keywords: Solanum; specialized metabolism; steroidal glycoalkaloids (SGAs); structural diversity; Tomato

Addressing challenges in sealing of scalable multifiber module for O-2 enrichment using LSCF membranes - Jogdand, Shunottara M.; Bedadur, Prachiti R.; Torris, Arun; Agrawal, Ravi; Kharul, Ulhas K.; Devi, R. Nandini (International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, 2022)
Scalable and multifiber modules in oxygen separation face huge challenges due to difficulty in integrating all the necessary components, especially in sealing the fibers in a gas tight module. Here, we report our findings on design and fabrication of a multifiber La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF)-based module, which can be scaled up. The focus is on sealing ceramic-metal interfaces by layering of sealants of varying thermal properties. We have also incorporated the use of dead ended fibers to minimize ceramic-metal interfaces in the hot zones and present a new method for dead ending by flame melting. Pressurizing the air inlet feed from either bore side or shell side is detrimental to the structural integrity of the fibers. A thorough characterization of the fresh and spent fibers is also carried out using X-ray tomography and electron microscopy, which indicates effect of temperature and pressure on the fibers.
Keywords: Characterization; permeability; Perovskites

Adsorption of toxic Pb(II) on activated carbon derived from agriculture waste (Mahogany fruit shell): isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic study - Patil, Suryakant A.; Suryawanshi, Umesh P.; Harale, Namdev S.; Patil, Sandip K.; Vadiyar, Madgonda M.; Luwang, Meitram N.; Anuse, Mansing A.; Kim, Jin H.; Kolekar, Sanjay S. (International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 2022)
An adsorbent, mahogany fruit shell activated carbon(MFSAC), was derived from environmental friendly raw material, i.e. agriculture waste and explored for bench scale adsorption of toxic Pb(II). A facile MFSAC material was synthesised using a chemical activation method using concentrated sulphuric acid as an impregnating (activating) reagent. So derived adsorbent material was characterised by FTIR, XRD, BET, SEM, EDAX, TGA and XPS techniques to know the properties and plausible adsorption mechanism. Bench scale adsorption of toxic Pb(II) and maximum adsorption capacity of MFSAC were exhibited through batch adsorption experiments. The effect of physico-chemical parameters such as pH (1-7), MFSAC amount (0.5-5.0 g L-1), Pb(II) concentration (200-1000 mgL(-1)), contact period (60-600 min) and orbital shaking speed (60-200 rpm) was studied for maximum removal of Pb(II) upto 99.70 +/- 0.17%. The experimental data follow the Langmuir adsorption isotherm with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity 322.28 mg g(-1)and pseudo-second-order kinetic uptake rate. The thermodynamic and temperature study revealed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature (Delta H-o = 43.37 kJ mole(-1), Delta S-o = 158.02 J mol(-1)K(-1)). Most importantly, the MFSAC adsorbent was successfully regenerated and reused with conspicuous performance up to five consecutive cycles. The bench-scale adsorption with simple synthesis route, good stability and remarkable regeneration capability makes the MFSAC as an encouraging adsorbent for wastewater treatment.
Keywords: activated carbon; Adsorption; mahogany fruit shell; Pb(II); sulphuric acid

Advanced genome editing strategies for manipulation of plant specialized metabolites pertaining to biofortification - Bhambhani, Sweta; Kondhare, Kirtikumar R.; Giri, Ashok P. (Phytochemistry Reviews, 2022)
Emerging trends in molecular biology have progressed the knowledge of plant specialized metabolites with respect to diversity in structure, function and biosynthetic pathways. Being powerful genome-editing tools, Zinc Finger Nuclease, Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nuclease, and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) systems have found potential application in genome and epigenome engineering. CRISPR/Cas9 is being used for studying the functions of multiple genes and gene families in plants. Our analysis suggests that although a rapid progress has occurred for utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 tool in crop improvement, limited studies are available for its application in manipulation of gene clusters of useful specialized metabolites in plants. In this review, after describing briefly about the recent advancements in genome editing techniques, we have further discussed their applicability in the modulation of metabolite production and biofortification of food crops. We have also emphasized the importance of CRISPR/Cas9-based targeted deletion of larger chromosomal fragments or gene clusters towards value addition of crop plants. The current policies for CRISPR/Cas9-edited crop plants in different countries and their acceptability in market place is also discussed. We propose that advanced genome editing techniques, including a multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 system could serve as a versatile tool for rewiring of metabolite gene clusters and improving the levels of useful metabolites in plants.
Keywords: Cas9; Chromosomal fragment; CRISPR; Gene cluster; Genome editing; Plant specialized metabolites

Air-cathode interface-engineered electrocatalyst for solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries - Manna, Narugopal; Singh, Santosh K.; Kurian, Maria; Torris, Arun; Kurungot, Sreekumar (ACS Applied Energy Materials, 2022)
Solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are gaining interest as a class of portable clean energy technology due to their advantages such as high theoretical energy density, intrinsic safety, and low cost. It is expected that an appropriately triple-phase boundary (TPB) engineered, bifunctional oxygen reaction (OER and ORR) electrocatalyst at the air- electrode of ZABs can redefine the performance characteristics of these systems. To explore this possibility, an electrode material consisting of manganese- cobalt-based bimetallic spinel oxide (MnCo2O4)-supported nitrogen-doped entangled graphene (MnCo2O4/NEGF) with multiple active sites responsible for facilitating both OER and ORR has been prepared. The porous 3D graphitic support significantly affects the bifunctional oxygen reaction kinetics and helps the system display a remarkable catalytic performance. The air electrode consisting of the MnCo2O4/NEGF catalyst coated over the gas diffusion layer (GDL) ensures the effective TPB, and this feature works in favor of the rechargeable ZAB system under the charging and discharging modes. As an important structural and functional attribute of the electrocatalyst, the porosity and nitrogen doping in the 3D conducting support play a decisive aspect in controlling the surface wettability (hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity) of the air electrode. The fabricated solid-state rechargeable ZAB device with the developed electrode displayed a maximum peak power density of 202 mW cm(-2), which is significantly improved as compared to the one based on the Pt/C + RuO2 standard catalyst pair (124 mW cm(-2)). The solid-state device which displayed an initial charge-discharge voltage gap of only 0.7 V at 10 mA cm(-2) showed only a small increment of 86 mV after 50 h.
Keywords: air-cathode interface; bifunctional oxygen catalyst; N-doped entangled graphene; solid-state zinc-air battery; spinel oxides

Algal biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds as a biomimetic platform with antibacterial and wound healing activities - Agarwal, Aakanksha; Kumar, Arun; Garg, Piyush; Chakraborty, Arnab; Verma, Ranjan; Sarwat, Maryam; Gupta, Ajay; Sasmal, Pijus K.; Verma, Yogesh Kumar; Chowdhury, Chiranjit; Mukherjee, Monalisa (ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2022)
The confluence of hydrogel scaffolds and dried algal biomass (AB), consisting of all the bioactive compounds, offers the possibility to facilitate wound healing while simultaneously instilling antibacterial benefits. For this purpose, a single-step synthesis of algal (Chlorella sorokiniana) biomass-loaded hydrogel scaffolds (AHS) was achieved. C. sorokiniana has been used in different areas for several years and has proved attractive to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Of note, the presence of phytochemicals and various bioactive compounds provides an added health benefit. Hitherto, we report AHS with accelerated wound healing along with potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. AHS consisting of different concentrations of AB was applied for 14 days on excisional wounds in mice. Microscopic analyses, assessment of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and histological studies were performed to investigate wound healing. These scaffolds were extensively characterized and studied using Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, Raman, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, swelling, rheological, thermal, and mechanical analyses. AHS have excellent biocompatibility in addition to significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (99%) and Staphylococcus aureus (98%). We believe that the as-synthesized AHS have the potential to broaden the arsenal of more effective wound healing processes along with antibacterial activities.
Keywords: antibacterial activity; Biomass; hydrogel scaffold; microalgae; wound Healing

Allosteric modulation of the chemokine receptor-chemokine CXCR4-CXCL12 complex by tyrosine sulfation - Sonawani, Archana; Kharche, Shalmali; Dasgupta, Debjani; Sengupta, Durba (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022)
The chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its cognate ligand CXCL12 mediate pathways that lead to cell migration and chemotaxis. Although the structural details of related receptor-ligand complexes have been resolved, the roles of the N-terminal domain of the receptor and post-translational sulfation that are determinants of ligand selectivity and affinity remain unclear. Here, we analyze the structural dynamics induced by receptor sulfation by combining molecular dynamics, docking and network analysis. The sulfotyrosine residues, 7YsN-term, 12Ys(N-term) and 21Ys(N-term) allow the N-terminal domain of the apo-sulfated receptor to adopt an ``open `` conformation that appears to facilitate ligand binding. The overall topology of the CXCR4-CXCL12 complex is independent of the sulfation state, but an extensive network of protein-protein interactions characterizes the sulfated receptor, in line with its increased ligand affinity. The altered interactions of sulfotyrosine residues, such as 21Ys(N-term)- 47R(CXCL12) replacing the 21Y(N-term)-13F(CXCL12) interaction, propagate via allosteric pathways towards the receptor lumen. In particular, our results suggest that the experimentally-reported receptor-ligand interactions 262D(6.58)- 8R(CXCL12) and 277E(7.28)-12R(CXCL12) could be dependent on the sulfation state of the receptor and need to be carefully analyzed. Our work is an important step in understanding chemokine-receptor interactions and how post-translational modifications could modulate receptor-ligand complexes.
Keywords: Allosteric communication pathway; Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations; G protein-coupled receptor; Ligand binding; Post-translational modification; Protein-protein interface

Alpha Au2S nanoparticles: fungal-mediated synthesis, structural characterization and bioassay - Syed, Asad; Al Saedi, Marzouq H.; Bahkali, Ali H.; Elgorgan, Abdallah M.; Kharat, Mahesh; Pai, Kalpana; Pichtel, John; Ahmad, Absar (Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, 2022)
Luminescent nanoparticles synthesized via bio-based protocols that generate nanoparticles having different chemical compositions along with other functionalities (size and morphology) have received huge attention. We have focused our research on gold sulfide nanoparticles (Au2S NPs) and have biosynthesized these NPs using the fungus Humicola sp. The nanoparticles were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy, which showed spherical morphology of Au2S. UV-Visible-NIR spectrophotometry, luminescence spectrophotometry, Selected Area Electron Diffraction, Energy Dispersive Analysis of X-rays, and X-ray diffraction were performed. FTIR confirmed that the fungal metabolites including biomolecules secreted in the reaction medium are primarily responsible for nanoparticle synthesis and stabilization. The fungus reduced the precursor solution (HAuCl4 and Na2SO3) and at the same time capped them with secreted biomolecules. The anti-leishmanial activity of Au2S NPs was determined against L. donovani promastigote (Ag83 strain). Au2S NPs displayed less cytotoxicity towards both normal and cancer (Daudi, ZR-75-1) cell lines. Hemocompatibility was determined via hemolysis assays. This novel fungal-based system demonstrates an economical and environmentally benign process for biosynthesis of Au2S nanoparticles which may find application in bioimaging and labeling studies.
Keywords: Biosynthesis; Cytotoxicity; Gold sulfide; Hemolysis; humicola sp; promastigote

Alpha-angelica lactone catalyzed oxidation of pyrrolidines to lactams - Deepake, Siddharth K.; Kumar, Manish; Kumar, Pawan; Das, Utpal (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
Herein, we report an efficient protocol for the synthesis of gamma-lactams from pyrrolidines and oxygen. The strategy follows a two-step process involving an initial generation alpha-amino alkyl radicals from pyrrolidines and oxygen in presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) followed by trapping of the radical with oxygen species. This protocol demonstrates good functional group acceptance and provides a direct method to access gamma-lactams. The lactam derivatives were obtained in up to 98 % yield.
Keywords: alpha-Amino alkyl radicals; alpha-Angelica lactone; lactams; Oxidation; Pyrrolidines

Alternative splicing modulation mediated by G-quadruplex structures in MALAT1 lncRNA - Ghosh, Arpita; Pandey, Satya Prakash; Ansari, Asgar Hussain; Sundar, Jennifer Seematti; Singh, Praveen; Khan, Yasmeen; Ekka, Mary Krishna; Chakraborty, Debojyoti; Maiti, Souvik (Nucleic Acids Research, 2022)
MALAT1, an abundant lncRNA specifically localized to nuclear speckles, regulates alternative-splicing (AS). The molecular basis of its role in AS remains poorly understood. Here, we report three conserved, thermodynamically stable, parallel RNAG-quadruplexes (rG4s) present in the 3' region of MALAT1 which regulates this function. Using rG4 domain-specific RNA-pull-down followed by mass-spectrometry, RNA-immuno-precipitation, and imaging, we demonstrate the rG4 dependent localization of Nucleolin (NCL) and Nucleophosmin (NPM) to nuclear speckles. Specific G-to-A mutations that abolish rG4 structures, result in the localization loss of both the proteins from speckles. Functionally, disruption of rG4 in MALAT1 phenocopies NCL knockdown resulting in altered pre-mRNA splicing of endogenous genes. These results reveal a central role of rG4s within the 3' region of MALAT1 orchestrating AS.

Amino acid-derived ABCBA-type antifouling biohybrid with multi-stimuli responsivity and contaminant removal capability - Kumar, Devendra; Mohammad, Sk Arif; Kumar, Anand; Mane, Shivshankar R.; Banerjee, Sanjib (Polymer Chemistry, 2022)
Multi-stimuli (pH/thermo/redox)-responsive amphiphilic poly(cysteine methacrylamide)-block-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(cysteine methacrylamide) (PCysMAM-b-PDMAEMA-b-PB-b-PDMAEMA-b-PCysMAM) pentablock copolymer biohybrids, based on hydrophobic PB, ampholytic redox responsive PCysMAM and dual (pH and temperature) stimuli responsive PDMAEMA segments, are synthesized via a four-step synthesis protocol. The synthesis protocol involves: (1) in situ post polymerization modification of living polybutadiene-based carbanionic species to prepare hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB); (2) introduction of an initiating functionality (capable of acting as an ATRP initiator) to HTPB, yielding a telechelic ATRP macroinitiator (Br-PB-Br); (3) recyclable alloy-mediated successive RDRP of DMAEMA and CysMAM, yielding a series of PCysMAM-b-PDMAEMA-b-PB-b-PDMAEMA-b-PCysMAM (A-B-C-B-A) pentablock copolymers with various chain lengths; and (4) conversion of the PDMAEMA block to poly(quaternary ammonium) (PQA) via quaternization. The stimuli responsiveness of the copolymer is investigated against changes in pH, temperature and redox. The pentablock copolymer self-assembles into spherical nanospheres, can switch between its monocationic, zwitterionic and monoanionic charged states, exhibits antifouling behaviour and is capable of removing ionic contaminants from water. These pentablock copolymers may emerge as a promising material for emerging applications.

Antifungal compound from marine Serratia marcescens BKACT and its potential activity against Fusarium sp. - Kharat, Bharat A.; Said, Madhukar S.; Dastager, Syed G. (International Microbiology, 2022)
Ecofriendly biocontrol agents to control pathogenic fungi are in demand globally. The present study evaluated the antifungal potentials of marine bacteria Serratia marcescens BKACT against eight different Fusarium species. A highest 75.5 +/- 0.80% of mycelial inhibition was observed against Fusarium foetens NCIM 1330. Structural characterization of the purified compound was analyzed by GC-MS and NMR techniques; based on the analysis, it is confirmed as 2, 4-di-tert butyl phenol (2, 4-DTBP) with chemical structure C14H22O. At 0.53 mM concentration, purified compound inhibited complete spore germination of F. foetens NCIM 1330. In vitro assay showed complete inhibition of F. foetens NCIM 1330 on the wheat seeds. Tested concentration does not show any toxic effect on germination of the seeds. By this study, we conclude that, 2, 4-DTBP is a suitable candidate to be used as biocontrol agent against Fusarium infection.
Keywords: 2; 4; di-tert butyl phenol; Fusarium sp; marine; Serratia marcescens

Assessment of a multipoint dosing approach for exothermic nitration in CSTRs in series - Mule, G. M.; Kulkarni, S.; Kulkarni, A. A. (Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2022)
The exothermic aromatic nitration of a biaryl compound is studied using various configurations of CSTRs in series. The relative rates of heat generation and heat removal in different configurations are compared to identify safer options while taking scale-up-related decisions. The effects of different parameters on the steady-state temperatures of the CSTRs are demonstrated through simulations. The use of multipoint dosing in three different CSTRs of increasing volume in series was compared with the use of standard CSTRs of equal volume in series. The distribution of the nitrating agent in three different CSTRs in series helped to distribute the heat duty and thereby helped maximise the throughput almost 2.4-fold when compared with a conventional approach based on the co-addition of all the reactants in the first CSTR. Various feed combinations were studied, and suitable designs that fall within the safe operating range of CSTRs for highly exothermic reactions are given.

Association-dissociation dynamics of ionic electrolytes in low dielectric medium - Ghosh, Deborin; Sakpal, Sushil S.; Chatterjee, Srijan; Deshmukh, Samadhan H.; Kwon, Hyejin; Kim, Yung Sam; Bagchi, Sayan (Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2022)
Ionic electrolytes are known to form various complexes which exist in dynamic equilibrium in a low dielectric medium. However, structural characterization of these complexes has always posed a great challenge to the scientific community. An additional challenge is the estimation of the dynamic association-dissociation time scales (lifetime of the complexes), which are key to the fundamental understanding of ion transport. In this work, we have used a combination of infrared absorption spectroscopy, two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulations, and density functional theory calculations to characterize the various ion complexes formed by the thiocyanate-based ionic electrolytes as a function of different cations in a low dielectric medium. Our results demonstrate that thiocyanate is an excellent vibrational reporter of the heterogeneous ion complexes undergoing association-dissociation dynamics. We find that the ionic electrolytes exist as contact ion pairs, dimers, and clusters in a low dielectric medium. The relative ratios of the various ion complexes are sensitive to the cations. In addition to the interactions between the thiocyanate anion and the countercation, the solute-solvent interactions drive the dynamic equilibrium. We have estimated the association-dissociation dynamics time scales from two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy. The exchange time scale involving the cluster is faster than that between a dimer and an ion pair. Moreover, we find that the dynamic equilibrium between the cluster and another ion complex is correlated to the solvent fluctuations.

Behavioral and proteomic studies reveal methylglyoxal activate pathways associated with alzheimer’s disease - Patil, Gouri; Kulsange, Shabda; Kazi, Rubina; Chirmade, Tejas; Kale, Vaikhari; Mote, Chandrashekhar; Aswar, Manoj; Koratkar, Santosh; Agawane, Sachin; Kulkarni, Mahesh (ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science, 2022)
Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) development. The role of elevated levels of glucose, methylglyoxal (MGO), and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the pathogenesis of AD is not well understood. In this pursuit, we studied the role of methylglyoxal in the pathogenesis of AD in rat models. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) behavioral study indicated that MGO induces anxiety. Treatment of telmisartan (RAGE expression inhibitor) and aminoguanidine (MGO quencher) attenuated MGO induced anxiety. Further, hippocampal proteomics demonstrated that MGO treated rats differentially regulate proteins involved in calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial functioning, and apoptosis, which may affect neurotransmission and neuronal plasticity. The hippocampal tau phosphorylation level was increased in MGO treated rats, which was reduced in the presence of aminoguanidine and telmisartan. The plasma fructosamine level was increased upon MGO treatment. Hippocampal histochemistry showed vascular degeneration and neuronal loss upon MGO treatment. This study provides mechanistic insight into the role of MGO in the diabetes-associated development of AD.

BESFA: bioinformatics based evolutionary, structural & functional analysis of prostate, Placenta, Ovary, Testis, and Embryo (POTE) paralogs - Qazi, Sahar; Jit, Bimal Prasad; Das, Abhishek; Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Saxena, Amit; Ray, M. D.; Singh, Angel Rajan; Raza, Khalid; Jayaram, B.; Sharma, Ashok (Heliyon, 2022)
The POTE family comprises 14 paralogues and is primarily expressed in Prostate, Placenta, Ovary, Testis, Embryo (POTE), and cancerous cells. The prospective function of the POTE protein family under physiological conditions is less understood. We systematically analyzed their cellular localization and molecular docking analysis to elucidate POTE proteins' structure, function, and Adaptive Divergence. Our results suggest that group three POTE paralogs (POTEE, POTEF, POTEI, POTEJ, and POTEKP (a pseudogene)) exhibits significant variation among other members could be because of their Adaptive Divergence. Furthermore, our molecular docking studies on POTE protein revealed the highest binding affinity with NCI-approved anticancer compounds. Additionally, POTEE, POTEF, POTEI, and POTEJ were subject to an explicit molecular dynamic simulation for 50ns. MM-GBSA and other essential electrostatics were calculated that showcased that only POTEE and POTEF have absolute binding affinities with minimum energy exploitation. Thus, this study's outcomes are expected to drive cancer research to successful utilization of POTE genes family as a new biomarker, which could pave the way for the discovery of new therapies.
Keywords: (MMGBSA); Adaptive divergence; Evolution; generalized born surface area; Homology; Mechanics; Molecular docking; Molecular dynamic simulation molecular; POTE paralogs

Biological macromolecule chitosan grafted co-polymeric composite: bio-adsorption probe on cationic dyes - Khairkar, Shyam R.; Pansare, V. Shubham; Shedge, Amol A.; Chhatre, Shraddha; Kulal, Dnyaneshwar K.; Patil, Vishwanath R.; Pansare, V. Amol (Polymer Bulletin, 2022)
Chitosan biological macromolecule is a versatile polymer; chemical modification has been carried out that lead to the formation of chitosan grafted polymers composites (Chito-g-PC). We proposed synthesis of six various Chito-g-PC as sorbents for toxic dyes. A novel graft copolymerization method based on radical polymerization with vinyl monomer like acrylic acid, acrylamide, N-isopropylacrylamide, methacrylic acid and polyacrylonitrile were utilized in order to address the large amount of swelling at four different pH buffers solution. The effect of initiator and monomer concentration, time and temperature on % grafting and % grafting efficiency were performed. Comparative characterization of Chito and Chito-g-PC were evaluated by SEM, XRD and FTIR, as well as solubility characteristics of the composites were determined by various pH buffer solution. Cationic toxic dyes Malachite green (MG) and Methylene blue (MB) were selected as the sorbet, and Chito-g-PC were used as biosorbents. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the sorption process was spontaneous and endothermic with an increased randomness. The sorption experiments were realized with six different Chito-g-PC for MG and MB at various pH.
Keywords: Acrylamide; acrylic acid; Bio sorbent; Chitosan biological macromolecule

Boosting electrochemical CO2 reduction to methane via tuning oxygen vacancy concentration and surface termination on a copper/ceria catalyst - Patra, Kshirodra Kumar; Liu, Zhu; Lee, Hojeong; Hong, Seungwon; Song, Hakhyeon; Abbas, Hafiz Ghulam; Kwon, Youngkook; Ringe, Stefan; Oh, Jihun (ACS Catalysis, 2022)
Metal oxides are a promising material for designing highly active and selective catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2RR). Here, we designed a Cu/ceria catalyst with high selectivity of methane production at single-atomic Cu active sites. Using this, we report favorable design concepts that push the product selectivity of methane formation by combining detailed structural analysis, density functional theory (DFT), in situ Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical measurements. We demonstrate that a higher concentration of oxygen vacancies on the catalyst surface, resulting from more available Cu+ sites, enables high selectivity for methane formation during CO2RR and can be controlled by the calcination temperature. The DFT calculation and in situ Raman studies indicate that pH controls the surface termination; a more alkaline pH generates hydroxylated surface motifs with more active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction. These findings provide insights into designing an efficient metal oxide electrocatalyst by controlling the atomic structure via the reaction environment and synthesis conditions.
Keywords: copper-ceria; electrochemical CO2 reduction; electrolyte pH; gas diffusion electrode; methane production; Oxygen vacancy

BQ-AurIPr: a redox-active anticancer Au(i) complex that induces immunogenic cell death - Mule, Ravindra D.; Kumar, Akhilesh; Sancheti, Shashank P.; Senthilkumar, B.; Kumar, Himanshu; Patil, Nitin T. (Chemical Science, 2022)
Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) is a unique cell death mechanism that kills cancer cells while rejuvenating the anticancer immunosurveillance, thereby benefiting the clinical outcomes of various immuno-chemotherapeutic regimens. Herein, we report development of a library of benzo[a]quinolizinium-based Au(i) complexes through an intramolecular amino-auration reaction of pyridino-alkynes. We tested 40 candidates and successfully identified BQ-AurIPr as a novel redox-active Au(i) complex with potent anticancer properties. BQ-AurIPr efficiently triggered generation of DAMPs - the hallmarks of ICD - and was superior in terms of efficiency compared to FDA-approved drugs known to induce ICD. BQ-AurIPr significantly increased immunogenicity of cancer cells enhancing their phagocytosis when co-cultured with immune cells. Our investigation reveals that BQ-AurIPr induces oxidative stress inside mitochondria leading to mitophagy, as the mechanism for immunogenic cell death in A549 cells.

Case report: a fatal case of babesiosis in a splenectomized male patient from Western India - Godbole, Ravi; Gaur, Avantika; Nayar, Priyanka; Kiruthiga, Kala; D'Costa, Pradeep; Manchanda, Rumma; Khilari, Ajinkya; Shanmugam, Dhanasekaran; Muglikar, Kalpana D.; Kundu, Krishnendu (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2022)
Human babesiosis is a rare disease, caused by Babesia species and commonly transmitted by tick bite. Although human babesiosis is known to be asymptomatic in immunocompetent hosts, clinical cases of severe babesiosis have been reported from splenectomized or immunocompromised individuals. To our knowledge, only one case of human babesiosis in India has been previously reported. Here, we report a case of severe babesiosis with high parasitemia (similar to 70%) in a 30-year-old asplenic farmer. The patient presented with fever, yellowish discoloration of skin, oliguria, and anemia; he eventually developed multiorgan failure syndrome and died. Peripheral blood films were prepared and used to confirm the presence of piroplasms by microscopy. Total DNA isolated from blood was used for 18S ribosomal RNA gene fragment amplification by polymerase chain reaction, which was subjected to Sanger sequencing. Although 18S sequence indicated that the Babesia species infecting the patient was similar to that of other Babesia species originating from wild mammals, species identification could not be done. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the patientderived pathogen is distinct because it forms a separate clade in the cladogram.

Catalytic conversion of sucrose to 1,2-propanediol over alumina-supported Ni-Mo bimetallic catalysts - Sreekantan, Sreejith; Kirali, Arun Arunima Balachandran; Marimuthu, Banu (Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 2022)
Ni-Mo supported on gamma-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized to test its catalytic activity towards sucrose to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PDO) conversion. The catalyst system was characterized using various physicochemical methods, including XRD, BET, py-FTIR, XPS, FE-SEM, HR-TEM and ICP. The metal combination of 8%Ni-20%Mo/gamma-Al2O3 is found to be effective in producing a good yield of 1,2-propanediol (similar to 74%) under mild reaction conditions of 180 degrees C, 40 bar H-2 pressure and a run time of 4.5 h in a batch reaction. The activity of the active catalyst over various substrates such as cellulose, glucose, fructose and real-source biomass has also been investigated. XPS analysis of the active catalyst confirms the various oxidation states of the metals Ni and Mo in the active catalyst. The py-IR results show that the optimum Lewis to Bronsted acidic site ratio is responsible for the selective conversion of sucrose to 1,2-PDO. The presence of interparticle mesopores on gamma-Al2O3 helps in the high conversion of sucrose. Furthermore, the catalyst has been found reusable for four consecutive runs without any structural or morphological changes.

CdS cubane type clusters encapsulated by rolling of single layer reduced graphene oxide sheets for enhanced mechanical energy harvesting - Kumar, Praveen; Ram, Farsa; Shanmuganathan, Kadhiravan; Luwang, Meitram Niraj (Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials, 2022)
Composites with Single Layer Graphene Oxide (SLGO) sheets are extremely difficult to achieve, irrespective of the current advancements in graphene composites research. The difficulties in exfoliating the graphite oxide (GO) was associated with a strong interaction among the edge sides of the adjacent layers. This in-turn barricades the foreign intruders to interact with the basal plane, thereby restraining one to form composites with SLGO sheets. In this work, we had successfully exfoliated GO through a spacer [Cd(OAc)(2) + polyethylene glycol (PEG)] to result in nano-engineered CdS cubane-type clusters in rolled up SLGO to form graphene oxide complex compound (GOCC), resembling carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The CdS cubane-type clusters were found to interacting with the carbon skeleton of rolled reduced SLGO sheet through a Manogate' structures, which was supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our theoretical study reveals that the obtained complex compound (GOCC) is thermodynamically more favourable than its ancestor materials (CdS cubane and empty CNT). Flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) fabricated from GOCC and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resulted in output voltage (V-oc) of 4.5 V and output current of 0.4 mu A at applied force of 13 N. The nanoengineering helps to achieve superior mechanical energy harvesting performance for GOCC compared to pristine CdS, which demonstrate the potential of nanogate structures to enhance the intrinsic properties of materials.
Keywords: Graphene oxide complex compound; Nanogate structure; New material; Novel procedure; Piezoelectric nanogenerator; SLGO

Ce promoted Cu/?-Al2O3 catalysts for the enhanced selectivity of 1,2-pro-panediol from catalytic hydrogenolysis of glucose - Kirali, Arun Arunima Balachandran; Sreekantan, Sreejith; Marimuthu, Banu (Catalysis Communications, 2022)
Ce promoted Cu/gamma-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared with varying amounts of Cu (x = 0-10 wt%) and Ce (y = 0-15 wt%). The prepared catalysts were characterized and tested for the conversion of aqueous glucose (5 wt%) to 1,2propanediol in a batch reactor. 10%Ce-8%Cu/gamma-Al2O3 & nbsp;showed the complete conversion of glucose with 62.7% selectivity of 1,2-propanediol and total glycols (1,2-propanediol, ethylene glycol & 1,2-butanediol) of 81% at milder reaction conditions. Cu facilitated the hydrogenation activity and Ce loading optimize the acid/base sites of Cu/gamma-Al2O3 which obtain high selectivity of 1, 2-propanediol. Catalyst reusability is reported.
Keywords: 2-Propanediol; 1; Cu-Ce catalyst; ethylene glycol; Gamma alumina; Glucose hydrogenolysis

Characterization of axial dispersion in a vertical helical coil for gas-liquid-liquid flow at low Reynolds numbers - Khan, Muzammil; Joshi, Sunil; Ranade, Vivek (Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2022)
Gas-liquid-liquid (GLL) slug flow reactors offer several advantages like higher interfacial area, excellent mass transfer, and lower backmixing. Mesoscale (diameter similar to a few mm) helical coiled reactors operating in a slug flow regime can be used as GLL reactors even for reactions with long residence times. The long residence time invariably leads to low Reynolds number flows, which makes the backmixing or axial dispersion an important parameter influencing reactor performance. In this work, we have characterized the residence time distribution (RTD) and axial dispersion for single, gas-liquid, liquid-liquid, and gas-liquid-liquid flows through a vertical helical coil. Slow flows with low Reynolds numbers (<100) were considered. RTD measurements were carried out with a step input and the outlet concentration was tracked by measuring light absorbance using a spectrophotometer. The applicability of the axial dispersion model was examined and verified for the studied systems. The axial dispersion was quantified in terms of dispersion coefficients. A significant reduction in the axial dispersion was observed by virtue of multiphase operation, in the order single > gas-liquid > liquid-liquid > gas-liquid-liquid flow. This characterization of backmixing for multiphase flows in curved geometries will be helpful in the optimization of slow reactions in flow and also for processes like nanoparticle synthesis, crystallization, etc.

Characterized constituents of insect herbivore oral secretions and their influence on the regulation of plant defenses - Kallure, Gopal S.; Kumari, Archana; Shinde, Balkrishna A.; Giri, Ashok P. (Phytochemistry, 2022)
For more than 350 million years, there have been ongoing dynamic interactions between plants and insects. In several cases, insects cause-specific feeding damage with ensuing herbivore-associated molecular patterns that invoke characteristic defense responses. During feeding on plant tissue, insects release oral secretions (OSs) containing a repertoire of molecules affecting plant defense (effectors). Some of these OS components might elicit a defense response to combat insect attacks (elicitors), while some might curb the plant defenses (suppressors). Few reports suggest that the synthesis and function of OS components might depend on the host plant and associated microorganisms. We review these intricate plant-insect interactions, during which there is a continuous exchange of molecules between plants and feeding insects along with the associated microorganisms. We further provide a list of commonly identified inducible plant produced defensive molecules released upon insect attack as well as in response to OS treatments of the plants. Thus, we describe how plants specialized and defense-related metabolism is modulated at innumerable phases by OS during plant-insect interactions. A molecular understanding of these complex interactions will provide a means to design eco-friendly crop protection strategies.
Keywords: Effector; Elicitor; Herbivore insects; Oral secretion; Plant defense; Suppressor

Choline-amino acid-derived bio-ionic liquids for solubility enhancement of zafirlukast - Gaikwad, Namrata; Kudal, Swapna; Avachat, Amelia M. (AAPS Pharmscitech, 2022)
This study investigated the application of bio-ionic liquids (ILs) prepared from choline as cation and amino acid as anion for solubility enhancement of poorly water-soluble drug, Zafirlukast (ZFL). Herein, the solubility of ZFL in water and mixtures of water and ILs was assessed using UV spectroscopy at two temperature points 25 degrees C and 37 degrees C with increasing concentrations of IL. ZFL solubility was found to improve linearly with increasing concentration of [Ch][Pro] in water, representing 35- to 37-fold improvement in ZFL solubility at maximum concentration of [Ch][Pro] (1% w/v) compared to when only pure water was present. Also, the effect of IL on ZFL solubility was analyzed using NMR, DSC, and TGA. These results clearly suggest that ZFL solubility was increased by forming hydrogen bonds with selected [Ch][Pro] IL. Toxicity study of ILs was tested against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Since IL solvent was found to increase the solubility of ZFL, this may serve as ``functional excipient solvent'' for solubility enhancement in its commercialized formulations.
Keywords: Amino acids; choline chloride; Ionic liquid; solubility; zafirlukast

cis-aziridine synthon based synthetic investigation for tamiflu employing horner-wadsworth-emmons reaction - Chavan, Subhash P.; Kawale, Sanket A.; Gonnade, Rajesh G. (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
Synthetic investigations to achieve a novel intermediate of Tamiflu by using cis-aziridine as a chiral building block, which is readily synthesized from (D)-mannitol as a renewable starting material, has been presented. The present approach utilizes the intramolecular Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction as the key step for the synthesis of Tamiflu. On the other hand, diene containing allylic aziridine framework is found to be inefficient to furnish the six-membered core skeleton of Tamiflu through ring-closing metathesis reaction.
Keywords: Aziridine; cyclization; HWE reaction; Metathesis; Tamiflu

Cobalt-immobilized carbon-based nano-catalyst for Csingle bondN cross coupling reaction - Bankar, Shubham R.; Kirdant, Swapnali P.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (Results in Chemistry, 2022)
<span style="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; font-size: 16px;">C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; 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; font-size: 16px;">N <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/cross-coupling-reaction" 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 cross coupling reaction from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">cross coupling reaction is very important in synthesis of pharmaceuticals, <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/occurrence-in-nature" 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 natural products from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">natural products, <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/agrochemical" 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 agrochemicals from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">agrochemicals, fine chemicals and functional materials. Traditionally, <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/palladium" 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 palladium from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">palladium or copper metals are used for C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="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; font-size: 16px;">N coupling reaction. As palladium is expensive, we developed cobalt immobilized carbon-based nano-catalyst Co@CC for C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; 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; font-size: 16px;">N coupling. In this work, we synthesized non-noble metal-based Co@CC nano-catalyst by <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/carbonization" 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 carbonization from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">carbonization of glucose, it’s functionalization followed by immobilization of cobalt on the surface of the catalyst. The catalyst was well characterized. The C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; 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; font-size: 16px;">N cross coupling reaction of various aryl <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/halide" 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 halides from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">halides & amines using Co@CC nano-catalyst was optimized for solvent, reaction temperature & catalyst <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/concentration-condition" 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 concentration conditions from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">concentration conditions. The catalyst showed high catalytic activity for C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; 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; font-size: 16px;">N coupling of various aryl halides & amines to form aryl amines in good to excellent yield up to 91 % in <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/sulfolane" 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 sulfolane from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">sulfolane as a solvent at 150 °C. The catalyst showed recyclability up to 5 times. The method developed for C<img alt="single bond" src="https://sdfestaticassets-us-east-1.sciencedirectassets.com/shared-assets/55/entities/sbnd.gif" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; width: auto; max-width: 100%; height: auto; 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; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: middle;" /><span style="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; font-size: 16px;">N coupling reaction was noble metal free, ligand free, recyclable, sustainable, economical & environmentally friendly.

Combinatorial therapy using RNAi and curcumin nano-architectures regresses tumors in breast and colon cancer models - Kumar, Aviral; Singam, Amarnath; Swaminathan, Guruprasadh; Killi, Naresh; Tangudu, Naveen Kumar; Jose, Jedy; Gundloori, Rathna V. N.; Kumar, Lekha Dinesh (Nanoscale, 2022)
Cancer is a debilitating disease and one of the leading causes of death in the world. In spite of the current clinical management being dependent on applying robust pathological variables and well-defined therapeutic strategies, there is an imminent need for novel and targeted therapies with least side effects. RNA interference (RNAi) has gained attention due to its precise potential for targeting multiple genes involved in cancer progression. Nanoparticles with their enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect have been found to overcome the limitations of RNAi-based therapies. With their high transportation capacity, nanocarriers can target RNAi molecules to tumor tissues and protect them from enzymatic degradation. Accumulating evidence has shown that tyrosine kinase Ephb4 is overexpressed in various cancers. Therefore, we report here the development and pre-clinical validation of curcumin-chitosan-loaded: eudragit-coated nanocomposites conjugated with Ephb4 shRNA as a feasible bio-drug to suppress breast and colon cancers. The proposed bio-drug is non-toxic and bio-compatible with a higher uptake efficiency and through our experimental results we have demonstrated the effective site-specific delivery of this biodrug and the successfull silencing of their respective target genes in vivo in autochthonous knockout models of breast and colon cancer. While mammary tumors showed a considerable decrease in size, oral administration of the biodrug conjugate to Apc knockout colon models prolonged the animal survival period by six months. Hence, this study has provided empirical proof that the combinatorial approach involving RNA interference and nanotechnology is a promising alliance for next-generation cancer therapeutics.

Comparative analysis and structural modeling of elaeis oleifera FAD2, a fatty acid desaturase involved in unsaturated fatty acid composition of american oil palm - Ben Ayed, Rayda; Chirmade, Tejas; Hanana, Mohsen; Khamassi, Khalil; Ercisli, Sezai; Choudhary, Ravish; Kadoo, Narendra; Karunakaran, Rohini (Biology-Basel, 2022)
Simple Summary Palm oil has become the world's most important vegetable oil in terms of production quantity, and its overall demand is exponentially growing with the global population. The fatty acid composition and particularly the oleic/linoleic acid ratio are major factors influencing palm oil quality. In this study, we focused on FAD2, a fatty acid desaturase enzyme involved in the desaturation and conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid in Elaeis oleifera, identified through in silico annotation analysis. Our phylogenetic and comparative studies revealed two SNP markers, SNP278 and SNP851, significantly correlated with the oleic/linoleic acid contents. Our study provides fundamental insights into the mechanism of fatty acids synthesis in oil palm and could support the application of molecular biology techniques to enhance the enzymatic activity and substrate affinity of EoFAD2. American oil palm (Elaeis oleifera) is an important source of dietary oil that could fulfill the increasing worldwide demand for cooking oil. Therefore, improving its production is crucial and could be realized through breeding and genetic engineering approaches aiming to obtain high-yielding varieties with improved oil content and quality. The fatty acid composition and particularly the oleic/linoleic acid ratio are major factors influencing oil quality. Our work focused on a fatty acid desaturase (FAD) enzyme involved in the desaturation and conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid. Following the in silico identification and annotation of Elaeis oleifera FAD2, its molecular and structural features characterization was performed to better understand the mechanistic bases of its enzymatic activity. EoFAD2 is 1173 nucleotides long and encodes a protein of 390 amino acids that shares similarities with other FADs. Interestingly, the phylogenetic study showed three distinguished groups where EoFAD2 clustered among monocotyledonous taxa. EoFAD2 is a membrane-bound protein with five transmembrane domains presumably located in the endoplasmic reticulum. The homodimer organization model of EoFAD2 enzyme and substrates and respective substrate-binding residues were predicted and described. Moreover, the comparison between 24 FAD2 sequences from different species generated two interesting single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with the oleic/linoleic acid contents.
Keywords: FAD2; Fatty acids; in silico annotation; linoleic acid ratio; oil palm; oleic; SNP; structural modeling

Comparison of hydrodynamic characteristics of Tulsion and Siran immobilised beads in a fluidised bed bioreactor - Kashid, Shweta; Joshi, Kalpana; Nene, Sanjay (Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 2022)
<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; 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; font-size: 16px;">The fluidised bed reactors are successfully utilised in various bioprocesses to produce <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/high-value-products" 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 high value products from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">high value products using <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/immobilized-cell" 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 immobilised cells from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">immobilised cells and enzymes. The present work aims at evaluating hydrodynamic characteristics of a three phase fluidised bed <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/bioreactor" 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 bioreactor from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">bioreactor using Tulsion® A-1X MP, Tulsion® ADS-400 and Tulsion® ADS-800, <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/polystyrene" 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 polystyrene from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">polystyrene and polyacrylic based three types of free and <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/immobilized-cell" 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 immobilised cells from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">immobilised cells solid carriers viz. and comparing their performance with Siran® SIKUG41 glass beads. The hydrodynamic parameters such as particle density (cells and beads), drag coefficient, minimum and maximum <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/fluidization" 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 fluidisation from ScienceDirect's AI-generated Topic Pages">fluidisation velocity, particle settling velocity were estimated and compared in water and biological media (E2 and MSM) having varying rheological properties. The relationships between drag coefficient (C<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; bottom: -0.25em; 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;">D<span style="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; font-size: 16px;">)–Reynolds numbers (N<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; bottom: -0.25em; 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;">Re<span style="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; font-size: 16px;">), superficial liquid velocity (U<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; bottom: -0.25em; 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;">f<span style="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; font-size: 16px;">)–void fraction(ε), expansion index(n)–N<span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; bottom: -0.25em; 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;">Re<span style="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; font-size: 16px;"> were obtained.

Concise total synthesis of (+)-lanceolactone a: revision of absolute stereochemistry - Borade, Balasaheb R.; Kontham, Ravindar (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
A chiral-pool protecting-group-free five-step total synthesis of tetranorsesquiterpenoide (+)-lanceolactone A and all of its four stereoisomers using (S)-(+)-, and (R)-(-)-linalool (coriandrol) as building blocks is disclosed. The key steps involved in this synthetic route are regioselective ozonolysis, Au(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization-induced construction of furan from alleneone, and dye-sensitized photo-oxidation (through O-1(2) ; singlet oxygen) of hydroxyalkyl-tethered furan to access oxaspirolactone. After a thorough evaluation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and optical rotation data of all possible stereoisomers, the absolute configuration of natural lanceolactone A at the C4 and C7 positions has been assigned as (+)-(4S,7S), which is an enantiomer to the initially proposed structure (+)-(4R,7R). Further, these investigations led us to extend Feringa and Gawronski's CD correlation method to [5,5]- and [6,5]-oxaspirolactones.

Concurrent polyvalent interaction and electrocatalysis to improve lithium-sulfur battery performance - Kumar, Subramani; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam (Batteries & Supercaps, 2022)
Batteries with improved efficiency are desired. Li-S batteries are attractive due to their high specific capacity and energy density. However, sluggish sulfur redox reaction and polysulfide dissolution are significant challenges in Li-S batteries. In this work, we report graphene with doped layer to electrocatalyze the sluggish sulfur redox reaction. The doped layer comprises heteroatoms such as either N or N and S. The doped layer also comprises cations of Ni. We have chosen a ``doped layer on graphene'' over ``doped graphene'' to avoid defects in the basal plane of graphene. We found the doped layer comprising graphene (DLC-G) to electrocatalyze the polysulfide redox reaction. However, the interaction between the doped layer and polysulfide is still weak, hence the dissolution is not suppressed. To circumvent the polysulfide dissolution, graphene with cationic layer was prepared. We found that cations in the layer electrostatically attract the polysulfides due to the polyvalent interaction. Thus, the dissolution is suppressed. While using this material in the Li-S batteries, the specific capacity, energy density and power density were found to be 1345 mAh g(-1), 782 Wh kg(-1) and 4437 W kg(-1), respectively.
Keywords: electrocatalysis; graphene; lithium-sulfur battery; mechanical exfoliation; polyvalent interaction

Co-Ni layered double hydroxide for the electrocatalytic oxidation of organic molecules: an approach to lowering the overall cell voltage for the water splitting process - Shilpa, Nagaraju; Pandikassala, Ajmal; Krishnaraj, Perayil; Walko, Priyanka S.; Devi, R. Nandini; Kurungot, Sreekumar (ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2022)
Electrocatalytic oxidation of simple organic molecules oilers a promising strategy to combat the sluggish kinetics of the water oxidation reaction (WOR). The low potential requirement, inhibition of the crossover of gases, and formation of value-added products at the anode are benefits of the electrocatalytic oxidation of organic molecules. Herein, we developed cobalt-nickel-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) as a robust material for the electrocatalytic oxidation of alcohols and urea at the anode, replacing the WOR. A facile synthesis protocol to form LDHs with different ratios of Co and Ni is adapted. It demonstrates that the reactants could be efficiently oxidized to concomitant chemical products at the anode. The half-cell study shows an onset potential of 1.30 V for benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction (BAOR), 1.36 V for glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR), 1.33 V for ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR), and 1.32 V for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) compared with 1.53 V for WOR. Notably, the hybrid electrolyzer in a full-cell configuration significantly reduces the overall cell voltage at a 20 mA cm(-2) current density by similar to 15% while coupling with the BAOR, EOR, and GOR and similar to 12% with the UOR as the anodic half-cell reaction. Furthermore, the efficiency of hydrogen generation remains unhampered with the types of oxidation reactions (alcohols and urea) occurring at the anode. This work demonstrates the prospects of lowering the overall cell voltage in the case of a water electrolyzer by integrating the hydrogen evolution reaction with suitable organic molecule oxidation.
Keywords: electrocatalytic oxidation; energy conversion; imidazole mediated; Layered compounds; water splitting

Controlled modulation of the structure and luminescence properties of zero-dimensional manganese halide hybrids through structure-directing metal-ion (Cd2+ and Zn2+) centers - Das, Deep Kumar; Bakthavatsalam, Rangarajan; Anilkumar, Vishnu; Mali, Bhupendra P.; Ahmed, Md Soif; Raavi, Sai Santosh Kumar; Pallepogu, Raghavaiah; Kundu, Janardan (Inorganic Chemistry, 2022)
Zero-dimensional (0D) metal halide hybrids with high exciton binding energy are excellent materials for lighting applications. Controlling/modulating the structure of the con-stituent metal halide units allows tunability of their photo-luminescence properties. 0D manganese halide hybrids are currently attracting research efforts in lighting applications due to their eco-friendly and strong emission. However, structural transformation-induced tunability of their photophysical propertieshas rarely been reported. Herein, we demonstrate a rationalsynthetic strategy to modulate the structure and luminescenceproperties of 0D Mn(II) halide hybrids utilizing the structure-directing d10metal ions (Cd2+/Zn2+). 0D metal halide hybrids ofCd2+/Zn2+, which act as hosts with tunable structures, accept Mn2+ions as substitutional dopants. This structural flexibility of thehost d10metal ions is realized by optimizing the metal-to-ligand ratio (Cd/AEPip). This reaction parameter allows structuraltransformation from an octahedral (AEPipCdMnBrOh) to a tetrahedral (AEPipCdMnBrTd) 0D Mn halide hybrid with tunableluminescence (orange -> green) with high photoluminescence quantum yield. Interestingly, when Zn2+is utilized, a tetrahedralAEPipZnMnBr structure forms exclusively with strong green emission. Optical and single-crystal X-ray diffraction structural analysisof the host and the doped system supports our experimental data and confirms the structure-directing role played by Cd2+/Zn2+centers. This work demonstrates a rational strategy to modulate the structure/luminescence properties of 0D Mn(II) halide hybrids, which can further be implemented for other 0D metal halide hybrids

Conventional and microwave-assisted organic synthesis of novel antimycobacterial agents bearing furan and pyridine hybrids - Desai, Nisheeth C.; Bhatt, Kandarp; Jadeja, Dharmpalsinh J.; Mehta, Harsh K.; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Sarkar, Dhiman (Drug Development Research, 2022)
Drug resistance in tuberculosis poses a serious threat to humanity because currently available antitubercular drugs are ineffective against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). As a result, the approval of Bedaquiline and Delamanid for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis was accelerated. Still, there is an urgent need to search for new antitubercular drugs with novel mechanisms of action (MoA). Due to this, we have designed a synthetic strategy by utilizing microwave-assisted organic synthesis. We have compared our method with the conventional procedure, and the data show that our procedure is more effective in the preparation of title compounds. A unique series of 1-(2-(furan-2-yl)-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-3(2H)-yl)-3-(aryl)-pr op-2-en-1-ones (5a-o) was synthesized utilizing conventional and microwave-assisted techniques. Synthetic compounds were investigated for antitubercular activity against Mycobacterium TB H37Ra and Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). Compound 5b was reported to be the most effective against M. tuberculosis H37Ra (97.69 percent inhibition at 30 mu g/ml) and M. bovis (97.09 percent inhibition at 30 mu g/ml). An in silico binding affinity study of mycobacterial enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (InhA) reveals the binding mechanism and thermodynamic interactions that determine these molecule's binding affinity. Compound 5b had a high glide score of -8.991 and low glide energy of -49.893 kcal/mol.
Keywords: Antitubercular activity; microwave-assisted organic synthesis; Molecular docking

Copper(II) import and reduction are dependent on His-Met clusters in the extracellular amino terminus of human copper transporter-1 - Kar, Sumanta; Sen, Samarpita; Maji, Saptarshi; Saraf, Deepashri; Ruturaj; Paul, Rupam; Dutt, Sohini; Mondal, Basudeb; Rodriguez-Boulan, Enrique; Schreiner, Ryan; Sengupta, Durba; Gupta, Arnab (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2022)
Copper(I) is an essential metal for all life forms. Though Cu(II) is the most abundant and stable state, its reduction to Cu(I) via an unclear mechanism is prerequisite for its bioutilization. In eukaryotes, the copper transporter-1(CTR1) is the primary high-affinity copper importer, although its mechanism and role in Cu(II) reduction remain uncharacterized. Here we show that extracellular amino-terminus of human CTR1 contains two methionine-histidine clusters and neighboring aspartates that distinctly bind Cu(I) and Cu(II) preceding its import. We determined that hCTR1 localizes at the basolateral membrane of polarized MDCK-II cells and that its endocytosis to Common-Recycling-Endosomes is regulated by reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) and subsequent Cu(I) coordination by the methionine cluster. We demonstrate the transient binding of both Cu(II) and Cu(I) during the reduction process is facilitated by aspartates that also act as another crucial determinant of hCTR1 endocytosis. Mutating the first Methionine cluster ((7)Met-Gly-Met(9)) and Asp(13)( )abrogated copper uptake and endocytosis upon copper treatment. This phenotype could be reverted by treating the cells with reduced and nonreoxidizable Cu(I). We show that histidine clusters, on other hand, bind Cu(II) and are crucial for hCTR1 functioning at limiting copper. Finally, we show that two N-terminal His-Met-Asp clusters exhibit functional complementarity, as the second cluster is sufficient to preserve copper-induced CTR1 endocytosis upon complete deletion of the first cluster. We propose a novel and detailed mechanism by which the two His-Met-Asp residues of hCTR1 amino-terminus not only bind copper, but also maintain its reduced state, crucial for intracellular uptake.

Crystalline xylitol production from corncob biomass with oral toxicity analysis - Ahuja, Vishal; Dasgupta, Diptarka; Kshirsagar, Siddheshwar; Ghosh, Prasenjit; More, Snehal; Gupta, Piyush; Behera, Babita; Bhaskar, Thallada (Industrial Crops and Products, 2022)
Xylitol, a five-carbon sugar alcohol, has a steady global market and finds application as a natural sugar substitute in various food and confectionery products. Biocatalytic xylitol production, although touted as a greener alternative to conventional chemical catalysis, suffers from certain challenges, the primary being high cost of production. This study demonstrates a process for food-grade xylitol production from corncob biomass with energy reduction through two major process modifications. A non-conventional fermentation strategy was adopted whereby adjusting aeration without agitation, xylitol with high yield (0.86 +/- 0.015 g/g), and productivity (0.74 gL(-1)h(-1)) could be produced by a GRAS Pichia caribbica MTCC 5703 strain. Xylitol was recovered from the broth in the form of crystals using a combination of membrane-based filtration and crystallization. The crystals demonstrated similar to 98 % purity when quantified with H-1 NMR. Oral toxicity analysis of the crystals demonstrated no adverse effect in female Winstar rats (at a loading of 2000 mg/kg body weight of animals). Overall process statistics showed that 0.584 kg of food-grade xylitol crystals could be produced from 3.5 kg of corncob biomass. The two-process modifications during fermentation and xylitol recovery enabled an energy saving of similar to 20.842 kW/kg of crystals, providing tremendous advantages for biorefinery-based large-scale xylitol production from corncob biomass.
Keywords: Biomass; Fermentation; Oral toxicity analysis; Wastewater treatment; xylitol

[DBUH][OAc]-catalyzed domino synthesis of novel benzimidazole incorporated 3,5-Bis (Arylidene)-4-piperidones as potential antitubercular agents - Subhedar, Dnyaneshwar D.; Shaikh, Mubarak H.; Nagargoje, Amol A.; Sarkar, Dhiman; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Shingate, Bapurao B. (Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds, 2022)
A series of new benzimidazole incorporated 3,5-bis (arylidene)-4-piperidones were synthesized by using aryl aldehydes, piperidinone, 2-(chloromethyl)-benzimidazole and DBU acetate [DBUH][OAc] act as a catalyst under solvent free condition in excellent yields. The synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro antimycobacterial activity against M. tuberculosis H37Ra (MTB) and M. bovis BCG strains. The compounds 4a, 4b, 4e, 4i, 4k and 4l are highly potent against both the strains. Most of the active compounds are non-cytotoxic against MCF-7, A549, HCT 116 and THP-1 cell lines. Furthermore, a molecular docking study of these compounds was carried out to investigate their binding pattern with the target, active site of mycobacterial enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (Inh A). Therefore, these compounds can be subjected for further optimization and drug development which could give promising chemical leads for treatment of TB.
Keywords: Antitubercular activity; curcumin; Cytotoxicity; Ionic liquid; multicomponent reactions

Decay processes in cationic alkali metals in microsolvated clusters: a complex absorbing potential based equation-of-motion coupled cluster investigation - Kumar, Ravi; Ghosh, Aryya; Vaval, Nayana (Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, 2022)
We have employed the highly accurate complex absorbing potential based ionization potential equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles (CAP-IP-EOM-CCSD) method to study the various intermolecular decay processes in ionized metals (Li+, Na+, K+) microsolvated by water molecules. For the Li atom, the electron is ionized from the 1s subshell. However, for Na and K atoms, the electron is ionized from 2s and both 2s and 2p subshells, respectively. We have investigated decay processes for the Li+-(H2O)(n) (n = 1-3) systems, as well as Na+-(H2O)(n) (n = 1, 2), and K+-H2O. The lithium cation in water can decay only via electron transfer mediated decay (ETMD) as there are no valence electrons in lithium. We have investigated how the various decay processes change in the presence of different alkali metal atoms and how the increasing number of water molecules play a significant role in the decay of microsolvated systems. To see the effect of the environment, we have studied Li+-NH3 in comparison to Li+-H2O. In the case of Na+-H2O, we have studied the impact of bond distance on the decay width. The effect of polarization on decay width was checked for the X+-H2O (X = Li, Na) systems. We used the PCM model to study the polarization effect. We have compared our results with existing theoretical and experimental results wherever available in the literature.

Deciphering the sensing of alpha-amyrin acetate with hs-DNA: a multipronged biological probe - Pansare, V. Amol; Shedge, Amol A.; Sonawale, Maryappa C.; Pansare, V. Shubham; Mahakal, Akshay D.; Khairkar, Shyam R.; Chhatre, Shraddha Y.; Kulal, Dnyaneshwar K.; Patil, Vishwanath R. (RSC Advances, 2022)
In this study, we focus on the biomimetic development of small molecules and their biological sensing with DNA. The binding of herring sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (hs-DNA) with naturally occurring bioactive small molecule alpha-amyrin acetate (alpha-AA), a biomimetic - isolated from the leaves of Ficus (F.) arnottiana is investigated. Collective information from various imaging, spectroscopic and biophysical experiments provides evidence that alpha-AA is a minor groove sensor of hs-DNA and preferentially binds to the A-T-rich regions. Interactions of different concentrations of small molecule alpha-AA with hsDNA were evaluated via various analytical techniques such as UV-Vis, circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence emission spectroscopy. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy results suggest that alpha-AA decreases the emission level of hsDNA. DNA minor groove sensor Hoechst 33258 and intercalative sensor EB, melting transition analysis (T-M) and viscosity analysis clarified that alpha-AA binds to hs-DNA via a groove site. Biophysical chemistry and molecular docking studies show that hydrophobic interactions play a major role in this binding. The present research deals with a natural product biosynthesis-linked chemical-biology interface sensor as a biological probe for alpha-AA: hs-DNA.

Design, synthesis of anticancer and anti-inflammatory 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles - Bhale, Pravin S.; Chavan, V. Hemant; Shringare, Sadanand N.; Khedkar, Vijay M.; Tigote, Radhakrishna M.; Mali, Nikita N.; Jadhav, Tukaram D.; Kamble, Nitin B.; Kolat, Swati P.; Bandgar, Babasaheb P.; Patil, Harshal S. (Synthetic Communications, 2022)
A novel series of 4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-6-(methylthio) pyrimidine-5-carbonitriles (4a-i) was synthesized and evaluated for anticancer potential against cell lines for breast cancer. Compounds 4b, 4e, and 4h exhibited prominent cytotoxicity against human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cell line with GI(50 )of 2.0, 0.5, and 0.5 mu M, respectively. Molecular docking study against EGFR tyrosine kinase could provide valuable insights into the plausible mechanism of action. The compounds could bind with significantly high binding affinity and their binding affinity scores could correlate well with the observed anticancer activity. Furthermore, compounds 4a, 4c, 4e, 4g, and 4i exhibited significant inflammatory activities as well which could expand the therapeutic domain of this novel series.
Keywords: Anti-inflammatory; Anticancer; Antioxidant; Indole; pyrimidine

Detection of a target protein (GroEl2) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis using a derivative of 1,2,4-triazolethiols - Sarkar, Sampa; Swami, Sagar; Soni, Sarvesh Kumar; Holien, Jessica K.; Khan, Arshad; Korwar, Arvind M.; Likhite, Anjali P.; Joshi, Ramesh A.; Joshi, Rohini R.; Sarkar, Dhiman (Molecular Diversity, 2022)
Herein, we identified a potent lead compound RRA2, within a series of 54 derivatives of 1,2,4-triazolethiols (exhibit good potency as an anti-mycobacterial agents) against intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Compound RRA2 showed significant mycobactericidal activity against active stage Mycobacterium bovis BCG and Mtb with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 2.3 and 2.0 mu g/mL, respectively. At MIC value, RRA2 compound yielded 0.82 log reduction of colony-forming unit (cfu) against non-replicating Mtb. Furthermore, RRA2 compound was selected for further target identification due to the presence of alkyne group, showing higher selectivity index (> 66.66 +/- 0.22, in non-replicating stage). Using ``click'' chemistry, we synthesized the biotin linker-RRA2 conjugate, purified with HPLC method and confirmed the conjugation of biotin linker-RRA2 complex by HR-MS analysis. Furthermore, we successfully pulled down and identified a specific target protein GroEl2, from Mtb whole-cell extract. Furthermore, computational molecular modeling indicated RRA2 could interact with GroEl2, which explains the structure-activity relationship observed in this study.
Keywords: 1; 2; 4-triazolethiols; GroEl2; Mycobactericidal activity; Mycobacterium bovis BCG; Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Dietary influence on modulation of Helicoverpa armigera oral secretion composition leading to differential regulation of tomato plant defense - Gopal S. Kallure; Balkrishna A. Shinde; Vitthal T. Barvkar; Archana Kumari; Ashok P. Giri (Plant Science, 2022)
Little is known about how different plant-based diets influence the insect herbivores’ oral secretion (OS) composition and eventually the plant defense responses. We analyzed the OS composition of the generalist Lepidopteran insect, Helicoverpa armigera feeding on the host plant tomato (OSH), non-host plant capsicum (OSNH), and artificial diet (OSAD) using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. Higher numbers and levels of alkaloids and terpenoids were observed in OSH and OSNH, respectively while OSAD was rich in phospholipids. Interestingly, treatment of H. armigera OSAD, OSH and OSNH on wounded tomato leaves showed differential expression of (i) genes involved in JA and SA biosynthesis and their responsive genes, and (ii) biosynthetic pathway genes of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and trehalose, which exhibited increased accumulation along with several other plant defensive metabolites. Specifically, high levels of CGA were detected after OSH and OSNH treatments in tomato leaves. There was higher expression of the genes involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, which may lead to the increased accumulation of CGA and related metabolites. In the insect bioassay, CGA significantly inhibited H. armigera larval growth. Our results underline the differential accumulation of plant and insect OS metabolites and identified potential plant metabolite(s) affecting insect growth and development.
Keywords: Chlorogenic acid; defense; Metabolites; Non-host; Oral secretion; trehalose

Dietary influence on modulation of Helicoverpa armigera oral secretion composition leading to differential regulation of tomato plant defense. - Kallure, Gopal S.; Shinde, Balkrishna A.; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Kumari, Archana; Giri, Ashok P. (Plant Science, 2022)
Little is known about how different plant-based diets influence the insect herbivores' oral secretion (OS) composition and eventually the plant defense responses. We analyzed the OS composition of the generalist Lepidopteran insect, Helicoverpa armigera feeding on the host plant tomato (OSH), non-host plant capsicum (OSNH), and artificial diet (OSAD) using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. Higher numbers and levels of alkaloids and terpenoids were observed in OSH and OSNH, respectively while OSAD was rich in phospholipids. Interestingly, treatment of H. armigera OSAD, OSH and OSNH on wounded tomato leaves showed differential expression of (i) genes involved in JA and SA biosynthesis and their responsive genes, and (ii) biosynthetic pathway genes of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and trehalose, which exhibited increased accumulation along with several other plant defensive metabolites. Specifically, high levels of CGA were detected after OSH and OSNH treatments in tomato leaves. There was higher expression of the genes involved in phenyl-propanoid biosynthesis, which may lead to the increased accumulation of CGA and related metabolites. In the insect bioassay, CGA significantly inhibited H. armigera larval growth. Our results underline the differential accumulation of plant and insect OS metabolites and identified potential plant metabolite(s) affecting insect growth and development.
Keywords: Chlorogenic acid; defense; Metabolites; Non-host; Oral secretion; trehalose

Diethyl phosphite-mediated switchable synthesis of bis(imidazoheterocycles) derived disulfanes and sulfanes using imidazoheterocycles and octasulfur - Reddy, Raju Jannapu; Shankar, Angothu; Kumar, Jangam Jagadesh; Sharadha, Nunavath; Krishna, Gamidi Rama (New Journal of Chemistry, 2022)
A practical and highly efficient oxidative dual C-H sulfenylation of imidazoheterocycles using odorless, inexpensive elemental sulfur in DMSO to synthesize sulfur-bridged imidazoheterocycles under metal-free conditions is reported. The amount of diethyl phosphite and sulfur powder most attractively permits a tunable synthesis of bis(imidazoheterocycle)disulfanes and bis(imidazoheterocycle)sulfanes in good to high yields. A comprehensive substrate scope with a broad range of functional group tolerance was realized, and the efficacy of the process was proved at gram-scale reactions. Next, the bis(imidazopyridine)disulfanes were smoothly reacted with various indoles under similar conditions to form the corresponding imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-indole-derived thioethers in high yields. A plausible mechanism has been proposed based on the control experiments.

Dimerization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein affects sensitivity of ELISA based diagnostics of COVID-19 - Khan, Wajihul; Khan, Nida; Mishra, Avinash; Gupta, Surbhi; Bansode, Vikrant; Mehta, Deepa; Bhambure, Rahul; Rathore, Anurag (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022)
Nucleocapsid protein (N protein) is the primary antigen of the virus for development of sensitive diagnostic assays of COVID-19. In this paper, we demonstrate the significant impact of dimerization of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) N-protein on sensitivity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based diagnostics. The expressed purified protein from E. coli is composed of dimeric and monomeric forms, which have been further characterized using biophysical and immunological techniques. Indirect ELISA indicated elevated susceptibility of the dimeric form of the nucleocapsid protein for identification of protein-specific monoclonal antibody as compared to the monomeric form. This finding also confirmed with the modelled structure of monomeric and dimeric nucleocapsid protein via HHPred software and its solvent accessible surface area, which indicates higher stability and antigenicity of the dimeric type as compared to the monomeric form. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA at 95% CI are 99.0% (94.5-99.9) and 95.0% (83.0-99.4), respectively, for the highest purified dimeric form of the N protein. As a result, using the highest purified dimeric form will improve the sensitivity of the current nucleocapsid-dependent ELISA for COVID-19 diagnosis, and manufacturers should monitor and maintain the monomer-dimer composition for accurate and robust diagnostics.

Direct (hetero)arylation (DHAP) polymerization of conjugated polymers - new A-B-A monomer design for P(NDI2OD-T2) & the challenges of adopting DHAP for continuous flow processes - Kakde, Navnath R.; Bharathkumar, H. J.; Wavhal, Bhaiyyasaheb A.; Nikam, Arun; Patil, Suneha; Dash, Soumya Ranjan; Vanka, Kumar; Krishnamoorthy, K.; Kulkarni, Amol; Asha, S. K. (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 2022)
P(NDI2OD-T2), also known as Polyera ActivInk N2200, was synthesized by the atom-economic direct hetero arylation polymerization (DHAP) route using a newly designed A-B-A monomer. The new monomer design involved flanking naphthalene diimide with bithiophene units in the bay position, which was further polymerized with bay substituted 1,4-dibromo naphthalene diimide, to afford the same polymer structure as P(NDI2OD-T2). The new monomer design resulted in a very high molecular weight (M-n: 99.5 kDa, D-M: 2.8) defect-free polymer in a quantitative yield by the DHAP batch process using 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (TCB) as the solvent. DFT studies revealed that the abstraction of the alpha-proton from the naphthalene diimide substituted 2,2 `-bithiophene was favorable by 2.6 kcal mol(-1) (Delta Delta G) as compared to that from 2,2 `-bithiophene. The reason for this improved C-H activation at the alpha position can be attributed to the presence of C-HMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS pi stabilizing interactions in naphthalene diimide substituted 2,2 `-bithiophene, which strengthens upon the extended charge delocalization throughout the ring, thus stabilizing the conjugate base generated after the proton abstraction. Continuous flow polymerization was carried out by pumping the DHAP reaction mixture including the monomers, catalyst, and additive (pivalic acid) solubilized in degassed TCB through a pre-heated glass condenser packed with K2CO3 and Celite under aerobic conditions. Reproducible molecular weights of M-n: 29.5 kDa, D-M: 1.7 were obtained at much lower concentrations of reactant mixture compared to that for batch polymerization. This is the first report of the synthesis of P(NDI2OD-T2) by a Continuous Flow Process adopting the DHAP route to obtain a defect-free polymer with reasonable molecular weights. P(NDI2OD-T2) was also synthesized by Stille polymerization as a reference control sample to compare the thermal and charge carrier transport properties of the DHAP polymers. Organic field-effect (OFET) mobility measurements indicated mobility values in the order of 10(-3) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) for the DHAP batch polymer (using the novel monomer design). The P(NDI2OD-T2) synthesized by DHAP batch using the commonly used starting materials - bisbromo naphthalene diimide and bithiophene, exhibited OFET mobilities which were one order less, similar to 10(-4) cm(2) V-1 s(-1). This observation highlights the importance of structural design in the monomer to enhance reactivity and thereby the bulk properties using the DHAP route.

Diversity assessment of Gloriosa superba accessions from Western Ghats of India based on morphological traits, ISSR markers and metabolite content - Mahajan, Yogesh A.; Shinde, Balkrishna A.; Mulani, Fayaj A.; Gade, Akshay B.; Kasodekar, Amol K.; Thulasiram, H. V.; Kadoo, Narendra Y.; Nikam, Tukaram D. (Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 2022)
Gloriosa superba L. (glory lily) is a medicinally and horticulturally important plant used as a commercial source of the alkaloid colchicine. The Western Ghats in India is mostly unexplored for the morphological, genetic, and metabolite diversity of the species. In the current study, three methodologies were employed to assess the diversity among 50 established accessions of G. superba collected from several locations in the Western Ghats. The morphological analysis revealed that, among the studied traits, seed yield per vine and dry seed weight per 100 seeds for the established accessions were the most diverse traits. The former exhibited a significantly positive correlation with four vegetative and five yield traits. The first three principal components showed nine traits contributing to the variation. Intra-specific molecular variation based on inter simple sequence repeat markers distributed the accessions in three clusters with high polymorphism and low genetic diversity indices. Liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis revealed significant variation among the screened accessions for colchicine content in tuber and seed tissue. Interestingly, an unexplored tissue, pod shell, was found to contain significantly high colchicine, which could be explored for commercial colchicine extraction. The morphogenetic and metabolite variation revealed by the study would be useful to develop elite varieties to expand the cultivation of glory lily across the country, fulfilling the increasing demand for colchicine and providing remunerative income to the farmers.
Keywords: Colchicine; Genetic diversity; Gloriosa superba; Metabolite diversity; Morphological diversity; Western Ghats

Doped 2D VX2 (X = S, Se, Te) monolayers as electrocatalysts for ammonia production: a DFT based study - Maibam, Ashakiran; BabaRao, Ravichandar; Krishnamurty, Sailaj A. (Applied Surface Science, 2022)
Electrocatalytic nitrogen fixation under ambient conditions on vanadium dichalcogenides (VX2) with non-metal dopants has been explored herein. Understanding the interface chemistry, inherent electronic and acute synergistic nature of non-metal dopants on two unique phases of VX2 has been meticulously explored through a scrutiny of several non-metal atoms as catalytic centers. The efficacity of N-2 chemisorption and N-N bond activation has been implemented as crucial parameters to realize boron and carbon doped VX2 monolayers to be electrocatalytically active for nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Detailed investigation on the NRR mechanism brings out the pivotal role of thermodynamic favourability for product formation obtained from Gibbs free energy differences. The charge transfer on N and pi-pi* orbital hybridization and electron ``donor-acceptor `` mechanism between the non-metal and N-2 has been found to modulate the electrocatalytic barrier for NRR on VX2 monolayers. This study proposes boron doped VS2 as an efficient chemically feasible, earth abundant sustainable electrocatalyst for NRR with an overpotential as low as 0.06 eV.
Keywords: 1T and 2H phases; DFT; electrocatalysts; Nitrogen Reduction Reaction; Non metal dopants; Vanadium dichalcogenides

Effect of ionic interactions on crystallization of star telechelic poly (L-lactide) ionomers - Kulkarni, Amruta (Polymer, 2022)
Effect of ionic interactions on crystallization properties of star telechelic poly(L-lactide) ionomers was studied by performing isothermal crystallization experiments. We report a comparison between star PLLA and star telechelic PLLA ionomer. It was evident that the ionic interactions in the ionomer affected the crystallization rate as well as modified the spherulitic morphology. Employing Avrami analysis on the isothermal crystallization data we show that star PLLA shows faster crystallization at higher temperatures (closer to melting point) than the star PLLA ionomer. However, a reversal of this trend in crystallization is observed at lower temperatures (closer to glass transition temperature). The origin of high temperatures behaviour comparison is explained in terms of the higher secondary nucleation barrier for ionomers using the famous Lauritzen- Hoffman secondary nucleation theory. However, we point out that the assumption of equal diffusion barrier in this theory limits its range of applicability. In order to explain the low temperature behaviour, we invoke the activation energy comparison in PLLA and ionomer using rheological studies. We show that although the presence of ions in the polymer impede the secondary nucleation process, its effect is only observed at higher temperatures.
Keywords: Crystallization; Ionomer; Poly( L -lactide); Star polymer; Telechelic

Effect of oxalic acid and sulphuric acid hydrolysis on the preparation and properties of pineapple pomace derived cellulose nanofibers and nanopapers - Neenu, K. V.; Dominic, C. D. Midhun; Begum, P. M. Sabura; Parameswaranpillai, Jyotishkumar; Kanoth, Bipinbal Parambath; David, Deepthi Anna; Sajadi, S. Mohammad; Dhanyasree, P.; Ajithkumar, T. G.; Badawi, Michael (International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022)
Nanocellulose is the ``green magnet'' which attracts a wide spectrum of industries towards it due to its availability, biodegradability, and possible smart applications. For the first time, pineapple pomace was being explored as an economic precursor for cellulose nanofibers. Nanofiber isolation was accomplished using a chemo-mechanical method and solution casting was adopted for the development of nanopapers. Moreover, the study examines the structural, optical, crystalline, dimensional, and thermal features of nanofibers isolated using different acid hydrolysis (oxalic acid and sulphuric acid) methods. Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy, 13C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis indicated the presence of type I cellulose. The transmittance, crystallinity index, and thermal stability of PPNFS (sulphuric acid treated fiber) were greater than PPNFO (oxalic acid treated fiber). The transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis confirmed the nanodimension of PPNFO and PPNFS. While comparing the optical and mechanical properties of nanopapers, PPNFS outperforms PPNFO. The tensile strength of the prepared nanopapers (64 MPa (PPNFO) and 68 MPa (PPNFS)) was found to be high compared to similar works reported in the literature. The prepared nanopaper is proposed to be used for food packaging applications.
Keywords: cellulose nanofibers; Cellulosic nanopapers; Pineapple pomace

Efficient cascade C-N coupling reactions catalyzed by a recyclable MoOx/ Nb2O5 nanomaterial for valuable N-heterocycles synthesis - Singh, Nittan; Kalbande, Pavan Narayan; Umbarkar, Shubhangi; Sudarsanam, Putla (Molecular Catalysis, 2022)
The efficient cascade synthesis of pharmaceutically valuable N-heterocycles at solvent-free conditions was achieved using a robust, recyclable MoOx/Nb2O5 nanocatalyst. The results of catalyst screening revealed that the MoOx/Nb2O5 nanorods, calcined at 500 degrees C (MoNb5), exhibit excellent catalytic activity in the oxidative coupling of benzylamine with 96.5% conversion and >99.6% selectivity to the desirable imine product. The uniform dispersion of Mo-oxide nanoparticles (average particle size: 5.2 +/- 0.5 nm) on shape-controlled Nb2O5 nanorods (width: 5.3 +/- 0.5 nm and length: 23-38 nm) in MoNb5 catalyst led to improved structural and acid properties, beneficial for the cascade C-N bond construction. The shape-controlled MoNb5 catalyst showed versatile activity in various cascade C-N coupling reactions to obtain 2-phenylbenzimidazole, 2-phenyl-quinaxoline, and 2-phenyl-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-one with good to excellent yields at solvent-free con-ditions. The optimum ratio of Lewis/Bronsted acid sites, the unique structure of Nb2O5 nanorods, and the strong MoO3-Nb2O5 interaction are the key reasons for the higher activity of MoNb5 catalyst. The efficient reusability of MoNb5 catalyst, its remarkable activity in diverse N-heterocycles synthesis, and efficient gram-scale synthesis emphasize its practical application for the cascade C-N coupling reactions under benign conditions.
Keywords: Acid sites optimization; Cascade C-N bond formation; Diverse nitrogenous chemicals; Heterogeneous nanosized catalyst; MoO3-Nb2O5 interaction; Nb2O5 nanorods

Electrocatalytic alcohol oxidation by a molecular iron complex - Kuiry, Himangshu; Das, Debasree; Das, Soumadip; Chakraborty, Soham; Chandra, Bittu; Sen Gupta, Sayam (Faraday Discussions, 2022)
An efficient electrochemical method for the selective oxidation of alcohols to their corresponding aldehydes/ketones using a biomimetic iron complex, [(bTAML)Fe-III-OH2](-), as the redox mediator in an undivided electrochemical cell with inexpensive carbon and nickel electrodes using water as an oxygen source is reported. The substrate scope also includes alcohols that contain O and N heteroatoms in the scaffold, which are well tolerated under these reaction conditions. Mechanistic studies show the involvement of a high-valent Fe-V(O) species, [(bTAML)Fe-V(O)](-), formed via PCET (overall 2H(+)/2e(-)) from [(bTAML)Fe-III-OH2](-) at 0.77 V (vs. Fc(+)/Fc). Moreover, electrokinetic studies of the oxidation of C-H bonds indicate a second-order reaction, with the C-H abstraction by Fe-V(O) being the rate-determining step. The overall mechanism, studied using linear free energy relationships and radical clocks, indicates a ``net hydride'' transfer, leading to the oxidation of the alcohol to the corresponding aldehyde or ketone. When the reaction was carried out at pH > 11, the reaction could be carried out at a similar to 500 mV lower potential than that at pH 8, albeit with reduced reaction rates. The reactive intermediate involved at pH > 11 is the corresponding one-electron oxidized [(bTAML)Fe-IV(O)](2-) species.

Electrodeposited layered sodium vanadyl phosphate (NaxVOPO4 center dot nH(2)O) as cathode material for aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries - Dilwale, Swati; Ghosh, Meena; Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Energy & Fuels, 2022)
Aqueous rechargeable zinc metal batteries (ARZMBs) present a safer and cost-effective solution for energy storage in stationary applications. However, a major challenge is the lack of suitable cathode materials simultaneously exhibiting high operating voltage and long cycling stability. Herein, we report the polyanionic sodium-intercalated layered vanadyl phosphate [NaxVOPO4 center dot nH(2)O (NVP)] as a suitable high-voltage and stable cathode for ARZMBs. This work employs a simpler electrochemical route (electrodeposition) for the synthesis of NVP over functionalized carbon fiber substrates and its application as a binder-free cathode in ARZMBs. The electrodeposited NVP possesses a morphology of vertically aligned well-separated nanosheet bundles resembling a flower. When used as the ARZMB cathode, the NVP electrode delivers a specific discharge capacity of 100 mA h g(-1) at 0.033 A g(-1) and high cycling stability (98% retention of the initial capacity over 1100 cycles at 0.333 A g(-1)) in a mild aqueous electrolyte with moderate zinc salt concentration. The observed electrochemical performance of NVP is credited to the synergistic effect of unique nanoflower morphology, the pillaring effect offered by the intercalated Na, and the intimate contact of the active material with the carbon fiber network. These factors are favorable for enhancing the transport of the electrolyte ions and electrons and maintaining the structural stability of the electrode during long-term cycling. The NVP electrode could also deliver appreciable performance (a discharge capacity of 73 mA h g(-) 1 and a current density of 0.033 A g(-1)) in quasi-solidstate ARZMB cells employing PVA/Zn(CF3SO3)(2) gel electrolyte.

Electronic structure evolution from metallic vanadium to metallic VxOy: a nappes study for o2+v gas-solid interaction - Ranjan, Ravi; Mhamane, Nitin B.; Kolekar, Sadhu K.; Gopinath, Chinnakonda S. (Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2022)
Gas-solid interactions between molecular oxygen and metallic vanadium surfaces and the systematic evolution in the electronic structure of vanadium oxide (VOx) surfaces have been explored in the present work by near-ambient pressure photo-electron spectroscopy (NAPPES). The current article studies the evolution of various oxides of vanadium as a function of partial pressure of O2 (ultrahigh vacuum to 1 mbar), temperature (298- 875 K), and the exposure time to oxygen (up to 18 h). Valence -band (VB) and core-level spectral measurements recorded with UV (He-I = 21.2 eV) and Al K alpha (1486.6 eV) photons, respectively, show interesting changes. (1) Oxidation is limited to the top layers of vanadium at 298 K and up to a partial pressure of 1 mbar O2. About 50% of vanadium gets oxidized, and the remaining amount exists as metal within the top 10 nm. (2) Metallic vanadium disappears above 625 K, and it is predominantly oxidized to a mixture of V4+ and V5+ oxidation states at a 0.1 mbar partial pressure of O2. Points 1 and 2 suggest the predominantly thermodynamically controlled nature of vanadium oxidation through oxygen diffusion into the subsurface and bulk layers. (3) The Fermi-level (EF) feature observed first at >= 725 K at a 0.1 mbar O2 pressure demonstrates the formation of metallic VO2; however, its metallic nature is preserved even at ambient temperature due to interweaving nanodomains of VOx with VO2. (4) Only partial conversion of surface layers to V5+ (V2O5) along with VO2 and V2O3 (within the probing depth of 8-10 nm by near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP-XPS)) was observed even after prolonged heating (18 h) in 1 mbar O2 pressure. (5) The nature of the surface changes between metal and semiconducting/ insulator oxides is substantiated by the observation of changes in work function (phi) and EF features. Typical VB features and Fermi intensity of V-metal and vanadium oxides were observed, and the results were corroborated with core-level and VB spectra. The present results extend the capabilities of NAPPES to explore the electronic structure evolution as a function of reaction conditions and underscore its relevance to areas such as heterogeneous catalysis and sensing.

Electrospun zinc-manganese bimetallic oxide carbon nanofibers as freestanding supercapacitor electrodes - Joshi, Bhavana; Samuel, Edmund; Kim, Yongil; Kim, Taegun; El-Newehy, Mohamed; Aldalbahi, Ali; Yoon, Sam S. (International Journal of Energy Research, 2022)
Flexible, lightweight, and freestanding zinc-manganese oxide carbon nanofibers are promising materials for the fabrication of portable electronic devices. Composite nanofibers were synthesized using terephthalic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate. Terephthalic acid improves the flexibility of the composite fibers and facilitates the diffusion of electrolytic ions. Meanwhile, sodium dodecyl sulfate aids to elevate the metal (zinc) oxide particles to the surface of the nanofibers during annealing. The texturing of the carbon nanofiber surface with ZnO enhances the electrochemical activity of the composite fibers. Parametric studies were conducted by varying the weight ratio of zinc and manganese acetates from zero to unity. The optimal case with a ratio of 0.75 produces specific capacitances of 1080 and 817 F center dot g(-1) at current densities of 1 and 10 A center dot g(-1), respectively, with a wide potential window of 1.6 V, indicating outstanding energy storage capabilities. The capacitance retention was 92% after 10 000 galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles. The bending angle test confirmed the mechanical durability of the freestanding carbon nanofiber electrodes, and the corresponding change in the cyclic voltammetry curve was negligible.
Keywords: electrospinning; freestanding electrode; high-energy-density; supercapacitor; ZnMn2O4

Elucidating the influence of structure and Ag+ -Na+ ion-exchange on crack-resistance and ionic conductivity of Na3Al1.8Si1.65 P-1.8 O-12 glass electrolyte - Keshri, Shweta R.; Mandal, Indrajeet; Ganisetti, Sudheer; Kasimuthumaniyan, S.; Kumar, Rajesh; Gaddam, Anuraag; Shelke, Ankita; Ajithkumar, Thalasseril G.; Gosvami, Nitya Nand; Krishnan, N. M. Anoop; Allu, Amarnath R. (Acta Materialia, 2022)
Glasses are emerging as promising and efficient solid electrolytes for all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries. However, they still suffer from poor ionic conductivity and crack-resistance, which need to be improved for better battery performance, reliability, and service life. The current study shows a significant enhancement in crack resistance (from 11.3 N to 32.9 N) for Na3Al (1.8) Si-1.65 P1.8O12 glass (Ag-0 glass) upon Na+ -Ag+ ion-exchange (IE) due to compressive stresses generated in the glass surface while the ionic conductivity values (similar to 10(-5) S/cm at 473 K) were retained. In this study, magic angle spinning-nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, Vickers micro hardness, and impedance spectroscopic techniques were used to evaluate the intermediate-range structure, atomic structure, crack resistance and conductivity of the glass. MAS-NMR and MD simulations confirm the presence of Si-OAl-O-P groups in the glass, thus enabling formation of Na percolated channel regions. AC-conductivity analysis for Ag-0 and ion-exchanged Ag-0 glass suggests that the mobility of Na+ ion increases with increasing temperature. It is observed that the measured mean square displacement (root < R-2(t(p))>) for sodium cations using AC-conductivity isotherms is nearly constant up to 448 K and then increases with increasing temperature up to 523 K. From the impedance spectra for ion-exchanged Ag-0 glass, it is identified that the increase in root < R-2 (t(nu))> and thereby, the mobility of sodium-ions for Ag-0 glass is due to the structural variations in the Ag-0 glass with increasing the temperature. Overall, the mechanisms presented in this article helps in formulating better glass based electrolyte materials for room temperature or high temperature sodium-ion batteries. (C) 2022 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: amorphous; Ion-exchange; Ionic-conductivity; MD simulations; Mechanical property

Enantioselective separation of amino acids using chiral polystyrene microspheres synthesized by a post-polymer modification approach - Nikam, Shrikant B.; Asha S. K (ACS Polymers Au, 2022)
The enantioselective separation of a racemic mixture of amino acids was achieved by chiral amino acid-modified polystyrene (PS) that was developed by a post-polymer modification approach. Styrene was polymerized using the reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique and further post-polymer modification was applied by Friedel–Crafts acylation reaction with chiral N-phthaloyl-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-leucine acid chloride to obtain the protected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu. The chiral PS (protected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu) was assembled into microspheres using a surfactant and was used for carrying out the enantioselective separation of amino acid racemic mixtures by enantioselective adsorption followed by a simple filtration process. Compared to as-precipitated chiral PS (protected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu) powder, the protected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu microspheres exhibited a better enantioselective separation efficiency (ee %). Furthermore, the protected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu was deprotected to obtain the amine-functionalized deprotected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu chiral PS, which was also assembled into microspheres and used for carrying out enantioselective separation. Deprotected PS-<span class="smallcaps smallerCapital" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-alternates: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 17.008px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">l-Leu-functionalized chiral PS microspheres could achieve up to 81.6 ee % for the enantioselective separation of a racemic mixture of leucine. This is one of the first reports of the synthesis of amino acid-modified chiral PS microspheres and their application to the simple filtration-based enantioselective separation of native amino acids from their racemic mixtures.

Enceleamycins A-C, furo-naphthoquinones from amycolatopsis sp. MCC0218: isolation, structure elucidation, and antimicrobial activity - Khan, Abujunaid; Said, Madhukar S.; Borade, Balasaheb R.; Gonnade, Rajesh; Barvkar, Vitthal; Kontham, Ravindar; Dastager, Syed G. (Journal of Natural Products, 2022)
Three novel furo-naphthoquinones, enceleamycins A-C (1-3), and a new N-hydroxypyrazinone acid (4) were identified from the strain Amycolatopsis sp. MCC 0218, isolated from a soil sample collected from the Western Ghats of India. Their chemical structure and absolute and relative configurations were established by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray crystallography, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Compounds 1 and 3 were active against methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values of 2-16 mu g/mL.

Enhanced anisole hydroxylation over a hierarchical micro/mesoporous TS-1 catalyst - Patil, Chetana R.; Niphadkar, Prashant; Kamble, Sanjay P.; Rode, V. Chandrashekhar (New Journal of Chemistry, 2022)
Hierarchical TS-1 materials were synthesized using hydrothermal synthesis and a post modification technique through desilication. They were evaluated for hydroxylation of anisole to produce industrially important chemicals, o-methoxyphenol (OMP) and p-methoxyphenol (PMP). The detailed characterization of the prepared catalysts, such as morphology, structure, nature of Ti and surface area were obtained by SEM, HR-TEM, XRD, UV-VIS spectroscopy and the BET technique. The effects of various operational parameters such as substrate/H2O2 molar ratio, reaction temperature, catalyst concentration and solvent effect on the hydroxylation of anisole have been studied in detail. The microporous TS-1 catalyst showed 32% anisole conversion with 34% selectivity to PMP, while the micro/mesoporous DTS-1 catalyst showed enhanced activity for anisole hydroxylation, i.e. 54% conversion with 55% selectivity towards PMP. The increased framework Ti and improved accessibility of the active sites located in the channels of DTS-1, which permit the mass transfer of reactants, transition states and products from the mesopores of DTS-1, were responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity towards p-methoxyphenol.

Enhanced field emission behaviour from ethylene glycol mediated synthesis of 2D hexagonal SnS2 disc with nanoparticle - Mutadak, Pallavi R.; Chaudhari, Nilima S.; Gadhave, Dattatraya C.; Rajput, Parikshit K.; Kolekar, Sadhu K.; Late, Dattatray J.; More, Mahendra A.; Warule, Sambhaji S. (Materials Science and Engineering B-Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials, 2022)
Herein, octahedron and stacked 2D hexagonal disc - like nanostructures of SnS2 were obtained by hydrothermal and ethylene glycol mediated hydrothermal methods, respectively. Attempt has been made to shade light on the plausible growth mechanism. Liquid phase exfoliation followed by centrifugation process leads to presence of tiny single crystalline SnS2 nanoparticles (similar to 5 nm) on the hexagonal discs over C substrate, characterized by preferred growth along {001} direction. The observed Raman shift and enhanced intensities of A(1g) and E-g modes infer charge interactions between the SnS2 disc and C substrate. Interestingly, the SnS2-C emitter exhibited superior field emission (FE) behaviour due to the unique morphology, excellent charge transfer, and reduced work function (similar to 4.1 eV). Here the extraction of large current density of similar to 1137 mu A/cm(2) at an applied field of 3.72 V/mu m, with good emission current stability. The present strategy is beneficial to design architectured morphology for multi-functionality.
Keywords: 2D layered materials; Field Emission (FE); SnS2; SnS2 on C

Enhanced proton conductivity in amino acid based self-assembled non-porous hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks - Pramanik, Titas; Anand, Ashish; Pandikassala, Ajmal; Illathvalappil, Rajith; Kurungot, Sreekumar; Row, T. N. Guru (Chemical Communications, 2022)
beta-Alaninium oxalate hemihydrate, glycinium oxalate, and L-leucinium oxalate salt-cocrystals as non-porous self-assembled hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks afforded proton conductivity of 2.43 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (60 degrees C, 95% RH), 3.03 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (60 degrees C, 95% RH), and 1.19 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) (80 degrees C, 95% RH), respectively. These materials possess an extensive 3-dimensional network of hydrogen bonds in their crystal structures, making them efficient proton conducting membranes. The reduction in conductivity values over 10(-1) S cm(-1) order upon exposure of the samples to a D2O atmosphere in extreme conditions ratified the role of humidity for the conduction of protons. This work explores the relationship between structural features and proton conductivity for the design of proton conducting membranes that are easy to synthesize, eco-friendly, and cheap with potential for futuristic applications.

Evaluating suitability of confined impinging jet reactor for exothermic reactions: hydrodynamics, residence time distribution, and heat transfer - Khan, Muzammilanwar S.; Mane, Mayur; Kulkarni, Amol A. (AICHE Journal, 2022)
Effect of confinement (wall proximity) of a confined impinging jet reactor (CIJR) on the flow field, residence time distribution and heat transfer are explored, through experiments and CFD simulations. Hydrodynamic characteristics are evaluated for different parameters namely confinement, impinging jet velocity, temperature gradient, and so on. For 2 mm confinement, highest values of dispersion number and overall heat transfer coefficient are observed due to interaction of turbulent eddies followed by the effect of reactor wall proximity. For the CIJR having confinements above 10 mm, jet velocity need to be greater than 3 m/s to achieve both, excellent mixing efficiency and high heat removal rate. Empirical correlations for Dispersion and Nusselt numbers as a function of Re-j and L/D are obtained, over a range of 500 <= Rej <= 3000\$\$ 500\textbackslashle {\textbackslashmathit{\textbackslashoperatornameRe}}_j\text backslashle 3000 \$\$ and 5 <= L/D <= 35\$\$ 5\textbackslashle L/D\textbackslashle 35 \$\$, which correspond to jet velocity of 0.5-3 m/s. The present study gives a basis for designing CIJR suitable for rapid, homogeneous, exothermic reactions.
Keywords: confinement; exothermic reactions; heat transfer; impinging jets; residence time distribution

Facile fabrication of nano silver phosphate on B-doped g-C3N4: an excellent p-n heterojunction photocatalyst towards water oxidation and Cr (VI) reduction - Sahoo, Mitarani; Babu, Pradeepta; Singh, Chandrodai Pratap; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Parida, Kulamani (Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2022)
A photostable Ag3PO4/BCN type-II p-n heterojunction has been demonstrated by loading nano Ag3PO4 on B-doped g-C3N4 nanosheet (BCN). The photocatalysts were successfully characterized by various physicochemical techniques and their photocatalytic activities were tested towards the water oxidation reaction to produce oxygen and Cr (VI) reduction under visible light. The HRTEM confirms Ag3PO4 with a particle size of 15 nm has been deposited on BCN to construct a p-n heterojunction. The BCNS-50 absorbs more visible light in the solar spectrum as compared to other catalyst, demonstrating the ability to generate 587 mu mol h(-1)g(-1) O-2 and reduces 98% of 20 ppm Cr (VI) solution in 1 h. The lower PL intensity as well as lower arc value in case of BCNS-50 suggests the maximum e-h separation and lower charge transfer resistance across the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. The BCN sheet provides a compact heterojunction where the oxidation peak of Ag3PO4 decreases gradually and disappear in case of BCNS-50 suggesting the enhance stability of Ag3PO4 in the heterojunction. BCNS-50 could able to produce -139 and 3087.5 mu A photocurrent both in cathodic and anodic direction which is approximately 7 and 2.4 folds higher as compared to nano Ag3PO4. The generation of photocurrent in both cathodic and anodic direction confirms the formation of p-n heterojunction which further supported by Mott-Schottky analysis. Furthermore the construction of the p-n heterojunction is verified via Mott-Schottky study. DFT calculation explains the contribution of various atomic orbital of Ag3PO4 and BCN towards the formation of hybrid orbital in the heterojunction and the path for charge delocalization between them. This work may provide a limelight and alternative pathway for enhanced photocatalytic performance on construction of the p-n heterojunction in a simple way. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Cr (VI) reduction; Density functional theory; Interfacial zone; p-n heterojunction; Photocatalyst; Water oxidation

First-principles investigation of the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 on zirconium-based single-, double-, and triple-atom catalysts anchored on a graphitic carbon nitride monolayer - Hassan, Afshana; Anis, Insha; Shafi, Sadaf; Assad, Assif; Rasool, Anjumun; Khanam, Romana; Bhat, Gulzar Ahmad; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Dar, Manzoor Ahmad (ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2022)
Conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) with the help of an appropriate electrocatalyst with high stability, low onset potential, and exceptional selectivity is still one of the great tasks in the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to valuable chemicals. Herein, by means of systematic first-principles simulations, we investigate the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) activity of zirconium-based single-, double-, and triple-atom (Zrn@C2N; n = 1-3) catalysts anchored on a graphitic carbon-nitride monolayer. In tune with the Sabatier principle, our results reveal that a moderate CO2 binding is vital for a low onset potential for the CO2RR. Consequently, based on rigorous free energy calculations, the Zr-based single-atom catalyst (SAC) is found to be most effective to convert CO2 to valuable products such as HCOOH and CH3OH. It is worth noting that CO2 reduction to HCOOH is spontaneous via the *HCOO intermediate on Zr1@C2N and involves a low onset potential of -0.23 V with respect to the reversible hydrogen electrode from the *COOH intermediate. Among all the catalysts evaluated computationally, the Zr SAC further reveals the lowest onset potential of -0.89 V for CH3OH formation. The results show that the Zr-based catalysts especially Zr1@C2N are found to effectively suppress the competitive hydrogen evolution reaction and promote the CO2RR. Moreover, all three catalysts exhibit high kinetic and thermal stability with negligible distortion due to which their structures can be retained very well up to 600 K. Thus, the current work may provide effective catalyst-design strategies for enhancing the electrocatalytic CO2RR performance of Zr-based materials.
Keywords: C1 and C2 products; CO2 reduction; first-principles simulations; hydrogen evolution reaction; onset potential; single-atom catalysts (SACs); Zrn@C2N catalysts

First-row transition metal complexes of a phosphine-silylene- based hybrid ligand - Akhtar, Ruksana; Kaulage, Sandeep H.; Sangole, Mayur P.; Tothadi, Srinu; Parvathy, Parameswaran; Parameswaran, Pattiyil; Singh, Kirandeep; Khan, Shabana (Inorganic Chemistry, 2022)
We have prepared two new silylene-phosphine-based hybrid ligands Si{N(R)C6H4(PPh2)}{PhC((NBu)-Bu-t)(2)} [R = TMS {trimethylsilyl} (1) and TBDMS {tert-butyldimethylsilyl} (2)], which possess two donor sites. Furthermore, the treatment of the bidentate ligand 1 with base metal halides {FeBr2, CoBr2, NiCl(2)middotdme [nickel chloride(II) ethylene glycol dimethyl ether]} and 2 with NiBr(2)middotdme [nickel bromide(II) ethylene glycol dimethyl ether] afforded four-coordinate six-membered metal complexes 3-6, respectively, which feature coordination from both Si(II) and P(III) sites. Subsequently, complexes 3 [(FeBr2)Si{N(SiMe3)C6H4(PPh2)}{PhC((NBu)-Bu-t)(2)}], 4 [(CoBr2)Si{N(SiMe3)C6H4(PPh2)}{PhC((NBu)-Bu-t)(2)}], 5 [(NiCl2)Si{N(SiMe3)C6H4(PPh2)}{PhC((NBu)-Bu-t)(2)}], and 6 [(NiBr2)Si{N((SiBuMe2)-Bu-t)C6H4(PPh2)}{PhC((NBu)-Bu-t)(2)}] are studied for their redox and magnetic properties with the help of UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, SQUID magnetometry, and theoretical calculations. Complexes 3-6 were found to display a paramagnetic behavior. All the compounds are well established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Free base phthalocyanine coating as a superior corrosion inhibitor for copper surfaces: a combined experimental and theoretical study - Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Dekshinamoorthy, Amuthan; Arunachalam, Shivakami; Vijayaraghavan, Saranyan; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (Colloids and Surfaces A-Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2022)
In the quest of novel, eco-benign copper corrosion inhibitors, free base and a set of six metal Phthalocyanine (Pc) coatings (where metal is Zn, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, Mn) are systematically evaluated for their corrosion inhibition efficiency. The study demonstrates that the free base Phthalocyanine coatings are superior corrosion inhibitors for Cu surface in HCl with a corrosion inhibition efficiency of 88% as compared to its metal counterparts. A detailed and indepth study involving concerted electrochemical polarisation, impedance measurements at various concentrations of HCl assert the superior corrosion inhibition efficiency of free base Pc coatings as compared to its metal counterparts. Underlying factors/interface chemistry contributing to it is brought out using first principle based studies. First principles based computational studies establish that superior corrosion inhibition ability of free base phthalocyanine molecule is attributed to its innate binding ability with copper surface and its better inter-molecular packing. Thus, the theoretical adsorption trends of various studied phthalocyanine molecules while clearly following the experimental corrosion inhibition efficiency trends undermine the importance of contribution of chelating factors for the formation of a stable and efficient corrosion inhibition coating on a surface and that the adhesion/adsorption strength of a molecule correlates directly to its corrosion inhibition efficiency. The experimental observations are further substantiated through FE-SEM, EDAX and XPS studies. The corrosion inhibition efficiency of free base phthalocyanine is followed by its zinc based counterpart at 85%.
Keywords: Copper surface; Corrosion inhibitors; DFT studies; Impedance; Phthalocyanine coatings

From ``Cosmic Cooking'' to chemistry of the future: a collective dialogue on chemistry as a tribute to Prof. Sourav Pal. - Roy, Soumyajit; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Schoefberger, Wolfgang (Frontiers in Chemistry, 2022)
Keywords: cosmic cooking; coupled cluster and density functional calculations; dialogue on chemistry; pincers porphyrinoids and oxometalates; small molecule activation; Theoretical chemistry

Functional diversity of the lepidopteran ATP-binding cassette transporters - Barve, Pranoti R.; Tellis, Meenakshi B.; Barvkar, Vitthal T.; Joshi, Rakesh S.; Giri, Ashok P.; Kotkar, Hemlata M. (Journal of Molecular Evolution, 2022)
The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter gene family is ubiquitous in the living world. ABC proteins bind and hydrolyze ATP to transport a myriad of molecules across various lipid-containing membrane systems. They have been studied well in plants for transport of a variety of compounds and particularly, in vertebrates due to their direct involvement in resistance mechanisms against several toxic molecules/metabolites. ABC transporters in insects are found within large multigene families involved in the efflux of chemical insecticides and toxic/undesired metabolites originating from food and endogenous metabolism. This review deals with ABC transporter subfamilies of few agronomically important Lepidopteran pests. The transcriptional dynamics and regulation of ABC transporters during insect development emphasizes their functional diversity against insecticides, Cry toxins, and plant specialized metabolites. To generate insights about molecular function and physiological roles of ABCs, functional and structural characterization is necessary. Also, expansion and divergence of ABC transporter gene subfamilies in Lepidopteran insects needs more systematic investigation. We anticipate that newer methods of insect control in agriculture can benefit from an understanding of ABC transporter interactions with a vast range of natural specialized molecules and synthetic compounds.
Keywords: ABC transporters; Bt; insecticide resistance; Lepidoptera; Plant metabolites

Graphical Biology Insights into the dynamic interactions at chemokine-receptor interfaces and mechanistic models of chemokine binding - Sonawani, Archana; Kharche, Shalmali; Dasgupta, Debjani; Sengupta, Durba (Journal of Structural Biology, 2022)
Chemokine receptors are the central signaling hubs of several processes such as cell migration, chemotaxis and cell positioning. In this graphical review, we provide an overview of the structural and mechanistic principles governing chemokine recognition that are currently emerging. Structural models of chemokine-receptor cocomplexes with endogenous chemokines, viral chemokines and therapeutics have been resolved that highlight multiple interaction sites, termed as CRS1, CRS1.5 etc. The first site of interaction has been shown to be the Nterminal domain of the receptors (CRS1 site). A large structural flexibility of the N-terminal domain has been reported that was supported by both experimental and simulation studies. Upon chemokine binding, the Nterminal domain appears to show constricted dynamics and opens up to interact with the chemokine via a large interface. The subsequent sites such as CRS1.5 and CRS2 sites have been structurally well resolved although differences arise such as the localization of the N-terminus of the ligand to a major or minor pocket of the orthosteric binding site. Several computational studies have highlighted the dynamic protein-protein interface at the CRS1 site that seemingly appears to resolve the differences in NMR and mutagenesis studies. Interestingly, the differential dynamics at the CRS1 site suggests a mixed model of binding with complex signatures of both conformational selection and induced fit models. Integrative experimental and computational approaches could help unravel the structural basis of promiscuity and specificity in chemokine-receptor binding and open up new avenues of therapeutic design.
Keywords: Chemokine receptors; GPCRs; Intrinsically disordered protein domains; protein-protein interactions

Green synthesis of highly dispersed Cu metal nanoparticles catalysts - Nagpure, Atul S.; Mohture, Vikas M.; Kayarkar, Ankush (Inorganic Chemistry Communications, 2022)
Bionanotechnology approach for metal nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis is cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Organic molecules present in plant extracts can be efficiently utilized for bio-reduction of metal ions into metal NPs in a one-step green synthesis methodology. The biosynthesis procedure for metal NPs synthesis is quick, easy to scale up and can be perform at ambient conditions. The present investigations propose the biosynthesis of highly dispersed and stable copper NPs (Cu NPs) supported on NaY zeolite using plant extract of Tinospora cordifolia and Andrographis paniculata for the first time. The structural and morphological attributes of Cu NPs were explored by adopting various physico-chemical techniques, for example Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Temperature Programmed Desorption (CO2-TPD and NH3-TPD), Temperature Programmed Reduction (H2-TPR), N2 sorption, Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM and HR-TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), etc. The experimental study (XRD, SEM, TEM, and HR-TEM) recommend that the green synthesis method by using plant extract has promising effect for the synthesis of nano-sized, stable and homogeneously dispersed Cu NPs catalysts (Cu NPs average size of 1.6 and 1.8 nm) as compared to chemical synthesis approach. The present result is better than those of many state-ofthe art techniques reported for green synthesis of Cu NPs using plant extract. According to the current study, it is advantageous to prepare highly dispersed metal NPs with desired size, shape, morphology and the required properties by using plant extract.
Keywords: Biosynthesis of nanomaterials; Cu nanoparticles; Heterogeneous catalysts; Support -Metal interaction; Zeolite supported catalysts

High throughput sequencing based direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 fragments in wastewater of Pune, West India - Dharmadhikari, Tanmay; Rajput, Vinay; Yadav, Rakeshkumar; Boargaonkar, Radhika; Patil, Dhawal; Kale, Saurabh; Kamble, Sanjay P.; Dastager, Syed G.; Dharne, Mahesh S. (Science of the Total Environment, 2022)
Given a large number of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, clinical detection has proved challenging. The wastewater-based epidemiological paradigm would cover the clinically escaped asymptomatic individuals owing to the faecal shedding of the virus. We hypothesised using wastewater as a valuable resource for analysing SARS-CoV-2 mutations circulating in the wastewater of Pune region (Maharashtra; India), one of the most affected during the covid-19 pandemic. We conducted study in open wastewater drains from December 2020- March 2021 to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid and further detect mutations using ARTIC protocol of MinION sequencing. The analysis revealed 108 mutations across six samples categorised into 39 types of mutations. We report the occurrence of mutations associated with Delta variant lineage in March-2021 samples, simultaneously also reported as a Variant of Concern (VoC) responsible for the rapid increase in infections. The study also revealed four mutations; S:N801, S:C480R, NSP14:C279F and NSP3:L550del not currently reported from wastewater or clinical data in India but reported worldwide. Further, a novel mutation NSP13:G206F mapping to NSP13 region was observed from wastewater. Notably, S:P1140del mutation was detected in December 2020 samples while it was reported in February 2021 from clinical data, indicating the instrumentality of wastewater data in early detection. This is the first study in India to demonstrate utility of sequencing in wastewater based epidemiology to identify mutations associated with SARS-CoV-2 virus fragments from wastewater as an early warning indicator system. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: ARTIC protocol; Epidemiology; Metagenomics; Nanopore sequencing; SARS-CoV-2; wastewater

Highly efficient chemoselective hydrogenation of 5-HMF to BHMF over reusable bimetallic Pd-Ir/C catalyst - Ratrey, Geetanjali; Solanki, Bhanupratap S.; Kamble, Sanjay P.; Rode, V. Chandrashekhar (ChemistrySelect, 2022)
Catalytic synergism was observed for a bimetallic Pd-Ir catalyst supported on activated carbon for chemoselective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymetahyl furfural (5-HMF) to 2, 5-(bishydroxymethyl) furan (BHMF) with complete conversion and 97 % selectivity under very mild reaction conditions. The structural characterization like XRD, N-2 sorption, FE-SEM and TEM suggested formation of fine nanoparticles (1.95-3.08 nm) having very higher surface area, uniform distribution and mesoporous nature of the material. XPS spectra and Pyridine-IR spectroscopy revealed formation of Pd-PdO and Ir/IrO2/IrO3 interface on the catalytic surface along with strong Bronsted acidic sites which were responsible for high efficiency of catalyst at 80 degrees C, 100 psig H-2 pressure at 5-HMF/Catalyst=20 and within 2.5 h of reaction time. A plausible reaction mechanism is also elucidated based on structure activity correlation.
Keywords: 5-HMF; Carbon; Catalytic synergism; Selective hydrogenation; Valorization

Homo and heterologous expression of the HpPKS2 gene in Hypericum perforatum and Bacopa monnieri - Khan, Shamshad Ahmad; Verma, Priyanka; Parasharami, Varsha A. (Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2022)
Hypericum perforatum has been known to produce hypericin and hyperforin that are used in treating mild to moderate depression. The HpPKS2 (H. perforatum polyketide synthase 2) gene is assumed to play a role in hypericin biosynthesis. The HpPKS2 gene was overexpressed in homologous H. perforatum in vitro grown plants through Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformations. It leads to the establishment of seven glass house acclimatized transgenic lines. Among them, the HP12 transgenic plant showed 9.8 fold enhancement in hypericin content (379.4 +/- 10.3 mu g/g dry wt) followed by 3-fold in HP41 (117.1 +/- 4.5 mu g/g dry wt) as compared to control plants. This was further supported by the real-time PCR studies where it registered up to 5 fold enhancement of HpPKS2 gene expression. On the other hand, the heterologous expression of the HpPKS2 gene in Bacopa monnieri resulted in the establishment of five transgenic plant clones that were successfully acclimatized under glasshouse conditions. Among them, BT4 was found to be very slow-growing. The BT3 line showed maximum expression of the HpPKS2 gene which surprisingly also upregulates the expression of the other metabolic pathway genes of B. monierri namely isopentyl- diphosphate delta isomerase (IDDI), squaline synthase (SQS) and acetyl CoA C acetyltransferase (AA). The HPLC analysis in the heterologous system revealed the maximum production of bacopaside I (9.86 +/- 1.0 mg/g dry wt), bacopaside II (5.89 +/- 0.9 mg/g dry wt) and bacopasaponin C (3.59 +/- 0.3 mg/g dry wt) by transgenic lines BT8, BT3 and BT4, respectively. This enhancement in bacopaside I, bacopaside II and bacopasaponin C production was more than 26-fold, 5-fold and 21-fold, respectively in comparison to the control non transformed plants. Key message Overexpression of the HpPKS2 gene in H. perforatum led to higher hypericin content in the native system while its expression in the heterologous system i.e. B. monnieri also improves bacopaside I, bacopaside II and bacopasaponin C production.
Keywords: Agrobacterium tumefacience; Bacopa monnieri; Bacopasides; Heterologous expression; HpPKS2; Hypericin; Hypericum perforatum; Transgenics

Honeycomb boron carbon nitride as high-performance anode material for li-ion batteries - Karbhal, Indrapal; Chaturvedi, Vikash; Patrike, Apurva; Yadav, Poonam; Shelke, V, Manjusha (ChemNanoMat, 2022)
3D Porous carbon-based materials are well known for their excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties for various energy storage applications including Li-ion Battery (LIB) anodes. However, their commercial application is limited due to their low theoretical specific capacity. Heteroatom doping in carbonaceous networks proved an efficient way to modify the surface properties, which considerably improves the Li intake capacity and Li diffusion in porous carbon materials. In this work, we have synthesized 3D honeycomb boron carbon nitride (HBCN) from boric acid, glucose, and cyanamide. Silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) are used as structure-directing agents to replicate well-organized honeycomb structures. HBCN possesses a high specific surface area (SSA) of similar to 597 m(2) g(-1), with a uniform porosity distribution, low charge transfer resistance, and steady Li flux. When analyzed as an anode material for LIB, HBCN demonstrated an excellent specific capacity of similar to 652 mAhg(-1) and 408 mAhg(-1) at an input current density of 100 mAg(-1) and 1 Ag-1 respectively and an energy density of 227 Wh kg(-1) at 1 C rate in a full cell LIB. These results indicate that the doping of B and N hetero atoms is significantly advantageous for LIBs application.
Keywords: 3D-Architecture; Heteroatom Doping; High-Performance Anode; Honeycomb boron carbon nitride (HBCN); Li-ion battery

Hydrodechlorination of 4-chloro-2-aminophenol into a recyclable product using Ni- and Cu-based catalysts - Shetty, Rohit R.; Raut, Sandesh S.; Kulkarni, Prashant S.; Kamble, Sanjay P. (Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2022)
The 4-chloro-2-amino phenol (4C2AP) bearing wastewater is produced while manufacturing dyes and pharma-ceutical ingredients. Ni-and Cu-based cost-effective catalysts were developed, typically characterized, and subjected to hydrodechlori-nation (HDC) of 4C2AP. The role of reducing agents, concentration, pH of wastewater, presence of salt, reaction temperature, catalyst reuse, and the kinetics was investigated. A selective makeover of 2-amino phenol (2AP) was analyzed by HPLC, LCMS, and NMR. A complete HDC of 4C2AP with remarkable selectivity (98%) toward 2AP was achieved using a Ni0 catalyst and NaBH4 at room temperature. It is observed that the alkaline condition, the presence of salt, and a high reaction temperature favor the HDC process. A maximum of 1 g L-1 of the Ni0 loading is found to be sufficient to dechlorinate the pollutant. It can be concluded that the catalytic HDC is a technically viable and inexpensive process for the conversion of 4C2AP into a valuable product, 2AP.

Hydroformylation of olefins by metals other than rhodium - Kumar, Rohit; Chikkali, Samir H. (Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 2022)
Metal catalyzed hydroformylation of alkenes is an atom economic transformation to construct useful aldehydes and is being industrially practiced for decades. The most commonly used metal for this transformation on an industrial scale is rhodium. However, rhodium is rare, costly, and is depleting at a skyrocketing rate. Therefore, finding a suitable alternative to rhodium for metal-catalyzed hydroformylation has been on the radar of many academic and industrial researchers. This review presents the scientific advancements reported in the hydroformylation reaction using metals other than rhodium. An overview of recent progress in palladium, iridium, ruthenium, cobalt, platinum, and iron-catalyzed hydroformylation is presented. Hydroformylation of alkenes and alkynes, using syngas as well as syngas surrogates is examined. The evaluation of the current status of non-rhodium metals in hydroformylation suggests that the field is still in a nascent stage and, except cobalt, no other metal poses a significant challenge to the dominance of rhodium. Deep mechanistic understanding of rate-limiting elementary steps in the non-rhodium metals is largely missing and thus only limited success is reported. Intense research on ligand design, mechanistic understanding, and choice of non-rhodium metal precursors may change this scenario in near future.
Keywords: aldehydes; alkenes; catalysis; Hydroformylation; Non-rhodium metals

Hydrogen solubility in biphasic liquid reaction mixture of cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation: experimental and mathematical modeling study - Khan, Muzammil Y.; Joshi, Sunil S.; Ranade, Vivek V. (Journal of Chemical Sciences, 2022)
The solubility of hydrogen in the biphasic reaction mixture of cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation at 298 to 353 K has been determined in this work experimentally and by using a thermodynamic model. It is evident from many studies that the addition of extra phase, aqueous KOH as the fourth phase, to the three-phase cinnamaldehyde hydrogenation mixture [gas (hydrogen)-liquid (cinnamaldehyde + toluene)-solid (catalyst)] leads to enhancement of cinnamyl alcohol selectivity to a great extent. Determination of hydrogen solubility in this biphasic (organic-aqueous) reaction mixture is crucial to understand the intrinsic reaction kinetics of this reaction. The solubility of hydrogen was experimentally determined using a pressure drop method and reported in terms of Henry's constant. Firstly, hydrogen solubility was determined in pure components viz. toluene, cinnamaldehyde, and water followed by determination of its solubility in the cinnamaldehyde-toluene mixture, aqueous KOH, and eventually, in the reaction mixture containing the two immiscible liquid phases. The effect of changing concentrations in these mixtures and changing phase holdups in the total reaction mixture on hydrogen solubility was studied. Starting from pure components to the reaction mixture, the hydrogen solubility was predicted using a two-step thermodynamic approach involving regular solution theory and the theory of corresponding states. The solubility predictions from this thermodynamic model will be helpful in the accurate estimation of kinetic parameters.
Keywords: biphasic liquid mixture; gas-liquid-liquid-solid [GLLS]; hydrogen solubility; Hydrogenation; thermodynamic model

Hyperthermia and doxorubicin release by Fol-LSMO nanoparticles induce apoptosis and autophagy in breast cancer cells - Kulkarni-Dwivedi, Neha; Patel, Pratikshkumar R.; Shravage, V. Bhupendra; Umrani, Rinku D.; Paknikar, Kishore M.; Jadhav, Sachin H. (Nanomedicine, 2022)
Background: Studies on the anticancer effects of lanthanum strontium manganese oxide (LSMO) nanoparticles (NPs)-mediated hyperthermia at cellular and molecular levels are scarce. Materials & methods: LSMO NPs conjugated with folic acid (Fol-LSMO NPs) were synthesized, followed by doxorubicin-loading (DoxFol-LSMO NPs), and their effects on breast cancer cells were investigated. Results: Hyperthermia (45 degrees C) and combination treatments exhibited the highest (similar to 95%) anticancer activity with increased oxidative stress. The involvement of intrinsic mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway and induction of autophagy was noted. Cellular and molecular evidence confirmed the crosstalk between apoptosis and autophagy, involving Beclin1, Bcl2 and Caspase-3 genes with free reactive oxygen species presence. Conclusion: The study confirmed hyperthermia and doxorubicin release by Fol-LSMO NPs induces apoptosis and autophagy in breast cancer cells.
Keywords: Apoptosis; Autophagy; Breast cancer; combination therapy; doxorubicin; Folic acid; hyperthermia; LSMO; MDA-MB231 cells; PEG

Identification and characterization of the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of the neurotoxin beta-ODAP in grass pea - Goldsmith, Moshe; Barad, Shiri; Knafo, Maor; Savidor, Alon; Ben-Dor, Shifra; Brandis, Alexander; Mehlman, Tevie; Peleg, Yoav; Albeck, Shira; Dym, Orly; Ben-Zeev, Efrat; Barbole, Ranjit S.; et al. (Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2022)
Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a grain legume commonly grown in Asia and Africa for food and forage. It is a highly nutritious and robust crop, capable of surviving both droughts and floods. However, it produces a neurotoxic compound, beta-N- oxalyl-L-alpha,beta-diaminopropionic acid (beta-ODAP), which can cause a severe neurological disorder when consumed as a primary diet component. While the catalytic activity associated with beta-ODAP formation was demonstrated more than 50 years ago, the enzyme responsible for this activity has not been identified. Here, we report on the identity, activity, 3D structure, and phylogenesis of this enzyme-beta-ODAP synthase (BOS). We show that BOS belongs to the benzylalcohol O-acetyltransfer-ase, anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, anthranilate N-hydroxycinnamoyl/benzoyltransferase, deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase superfamily of acyltransferases and is structurally similar to hydroxycinnamoyl transferase. Using molecular docking, we propose a mechanism for its catalytic activity, and using heterologous expression in tobacco leaves (Nicotiana benthamiana), we demonstrate that expression of BOS in the presence of its substrates is sufficient for beta-ODAP production in vivo. The identification of BOS may pave the way toward engineering beta-ODAP-free grass pea cultivars, which are safe for human and animal consumption.

Improved mucoadhesion, permeation and in vitro anticancer potential of synthesized thiolated acacia and karaya gum combination: a systematic study - Munot, Neha; Kandekar, Ujjwala; Rikame, Chaitali; Patil, Abhinandan; Sengupta, Poulomi; Urooj, Shabana; Bilal, Anusha (Molecules, 2022)
Thiolation of polymers is one of the most appropriate approaches to impart higher mechanical strength and mucoadhesion. Thiol modification of gum karaya and gum acacia was carried out by esterification with 80% thioglycolic acid. FTIR, DSC and XRD confirmed the completion of thiolation reaction. Anticancer potential of developed thiomer was studied on cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa) and more than 60% of human cervical cell lines (HeLa) were inhibited at concentration of 5 mu g/100 mu L. Immobilized thiol groups were found to be 0.8511 mmol/g as determined by Ellman's method. Cytotoxicity studies on L929 fibroblast cell lines indicated thiomers were biocompatible. Bilayered tablets were prepared using Ivabradine hydrochloride as the model drug and synthesized thiolated gums as mucoadhesive polymer. Tablets prepared using thiolated polymers in combination showed more swelling, mucoadhesion and residence time as compared to unmodified gums. Thiol modification controlled the release of the drug for 24 h and enhanced permeation of the drug up to 3 fold through porcine buccal mucosa as compared to tablets with unmodified gums. Thiolated polymer showed increased mucoadhesion and permeation, anticancer potential, controlled release and thus can be utilized as a novel excipient in formulation development.
Keywords: buccal tablets; enhanced permeation; ivabradine HCl; mucoadhesion; thiolated gums

In situ direct transesterification process optimization for biodiesel production from aspergillus terreus wet biomass - Bed, Rashmi Karamchand; Ravi-Kumar, Ameeta; Kumar, V. Ravi (Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 2022)

Incorporating conducting polypyrrole into a polyimide COF for carbon-free ultra-high energy supercapacitor - Haldar, Sattwick; Rase, Deepak; Shekhar, Pragalbh; Jain, Chitvan; Vinod, Chathakudath Prabhakaran; Zhang, En; Shupletsov, Leonid; Kaskel, Stefan; Vaidhyanathan, Ramanathan (Advanced Energy Materials, 2022)
Redox-active covalent organic frameworks (COFs) store charges but possess inadequate electronic conductivity. Their capacitive action works by storing H+ ions in an acidic electrolyte and is typically confined to a small voltage window (0-1 V). Increasing this window means higher energy and power density, but this risks COF stability. Advantageously, COF's large pores allow the storage of polarizable bulky ions under a wider voltage thus reaching higher energy density. Here, a COF-electrode-electrolyte system operating at a high voltage regime without any conducting carbon or redox active oxides is presented. Conducting polypyrrole (Ppy) chains are synthesized within a polyimide COF to gain electronic conductivity (approximate to 10 000-fold). A carbon-free quasi-solid-state capacitor assembled using this composite showcases high pseudo-capacitance (358 mF cm(-2)@1 mA cm(-2)) in an aqueous gel electrolyte. The synergy among the redox-active polyimide COF, polypyrrole and organic electrolytes allows a wide-voltage window (0-2.5 V) leading to high energy (145 mu Wh cm(-2)) and power densities (4509 mu W cm(-2)). Amalgamating the polyimide-COF and the polypyrrole as one material minimizes the charge and mass transport resistances. Computation and experiments reveal that even a partial translation of the modules/monomers intrinsic electronics to the COF imparts excellent electrochemical activity. The findings unveil COF-confined polymers as carbon-free energy storage materials.
Keywords: carbon free capacitors; cation-anion co-storage; conductivity; high energy capacitors; polypyrrole doped COFs

Influence of ice templating on oxygen reduction catalytic activity of metal-free heteroatom-doped mesoporous carbon derived from polypyrrole for zinc-air batteries - Kurian, Maria; Ghosh, Meena; Vijayakumar, Vidyanand; Puthiyaveetil, Priyanka Pandinhare; Torris, Arun; Kurungot, Sreekumar (Energy Technology, 2022)
The development of highly active, cost-effective, and durable, noble metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalysts is inevitable for the full-fledged implementation of fuel cells and zinc-air batteries. This work reports the synthesis of heteroatom (N, P, S)-doped metal-free mesoporous carbon-based electrocatalyst derived from polypyrrole by combining the ice templating, freeze-drying, and carbonization processes. The correlation between the structure and electrochemical activity of the polypyrrole-derived carbon-based electrocatalyst in the presence and absence of ice templating is investigated. The optimized electrocatalyst, aided by the ice-templating and freeze-drying step, shows an onset and half-wave potential (E-1/2) of 0.94 and 0.78 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively, in an alkaline electrolyte (0.1 m KOH). Later, the application of the optimized electrocatalyst is demonstrated in a primary zinc-air battery (ZAB) cell. The results prove that the ZAB device performance based on the homemade catalyst is on par with that of the state-of-the-art Pt/C cathode. The catalyst performance is correlated with the heteroatom doping and the enhanced porosity of the sample benefitted from ice templating. Ultimately, this work depicts a facile and rational synthesis of a truly metal-free electrocatalyst for the primary ZABs that can be a potential replacement for state-of-the-art systems.
Keywords: metal-free electrocatalysts; oxygen reduction reaction; zinc-air batteries

Influence of support textural property on CO2 to methane activity of Ni/ SiO2 catalysts - Cherevotan, Arjun; Ray, Bitan; Churipard, Sathyapal R.; Kaur, Komalpreet; Gautam, Ujjal K.; Vinod, Chathakudath P.; Peter, Sebastian C. (Applied Catalysis B-Environmental, 2022)
In this work, we elucidated the role of physicochemical textural properties of inert support on the catalyst ac-tivity by impregnating Ni on ordered mesoporous silica (SBA-15 and MCM-41) and non-mesoporous silica (nMPS). The catalyst Ni/SBA-15 exhibited the best CO2 conversion (83%) and product selectivity (99.9 %) followed by Ni/MCM-41 and the least by Ni/nMPS. The difference in the nature of the catalyst, degree of nanoparticle distribution and nanoparticle encapsulation by different silica support were studied by N2 adsorption-desorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiments. The Operando Diffused Reflec-tance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy were used to understand the variance in reaction pathway which is accredited to the textural properties of the support. The SBA-15 supported Ni catalyst followed dissociative CO pathway while MCM-41 and nMPS reacted through associative formate mechanism as major pathway. These findings provide a novel perspective on CO2 hydrogenation over Ni-silica, allowing us to tune both activity and selectivity.
Keywords: CO2 methanation; DRIFTS; Mesoporous silica support; Textural properties

Instabilities as the origin of large-area self-assembled and aligned organic semiconductor nanocrystals - Venugopalan, Vijay; Jain, Bhanprakash; Mahale, Rajashree Y.; Subramani, Kumar; Krishnamoorthy, Kothandam (ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 2022)
Aligned nanocrystals of organic semiconductors (OSCs) are highly desirable for electronic devices and biomedical and photonic applications. Solution-based wet processing routes have the potential to produce aligned nanocrystals over large areas in small time frames. Herein, we demonstrate that by optimizing the hydrodynamic evaporative processes, controlled long-range crystalline assemblies of OSCs can be achieved (longest nanocrystal similar to 3 mm) purely through physical processes: namely, from fingering instabilities. Self-assembly is achieved here without strong noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen-bonding interactions. Experimentally our approach involves just placing a drop of a solution on an inclined substrate. Nanocrystals with widths of 300-800 nm and lengths of millimeters (length/width aspect ratios >10(5)) are formed in less than 2-8 s. A hydrazine chemiresistive sensor based on the aligned crystalline patterns show unprecedented responsivity (similar to 10(-6)), 2 orders greater than those of stick-slip patterns. Finally, experimental parameters that need optimization to achieve nanocrystal patterns are investigated in detail and pointers to fabricate such OSC nanocrystals are provided.
Keywords: aligned fibers; diketopyrrolopyrrole; fingering instability; nanocrystal arrays; naphthalenediimide; organic semiconductors

Interplay of anion-pi(+) and pi(+)-pi(+) interactions in novel pyrido[2,1-a]isoquinolinium-based aiegens - substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence modulation and applications in live cell mitochondrial imaging - Mule, Ravindra D.; Roy, Rupam; Mandal, Koushik; Chopra, Deepak; Dutta, Tanoy; Sancheti, Shashank P.; Shinde, Popat S.; Banerjee, Somsuvra; Lal Koner, Apurba; Bhowal, Rohit; Senthilkumar, Beeran; Patil, Nitin T. (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2022)
Recently, the concept of anion-pi(+) interactions has witnessed unique applications in the field of AIEgen development. In this contribution, we disclose a consolidated study of a library of N-doped ionic AIEgens accessed through silver-mediated cyclization of pyridino-alkynes. A thorough photophysical, computational and crystallographic study has been conducted to rationalize the observed substituent- and counterion-dependent fluorescence properties of these luminogens. We further elucidate the prominent role of anion-pi(+) interactions, pi(+)-pi(+) interactions and other non-covalent interactions, in inhibiting the undesired ACQ effect. Finally, we have also demonstrated the application of selected AIEgens for imaging of mitochondria in live cells.
Keywords: 1-a]isoquinolinium; AIEgens; anion-pi(+); crystal structure; mitochondrial imaging; pyrido[2

Interrupted CuAAC-thiolation for the construction of 1,2,3-triazole-fused eight-membered heterocycles from O-/N-propargyl derived benzyl thiosulfonates with organic azides - Reddy, Raju Jannapu; Waheed, Md; Kumari, Arram Haritha; Krishna, Gamidi Rama (Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 2022)
A copper(I)-catalyzed interrupted click-sulfenylation of O-/N-propargyl benzyl thiosulfonates with organic azides has been disclosed. The unified CuAAC-thiolation provides a wide range of triazole-fused eight-membered heterocycles in good to high (51-94%) yields under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, a three-component reaction is also achieved involving O-/N-propargyl benzyl thiosulfonates, benzyl bromide, and sodium azide to deliver fused-triazoles in 61-74% yields. From a synthetic point of view, the present protocol has been demonstrated at gram-scale reactions. A plausible mechanism is also proposed based on experimental results and control experiments.
Keywords: Eight-Membered Heterocycles; Fused-Triazoles; Interrupted-Click Reaction; Thiolation; thiosulfonates

Introduction to the themed collection on digitalization in reaction engineering - Galvanin, Federico; Hartman, Ryan L.; Kulkarni, Amol A.; Nieves-Remacha, Maria Jose (Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 2022)

Investigation of the captopril-insulin interaction by mass spectrometry and computational approaches reveals that captopril induces structural changes in insulin - Ghosh, Amrita; Pawar, Aiswarya B.; Chirmade, Tejas; Jathar, Swaraj M.; Bhambure, Rahul; Sengupta, Durba; Giri, Ashok P.; Kulkarni, Mahesh J. (ACS Omega, 2022)
ABSTRACT: Post-translational modifications remarkably regulate proteins' biological function. Small molecules such as reactive thiols, metabolites, and drugs may covalently modify the proteins and cause structural changes. This study reports the covalent modification and noncovalent interaction of insulin and captopril, an FDA-approved antihypertensive drug, through mass spectrometric and computation-based approaches. Mass spectrometric analysis shows that captopril modifies intact insulin, reduces it into its ``A'' and ``B'' chains, and covalently modifies them by forming adducts. Since captopril has a reactive thiol group, it might reduce the insulin dimer or modify it by reacting with cysteine residues. This was proven with dithiothreitol treatment, which reduced the abundance of captopril adducts of insulin A and B chains and intact Insulin. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometric analysis identified the modification of a total of four cysteine residues, two in each of the A and B chains of insulin. These modifications were identified to be Cys6 and Cys7 of the A chain and Cys7 and Cys19 of the B chain. Mass spectrometric analysis indicated that captopril may simultaneously modify the cysteine residues of intact insulin or its subunits A and B chains. Biophysical studies involving light scattering and thioflavin T assay suggested that the binding of captopril to the protein leads to the formation of aggregates. Docking and molecular dynamics studies provided insights into the noncovalent interactions and associated structural changes in insulin. This work is a maiden attempt to understand the detailed molecular interactions between captopril and insulin. These findings suggest that further investigations are required to understand the long-term effect of drugs like captopril.

Ionic liquids for the sustainable transformation of levulinic acid to gamma-valerolactone (GVL) - Kondawar, Sharda; Rode, Chandrashekhar (Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2022)
This short review is focused on recent findings on the role of ionic liquids (ILs) in catalysing the hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) to gamma valerolactone (GVL), which is a cascade reaction involving more than one type of reaction. A brief introduction on green aspects of IL as a catalyst followed by various types of ILs being used for hydrogenation of LA to GVL are discussed. The unique characteristics of ILs responsible for hydrogenation reaction are also explained along with the current and upcoming scenario of IL catalysed hydrogenation of LA to GVL.
Keywords: Biomass; Gamma valerolactone; Hydrogenation; Ionic liquid; levulinic acid

Iridium-catalyzed synthesis of pyrazolone fused 1,4-dihydrocinnolin-3-one employing alpha-diazotized Meldrum's acid - Kulkarni, Anand M.; Mullapudi, Venkannababu; Ramana, Chepuri Venkata (ARKIVOC, 2022)
The [Iri-catalysed carbenoid insertion and cyclization of N-arylpyrazolones has been carried out with alpha-diazotized Meldrum's acid to access tricyclic pyrazolone fused 1,4-dihydrocinnolin-3-one derivatives. Further, the selective reduction of these tricyclic derivatives has been studied under Birch reduction conditions.
Keywords: ?-diazotized Meldrum's acid; C-H activation; carbene Insertion; cinnoline derivatives; N-arylpyrazolones; [Iri-Catalysis

Isolation and characterization of chitosans from different fungi with special emphasis on zygomycetous dimorphic fungus benjaminiella poitrasii: evaluation of its chitosan nanoparticles for the inhibition of human pathogenic fungi - Mane, Shamala; Pathan, Ejaj; Tupe, Santosh; Deshmukh, Sneha; Kale, Deepika; Ghormade, Vandana; Chaudhari, Bhushan; Deshpande, Mukund (Biomacromolecules, 2022)
The cell wall chitosan was extracted from fungi belonging to different taxonomic classes, namely, Benjaminiella poitrasii (Zygomycetes, dimorphic), Hanseniaspora guilliermondii, Issatchenkia orientalis, Pichia membranifaciens, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Ascomycetes, yeasts), and Agaricus bisporus and Pleurotus sajor-caju (Basidiomycetes). The maximum yield of chitosan was 60.89 ± 2.30 mg/g of dry mycelial biomass of B. poitrasii. The degree of deacetylation (DDA) of chitosan extracted from different fungi, as observed with 1H NMR, was in the range of 70–93%. B. poitrasii chitosan exhibited the highest DDA (92.78%). The characteristic absorption bands were observed at 3450, 1650, 1420, 1320, and 1035 cm–1 by FTIR. Compared to chitosan from marine sources (molecular weight, MW, 585 kDa), fungal chitosans showed lower MW (6.21–46.33 kDa). Further, to improve the efficacy of B. poitrasii chitosan (Bp), nanoparticles (Np) were synthesized using the ionic gelation method and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS). For yeast and hyphal chitosan nanoparticles (BpYCNp and BpHCNp), the average particle size was <200 nm with polydispersity index of 0.341 ± 0.03 and 0.388 ± 0.002, respectively, and the zeta potential values were 21.64 ± 0.34 and 24.48 ± 1.58 mV, respectively. The B. poitrasii chitosans and their nanoparticles were further evaluated for antifungal activity against human pathogenic Candida albicans ATCC 10231, Candida glabrata NCYC 388, Candida tropicalis ATCC 750, Cryptococcus neoformans ATCC 34664, and Aspergillus niger ATCC 10578. BpHCNps showed lower MIC90 values (0.025–0.4 mg/mL) than the chitosan polymer against the tested human pathogens. The study suggested that nanoformulation of fungal chitosan, which has low molecular weight and high % DDA, is desirable for antifungal applications against human pathogens. Moreover, chitosans as well as their nanoparticles were found to be hemocompatible and are therefore safe for healthcare applications.

K3PO4-promoted cycloannulation of (E)-beta-Iodovinyl Sulfones with ortho-Hydroxy-chalcones/cinnamates for the synthesis of 2,3,4-trisubstituted 4h-benzopyran derivatives - Reddy, Raju Jannapu; Kumar, Jangam Jagadesh; Krishna, Gamidi Rama (Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 2022)
K3PO4-mediated cycloannulation of (E)-beta-iodovinyl sulfones with ortho-hydroxy chalcones/ortho-hydroxy cinnamates has been realized to access 2,3,4-trisubstituted-4H-benzopyran derivatives. A metal-free tandem oxa-Michael addition and cycloannulation allows the diversity-oriented synthesis of the corresponding 3-sulfonyl-4H-benzopyrans in good to high yields. More importantly, one-pot three-component reaction between (E)-beta-iodovinyl sulfones, 2-hydroxybenzaldehydes, and phosphonium ylides has been established for the synthesis of 4H-chromene derivatives in moderate to good yields. Notably, this metal-free process features a broad substrate scope and easy elaboration into numerous multifaceted chromene products, including bioactive estrone-derivative. The present protocol is sustainable at the gram scale reactions, and post-synthetic applications were also demonstrated. A plausible mechanism is also presented on the basis of existing experimental results.
Keywords: (E)-beta-Iodovinyl sulfones; Benzopyrans; Cycloannulation; ortho-Hydroxy Chalcones; Sulfones

Kupyaphores are zinc homeostatic metallophores required for colonization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis - Mehdiratta, Kritee; Singh, Shubham; Sharma, Sachin; Bhosale, Rashmi S.; Choudhury, Rahul; Masal, Dattatraya P.; Manocha, Alzu; Dhamale, Bhushan Dilip; Khan, Naseem; Asokachandran, Vivekanand; Sharma, Pooja; Ikeh, Melanie; et al. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2022)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) endures a combination of metal scarcity and toxicity throughout the human infection cycle, contributing to complex clinical manifestations. Pathogens counteract this paradoxical dysmetallostasis by producing specialized metal trafficking systems. Capture of extracellular metal by siderophores is a widely accepted mode of iron acquisition, and Mtb iron-chelating siderophores, mycobactin, have been known since 1965. Currently, it is not known whether Mtb produces zinc scavenging molecules. Here, we characterize low-molecular-weight zinc-binding compounds secreted and imported by Mtb for zinc acquisition. These molecules, termed kupyaphores, are produced by a 10.8 kbp biosynthetic cluster and consists of a dipeptide core of ornithine and phenylalaninol, where amino groups are acylated with isonitrilecontaining fatty acyl chains. Kupyaphores are stringently regulated and support Mtb survival under both nutritional deprivation and intoxication conditions. A kupyaphore-deficient Mtb strain is unable to mobilize sufficient zinc and shows reduced fitness upon infection. We observed early induction of kupyaphores in Mtb-infected mice lungs after infection, and these metabolites disappeared after 2 wk. Furthermore, we identify an Mtb-encoded isonitrile hydratase, which can possibly mediate intracellular zinc release through covalent modification of the isonitrile group of kupyaphores. Mtb clinical strains also produce kupyaphores during early passages. Our study thus uncovers a previously unknown zinc acquisition strategy of Mtb that could modulate host-pathogen interactions and disease outcome.
Keywords: metallophore; nutritional immunity; tuberculosis; zinc

Lewis acid-catalyzed chemodivergent and regiospecific reaction of phenols with quaternary peroxyoxindoles - Shaikh, Moseen A.; Samal, Pragnya Paramita; Ubale, Akash S.; Krishnamurty, Sailaja; Gnanaprakasam, Boopathy (Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
The indium-catalyzed regiospecific coupling of substituted phenol derivatives and quaternary peroxyoxindoles for the synthesis of C2 or C4 benzoxazin-3-one-substituted phenols via skeletal rearrangement is described. This reaction is demonstrated with 17 examples with good yields and diverse aryl substituents. In contrast to the indium-catalyzed reaction, the Cu(OTf)2- catalyzed reaction of the phenol with quaternary peroxyoxindoles afforded C2 or C4 2-oxindole-substituted phenol derivatives. This diverse catalytic reaction generated various biologically important phenol-substituted 2-oxindole derivatives directly without any skeleton rearrangement and was demonstrated with 19 examples in high yield. The regiospecificity and the reaction pathways were explained with the support of density functional theory (DFT).

Luminescent magnesium complexes with intra- and inter-ligand charge transfer - Kumar, Rohit; Pahar, Sanjukta; Chatterjee, Joy; Dash, Soumya Ranjan; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Vanka, Kumar; Sen, Sakya S. (Chemical Communications, 2022)
Herein, we report two 2,2'-pyridylpyrrolide (PyPyrH) ligand supported magnesium complexes (1 and 2), which demonstrate bright luminescence with a quantum yield of 22% and 14% in the solid state, respectively. Theoretical calculations reveal that their emissive properties originate from the intra- and inter-ligand charge transfer.

Machine learning-based approach to determine infection status in recipients of BBV152 (Covaxin) whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for serological surveys - Singh, Prateek; Ujjainiya, Rajat; Prakash, Satyartha; Naushin, Salwa; Sardana, Viren; Bhatheja, Nitin; Singh, Ajay Pratap; Barman, Joydeb; Kumar, Kartik; Gayali, Saurabh; Khan, Raju; Rawat, Birendra Singh; et al. (Computers in Biology and Medicine, 2022)
Data science has been an invaluable part of the COVID-19 pandemic response with multiple applications, ranging from tracking viral evolution to understanding the vaccine effectiveness. Asymptomatic breakthrough infections have been a major problem in assessing vaccine effectiveness in populations globally. Serological discrimination of vaccine response from infection has so far been limited to Spike protein vaccines since whole virion vaccines generate antibodies against all the viral proteins. Here, we show how a statistical and machine learning (ML) based approach can be used to discriminate between SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune response to an inactivated whole virion vaccine (BBV152, Covaxin). For this, we assessed serial data on antibodies against Spike and Nucleocapsid antigens, along with age, sex, number of doses taken, and days since last dose, for 1823 Covaxin recipients. An ensemble ML model, incorporating a consensus clustering approach alongside the support vector machine model, was built on 1063 samples where reliable qualifying data existed, and then applied to the entire dataset. Of 1448 self-reported negative subjects, our ensemble ML model classified 724 to be infected. For method validation, we determined the relative ability of a random subset of samples to neutralize Delta versus wild-type strain using a surrogate neutralization assay. We worked on the premise that antibodies generated by a whole virion vaccine would neutralize wild type more efficiently than delta strain. In 100 of 156 samples, where ML prediction differed from self-reported uninfected status, neutralization against Delta strain was more effective, indicating infection. We found 71.8% subjects predicted to be infected during the surge, which is concordant with the percentage of sequences classified as Delta (75.6%-80.2%) over the same period. Our approach will help in real-world vaccine effectiveness assessments where whole virion vaccines are commonly used.
Keywords: BBV152; Covaxin; COVID-19; Ensemble methods; Infection; machine learning; SARS-CoV-2

Mapping the finite-temperature behavior of conformations to their potential energy barriers: case studies on Si6B and Si5B clusters - Maneri, Asma H.; Singh, Chandrodai Pratap; Kumar, Ravi; Maibam, Ashakiran; Krishnamurty, Sailaja (ACS Omega, 2022)
Dynamical simulations of molecules and materials have been the route to understand the rearrangement of atoms within them at different temperatures. Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamical simulations have further helped to comprehend the reaction dynamics at various finite temperatures. We take a case study of Si6B and Si5B clusters and demonstrate that their finite-temperature behavior is rather mapped to the potential energy surface. The study further brings forth the fact that an accurate description of the dynamics is rather coupled with the accuracy of the method in defining the potential energy surface. A more precise potential energy surface generated through the coupled cluster method is finally used to identify the most accurate description of the potential energy surface and the interconnected finite-temperature behavior.

Mechanistically guided one pot synthesis of phosphine-phosphite and its implication in asymmetric hydrogenation - Sen, Anirban; Kumar, Rohit; Pandey, Swechchha; Raj, K. Vipin; Kumar, Pawan; Vanka, Kumar; Chikkali, Samir H. (European Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022)
Although hybrid bidentate ligands are known to yield highly enantioselective products in asymmetric hydrogenation (AH), synthesis of these ligands is an arduous process. Herein, a one pot, atom-economic synthesis of a hybrid phosphine-phosphite (L1) is reported. After understanding the reactivity difference between an 0-nucleophile versus C-nucleophile, one pot synthesis of Senphos (L1) was achieved (72%). When L1 was treated with [Rh], P-31 NMR revealed bidentate coordination to Rh. Senphos, in the presence of rhodium, catalyzes the AH of Methyl-2-acetamido-3-phenylacrylate and discloses an unprecedented turn over frequency of 2289, along with excellent enantio-selectivity (92%). The generality is demonstrated by hydrogenating an array of alkenes. The AH operates under mild conditions of 1-2 bar H-2 pressure, at room temperature. The practical relevance of Ll is demonstrated by scaling-up the reaction to 1 g and by synthesizing DOPA, a drug widely employed for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Computational insights indicate that the R isomer is preferred by 3.8 kcal/mol over the S isomer.
Keywords: asymmetric hydrogenation; catalysis; DOPA synthesis; One pot synthesis; Phosphine-phosphite ligand

Metagenomic mining of Indian river confluence reveal functional microbial community with lignocelluloytic potential - Rajput, Vinay; Samson, Rachel; Yadav, Rakeshkumar; Dastager, Syed; Khairnar, Krishna; Dharne, Mahesh (3 Biotech, 2022)
Microbial carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZyme) can be harnessed for valorization of Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) to value-added chemicals/products. The two Indian Rivers Ganges and the Yamuna having different origins and flow, face accumulation of carbon-rich substrates due to the discharge of wastewater from adjoining paper and pulp industries, which could potentially contribute to the natural enrichment of LCB utilizing genes, especially at their confluence. We analyzed CAZyme diversity in metagenomic datasets across the sacred confluence of the Rivers Ganges and Yamuna. Functional annotation using CAZyme database identified a total of 77,815 putative genes with functional domains involved in the catalysis of carbohydrate degradation or synthesis of glycosidic bonds. The metagenomic analysis detected similar to 41% CAZymes catalyzing the hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass polymers- cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and pectin. The Beta diversity analysis suggested higher CAZyme diversity at downstream region of the river confluence, which could be useful niche for culture-based studies. Taxonomic origin for CAZymes revealed the predominance of bacteria (97%), followed by archaea (1.67%), Eukaryota (0.63%), and viruses (0.7%). Metagenome guided CAZyme diversity of the microflora spanning across the confluence of Ganges-Yamuna River, could be harnessed for biomass and bioenergy applications.
Keywords: CAZymes; Confluence (Sangam); Lignocellulosic; River Ganges; River Yamuna

Metal-free approach towards efficient synthesis of FDCA using a p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA)-derived heterogeneous solid acid catalyst and oxone over two steps from HMF, fructose and glucose - Tamboli, Asma T. Biradar; Kirdant, Swapnali P.; Jadhav, Vrushali H. (New Journal of Chemistry, 2022)
In this work, a metal-free approach towards the synthesis of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), fructose and glucose is reported over two steps using a p-toluene sulfonic acid (p-TSA)-derived heterogeneous solid acid catalyst (p-TSA-POM) in the first step and oxone as an oxidant in the second step. HMF, fructose and glucose were converted to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) using the p-TSA-POM catalyst followed by oxidation of DFF to FDCA using oxone. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metal-free approach for the synthesis of FDCA directly from glucose. DFF was obtained from HMF in 91% yield, whereas it was obtained in 85% and 61% yields from fructose & glucose, respectively. DFF was further converted to FDCA using oxone as an oxidant. FDCA was obtained in an overall yield of 84%, 78% and 56% from HMF, fructose & glucose, respectively.

MgB2/NaNO2-PVA free-standing polymer composite film as a green firework: a step towards environmental sustainability - Jeyavani, Vijayakrishnan; Kumar, Rajendra; Joy, Pattayil Alias; Mukherjee, Shatabdi Porel (Bulletin of Materials Science, 2022)
We have demonstrated a simple fabrication methodology of free-standing polymer composite film firework that sparkles, provides colour display and moderate sound, yet is less polluting. The polymer composite film fireworks are composed of magnesium boride (MgB2), sodium nitrite (NaNO2) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). This study also suggested that a flammable, explosive powder composition can be made of two very common inorganic precursors, mainly NaNO2 and MgB2 . This is the first report demonstrating composite film fireworks with new flammable composition using metal boride as a primary precursor, which can also be used in conventional fireworks fabrication, replacing the traditional fuel, mainly gunpowder. The film fireworks were free from charcoal, sulphur, metal powder and paper. Therefore, they substantially lower the odour and COx, NOx, emissions and minimize the substantial trash generated when burned. Most importantly, film firework's minimum ignition temperature and exothermic decomposition temperature are much higher than the ambient temperature; hence are safe to handle.
Keywords: Firework; free-standing film; magnesium boride (MgB2); poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA); sodium nitrite (NaNO2)

Molecular elucidation of pancreatic elastase inhibition by baicalein - Ghosh, Debajeet; Bansode, Sneha; Joshi, Rakesh; Kolte, Baban; Gacche, Rajesh (Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, 2022)
The serine protease, elastase exists in various forms and plays diverse roles in the human body. Pharmacological inhibition of elastase has been investigated for its therapeutic role in managing conditions such as diabetes, pneumonia and arthritis. Sivelestat, a synthetic molecule, is the only elastase inhibitor to have been approved by any major drug regulatory authority (PMDA, in this case) - but still has failed to attain widespread clinical usage owing to its high price, cumbersome administration and obscure long-term safety profile. In order to find a relatively better-suited alternative, screening was conducted using plant flavonoids, which yielded baicalein, a molecule that showed robust inhibition against Pancreatic Elastase inhibition (IC50: 3.53 mu M). Other than having a considerably lower IC(50)than sivelestat, baicalein is also cheaper, safer and easier to administer. While MicroScale Thermophoresis validated baicalein-elastase interaction, enzyme-kinetic studies, molecular docking and molecular dynamic simulation revealed the mode of inhibition to be non-competitive. Baicalein exhibited binding to a distinct allosteric site on the enzyme. The current study demonstrates the elastase inhibition properties of baicalein in an in-vitro and in-silico environment.
Keywords: Baicalein; elastase; Enzyme inhibition; molecular interaction; sivelestat

Monomeric magnesium catalyzed alkene and alkyne hydroboration - Kumar, Rohit; Dutta, Sayan; Sharma, Vishal; Singh, Praval P.; Gonnade, Rajesh G.; Koley, Debasis; Sen, Sakya S. (Chemistry-A European Journal, 2022)
In this work, two monomeric magnesium alkyl complexes (1 and 2) were prepared using bis(phosphino)carbazole framework and among them 1 has been used as a catalyst for hydroboration of alkenes and alkynes with pinacolborane (HBpin). A broad variety of aromatic and aliphatic alkenes and alkynes were efficiently reduced. Anti-Markovnikov regioselective hydroboration of alkenes and alkynes was achieved, which was confirmed by deuterium-labelling experiments. The work represents the first example of the use of magnesium in homogeneous catalytic hydroboration of alkene with broad substrate scope. Experimental mechanistic investigations and DFT calculations provided insights into the reaction mechanism. Finally, the hydroboration protocol was extended to terpenes.
Keywords: carbazole; Magnesium; monomeric complexes; phosphorous; X-ray Structure